Quick, name the top player in all of fantasy football at the non-quarterback position in PPR leagues? If you guessed it was a guy that grabbed by your’s truly in the mid to later stages of your drafts, then give yourself a pat on the back.
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C.J. Spiller has gone bonkers in his last seven games (going back to final three from last year) chalking up 769 yards and seven scores of offense. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t necessarily possess a ton of arm strength, although he’s a rather accurate passer, completing 28 of 51 passes for 373 yards with five TDs and three INTs through the first two games of the 2012 regular season.
The eighth-year veteran starting signal-caller threw for 6,832 yards with 47 touchdowns to 38 interceptions on 608 completions of 1,010 attempts combined in 29 games (all starts) in 2009 and 2010. He also added 484 yards on the ground.
Nevertheless, many mock drafts already project the likes of Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas, Florida State signal-caller E.J. Manuel or Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson to the Bills in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft.
This week’s road test against the Browns cannot be considered an easy victory, but Cleveland’s defense hasn’t exactly knocked anyone’s socks off through the first two games. The team ranks 28th against the pass and 18th against the run after falling to Philadelphia (17-16) and Cincinnati (34-27).
This will bode well for Buffalo Bills tight end Scott Chandler, running back C.J. Spiller and wide receiver Stevie Johnson.
Much like the team’s recent history of fading down-the-stretch over the course of the season, it was expected that this offense would take a tumble without the services of running back Fred Jackson.
Jackson averaged 93.4 yards per game last year, third most in the league. But the Bills’ balanced, spread offensive attack has continued to flourish without him. In fact, former first-round pick (ninth overall in 2010 out of Clemson), Spiller now leads the NFL in rushing with 292 yards and three TDs on 29 carries (averaging 10.1 yards a pop) with five receptions for 72 yards through the first two games.
Photo Credit: John H. Reid III/ClevelandBrowns.com
Cleveland will counter with rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, second-year receiver Greg Little and rookie running back Trent Richardson, each of whom had strong showings in last week’s 34-27 loss to the Bengals.
Weeden completed 26 of 37 passes (70.3 completion percentage) for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson ran the football 19 times, just as he did in Week 1, but he racked up 109 yards and a score and added four receptions for 36 yards. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft chalked up just 39 yards and one catch for five yards in the season opener.
The talent is in place for the Cleveland Browns to improve upon last season’s 4-12 record. Albeit it’s not very likely the Browns will win that many more games (if any) than last year, this club is more competitive and could be a sleeper next season.
The receivers and secondary is still a bit weak with Joe Haden getting a multi-game suspension (four games), but they will battle until the very end of this somewhat intriguing matchup.
Network: CBS (708)
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
Experts Pick: Bills by 3
Danny V’s Pick: Bills 24, Browns 17
