The name of the game is "Beat the Strick," but if virtually everybody does, then just beating me alone doesn't get you very far.
In Week 1, WCNC-TV sports anchor Kelsey Riggs was the standard bearer.
Riggs rode her selection of Saints running back Alvin Kamara to the top spot. Fantasy football analyst John Halpin also selected Kamara – the top running back in NFL.com’s scoring system for the week – and came in third. Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer came in second on the strength of another Saint, quarterback Drew Brees (a fantasy versus reality reminder: The Saints lost Sunday).
And, I came in ninth. Only former Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross suffered the unfortunate fate of finishing below me. But (the two of us sure could use a "but") this is a season-long contest where non-Panthers can only be picked once, and fantasy is fickle. The Saints selections were gold, but no one picked the top quarterback and overall scorer of the week (Ryan Fitzpatrick!?) or the top wide receiver (Tyreek Hill) in Week 1.
 Bryan Strickland |
 Max Henson |
 Bill Voth |
 Jordan Gross |
 Jim Szoke |
|
| Total Pts (rank) | 46.88 (9th) | 66.74 (7th) | 71.36 (6th) | 43.50 (10th) | 77.74 (4th) |
| Last week | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- |
| QB | A. Smith | A. Smith | Roethlisberger | N. Foles | P. Rivers |
| RB | C. McCaffrey | C. McCaffrey | C.J. Anderson | C. Hyde | C. McCaffrey |
| RB | J. Conner | J. Conner | T. Gurley | J. Conner | J. Conner |
| WR | O. Beckham | M. Thomas | Smith-Schuster | D. Funchess | K. Allen |
| WR | J. Landry | E. Sanders | A. Robinson | G. Tate | E. Sanders |
| TE | G. Kittle | J. Reed | J. Cook | J. Doyle | J. Cook |
 Jourdan Rodrigue |
 Mike Solarte |
 Kelsey Riggs |
 Josh Klein |
 John Halpin |
|
| Total Pts (rank) | 78.86 (2nd) | 74.94 (5th) | 84.84 (1st) | 64.60 (8th) | 78.56 (3rd) |
| Last week | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- |
| QB | E. Manning | D. Brees | P. Rivers | A. Luck | Roethlisberger |
| RB | M. Gordon | M. Gordon | J. Ajayi | M. Gordon | C. McCaffrey |
| RB | L Fournette | J. Howard | A. Peterson | J. Conner | L. McCoy |
| WR | O. Beckham | D. Funchess | D. Funchess | M. Thomas | A. Brown |
| WR | J. Gordon | K. Allen | M. Thomas | P. Richardson | Q. Enunwa |
| TE | I. Thomas | J. Doyle | K. Rudolph | I. Thomas | B. Watson |
My decision in Week 1 to roll with Eagles quarterback Nick Foles and Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan because of favorable circumstances around them backfired. This week I'm going a little more mainstream but still looked for opportunities to save studs for later and make some roster-based moves. It undoubtedly makes sense to trot Steelers running back James Conner out there before Le'Veon Bell returns (and half the field is doing just that), and Browns wideout Jarvis Landry could see a ton of targets against the Saints with Josh Gordon still getting up to speed. But I'm also going with some star power, sensing that Odell Beckham Jr. could be poised for a big day against the rival Cowboys coming off a quiet day against the jacked-up Jaguars.
At tight end, I'm giving George Kittle of the 49ers a shot against a Lions unit that struggled mightily in Week 1. If you're in a season-long league and had the misfortune to draft Delanie Walker – who went out of the game and is out for the year – you should pounce if Kittle is on your waiver wire. (clubhouse leader Kelsey, by the way, still managed first place even while taking Walker).
As for the Panthers' picks this week – a reminder, each Panther can be picked up to three times over the course of the season - four panelists went with Christian McCaffrey, three with Devin Funchess, two with rookie tight end Ian Thomas and one with C.J. Anderson. Two weeks in, no one has picked Cam Newton yet. Perhaps they're saving those up; perhaps they're waiting for better matchups.
