It may not have been the most conventional win of my fantasy football career, but in Week One of the SSTFFB, Team Jackler took down Team Jossart by following the Bill Parcells blueprint of great defense and special teams. Having the Minnesota Vikings defense, as well as their inconsistent yet frequently-used kicker Blair Walsh, were two critical factors in my win last week. The Vikings D scored 21 fantasy points, which was 13 more points than an adequate starting defense would have gotten. Harrison Smith and Co. scored two defensive touchdowns and forced three turnovers against a solid Tennessee offense. In Teddy Bridgewater’s absence, the offense was incapable of scoring a touchdown, and frequently sputtered out within field goal range. Even though Walsh missed two field goals and an extra point, Walsh was still the second best kicker in fantasy last week. While the Vikings defense should be one of the top defensive units in fantasy for this season, but Walsh may not be able to get as many opportunities once the offense adjusts to the last-minute quarterback change and Adrian Peterson returns to his usual form.
On an unrelated note, David Johnson may be the best player to own in keeper leagues, and could very well be the top player in fantasy this year. The second-year running back has been in the shadow of Todd Gurley, but Week One showed a different picture. Johnson put up 18 fantasy points against an underrated Patriots defense, but his game went deeper than the numbers. He received poor blocking on many runs, but it didn’t seem to affect him at all. As Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald enter the final years of their career, Johnson will become the focal point of a very potent offense in the future.