Week 2 NFL Sunday Surprises in Fantasy Football 

Fantasy football in Week 2 meant great reward for owners of such players as Tom Brady, Miles Austin, and Vincent Jackson.

You know… The usual guys.

But there were also a load of surprising statistics that were left on your bench or on your waiver wire.

Let’s break down the Top 10 surprises from Sunday’s games.

 10. Willis McGahee, RB, Denver Broncos

Those who plugged McGahee into their line ups were heavily rewarded on Sunday as the back up to Knowshon Moreno filled in well.

McGahee rushed for 101 yards, and while it took him 28 carries, it got the job done. He scored a touchdown and gave fantasy owners around 16 points.

9. Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins

I’ve been high on Thomas for quite awhile even while at Kansas State and he showed off on Sunday rushing for 107 yards on just 18 carries.

He failed to score a touchdown, but for a player who was struggling with pass protection, it didn’t look like Thomas would see much action for a few more weeks.

Thomas provided fantasy owners with nine points.

8. Javon Ringer, RB, Tennessee Titans

Ringer was healthy, and it was nice to see him record a few carries. While he rushed for just 21 yards on five carries, he still scored a touchdown and caught two passes for 30 yards.

The worst part is that he scored more fantasy points than Chris Johnson with 11.

7. Ryan Mathews RB, San Diego Chargers

With Mike Tolbert going off last week, fantasy owners started to forget about Mathews.

But Mathews rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown may make people think twice. He also caught seven passes for 62 yards and rewarded standard league owners with roughly 18 points.

6. Jason Campbell, QB, Oakland Raiders

The Bills and Raiders shoot out was extremely entertaining and fantasy owners that took a chance on Campbell were rewarded big time.

Campbell threw for two touchdowns ran for another, while throwing for 323 yards.

His fantasy owners were satisfied with 24 points.

5. Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders

This would probably be my #1 surprise if it weren’t for the fact that we knew Moore was capable of big plays.

Moore caught just five passes, but amassed 146 yards and a touchdown. He even had a 25 yard run to add to it.

Those who took a chance and plugged him in were rewarded with 22 points.

4. Jesse Holley, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Holley came out of nowhere to catch three passes in the overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers.

Those three passes added up to 96 yards as fantasy owners scratch their head trying to figure out where this guy came from.

With Miles Austin out for a couple more weeks, he could factor in a bit more.

3. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Come on man. I had Newton pegged for a severe decline after his opening performance considering he was facing a tough Packer defense.

Instead, he threw for 432 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 53 yards and another touchdown. His three interceptions kept him from being the top fantasy quarterback in Week 2.

But his 26 point range was good for second.

2. Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Some folks in Cincinnati were worried that Dalton starting as a rookie would hinder them from winning many games.

It actually could, but the way he played in Week 2 was encouraging albeit facing a terrible defense.

Dalton threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns in a close losing effort by the Bengals, rewarding any unlikely fantasy owners with roughly 21 points.

1. Eric Decker, WR, Denver Broncos

If Eric Decker doesn’t show flashbacks of Ed McCaffrey, then I don’t know what does.

Decker was electric on Sunday catching five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

He’s starting to develop some rhythm with Kyle Orton as he scored around 21 points for unlikely fantasy owners.