A graduate of the All-Stream Team, Fuller went crazy last week, turning 11 targets into a 5/107/1 line. The reasons why I called for him to be a member of the AST last week are the same reasons why you might want to pump the brakes on starting Fuller in fantasy football this week. I’m not saying you should avoid having him on your roster, but at the same time, he probably should be riding the pine in week two.
First, Fuller’s workload is a definite concern for his week two production. While the 11 targets are encouraging for those who want to rally behind the rookie, that number is likely to come down for a couple of reasons. The first is DeAndre Hopkins. As I said would happen in the All Stream Team last week, the Bears did everything in their power to slow down the electric receiver. They were able to funnel 11 targets to Fuller while limiting Hopkins to 8 or fewer targets for just the third time since the beginning of last year. This will likely flip this week for two reasons: one, the Chiefs secondary isn’t going to shift disproportionately towards Nuk Hopkins to try to overcome for an extreme mismatch. Second, Nuk is one of the best in the game. Everyone knows it and you better bet he made certain to remind everyone this week that he got three fewer targets than a rookie. That’ll change this week.
The second concern is Fuller’s drops, which are a reason why he surprisingly did not have a bigger stat-line in week one. Fuller gets frequent comps to Ted Ginn, Jr., and with good reason. Fuller and Ginn are both quick and shifty and have hands that sometimes take a play off. If Fuller gets one or two early drops, then Osweiler stands a chance of shifting off of him nearly completely towards Hopkins. The better defensive back presence in Kansas City means his catches will be more contested, which will make questionable hands less sure. Granted, Ginn has been fantasy relevant in his past, but would you want to put a Ted Ginn clone in your fantasy lineup in his second game? I wouldn’t.
The third reason I’m fading Fuller this week is game flow. The Chiefs like to work at a turtle’s pace, methodically moving the ball up the field to keep the opposition on the sidelines. They have the exact opposite of slinging Jay Cutler in Alex Smith at quarterback, and suddenly at least two great running backs. The Texans aren’t going to be afforded the same amount of opportunities like last week.
Don’t get me wrong; Fuller should be on your roster, but playing a much better Chiefs defense with a squeaky-wheeled Nuk Hopkins means fewer targets, fewer opportunities, and fewer leagues where you should play him this week.