Week 2 Flames: Dalton, Moreno head group with fantasy upside

Each week the Noise highlights 12-13 somewhat obscure, un-obvious names who he believes are destined to torch the competition. To qualify, each player must be started in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Speaking as an accountability advocate, I will post results, whether genius or moronic, the following week using the scoring system shown here. If you're a member of TEAM HUEVOS, reveal your Week 1 Flames in the comments section below.

Andy Dalton, Cin, QB (16-percent started)
Matchup: vs. Atl
Are you afraid of football-tossing redheads? Don't be a Gingerphobe. Last week playing a Ravens team he notoriously struggled against, Dalton stiff armed history, worked almost exclusively out of the 'gun, was rarely under heat (10.0 pressure percentage per Pro Football Focus) and completed 25-of-38 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown. The commendable effort marked the sixth time in his past 13 starts he crossed the 300-yard line. He could easily add to that total in Week 2. Outside Desmond Trufant, the Falcons secondary doesn't exactly strike fear into the heart of opponents. Yes it was Drew Brees and New Orleans, but Cool-lanta surrendered 333 yards and 7.9 yards per attempt to the future Hall of Famer. Prior to the opener, owners were worried about Hue Jackson's desire to implement a run heavier scheme. However, after the Bengals chucked it nearly 60 percent of the time vs. Baltimore, concerns may have been premature. Given the favorable matchup, Dalton should resemble the passer that finished top-five a season ago. Look for him to connect with A.J. Green on a bomb or three.

Fearless Forecast: 29-41, 311 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 10 rushing yards, 23.6 fantasy points

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Shonn Greene, Ten, RB (6-percent started)

Matchup: vs. Dal
Greene's reputation in fantasy is akin to the Golden Corral's in the culinary world ... unexceptional. His numerous three-yard plods, subsequent bland YPC, one-dimensional skill set and sporadic usefulness have uninspired the masses. Though he sat atop the RB depth-chart for the entire summer, it was no fluke he fell into the double-digit rounds of 12-team drafts. However, don't underestimate his Week 2 scoring potential. On the road in KC last Sunday, Greene actually played well. On 15 carries, he rolled up 71 yards (4.7 yards per carry) gaining 67.7 percent of his production after first contact. He also led the charge in Ken Whisenhunt's split backfield logging a team-high 33 snaps (Dexter McCluster played 20, Leon Washington 18, Bishop Sankey 11). Matched against a Dallas front that lived down to its bottom-barrel expectations giving up 4.52 yards per carry to San Fran backs last week, Greene should find creases to exploit. A fixture in short-yardage and at the goal-line, he has a strong chance of scoring, especially if Jake Locker continues to excel. For one week only, Greene will be the color of money.

Fearless Forecast: 17 carries, 76 rushing yards, 0 receptions, 1 touchdown, 13.6 fantasy points 

Knowshon Moreno, Mia, RB (34-percent started)
Matchup: at Buf
Instead of weights or miles on the treadmill, Knowshon crushed tacos, lots and lots of tacos, this offseason. He reportedly packed on some 25-30 pounds prior to June mini-camp, added beef that likely contributed to the knee scope he underwent in early July. But no longer doughy, the leaner rusher is back in business and threatening to permanently overtake Lamar Miller on the depth-chart. Last week against a rock solid New England defense, he looked like the chain-mover that recorded top-five numbers last season in Denver. Behind a surprisingly effective Miami offensive line, he was tough between the tackles racking up 134 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries (5.6 ypc). Despite the stellar performance, Bill Lazor maintains the veteran and Miller are locked in an undetermined rotation. Game flow may dictate who will get touches and when, but it seems clear Moreno is entrenched as the early down and goal-line back with his wing man working primary on pass downs. This week in Buffalo, look for more of the same. The Bills conceded 4.8 yards per carry to Matt Forte in Week 1. If the Miami uglies can generate considerable push in the trenches, another 100 yards could be on tap for Moreno.

Fearless Forecast: 19 carries, 90 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 8 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 17.3 fantasy points

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Hakeem Nicks, Ind, WR (8-percent started)
Matchup: vs. Phi
A Haley's Comet sighting, a fantasy "expert" landing a date, Nicks finding the end-zone -- these are some of life's biggest rarities. After failing to cross the chalk once last season and finishing outside the position's top-70 in per game average, most owners moved on. Limited by a myriad of injuries the past two years in New York, Nicks looked wooden and uninterested, a shell of the once unstoppable downfield threat. But the change of scenery may have done the still only 26-year-old some good. Utilized almost exclusively on shallow crosses and quick outs Week 1 in Denver, he looked fluid, bouncy and confident. He caught all five of Andrew Luck's intended targets, totaling 36 yards and, of all things, a touchdown, his first score since Week 14 of 2012. Improbably, he could hit pay-dirt in consecutive weeks. The Eagles, unpredictably, were blasted by Chad Henne and Allen Hurns in their opener. Corner Cary Williams was especially awful, surrendering 29.3 yards per catch to his assignments. Nicks will continue to work underneath, but given his renewed vigor, generous matchup (Vegas over/under opened at 52.5) and primo red-zone role, he's worth slotting in at WR3. The comeback tour is well underway.

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 59 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 15.6 fantasy points

Andrew Hawkins, Cle, WR (4-percent started)
Matchup: vs. NO
The diminutive receiver is reminiscent of Yen from "Ocean's 11." He's pocket-sized, incredibly elusive and can fit through the tightest spaces, a legit "greaseman." Last week in a shootout with the Steelers, the dirty worker lived up to the billing, grabbing eight passes (on nine targets) for 87 yards, many of those catches coming in the short-field. PPR gold. A similar effort against visiting New Orleans is in the offing. The Saints, like most teams, were terrible in coverage last week vs. Atlanta. Corners Patrick Robinson, Keenan Lewis and Corey White, who played mostly man, surrendered a combined 16 catches on 19 targets. Obviously, Hawkins isn't the caliber of a Julio Jones or Roddy White and Brian Hoyer is roughly a billion steps down from Matt Ryan, but the Saints' secondary isn't intimidating. And Jordan Cameron's possible unavailability could lead to a major uptick in targets. Equally important, if Cleveland's D, which allowed over seven yards per play to Pittsburgh last Sunday, again rolls over, a high-scoring affair should materialize, increasing fantasy scoring opportunities for Baby Hawk. Throw the Brown a bone as a WR3 in 12-teamers.

Fearless Forecast: 7 receptions, 79 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 13.1 fantasy points

SHOCKER SPECIAL (Under 10-percent started)

Mohamed Sanu, Cin, WR (1-percent started)
Matchup: vs. Atl
Sanu, hiding in the weeds throughout August, attracted few suitors in drafts. With the expectation Dalton would cut some 150 pass attempts off last year, the overlooked target was viewed as nothing more than waiver fodder, even with Marvin Jones slated to miss at least the first five weeks of the regular season. The third-year weapon didn't light up the virtual scoreboard Week 1 vs. Baltimore. On five targets, Sanu grabbed four passes for 36 yards and chipped in a two-point conversion. Most encouragingly, however, he didn't drop a single pass. Still, his Week 2 matchup against Atlanta possesses video game-like appeal that could net him ample targets. Last week against New Orleans, Trufant and Robert Alford were often humiliated downfield by Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks. The duo combined for 12 catches, 187 yards and a touchdown. With Green drawing so much attention, Sanu, who is no munchkin at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, stands to benefit from single coverage. Tyler Eifert's loss, too, should ramp up his role. FLEX him with confidence in deeper leagues.

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 63 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 16.1 fantasy points

BONUS WEEK 2 FLAMES

#TEAMHUEVOS PICKS OF THE WEEK

Each week one fortunate guest prognosticator will have a chance to silence the Noise. Following the rules stated above, participants are asked to submit their "Flames" (1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 D/ST) by midnight PT Tuesdays via Twitter @YahooNoise. How large are your stones?

Reader Record: 3-4, 42.8%

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