So far, so good. I came in 37th out of over 400 entries in Week 1, pretty close to what my age was a decade or so ago. Now it's time to really turn up the screws and make a move into the top 20. Here's what I'll be going with this week.
Fantasy Index Blackout is our free thank-you game for Fantasy Index subscribers. Each week, choose 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 PKs and 2 defenses. It's PPR scoring. To make the game interesting, we remove several top players from the pool each week. Each week's high score will win a $25 Fantasy Index gift certificate, and the season champ will win a nice prize package.
How to play: Sign into your Fantasy Index account and click the blue "Your stuff" button in the top right corner. Then look for the link to Fantasy Index Blackout 2021 on the right side of the page.
The elves are still uploading the Week 2 choices, but I'm going to present my intended lineup anyway, making guesses as to who won't be available (and changing them if necessary). Here's my team.
QUARTERBACK: Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert. I think Hurts is going to sneak into my lineup a lot. I used him and Trevor Lawrence in Week 1, that worked out. He faces San Francisco, which managed to make Jared Goff look presentable for a large portion of last week. Herbert faces Dallas. Nuff said. I'm assuming, by the way, that Mahomes and Brady won't be available.
RUNNING BACK: Nick Chubb and Aaron Jones. If one of these guys is blacked out, I'll go with Chris Carson. These teams respectively are facing the Texans, Lions and Titans. David Montgomery also looks promising.
WIDE RECEIVER: Keenan Allen, Jakobi Meyers and Stefon Diggs. Not really sure who will be blacked out here, but these guys should be viable. Diggs (against Miami) and Meyers (against the Jets) destroyed these opponents a year ago. With Allen, I'm going for the Chargers stack. Other names leap to mind as possibilities (Adams on MNF? Marquez Callaway making up to those of us burned with him in our leagues last week?) but these three look pretty good.
TIGHT END: Logan Thomas and George Kittle. Best to just assume Kelce and Waller will be blacked out each and every week. Giants didn't have much luck covering Denver tight ends last week, so Thomas looks like a nice choice with his new QB. Kittle had a monster game against the Eagles a year ago, I'm doubling down.
KICKER: Brandon McManus and active Patriots kicker. Probably Nick Folk, but we'll have to see. McManus should be great this season for the Broncos, the way the offense and defense should play in most games. I think the Patriots are going to put up a lot of points against the Jets this week. If I back off this choice, not knowing whether the Patriots opt for Folk or Quinn Nordin, give me Harrison Butker or, if blacked out, Matt Gay.
DEFENSE: Lots of good choices this week. If they're not blacked out, I'll take Washington and the Patriots. If I need a different choice, the Broncos in Jacksonville should be fine.
Good luck to the rest of you.
--Andy Richardson