8 Players You May Want to Sit in Week 2

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Picture puzzles are a favorite pastime of such modern luminaries as Betty White, my grandma, and the old man with the funny hat in the park. What do these three legends have in common with the Patriots' veteran quarterback (hint: my grandma hasn't thrown for 5,000 in a season... yet)? Answer: all of them are getting really old.

Now, you might say: "Joe, Tom Brady is only 37 and still passed for more than 4,000 yards last season!" You'd be right. But that was then, and this is now. Brady looked atrocious against an admittedly surprising Dolphins defense in Week 1, completing just 51.8% of his passes for only 249 yards and one touchdown (9 total fantasy points). To put this in perspective, Brady has had only six weeks with a completion percentage under 55% over the last five years. His Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) don't offer him much hope either; Brady was worst among all passers in Week 1 with an atrocious -10.71 Passing NEP score.

Now Brady goes into Minnesota to face another surprisingly stout defense, which held the Rams' quarterback position to just 6 points in Week 1 (lowest in the league). Yes, this was only against the likes of Shaun Hill and Austin Davis, but I expect this team under the tutelage of rookie head coach and former Cincinnati defensive guru Mike Zimmer to blitz early and often. Brady's declining prowess under pressure and the trade of All-Pro guard Logan Mankins should make this a feast for the Vikings' front seven and famine for Tom Brady.

Our algorithms still like Brady this week, but this is a fair warning: He just might not be the Tom Brady we've become used to seeing.