Last year, as the clock struck triple zeros in Lucas Oil Stadium, cementing the New York Giants’ second Super Bowl championship in the last five seasons, Peyton Manning was an Indianapolis Colt, Adrian Peterson was in the process of recovering from a torn ACL and a torn MCL, and the average football fan didn’t know the name ‘Kevin Ogletree.’

A lot has changed since then. A lot.

Peyton Manning is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Adrian Peterson defied all odds and somehow played — and played quite well — in week one. And ‘Kevin Ogletree’, at least for the time being, is a household-name.

With all the feel-good stories that week one brought, there was also a surplus of great performances, disappointments, and pleasant surprises; none more surprising than Mr. Ogletree.

Players I Love For Week 2

Andrew Luck, QB, Colts:

The first overall pick in last year’s draft looked very promising in his first carer game; he threw for 309 yards and a touchdown (he was also picked off three times) against a stingy Bears defense. This week, he’ll be opposed by the Minnesota Vikings, the same team that allowed Blaine Gabbert to throw for 260 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Cam Newton, QB, Panthers:

After arguably the greatest rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history, Cam Newton followed up his historic season with a mediocre performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though he managed 303 passing yards, he had a mere four yards on five attempts on the ground and was picked off twice. Robert Griffin III lit up the Saints’ defense last week in his first career NFL game. Look for Newton to have similar success in week two.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Redskins:

In his first career game, Griffin torched the Saints with 362 total yards (320 passing, 42 rushing) and two touchdowns on his way to a 40-32 win. This week, Griffin will face the St. Louis Rams. The Rams finished 2011 as the seventh best defense against the pass. However, Griffin isn’t your ordinary quarterback; he can run, and he can run well. The Rams were second to last in the NFL last season against the run, so even if Griffin struggles throwing the ball, he should be able to do quite a bit of damage with his legs.

Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers:

The rookie running back out of Boise State had an impressive start to his NFL career (24 carries, 95 yards). In his second game, he’ll be taking on a Giants defense that surrendered 131 yards to DeMarco Murray last week. Not to mention it’s a mediocre (14th in 2011) run defense.

Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots:

Usually, it’s not the best idea to trust a Patriots running back, but, for this week, it might pan out. Ridley ran all over the Titans’ defense last week for 125 yards and a score. This week, he and the Patriots will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals, the NFL’s 12th worst run defense in 2011.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Giants:

Tampa Bay was dead last in the NFL last year when it came to stopping the run. In Week 1, they allowed just ten total rushing yards (DeAngelo Williams had six carries for negative one yards…), but they were opposed by a running back on decline in Williams. However, there’s no excuses that could allay Cam Newton’s four rushing yards on five attempts. Bradshaw should be able to find and exploit the cracks in this Tampa Bay defense and have another solid fantasy performance.

Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins:

When it comes to Mike Shannahan, a psychic with a crystal ball couldn’t even predict what he would do with his running backs. With that said, Alfred Morris, as long as he stays healthy and continues to perform like he did in Week 1 (28 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD), will be the starting running back. It also doesn’t hurt that he’ll be opposed by the second worst run defense in the NFL in ’11. In an offense featuring Robert Griffin III and Pierre Garcon, Morris could easily be forgotten.

A.J. Green, WR, Bengals:

If the reason “He’s playing the Browns” isn’t enough, I’ll provide you with a few more. Green was targeted a team-high 11 times (he only managed five receptions, though) in Monday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, a team known strictly for its brutal defense. This week, he’ll be opposed by the Browns, a team known strictly for being bad. This Browns defense allowed over 300 receiving yards last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. You can expect Green to be targeted just as many times this week as last; I’d be stunned if he only caught five of those eleven targets this time, though.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos:

Last year, when people heard “Denver Broncos,” they immediately thought of Tim Tebow. Tebow has apparently caused many people to forget that Thomas was the Broncos’ first-round pick (22nd overall) back in 2010. As Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic pointed out on their radio show Mike & Mike, Thomas is arguably the most lethal weapon Peyton Manning has had since Reggie Wayne was in the absolute prime of his career. Thomas is a freakishly gifted athlete — he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds and has a large frame (6’3”, 230 lbs.). Manning and Thomas have a very noticeable chemistry that should allow the two to have another big game (Thomas had five catches, 110 yards, and a TD last week) when they take on the Falcons on Monday Night Football.

Randall Cobb, WR, Packers:

Aaron Rodgers. Greg Jennings. Jordy Nelson. Jermichael Finley. Cedric Benson. Randall Cobb? Cobb is an easily forgotten piece in this potent Green Bay offense. As of today, Cobb is owned in just 13.4% of teams in ESPN fantasy leagues. In last week’s thriller against the San Francisco 49ers, Cobb caught all nine balls thrown his way (77 yards), and had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown. It seemed as if the Packers were trying to get the ball into Cobb’s hands — when it was, good things happened. This could be a sign of many good things to come, one of which could be that Rodgers will be looking to get the ball to Cobb more often. If that is the case, Cobb would immediately become an impact fantasy player.

Players I Hate For Week 2

Michael Vick, QB, Eagles:

There’s no hiding the atrocious performance Vick gave last week against one of the poorest teams in the league. Despite his throwing for 317 yards and two touchdowns, he was picked off four times; yes, four. Week 2 has a Baltimore Ravens team in store for Vick, and they hit — hard. Without Jason Peters, one of the best tackles in all of football, there to keep Vick upright, there could be a feast in the Ravens’ future — and Vick’s on the menu.

Kevin Smith, RB, Lions:

When a running back faces the 49ers, there’s a 99.99% chance he’s not going to do too well.

Michael Turner, RB, Falcons:

I’ve been patiently waiting for Michael Turner’s decline for quite some time, now. Finally, it looks like it has arrived. Last week, the 30-year old back recorded just 32 yards on 11 carries against the league’s seventh worst run-stopping defense in 2011 (Kansas City). If Turner couldn’t get anything going against the Chiefs, I don’t see any reasons suggesting he’d be able to do so against the Broncos, which allowed just 63 yards combined between Isaac Redman and Jonathan

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers:

While New Orleans isn’t the best run-stopping defense, they’re certainly better than Tampa Bay — the team Williams faced last week. Even with Jonathan Stewart sidelined due to an ankle injury, Williams was granted just six carries and turned them into an amusing negative one yards. Pretty soon, Williams won’t even deserve a spot on the roster let alone a spot in the starting lineup.

Miles Austin, WR, Cowboys:

Austin was virtually a non-factor for most of the game against the Giants, until he scored a 34-yard touchdown with 6 minutes, 12 seconds left in the game. Subtract that play, and Austin finishes the game with just three catches and 39 yards. Seattle’s sound defense shut down Larry Fitzgerald in Week 1, and could very well do the same to Austin in Week 2.

Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers:

Wallace had a similar game to Austin’s. Wallace was, like Austin, a non-factor up until the 14 minute mark of the fourth quarter, when he scored on a three-yard touchdown pass. Subtract that play, and Wallace finishes with just three catches and 34 yards — looks familiar, right? Another factor that’s weighing Wallace down is his holdout. Wallace did not report to camp for most of training camp, which allowed Ben Roethlisberger to develop a solid relationship with Antonio Brown, who outperformed Wallace in the second half of the 2011 season.

 When it comes to deciding on your lineup, one minor slip-up could be that utterly frustrating difference between a win and a loss; choose wisely.