Without a doubt, the second week of the NFL season was characterized by injuries. High profile names, such as George Kittle, Chris Godwin and Kenny Golladay had already been ruled out prior to Sunday’s action while many significant players went down during the games, including Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams, Raheem Mostert and Nick Bosa among others. The list is notably extensive compared to most weeks and could be the result of limited minicamps and players still working up to game speed. Nevertheless, our job as fantasy GMs is to take advantage of the opportunities created by the players listed above missing significant time.
Dual Threat QBs Race Ahead
After the Sunday afternoon games, the top three signal callers are Dak Prescott, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray, all of whom contribute steadily with their legs. On a day where nothing was working early, Dallas’ improbable comeback against Atlanta was sustained by Prescott’s three rushing scores on five carries. The former Bulldog also passed for 450 yards and an additional TD in a game that saw him realize 39.2 fantasy points. Allen’s arm played second fiddle during his first two seasons, however the strong-armed QB has put up quite the aerial display through two weeks with more than 300 yards passing in each contest. This week’s line included 417 yards with 4 TDs with only 4 rushing attempts, signaling a step toward more consistent production. Murray tore up the Washington defense for 286 passing yards and 1 score to go with 8 carries for 67 yards and 2 more TDs. The rising star is proving to be matchup proof thanks to maybe the strongest rushing load among quarterbacks
The intriguing lower tier quarterbacks who impressed, scoring between 22 and 27 points, include Ryan Tannehill, Joe Burrow, Gardner Minshew and Justin Herbert. Tannehill has continued his momentum from last season, passing for 239 yards and 4 TDs. On the other hand, we have Burrow who threw for 360 yards and 3 TDs on 61 attempts. This volume can’t be expected every week but the Heisman Trophy winner should be expected to air the ball out on a weekly basis on a poor Bengals team. Tannehill’s Sunday opponent, Minshew, submitted another healthy line with 339 yards and 3 TDs. In a surprise debut Herbert almost lead the Chargers to a win over Kansas City behind 311 passing yards and 2 total touchdowns which portends well if he remains the starter over Tyrod Taylor. All are weekly streaming options when the matchup is favorable.
Running Backs: Aaron Jones and everyone else
Sunday belonged to the Packers star back as Jones’ 45.6 points behind 22 touches for 236 total yards and 2 touchdowns is the top performance this year. After two weeks it’s clear this is Jones’ backfield, even with Jamal Williams and A.J. Dillon in tow.
Following Jones, the highest scorers of the week are Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb, McCaffrey and Kareem Hunt. The key takeaway from the top performers at the position after two weeks is three defenses ineptitude against the run: Detroit, Carolina and Cincinnati. Four of the top five backs played against these teams in week two and using this information to dictate matchup plays and even trades in the coming weeks should prove savvy.
The position was hit hard by injury and capitalizing on the opportunities created is extremely crucial. If McCaffrey is to miss time due to his ankle, Mike Davis should see enough receiving work to be relevant and the team’s receivers may actually benefit most from increased work. The early signs indicate that Barkley tore his ACL which is terrible news for fantasy investors, Giants fans and NFL fans alike. Dion Lewis becomes a top PPR addition while Wayne Gallman could see enough work to be a matchup play. Both Mostert and backup Tevin Coleman of the 49ers sustained knee injuries Sunday and while the extent of Coleman’s injury is unknown Mostert looks to be on the shelf for a few weeks with an MCL sprain. Jerick McKinnon immediately becomes roster worthy in deeper leagues while Jeff Wilson gains value if Coleman is out. The San Francisco offense as a whole might be a situation to avoid as the starters at QB, RB, WR and TE all are injured. In the Rams crowded backfield both Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown emerged from Sunday’s win banged up while Darrell Henderson, who played a minor role week one, turned 12 carries into 81 yards and a TD. All three backs have value when healthy but if Akers or Brown is to miss time, Henderson and the healthy back will be worthy of flex consideration.
Solid Wide Receivers Plays across the board
The most notable week 2 observation from the receiver position is that 22 players have scored at least 15 PPR points thus far with none over 30, quite the cluster. Readily available names in this cluster include Chase Claypool, Keelan Cole, Russell Gage and Adam Humphries. The best bet to sustain their performance is Gage, as he’s averaging 18.5 points after 2 weeks and Atlanta should throw a ton to compensate for their subpar defense. Claypool and Cole both offer upside while Humphries could be a plug and play guy when the matchup dictates. Claypool showed big play ability on an 84-yard TD on a go route, the longest pay from scrimmage this year, and had an acrobatic toe-tap catch during week 1. Cole has lead Jacksonville in targets both weeks and is averaging 16.8 fantasy points per game. Humphries has 11 receptions on 12 targets for 95 yards and 1 TD this season and should be flex worthy in deeper leagues as long as Brown is sidelined.
The other meaningful headline is Calvin Ridley’s ascension to the top tier of WRs in fantasy. After posting 33.9 points week one, Ridley followed it up with 29.9 points on 7 receptions, 109 yards and 2 more TDs in addition to leading a talented receiving corps in targets. 30 points on a weekly basis is unsustainable but Ridley could settle in at 20 in the Falcons pass happy offense.
Many big names failed to post double digit totals, including Adams, Julio Jones, Allen Robinson, Adam Thielen, Will Fuller, Michael Gallup and T.Y. Hilton. Adams, Jones and Fuller were hobbled while the others face consistency issues in their respective offenses but should be able to rebound. Thielen and Robinson both saw at least 8 targets yet only had 3 receptions apiece, meaning their quarterbacks are looking their way often and better weeks are ahead. Hilton and Gallup haven’t received as many looks as expected in the first two weeks but both possess undeniable big play ability that keeps them in the flex conversation. All players mentioned are quality buy low candidates, especially Robinson, Hilton and Gallup.
Young Tight Ends Emerging
In week two, 6 different tight ends posted at least 20 fantasy points, compared to only 2 in week one, four of which are breakout candidates at the position. Tyler Higbee leads the position after catching all 5 targets for 54 yards and 3 TDs, unsustainable production yet indicative of Higbee’s upside. Mike Gesicki and Jonnu Smith both lead their teams in targets on their way to second and third place finishes at the position. Familiar names Travis Kelce and Jordan Reed also lead their teams in targets on the way to fourth and fifth place finishes. Kelce is already in all lineups while Reed proved he’s a low TE1 while George Kittle is out. Dalton Schultz, who had 14 receptions in three seasons before today, stepped into the injured Blake Jarwin’s role to cash in with 9 receptions on 10 targets for 88 yards and a score, making him a popular waiver claim along with Gesicki, Smith and Reed.
