NFL Week 2 News & Notes
Quite a few skill position players suffered injuries on Sunday, while some early round studs didn’t perform up to expectations. It was a wild week for fantasy purposes, and if you didn’t watch every game, you might have missed some information.
Don’t worry – we’ve got it covered. Here is the most fantasy-relevant information for each NFL team from Week 2:
Arizona Cardinals
NFL Weekly Recap
The Cardinals routed the Buccaneers on Sunday 40-7, thanks to Carson Palmer’s 308 passing yards and three touchdowns. His main target? Veteran Larry Fitzgerald, who converted 11 targets for 81 yards and a score. Everyone this offseason was quick to anoint Michael Floyd as the star in this passing game, but Fitzgerald has the trust of Palmer and isn’t going anywhere. With three touchdowns in the first two games, Fitzgerald is a borderline PPR WR1 for the rest of the year — see if you can sell Floyd high on his potential or buy low on a skeptical Fitzgerald owner.
Atlanta Falcons
NFL Weekly Recap
We preached caution with Devonta Freeman in this column last week and Week 2 didn’t bring any optimism. The Falcons are intent on a RBBC, as the Freeman and Tevin Coleman split the work against the Raiders:
Snaps: Freeman 36, Coleman 30
Touches: Freeman 17, Coleman 14
Red zone opportunities: Freeman 2, Coleman 5
The red zone opportunities are concerning, given that Freeman had a six to one advantage in that department in Week 1. With fewer touchdown chances and zero receptions this week, it’s looking dicey for Freeman to return his second-round fantasy value.
Baltimore Ravens
NFL Weekly Recap
It’s likely a week late, but you’ll want to pick up Dennis Pitta on waivers this week. Pitta played 46 snaps on Sunday and had his first 100-yard receiving game since 2012. Pitta doubled the next closest Ravens receiver with 12 targets and looked to have no ill effects from his multiple hip injuries in the past. It may be tough to figure out the wide receiver target distribution in any given week, but as long as Pitta is healthy, he is a low-end TE1 in PPR formats.
Buffalo Bills
NFL Weekly Recap
The news came out last week that Sammy Watkins requested imaging on his surgically repaired foot, but the testing revealed no damage. His foot is supposedly a pain management issue, but he looks to be having a tough time playing through the pain. Limited to just 40 snaps on Thursday night against the Jets, he caught just two passes for 20 yards in a game where QB Tyrod Taylor threw for 297 yards and three scores. Watkins needs to be on your fantasy bench until he proves he can effectively play through his injury.
Carolina Panthers
NFL Weekly Recap
Jonathan Stewart exited the Panthers’ Week 2 game with a hamstring injury after touching the ball just seven times. Stewart didn’t return to the game, and because Cameron Artis-Payne was a healthy inactive, that left Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert to handle backfield duties for the remainder of the game. Whittaker was fantastic, totaling 131 yards on 19 touches against a 49ers defense that held Todd Gurley to 42 total yards in Week 1. Keep an eye on practice reports throughout the week to gauge the severity of Stewart’s injury, but in the meantime, Whittaker is a good preemptive pickup.
Cincinnati Bengals
NFL Weekly Recap
The issue with drafting Jeremy Hill is his low usage when the Bengals are trailing in the second half of games. This happened on Sunday, as Cincinnati was trailing nearly the entire game to Pittsburgh, resulting in Hill playing just 29 snaps compared to Giovani Bernard’s 47. Bernard was fantastic in the pass game, hauling in nine receptions for a team-high 100 yards. Essentially, look to Vegas for when to start these running backs. If the Bengals are a decent favorite, start Hill. If they’re underdogs or up against a powerful offense, fire up Bernard.
Cleveland Browns
NFL Weekly Recap
Corey Coleman had a coming out party on Sunday, catching five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in just his second NFL game. The arrow should be pointing up for Coleman this season, but his quarterback situation is a mess. A week after RGIII was placed on injured reserve, backup Josh McCown injured his shoulder and the Browns are “bracing for the worst.” McCown is likely out for an extended period of time, leaving rookie Cody Kessler to start in Week 3 (and beyond) and that’s good for no one on this offense.
In the backfield, Isaiah Crowell looks like the former number one high school recruit that he was when he enrolled in the University of Georgia. Crowell busted off an 85-yard touchdown run against the Ravens on Sunday and is a great RB2/flex play as long as he’s getting 15 touches per game.
Dallas Cowboys
NFL Weekly Recap
Ezekiel Elliott performed much better in Week 2, touching the ball 23 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. There was talk of Alfred Morris getting plenty of run this week, but despite his late touchdown in the Redskins game, he played just 10 snaps while Elliott played 43. If an Elliott owner is disappointed in his production thus far this season, throw out a couple offers — he may be had for less than he’s worth. He’s only going to get better and will get the volume to be a top five fantasy RB.
Denver Broncos
NFL Weekly Recap
Demaryius Thomas practiced most of last week with his hip injury and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Colts. It was almost certain that Thomas was going to play, but fantasy owners were worried about his effectiveness. He showed no major effects from the injury, catching 5 passes for 90 yards, including a 44-yard screen pass. This will be an injury; however, that may flare up at any time throughout the season. Add in his quarterback situation and DT is likely no more than a weekly fantasy WR3 for the rest of the season.
Detroit Lions
NFL Weekly Recap
Ameer Abdullah left Sunday’s game with what’s being described as a foot injury and was seen leaving the locker room in a walking boot. His X-Rays were negative, but he’s visiting foot specialist Dr. Robert Andrews. We may not see Abdullah for a few weeks depending on the official diagnosis. Theo Riddick led the Lions in carries on Sunday, but that’s not where he’s most effective. An Abdullah absence would just likely mean even more passing for Matthew Stafford, but UDFA rookie Dwayne Washington will get some work as well. He’s received goal line carries in both games so far this year and is one of the most physically gifted running backs in the league — he’s just very raw. He’s certainly worth a free agent pickup.
Green Bay Packers
NFL Weekly Recap
Is it time to worry about Aaron Rodgers yet? After passing for just 199 yards in Week 1, he was held to just 213 passing yards against the Vikings Sunday night. A rushing touchdown buoyed his fantasy day, but you’re probably disappointed so far if you spent an early round pick on him. Jordy Nelson is still working back into form, Randall Cobb has been practically invisible, while Davante Adams is, well, Davante Adams. It’s too early to bail yet, but if you can get another top-five preseason quarterback in return for Rodgers, it’s probably a wise move.
Houston Texans
NFL Weekly Recap
Will Fuller is an interesting case. So far, he’s been impressive in notching two 100-yard receiving games in his first two NFL games, while playing 65 of 72 snaps in Sunday’s win against the Chiefs. Fantasy owners are excited about the shiny new toys, perhaps leading to an overvaluation of Fuller’s performances thus far. Fuller received seven targets today, but with running back Lamar Miller getting 25 touches per game, Fuller will likely be inconsistent week-to-week. See if you can sell him for an underperforming WR2 in redraft leagues.
Indianapolis Colts
NFL Weekly Recap
The Colts’ passing game faced quite the test on Sunday, traveling to Denver to match up with that dominant Broncos’ secondary. In short, the Broncos’ secondary emerged victoriously. T.Y. Hilton was the leading receiver with just 41 yards, while no other wide receiver caught more than one pass. Donte Moncrief suffered a concussion early in the game and was in street clothes for the second half — he’ll be going through the concussion protocol this week — and is also getting an MRI on his shoulder — so monitor his status towards the end of the week before you insert him into your Week 3 lineup.
Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Weekly Recap
Blake Bortles passed the ball 50 times on Sunday, which is not a good thing for the Jaguars. Marqise Lee was the team’s leading receiver with five catches and 75 yards, while Allen Hurns paced the offense with 10 targets. Allen Robinson underperformed once again, this time being held in check by the Chargers’ shutdown cornerback Jason Verrett. Robinson has just nine catches for 126 yards with zero touchdowns through two games this season but has been the victim of two very difficult matchups. He already has 20 targets and will be near the league leaders in that category — he’s probably the number one buy low target heading into Week 3.
Kansas City Chiefs
NFL Weekly Recap
Spencer Ware got his second start of the year against the Texans, as it was announced Sunday morning that Jamaal Charles likely wouldn’t make his debut until Week 3. Ware led the Chiefs’ RBs in snaps (36), carries (10), receptions (2), and total yards (95) in Week 2, so it will be interesting to see how the work is divided upon Charles’ return. Ware has shown an unbelievable skill in the passing game, even splitting out wide and running routes normally reserved for wide receivers. He’ll likely be involved all year and with his goal line work, should be a flex play at worst even when Charles returns.
Los Angeles Rams
NFL Weekly Recap
The Rams are averaging 4.5 points per game but are 1-1. That fact has no real fantasy value, it’s just funny to me. What’s not funny, however, is how Todd Gurley has looked through two games. He’s yet to eclipse 60 yards rushing, although he has faced two tough opponents in the Seahawks and 49ers. Brighter days ahead for Gurley, so check to see if his owner is skittish — he’s another buy low target.
Miami Dolphins
NFL Weekly Recap
Well, that didn’t take long — Arian Foster suffered a groin injury on Sunday and did not return to the game. The details and severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but Jay Ajayi’s stock is certainly trending up. It was impossible to discern anything from the Patriots game, as the Dolphins were down three scores from the get-go. But if Foster is sidelined for an extended period of time, Ajayi will likely be a three-down back with Kenyan Drake, Isaiah Pead, and Damian Williams being sprinkled in behind him.
On another note, DeVante Parker made his 2016 debut and tallied 108 receiving yards while tying the team lead in targets with 13.
Minnesota Vikings
NFL Weekly Recap
Yikes. Adrian Peterson injured his knee in Sunday night’s contest, and the early indications are that it’s not a minor injury. The team announced Monday that Peterson suffered a torn meniscus, which could require surgery. Peterson will likely opt to just rest the injury and while he’s sidelined, Jerrick McKinnon may finally be freed. Matt Asiata will still steal some snaps, but McKinnon is the back to own in Minnesota and may flirt with RB1 numbers in PPR leagues.
New England Patriots
NFL Weekly Recap
For fantasy purposes, it’s pretty simple. When six points or more favor the Patriots, you start LeGarrette Blount (as we suggested in our Start’em Sit’em this past week). This held true on Sunday, as Blount ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.
This may go out the window for the next two games, however, as it appears that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a major shoulder injury on Sunday. He likely won’t suit up Thursday night against the Texans and his status for Week 4 is also in doubt. If he can’t go, it will be rookie Jacoby Brissett at the helm until Tom Brady returns in Week 5. According to Nathan Jahnke, Jimmy Garoppolo had a 9.6 average depth of target on Sunday (roughly league average) while Jacoby Brissett’s average depth of target was 1.1. If Brissett starts, you have to downgrade the entire Pats offense.
New Orleans Saints
NFL Weekly Recap
Mark Ingram played just 45 percent of the Saints’ snaps in Week 1, but his owners can breathe a sigh of relief, as that number jumped to 62 percent on Sunday against the Giants. While he was involved in the passing game with four receptions, he still wasn’t very productive — just 47 yards on 13 touches. With C.J. Spiller released and Tim Hightower playing a pure backup rule, it’s frustrating to see Ingram being used so infrequently. Week 3 will let us know if this is just a two-week mirage or the beginning of a season-long trend.
New York Giants
NFL Weekly Recap
Sterling Shepard is the real deal. Last week, we mentioned in this column that he was the receiver to own after Odell Beckham Jr. for the Giants and he didn’t disappoint on Sunday, catching all eight of his targets for 117 yards. Victor Cruz, meanwhile, wasn’t as efficient with his eight targets as Shepard, but he did haul in a 40-yard contested catch to set up the Giants for the game-winning field goal against the Saints. It may seem unlikely that the Giants can continue to support three fantasy-relevant wideouts, but they’ve used the most plays with three-plus wide receivers in the league (123). As long as that trend continues, all three of these guys will have enough opportunities to crack your fantasy lineup.
New York Jets
NFL Weekly Recap
Brandon Marshall owners held their collective breaths on Thursday night when the star receiver was the victim of a horse collar tackle that left him on the ground holding his knee. The injury didn’t look pretty on replay, either, but Marshall somehow managed to avoid a major injury. With a low-grade MCL sprain and 10 days to recover, there shouldn’t be much doubt for Marshall’s Week 3 availability.
In other Jets’ receiver news, Quincy Enunwa has emerged as a legitimate third option in this passing game. Playing nearly 65 percent of the snaps in a slot/move tight end role on Thursday night, Enunwa caught all six of his targets for 92 yards. He made tough catches over the middle of the field and should be a PPR flex option moving forward.
Oakland Raiders
NFL Weekly Recap
The Raiders’ backfield situation is a difficult one to assess. While Latavius Murray played more snaps than the rest of the running backs combined on Sunday (36 versus 16 for Jalen Richard, 15 for DeAndre Washington, and 1 for Taiwan Jones), he was limited to just eight carries. His six receptions and goal line touchdown propelled him to an excellent fantasy day, but the distribution of carries has to be concerning. The top three backs all carried the ball at least six times, as the coaching staff seems intent on using a rotation. People in your league may be impressed by Murray’s fantasy totals thus far, but the touch distribution suggests he’s in line for some weaker performances down the road. Sell high.
Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Weekly Recap
Well, we have one more week left of RB1 production before DeAngelo Williams heads to the bench for Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers leaned on Williams heavily in a soggy matchup against the Bengals on Sunday, as he 36 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. It’s assumed that Bell will garner his normal workload once he returns from suspension, but after Antonio Brown, Williams has been by far the most effective weapon for this Steelers offense. There’s a chance he siphons a few touches a game from Bell, but likely not enough to keep Bell from RB1 PPG numbers. Either way, Williams will remain the highest quality handcuff in fantasy football.
San Diego Chargers
NFL Weekly Recap
The hits just keep on coming for the Chargers’ offense. A week after they lost Keenan Allen to a torn ACL, running back Danny Woodhead left the game with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. The initial hope was that he just damaged his MCL, which would sideline him for a few weeks, but the team announced on Monday that Woodhead officially tore his ACL. Unsurprisingly, Melvin Gordon saw a ton of work once Woodhead left with 27 total touches. He’ll see a major uptick in snaps and usage with Woodhead lost for the season. Behind him, Kenneth Farrow is the next man up and is a good flier in deeper leagues.
San Francisco 49ers
NFL Weekly Recap
Raise your hand if you thought Blaine Gabbert would top 20 fantasy points against the Panthers’ defense on Sunday. Put your hands down, liars. Gabbert was miserable, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing multiple interceptions, but he salvaged his day with a touchdown run and a long touchdown pass to Vance McDonald. The only real takeaway here is that Gabbert may put up fantasy numbers in games that the 49ers are trailing, but he won’t keep this job all season.
On another note, hopefully, you benched Carlos Hyde this week. He managed just 52 total yards, which isn’t surprising given that those 49ers were 14 point underdogs in Vegas heading into the game. Hyde is a great talent but only put him in your starting lineup in games where the 49ers are expected to compete.
Seattle Seahawks
NFL Weekly Recap
The Seahawks suffered a slew of injuries Sunday against the Rams: Thomas Rawls was kicked in the shin (played just 16 snaps), Doug Baldwin was rolled up plus had back spasms (was in and out of the game, scheduled for an MRI Monday), and Tyler Lockett banged up his knee (later returned to the game). The Rawls injury doesn’t appear serious, but practice participation will be key to determine the lead back in Week 3. Baldwin probably dodged a bullet, but be on the lookout early in the week for his diagnosis. If he misses any time, Lockett will step into a starting role and speedster Paul Richardson would become an interesting waiver wire pickup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Weekly Recap
Doug Martin “tweaked” his hamstring (in his words) against the Cardinals on Sunday, but was immediately deemed doubtful to return to the game. He didn’t return, leaving the backfield snaps to Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers. Nothing is known about Martin’s injury at the time, but there is potential for a multi-week recovery here. While Charles Sims becomes an immediate RB2 option in most formats, the sneaky waiver pickup here would be UDFA rookie Peyton Barber. Promoted to the active roster before Week 1, he would be the favorite for early-down work in Martin’s absence. Grab him cheaply this week.
Tennessee Titans
NFL Weekly Recap
DeMarco Murray continues to be the most valuable running back in the Titans’ backfield and that may not change for the remainder of the 2016 season. Versus the Lions, Murray out-touched rookie Derrick Henry 19 to 10, while gaining 96 more total yards. Murray didn’t get into the end zone on Sunday, but he showed off his receiving prowess with seven receptions. Murray will continue to be a RB1 for fantasy owners but if you drafted Henry, he’ll need to be stuck to your bench unless there’s a major change in his usage.
Washington Redskins
NFL Weekly Recap
Matt Jones looked the part of a starting running back on Sunday, running for 4.7 yards-per-carry and a 14-yard touchdown. Despite his success, he carried the ball just 13 times while the team attempted 46 passes. It’s part of the reason why the Redskins have fallen to 0-2, as they’ll need more balance moving forward if they want to turn their season around.
At receiver, Josh Doctson is ascending and this week may be the last chance to acquire him cheaply. He received five targets versus the Cowboys (with one reception for 57 yards) while also getting multiple looks in the red zone. After playing less than 15 snaps in Week 1, he tied DeSean Jackson in target share this week and appears to be near full recovery from his offseason Achilles injury. Grab him if he’s on your waivers or send offers to his owner.
Brian Jester | NFL Week 2 News & Notes - Gridiron Experts