Photo: Imagn Images
NYG-WAS
- Jason Garrett finally figured out that Daniel Jones is very athletic and can do well on designed runs. He had a long touchdown called back or he would have been one of the best starts of the week. With Atlanta up next, Jones is a must-start in Week 3 and chalky DFS play.
- Saquon Barkley got away for one long run but was quiet otherwise. We shouldn’t have expected much in the first two weeks, so buy low if his value is dropping.
- Darius Slayton caught one long score and had another bounce off of his outstretched hand. Kenny Golladay was seen yelling in the direction of Jones, but actually at Jason Garrett. Buy low on Golladay heading into this choice matchup, but know that Sterling Shepard will be the only consistent play in this pass offense.
- Taylor Heinicke can play. Don’t worry about the value of any of your Football Team pieces with him in the lineup. He may not give the job back, although Week 3 will bring a stiffer test in the form of the Bills.
- Sorry Antonio Gibson teams, J.D. McKissic isn’t going away. McKissic was so good in the passing down and two-minute situations that he is back to being a solid depth piece and emergency play in PPR leagues even though Alex Smith isn’t the quarterback.
- Dyami Brown showed some potential in place of Curtis Samuel after a quiet Week 2. He shouldn’t be completely off of our redraft radar.
LV-PIT
- Derek Carr and the Raiders are for real? Well, Carr is for real for fantasy as the Raiders running game has fallen apart. He does have an ankle injury but as long as he’s in vs. Miami, he’s a potential start in 1QB leagues.
- Kenyan Drake had another solid day catching the ball as the Steelers didn’t show much interest in covering him with Devin Bush sitting. Robert Spillane is going to get picked on in the passing game as long as Bush is out.
- Henry Ruggs' speed still matters as he had the dagger on a long late touchdown, and Bryan Edwards had a touchdown called back, but Hunter Renfrow will be the most consistent fantasy wide receiver on this team.
- Darren Waller didn’t get a target for the first 20 minutes and he was still fine for fantasy football.
- Ben Roethlisberger is not going to support the value of the top three Steelers receivers week in, week out, as this is clearly a bottom half if not bottom ten offense. Roethlisberger is even a bench player in 2QB/Superflex leagues. The playcalling and design (as Roethlisberger pointed out) is still a problem under new offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
- Najee Harris had a terrific individual play on his run and catch score and that’s what it is going to take for him to have fantasy value despite getting workhorse snaps and touch share in the backfield. The offensive line just won’t allow it, at least not any time soon.
- Diontae Johnson has no drops yet this year, but he does have a knee injury that may keep him out of Week 3. Otherwise, when he’s on the field, he’s clearly the most valuable Steelers wide receiver.
- Chase Claypool is getting more chances to win downfield, but Juju Smith-Schuster took the jet action touchdown carry that usually goes to the 2020 second-round pick.
- 2021 second round Pat Freiermuth is getting more snaps and targets than Eric Ebron and he’s doing more with them, but it’s still a big ask for him to consistent fantasy value as a rookie in this pass offense.
SF-PHI
- Jimmy Garoppolo was good enough to keep the Trey Lance talk at bay for another week, but the 49ers offense wasn’t dangerous against the Eagles. We’ll get to see the Eagles defense in depth on Monday night vs. Dallas to see if they are a unit we will avoid in fantasy.
- Make no mistake Elijah Mitchell is the man in this backfield, and he is the healthiest of the backs who were on the roster last week. The team trusts him and he is set up for a big game against the Packers if he is healthy. The Eagles' run defense is legit, we’ll see what they do to the Cowboys' running back combo in Week 3.
- Deebo Samuel was the clear #1 receiver again. Brandon Aiyuk’s only fantasy value is Samuel-injury upside, and judging by Samuel’s injury history, that could be important later in the season.
- George Kittle isn’t going to get a ton of targets in this offense, so he has to make them count and none of them went for big plays against Philadelphia. He’s still a starting fantasy tight end, but he might not be a top-five pick at the position if we drafted today.
- Jalen Hurts was not nearly as successful as a passer against the 49ers, but it didn’t matter for fantasy as he was a hit as a runner yet again. It does matter for the value of Devonta Smith, who blended into a passing offense led by Quez Watkins speed. Jalen Reagor also had a touchdown called back because he stepped out of bounds before catching the pass. Don’t expect any of these wide receivers to be consistent in fantasy.
- Miles Sanders giving up about a third of the snaps to Kenny Gainwell was important in a defensive battle. He’s just a middling RB2 for fantasy, which is about what he was drafted to be.
- Dallas Goedert was this close to a touchdown, and Zach Ertz is on the covid list, so Week 3 could be a Dallas week against Dallas. Just check on Ertz’s status this weekend.
HOU-CLE
- Tyrod Taylor was playing lights out against one of his old teams and then the lights went out when he left with a hamstring injury that will put him on injured reserve. Rookie Davis Mills wasn’t as bad as expected when he entered, but it’s obviously a downgrade for this offense.
- Brandin Cooks at least caught a touchdown from Mills, but this development will test the durability of his value. The Texans face the Panthers next and it is rational to bench Cooks against what has been a tough defense to date.
- Nico Collins and Danny Amendola were both hurt, pressing Andre Roberts into wide receiver duty, so the Texans' pass offense is going to be shorthanded on Thursday. Anthony Miller will have a big opportunity in place of Amendola this week.
- Baker Mayfield showed some leadership, shrugging off getting dinged defending an interception return and playing without his top two receivers after Jarvis Landry went out. The Texans defense is one we will want to target with fantasy starts.
- Mayfield turned to his tight ends with Landry out, and David Njoku went to the bottom of the pecking order and Austin Hooper back to the top. Harrison Bryant looked good too and all three are what the heck tight end plays against the Bears.
DEN-JAX
- Teddy Bridgewater had another strong game, although we expect it against competition like the Jaguars… and the Week 3 opponent, the Jets.
- The Broncos aren’t budging from the 50/50 split in the backfield, so both Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are just flex plays until further notice.
- Courtland Sutton announced he was back after reports of him being slowed by the comeback from knee surgery persisted after Week 1. He won’t be on fantasy football benches again this week.
- Noah Fant meshes well with Bridgewater’s high percentage, safe passing mentality, and he is leveling off as the best tight end pick from the group that was going between pick 6-10.
- Trevor Lawrence and really this whole offense, heck this whole team looks like a mess. Denver’s defense is tough, but Houston’s isn’t. Play the Arizona defense this week.
- James Robinson was at least fed like a lead back in terms of backfield touch share, but that’s about the only good thing you can say about his fantasy value. Apparently, it can get worse than the 2020 Jaguars offense.
- Tight end James OShaughnessy was one of the few bright spots in the offense, and now he’s out with a high ankle sprain. Garbage time beckons, but we can’t trust anyone in this passing game for fantasy.
NO-CAR
- The Saints offense had the worst performance in the Sean Payton era with 128 total yards. The Packers must have really been affected by that Florida heat.
- Alvin Kamara was a complete dud and while we shouldn’t panic sell him or bench him, expect Bill Belichick to saddle him with another rough game when the Saints go to Foxboro this week.
- You can drop Antonio Callaway and any other Saints pass catcher on your roster other than Michael Thomas, who can’t get back soon enough.
- Is the Carolina defense that good? We won’t learn much with Houston and Davis Mills up next.
- Sam Darnold went up and down on the field on the Saints defense in stunning fashion after we saw what they did to Aaron Rodgers in Week 1. Is he getting the post-Gase bounce? He certainly has earned starts in 2QB/Superflex leagues against Houston this week and might become a viable 1QB league option at this rate.
- Robby Anderson didn’t get any deep catches this week and he is blending into the pass offense with guys like Dan Arnold and Brandon Zylstra playing larger roles this week. Only D.J. Moore is a trusted play in this group for now, and Terrace Marshall is probably a drop after a strong summer resulted in little other than Darnold missing him on a sure touchdown in Week 1.
LAR-IND
- Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp has the look of a connection that could win fantasy leagues. Stafford to Woods not so much.
- Tyler Higbee got the same snaps and routes run opportunity but was barely involved in the passing game. The Seahawks' tight ends had 5-57-1 in Week 1, so this probably isn’t a Colts matchup issue. Higbee is just going to be inconsistent, but he’s a solid play against the Bucs this week.
- Darrell Henderson left with a rib injury and Sony Michel looked good in his stead. Michel should get the start in Week 3 as we’ll monitor Henderson, but he’s only a flex play against a stout Bucs run defense - at least when they aren’t facing Cordarrelle Patterson.
- Carson Wentz sprained both of his ankles and Jacob Eason promptly came in and threw the game away. The Rams defense isn’t as imposing as they looked in Week 1 as Wentz had success before leaving the game, including two drives that stalled out in the red zone and resulted in no points
- Nyheim Hines wasn’t as involved this week, but Marlon Mack got some touches. Between the other players in the backfield and the likelihood of Eason starting against the Titans, Jonathan Taylor’s outside is dimming for Week 3.
- Michael Pittman looked like the alpha the Colts were hoping he evolved into this summer. However, if Eason is starting, it will be tough to trust Pittman in your lineup even though the matchup vs. Tennessee is very good for wide receivers.
- Jack Doyle has emerged from the tight end group, but like Pittman, you can’t trust him as a waiver wire to your lineup play this week if Eason is in.
BUF-MIA
- Josh Allen was off as an intermediate passer against Miami and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll hit 2020 scoring levels, although some of that has to be chalked up to Zack Moss getting two rushing scores, so the Bills offense is still doing well against a Miami defense that came back to earth after winning in Foxboro in Week 1.
- Devin Singletary had a long touchdown run, but Moss’s return is going to keep him from truly breaking out. He could still play well enough to be worth a flex play or emergency RB2 play this week against Washington.
- Emmanuel Sanders looks like his foot issue is giving him no problems on the field, so it’s time to throw the banged-up Gabriel Davis back to the waiver wire.
- Tua Tagovailoa left with a rib injury, but it wasn’t like the pass offense suffered that much with Jacoby Brissett in, which is not a good thing for the season-long outlook for DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle even though Will Fuller is out indefinitely. It’s difficult to name one Dolphins that you are happy to have on your fantasy team, although we do need to give credit to the Bills and Patriots defenses. The Raiders are a little easier draw this week, although we don’t know who is going to start for the Dolphins at quarterback.
NE-NYJ
- Mac Jones was good again other than not seeing Nelson Agholor open for a long score on a trick play. He will open it up more when the game script dictates.
- Damien Harris wasn’t used less because of his fumble, and he showed why with a 26-yard score that had at least five broken tackles. He’s a solid RB2 going forward.
- James White scored and was again a mainstay in the pass offense. He’s a PPR flex and might even level off as a PPR RB2 if his usage is consistent.
- Zach Wilson threw four picks, but he never really had a chance in this one. He won’t next week against Denver either.
- The run game was better and Michael Carter displayed enough burst to merit a pick-up in deeper leagues if he was dropped after Week 1.
- Corey Davis was a non-factor and we will have to think twice about starting him in Week 3 against the Broncos corners after he was a Week 1 hit.
CIN-CHI
- Joe Burrow piloted a balanced offense again but did little before his three-interception-in-four-attempts slide ended a 199 pass streak without a pick. He threw two scores in the futile comeback attempt, but he doesn’t look like he’s going to break through a fantasy QB1 this year.
- The workload is still there for Joe Mixon, so don’t get too discouraged by this result.
- Tee Higgins suffered a shoulder injury in this game, so check on his practice status this week before putting him in your lineup against Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Boyd was more involved in the passing game this week and should be a fine PPR WR3/Flex in his return to Pittsburgh.
- The Bears defense wilted against the Rams in Week 1, but they looked like a tough out against the Bengals. We’ll see how they hold up against the Browns offensive machine in Week 3.
ATL-TB
- Matt Ryan has a pulse as a fantasy passer, but only when he’s facing a big deficit early. We could see Feleipe Franks before the end of the season.
- Kyle Pitts was better and the offense has been better when he is on the field. He’s going to be ok for fantasy football.
- Cordarrelle Patterson was better than Mike Davis and has turned this into a split backfield. He’ll be a flex or an emergency RB2 against the Giants this week - if he has running back eligibility in your league.
- Russell Gage got banged up and left twice with an ankle issue that could push Olamide Zaccheaus into the lineup this week.
- Tampa’s defense looks like it is going to be generous against the pass, but it also scored two touchdowns.
- Tom Brady is really going to threaten the league record for touchdown passes in a season, and he might break it before the 17th game just to avoid any asterisk talk.
- Leonard Fournette is this team’s clear RB1 despite Ronald Jones II getting the ceremonial start, but what will that be worth with Brady finishing all the drives? Fournette is just a flex play against the Rams this week.
- Mike Evans got right against the Falcons secondary. Look for Kenny Golladay to be next.
- Rob Gronkowski still looks like he is in his prime, but Antonio Brown looked more like a bit player that Tom Brady was forcing the ball to in this one. Brown is not an automatic start against the Rams.
MIN-ARI
- Kirk Cousins is going to be a solid fantasy quarterback this year because the Vikings defense is going to get them into high-scoring games against decent to good offenses.
- Dalvin Cook had a gutsy performance, twice looking like he was going to leave the game with injuries. He finished, but pick up Alexander Mattison if he’s on your waiver wire.
- K.J. Osborn showed Week 1 wasn’t a fluke with a long score. He is clearly the third passing option, not Tyler Conklin, who can be dropped.
- Arizona’s defense and Chandler Jones weren’t so scary against Minnesota, although they are still a good play against the Jaguars this week. We’ll see what they are really made of when they face fellow NFC West offenses.
- Kyler Murray is on track to be the #1 fantasy scorer and by a large margin, even though it’s only two games. He would be the first quarterback taken in drafts today, and probably ahead of where Patrick Mahomes II went in August.
- Don’t forget about (or drop) James Conner, who should get touchdown opportunities and the chance to run out the clock in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars this week.
- DeAndre Hopkins looks great, but with the emergence of Rondale Moore who had a long touchdown on a Murray extended play and another red-zone carry that he fumbled at the goal line, and the viability of A.J. Green and Christian Kirk, he’s not going to be a target hog like he was last year.
- Maxx Williams had a season’s worth of production for a Cardinal tight end, but his biggest play came on a fluke deflection, so don’t read too much into this performance.
TEN-SEA
- The Titans punched their way out of the corner and Derrick Henry was the fist. The pass blocking actually got better even though Taylor Lewan after having a setback with his knee in warmups.
- Julio Jones is back and he should have had a touchdown but he was barely out of the back of the end zone.
- A.J. Brown had some uncharacteristic drops, but with this offense getting back in form, he should be fine for Week 3 against the Colts.
- Seattle’s defense fell apart in the second half and couldn’t protect a big lead. Expect a high-scoring game with the Vikings this week.
- Russell Wilson was on point deep to Tyler Lockett.. Freddie Swain? DK Metcalf got a little banged up in this one, but should get his eventually.
- Tennessee’s run defense was strong even though Chris Carson scored twice, which could make Jonathan Taylor’s afternoon longer, especially if Jacob Eason starts.
- The Titans pass defense was a problem for the second straight week, although they could get a week off to regroup if Eason starts.
DAL-LAC
- Tony Pollard forced a committee with Ezekiel Elliott and he looked better and was more productive than Elliott. Their values are close enough that it is fair to ask who is the better play going forward.
- Dak Prescott led a balanced offense in a bad development for his fantasy value. The Eagles' run defense is stout, so we might see him pass more Monday night.
- Amari Cooper suffered a rib injury and he was quiet against the Chargers' pass defense. The boom/bust pattern is back for another year.
- Blake Jarwin moved ahead of Dalton Schultz in the target pecking order, but neither will be playable if the offense remains balanced. Justin Herbert is playing well until he gets to the red zone. There’s a path for him to get back to QB1 fantasy status, but something has to change first.
- Austin Ekeler got a ton of targets to put the memory of his targetless Week 1 behind us. He might be a top-five pick if we drafted today.
- Mike Williams remained a central part of the passing game in a good sign for his fantasy value persistence.
- Jared Cook’s role is still strong enough to give him fantasy starting consideration and he and Donald Parham both had touchdowns wiped off of the board by penalties.
KC-BAL
- Patrick Mahomes II was solid for fantasy, but only because of great run after catch efforts by Travis Kelce and Byron Pringle and a terrific diving touchdown catch by Demarcus Robinson. Tyreek Hill was nullified by Anthony Averett in a Ravens secondary that just keeps producing good players.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire gave way to Darrel Williams at the goal line and he was barely involved in the pass offense. It’s time to get worried.
- Mecole Hardman got decent volume in the passing game, but with the other receivers making plays, it’s becoming more unlikely that he is going to emerge this year.
- Lamar Jackson had an MVP performance. While it’s great for fantasy, you wonder how long he can hold up taking the whole offense on his shoulders.
- The running game still looks good without its top three backs, but it is split and won’t give us a consistent play.
- Marquise Brown was excellent. His touchdown came on a busted coverage, but he is playing with sure hands and the quickness and speed that made him a first-round pick.
- Mark Andrews doesn’t look like much of a threat in the passing game and while the volume was okay in this game, he isn’t inspiring confidence in fantasy leagues.
DET-GB
- Jared Goff wasn’t as bad as expected, well at least for a half. He’ll be a viable QB2/Superflex and emergency QB1 with favorable play from behind game scripts.
- The running backs came back to earth in fantasy production, relegated DAndre Swift to RB2 status and Jamaal Williams back to what the heck flex.
- Quintez Cephus made a few strong plays and looks like a future stalwart starter in the offense if he keeps this up.
- T.J. Hockenson is on track to be the third most valuable fantasy tight end and a potential league winner.
- Aaron Rodgers is fine and if he was a little more accurate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling could have had multiple scores. Don’t give up on the deep ball specialist yet.
- Aaron Jones is way ahead of A.J. Dillon in touch and snap share, meaning Dillon is only an injury upside bench spot holder.
- Start everyone against Detroit. Baltimore is up next.
Photos provided by Imagn Images
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Analysis
Nelson Agholor
Brandon Aiyuk
Josh Allen
Danny Amendola
Robbie Chosen
Mark Andrews
Dan Arnold
Anthony Averett
Saquon Barkley
Tyler Boyd
Tom Brady
Teddy Bridgewater
Jacoby Brissett
A.J. Brown
Antonio Brown
Dyami Brown
Marquise Brown
Harrison Bryant
Joe Burrow
Devin Bush
Antonio Callaway
Derek Carr
Chris Carson
Michael Carter
Quintez Cephus
Chase Claypool
Nico Collins
Tyler Conklin
James Conner
Brandin Cooks
Dalvin Cook
Jared Cook
Amari Cooper
Kirk Cousins
Sam Darnold
Corey Davis
Gabe Davis
Mike Davis
AJ Dillon
Jack Doyle
Kenyan Drake
Jacob Eason
Eric Ebron
Bryan Edwards
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Austin Ekeler
Ezekiel Elliott
Zach Ertz
Mike Evans
Noah Fant
Leonard Fournette
Feleipe Franks
Pat Freiermuth
Will Fuller V
Russell Gage
Jimmy Garoppolo
Antonio Gibson
Dallas Goedert
Jared Goff
Kenny Golladay
Melvin Gordon III
A.J. Green
Rob Gronkowski
Mecole Hardman Jr.
Damien Harris
Najee Harris
Taylor Heinicke
Darrell Henderson Jr.
Derrick Henry
Justin Herbert
Tyler Higbee
Tee Higgins
Tyreek Hill
Nyheim Hines
T.J. Hockenson
Austin Hooper
DeAndre Hopkins
Jalen Hurts
Lamar Jackson
Blake Jarwin
Diontae Johnson
Aaron Jones
Chandler Jones
Daniel Jones
Julio Jones
Mac Jones
Ronald Jones II
Alvin Kamara
Travis Kelce
Christian Kirk
George Kittle
Cooper Kupp
Trey Lance
Jarvis Landry
Trevor Lawrence
Tyler Lockett
Marlon Mack
Patrick Mahomes II
Terrace Marshall Jr
Alexander Mattison
Baker Mayfield
J.D. McKissic
DK Metcalf
Sony Michel
Anthony Miller
Davis Mills
Elijah Mitchell
Joe Mixon
DJ Moore
Rondale Moore
Zack Moss
Kyler Murray
David Njoku
K.J. Osborn
James O'Shaughnessy
Donald Parham Jr
DeVante Parker
Cordarrelle Patterson
Kyle Pitts
Michael Pittman Jr
Tony Pollard
Dak Prescott
Byron Pringle
Jalen Reagor
Hunter Renfrow
Andre Roberts
Demarcus Robinson
James Robinson
Aaron Rodgers
Ben Roethlisberger
Henry Ruggs III
Matt Ryan
Curtis Samuel
Deebo Samuel
Emmanuel Sanders
Miles Sanders
Dalton Schultz
Sterling Shepard
Devin Singletary
Darius Slayton
Robert Spillane
Matthew Stafford
Courtland Sutton
Freddie Swain
D'Andre Swift
Tua Tagovailoa
Jonathan Taylor
Tyrod Taylor
Michael Thomas
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Jaylen Waddle
Darren Waller
Quez Watkins
Carson Wentz
James White
Darrel Williams
Jamaal Williams
Javonte Williams
Maxx Williams
Mike Williams
Russell Wilson
Zach Wilson
Olamide Zaccheaus
Brandon Zylstra