NFL Fantasy Football Reactions: Week 2

Week 2. The counterbalance week. After having big reactions after the season opener, we now have a little more data to help us see with a little more clarity. Let's dive into the takeaways from today's games.

Reactions

• At least we learned that the Falcons can throw the football. The team had 45 rushing attempts while Desmond Ridder threw 32 passes.The good news is that Drake London posted 67 yards and a touchdown. The bad news was that Kyle Pitts had 15 yards while Jonnu Smith had 47 yards. I realize the level of talent that Pitts has. However, it's going to be difficult to rank him as anything more than a borderline top-12 TE option each week. With London, I think we'll have to take the bad with the good while lowering his overall expectations on the season. In most games, I'll consider him a WR3 with upside.  On a side note, Bijan Robinson is the real deal.
• For the second week in a row, Gus Edwards was significantly more productive than Justice Hill. But in each of those games, Hill had more usage. Both players had value for their fantasy managers. However, Edwards rushed for over six yards per carry and did score a touchdown. It appears that both will continue to have a role going forward. And just as everyone predicted (sarcastically), it was Nelson Agholor who led the team in both receptions and receiving yards while also scoring a touchdown. It should be noted that he did much of his damage after Odell Beckham was knocked out of the game. I am looking for the overall passing game to show growth over the coming weeks.
• Josh Allen bounced back from his embarrassing performance last week with a nearly perfect game. Obviously, the matchup against the Raiders was much better than Allen's previous matchup against the Jets. But let's give credit where it's due. Allen played mistake-free football and led his team to a blowout victory. Also, James Cook continued his role as the clear lead back. He also took advantage of his easier matchup. Cook turned his 21 touches into 159 yards. That said, it appears that he's unlikely to be a factor at the goal line. Both Damien Harris and Latavius Murray scored near the goal line. Given the role that Cook has, I am strongly considering him as a top-16 running back going forward.
• It's clear that the Bears offense is a mess. And it may be very problematic when they face excellent defenses. The good news is that they got DJ Moore involved early. Although he had one fewer target than Chase Claypool, Moore went over 100 yards. I'm still expecting that Chicago will find a way to consistently get the ball into their star receiver's hands. And even though Moore may not reach the upside that his talent dictates, I don't see a reason why he can't be a top-24 receiver going forward. Also, Roschon Johnson took over the No. 2 role with D'Onta Foreman  being deactivated. Johnson had an excellent 29-yard run, but he totaled just 13 yards on his remaining six touches. Assuming he maintains his current role, he should have at least flex value each week in PPR leagues.
• The only thing that went right with the Bengals offense this week was Tee Higgins. After being shut out on the score sheet last week, He erupted with 89 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 12 targets which was four more than Ja'Marr Chase had. Still, Joe Burrow didn't look right while playing on his injured calf, and he aggravated the injury late in the contest. If this was a true setback, it could heavily impact the Cincinnati offense until the star quarterback is healthy. Regardless, when Burrow is on the field, we should continue to have high expectations for the WRs.
• As I had anticipated going into the season, Josh Reynolds is the clear No. 1  outside receiver for the Lions while Jameson Williams serves his suspension. For the second week in a row, Reynolds performed extremely well. On the season, he has nine catches, 146 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets. Although he could have a down week at any time, he has the look of a top-40 receiver at least for the next few weeks. Also, it was concerning that Jahmyr  Gibbs isn't being used in a manner that takes advantage of his great explosiveness. But at least he was targeted nine times this week, and his seven receptions certainly helped fantasy managers. But unless the Lions find a way to unlock him, it may be difficult for him to earn the high ceiling that many of us hoped for. 
• After a lackluster season opener, the Broncos came out on fire. They scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives. Of course they stalled out terribly after that. But the big takeaway was that Marvin Mims was brilliant. After  playing Just 27% of the snaps last week, he caught two long passes early in the game, one of which resulted in a touchdown. I'm hopeful that Sean Payton can't put the genie back in the bottle. This offense needs explosiveness. And from what we saw, Mims is exactly the player to help open up the offense. The rookie's breakout is also good news for Russell Wilson. In the season opener, Wilson was mostly throwing underneath passes. This week, the different approach was a very welcome sight. Of course, they'll need to put four quarters of good offense together at some point before we really trust them. After the hot start, the Denver offense fell apart.
• Despite my preseason pessimism, Puka Nacua  appears to be the real deal.  After playing a fantastic game against the Seahawks, he ran into a much more difficult opponent in the 49ers. However, he was heavily targeted again. and he answered the challenge with a very strong performance and another 100-yard game. He actually had a better game against the 49ers than he did in Week 1. At least until Cooper Kupp returns, Nacua has to be considered inside the top-30 receivers (and maybe higher) each week.
• What a start to the season for Jordan Love! He now has three touchdown passes in each of his two games. However, it may be difficult to expect that level of performance going forward. He's averaging just 26 pass attempts. He's also averaging less than 200 yards per game. The Packers appear to be a team that is dedicated to running the ball and playing defense. Love should continue to be a great option in leagues that start two quarterbacks. But the lack of passing volume could be problematic. Let's hope the coaching staff decides to open it up a bit more when Christian Watson returns.
• C.J. Stroud is off to a great start in his career. After being without three starting lineman last week, he was without four of them this week. Stroud performed admirably last week against the Ravens, but playing from behind against a bad Colts defense, he showed the ability to stage a comeback. The rookie QB helped three of his receivers to post at least 72 yards. Though the big story is Nico Collins. After posting 80 yards last week, Collins had 146 yards and a touchdown. It's only two games, but this could be a very special duo. Let's just hope that Collins can stay healthy. Obviously staying on the field was a problem during his first two years in the league. It also should be noted that Tank Dell looked fantastic as the No. 3 option. With the Texans likely facing a lot of negative game script, their passing game is shaping up to be one that fantasy managers may be able to count on.
• Zack Moss picked up right where he left off during the last four games of the 2022 season. He resumed his role as the lead early-down running back. In addition to his 18 rushing attempts, he also had four receptions. On the day, he went over 100 scrimmage yards and scored a touchdown. While Jonathan Taylor misses time, don't be surprised if Moss functions as a solid RB2. On a side note, Michael Pittman had his second solid week in a row.  For now, he's looking like a great producer based on his ADP.
• Somehow, the Jaguars were unable to score a touchdown on their home field in their matchup against the Chiefs. The only Jacksonville players who had reasonable fantasy performances were Evan Engram and Christian Kirk. After being targeted just three times last week, Kirk went off, catching 11 of 14 targets for 110 yards. As the Jaguars continue to figure out their offense, hopefully they find a way to keep all of their top playmakers involved. Also, after recording over 90 yards in the first half of the season opener, Calvin Ridley has about 40 yards over his last six quarters of play. it shouldn't be anything to worry about, as I expect the Jacksonville coaching staff to get their play calling in a rhythm.
• No player on the Chiefs had a big offensive performance against the Jaguars. but the funny thing is that Patrick Mahomes can have a boring game, but still be a high-end fantasy producer. He seemed to have the quietest 300 yard game ever. and had Travis Kelce not dropped what would have been his second touchdown of the game, Mahomes could have had a third TD as well. Of course, the star QB also chipped in 30 yards on the ground. Even though Kelce didn't have a strong performance, it was good to see him back on the field. He should be back to his elite level of performance in the very near future.
• With the Raiders facing a solid Buffalo defense on the road, they had very little success. Jimmy Garoppolo was overwhelmed. Of course, Davante Adams was fine before suffering a head injury and leaving the game. And although Josh Jacobs had five receptions for 51 yards, He had a second straight rough week on the ground. He actually had negative yardage on nine carries. Over two games, he has 28 carries for 46 yards. That said, it's possible he was out of shape due to not being in training camp.Obviously, Jacobs is a must start each week. and his production should eventually improve. 
• I'm a fan of Joshua Kelley. But I was on record as saying I was not a fan of his Week 2 match up against the Titans. His usage was fine. He had 13 carries, but he was only able to turn that into 39 yards rushing. Even when Austin Ekeler is back, I expect Kelley to remain involved. and I do think he'll have plenty of useful fantasy weeks. Unfortunately, Quentin Johnston may be a while away from being a significant fantasy producer. Through two games he has three catches for 16 yards. 
• I know it's only 2 weeks. but I am concerned about the Giants offense. I was concerned that Brian Daboll was able to use a lot of smoke and mirrors to get an incredible effort out of his offense last year. I also felt that the overall lack of talent could be a problem if the coach had no new levers to pull. Maybe this unit will pull things together over time. but as of now, I am worried their offense is too compressed to spread out defenses and put them at a disadvantage. Their overall numbers looked fine against Arizona. Don't be fooled. They were getting blown out before staging a late comeback. The Cardinals may have the worst defense in the league. Aside from Saquon Barkley and Darren Waller, I'll struggle to recommend New York players as strong weekly fantasy options.
• I always find it difficult to bench a superstar player. even when he's in a horrible situation like Garrett Wilson is right now. Wilson showed us that it literally takes one play to cash in for fantasy. Now we can't say that play is coming every week, but Wilson did produce a long touchdown that earned over 13 PPR points. Wilson may not have a big ceiling as long as Zach Wilson is at quarterback. but unless you have a really good option, I recommend keeping Garrett Wilson in your lineups.
• The Cowboys were facing an elite defense in the Jets. As a result, Dallas had some ups and downs on offense. But they were wise in that they figured out ways to get CeeDee Lamb  moved around the formation to often keep him away from the strong outside corners of the Jets. Lamb had double digit targets and went over a hundred yards. It's difficult to see him falling outside the top eight receivers this season.
• Even though the 49ers are division rivals with the Rams, the talent gap between the teams is massive right now. However, I have to believe that the 49ers offense came out flat in this game because they were aware of the discrepancy in talent. Aside from Christian McCaffrey, no other offensive player had a huge performance. I would take this performance with a grain of salt. The 49ers will be an excellent offense. But we've learned in years past, that sometimes different players will take turns having the most productive games. Certainly McCaffrey is exempt from that as the centerpiece of the offense.
• The Seahawks found themselves in a shootout at Detroit. That led to Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett connecting on a pair of touchdowns and each having an outstanding fantasy day. It was impressive because the Seahawks were without their two starting tackles. Based on the end of last season and the first two weeks of 2023, it looks as if Seattle may be an inconsistent offense. But one thing never changes, Tyler Lockett remains one of the steadiest performers in the game.  At this point, Lockett, DK Metcalf and Kenneth Walker are the three Seattle players that should be started with confidence each week. Even though Walker had fewer than three yards per carry, he did score a pair of touchdowns. Walker's current usage gives him a solid scoring floor each week.
• There's no doubt that the Buccaneers faced a pair of bad defenses to start the season. But teams can only play the opponents that are on their schedule. Although he hasn't been great, Baker Mayfield has been a reasonable QB2 in each game. But going forward, those in superflex leagues will need to carefully monitor the matchup when making a lineup decision on Mayfield. But the good news is that he's shown he can get it done against inferior opponents. His performance has also been excellent for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans had a pair of big games while Godwin has had a steady floor. Even when Tampa Bay has a tougher matchup, I would have no hesitation starting those receivers in fantasy.
• Those who follow my work know that I am very supportive of James Conner as a fantasy player. On a points per game basis, he's been the RB9 in each of the last two seasons. Despite a terrible offense around him, he's been very solid to start the season. Last week against a solid Washington defense, he had 12 PPR points. This week he went over 100 yards rushing with a touchdown against the Giants. We know the drill. He'll miss a few games each year. But when he's on the field, he should produce top-20 results at his position most weeks.
• After touching the ball just 17 times last week, Derrick Henry had 25 carries and four targets against the Chargers. Even though his yards per carry hovered around three,  the superstar running back had 94 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. He's had seasons where he started slowly before, and if that's the case this year, he is still scoring enough fantasy points to help fantasy managers. Obviously, age is going to catch up at some point, and it's not encouraging to see the amount of work that Tyjae Spears is getting, but I'm going to keep betting on Henry as a strong weekly fantasy starter until he proves me otherwise.
• Brian Robinson is the clear leader of the Commanders backfield. Not only is he dominating rushing attempts and red-zone work, but he is also seeing targets in the passing game. For now, he's looking like a weekly fantasy starter until/unless his situation drastically changes.

Injuries

• Joe Burrow tweaked his right calf at the end of the game. Due to the timing of the injury, no update was provided.
• With a minute left in the game, Saquon Barkley was helped to the sideline with a lower body injury. No update was given.
• Davante Adams left his game with an undisclosed injury, though he did sustain a hit to the head.  It was late in the game, so he didn't return. no word was given in terms of the severity. 
• Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion and was ruled out during the first half of his game. Gardner Minshew took over in his absence.
• David Montgomery was carted off the field with a thigh injury. In his absence, Craig Reynolds took over some of the early down work. If Montgomery should miss time, it may not be an automatic assumption that Jahmyr Gibbs will be in for a massive workload.
• Odell Beckham suffered an ankle injury and Nelson Agholor took on a sizable role in his absence. coach John Harbaugh doesn't think Beckham's injury is serious.
• Logan Thomas took a hit to the head on a play he scored a touchdown. He suffered a concussion and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
• Darnell Mooney sustained a knee injury early in the second half and didn't return. Chase Claypool went on to have a strong performance. Should Mooney miss time, Claypool could be pushed into a more prominent role in the offense. 
• Buccaneers No. 3 RB  Chase Edmonds injured his knee during the first half and didn't return.