Week 2 Roundup

Week 2 Roundup

We are back. Another weekend of NFL action under our belts, another roundup article for you. I apologize for the delay, my day job is keeping be BUSY on this lovely Tuesday! Week 2 was a wild one, let's hop right into it.

Injuries: I thought week 1 was bad... Week 2 was BRUTAL. A number of big names sustained serious injuries that could keep them sidelined for significant time. Injuries are much bigger than fantasy football. If you are one to get mad at a player because their injury "hurts your fantasy football team", I suggest finding a different hobby. Injuries are a part of this game we all enjoy, but they are potentially career altering to the players, so don't be a dick. You can be upset about the situation, but DO NOT be upset at the players.

That being said, I am a fantasy football analyst... These injures will without a doubt impact how you advance in your quest for a fantasy football title. My biggest injuries from week 2 are:

(Disclaimer: This is NOT a complete list, there will be some that I don't catch. I would highly recommend following an injury expert on Twitter, here are a couple of my favs... @TheFantasyPT & @FBInjuryDoc)

- Saquon Barkley (Knee - ACL) *

- Christian McCaffery (Ankle) *

- Drew Lock (Shoulder) *

-Courtland Sutton (Shoulder, Knee) *

- Nick Bosa (Knee - ACL)

- Will Fuller (Hamstring) *

- Raheem Mostert (Knee - MCL)

- Jimmy Garoppolo (Ankle)

- Cam Akers (Ribs)

- David Montgomery (Neck)

- Parris Campbell (Knee - MCL) *

- Tyrod Taylor (Chest) *

---

My Injury News Reactions/Fallout:

- Saquon Barkley (Knee - ACL) -

The Giants superstar RB suffered a torn ACL on Sunday's contest vs. the Bears. Barkley planted his right leg into the ground to fend off a tackle, and the leg did not move after that. These sorts of non-contact injuries are brutal. Wishing Saquon all the best as he enters a lengthy rehab process. With Barkley being officially placed on IR on 9/22, ending his season, you can cut Barkley in re-draft, NON-keeper formats. If you play in a keeper or dynasty league, be sure to move Saquon to one of your IR spots so you can pick up another player this week. Fallout: The New York Giants are signing Free Agent RB, Devonta Freeman in light of Saquon Barkley's season ending ACL injury. Freeman has worked out for multiple teams throughout the offseason. With a work-horse role becoming available due to this injury, Freeman is finally viewed as a necessity for a team rather than added depth.

- Christian McCaffery (Ankle) -

McCaffery is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a high-ankle sprain. This is the same injury that sidelined both Saquon Barkley & Alvin Kamara in 2019. If you remember, neither Barkley nor Kamara looked fully recovered when they rushed back from their respective high ankle sprains. With the Panthers falling to 0-2, and CMC being the face of their franchise, I expect that the Panthers will be extra cautious with McCaffery's injury over the next month.

Fallout: Mike Davis is the back-up RB in Carolina. Given this news, Davis becomes a name we should all be interested in on the Waiver Wire this week. That being said, temper expectations for Davis. This Carolina team just is not that good. We should not expect Mike Davis to even come close to CMC level production. I see this injury as a big uptick to the Carolina WR's.

- Drew Lock (Shoulder) & Courtland Sutton (Shoulder, Knee) -

Lock was one of the most tantalizing names this offseason. Teammate Courtland Sutton was a huge reason why, along with the plethora of other weapons that Denver brought in for the young QB. Just two weeks into the season, Denver is down multiple playmakers on both sides of the ball. Depending on the severity and length of these injuries, 2020 could be a lost year for what was a very promising Denver Broncos team.

-Will Fuller (Hamstring) -

it was fun while it lasted. Fuller flashed great potential in week 1, showing us what he can do when he is healthy. Week 2 Fuller exited with a hamstring injury. Given Fuller's history with these sorts of injuries, we should expect multiple missed games AND a higher chance of re-injury if/when he returns to action.

-Parris Campbell (Knee - PCL) -

Reports are that Campbell avoided damage to his ACL. Watching the hit that he sustained his injury on, Campbell is extremely lucky to only be dealing with a reported PCL sprain. That being said, Campbell will be "sidelined indefinitely" with this injury. Huge blow to the Colts who will likely lean on rookie RB Jonathan Taylor even more in the coming weeks.

-Tyrod Taylor (Chest) -

Tyrod Taylor was a surprise scratch from Sunday's game vs. the Chiefs. 6th overall pick, Justin Herbert got his first start, and he certainly made a case to remain the starter moving forward. Despite an impressive debut from Herbert, coach Anthony Lynn insists that "Tyrod is our guy" as soon as he proves healthy enough to play. That being said, I liked what I saw from Herbert enough to include him on my QB waiver adds.

---

What I learned from week 2:

- The pre-season matters... Going from 0 -100 has resulted in more marquee injuries than past seasons

The cancelling of the NFL pre-season garnered cheers from nearly everyone. After all, the pre-season is responsible for it's own fair share of injuries. The NFL is a fast paced, violent game. I believe the lack of any "warm-up" to NFL game speed is directly correlated to the amount of injuries we have seen through 2 weeks.

- The Falcons vs. Cowboys game was insane... The Cowboys should have lost, so calm down.

This was the highest over/under match-up of the entire week, and it hit the over. Greg Zuerlein executed one of the most unique onside kicks I have ever seen (I used to be a kicker myself). The Falcons had about 4 opportunities to jump on that ball, but they watched... and watched....... and watched. This was an impressive win for the Cowboys, but they should be 0-2 right now, especially considering how that game started.

- In other kicker news... Harrison Butker

This was a big week for kickers. Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker had one of the most clutch moments in recent memory. After Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field to force overtime, Butker was called upon to hit a 53 yard game winning field goal... just kidding. False start., 5 yard penalty. Retry the kick. Make that a 58 yard field goal. Butker hit from 58 earlier in the game. First attempt, the kick is good. Butker was iced. Final attempt. MONEY. Butker connected on 3 kicks from 58 yards in one single afternoon. Happy for Harrison, yet another advantage for the Chiefs.

- D.K. Metcalf is #Good at football.

Shadowed the entire game by All-Pro CB, Stephon Gilmore, Metcalf still went off for 4 / 92 / 1 TD. His highlight play was the 57 yard TD catch where he beat Gilmore. Russ dropped an absolute dime. Seattle is my side team for 2020, Russ to D.K. is exactly why.

- Gardner Minshew - Franchise QB

Gardner Minshew is on a mission to force Jacksonville to trade down in the 2021 NFL draft. The Jags, who by all intensive purposes appear to be tanking, look like a pesky team with Minshew at the helm of the offense. His confidence and his swagger are infectious, plus he actually has legit talent. Minshew is currently QB 11 in fantasy football, and appears to be in line to be a weekly starter for your fantasy football team.

- Aaron Jones = 2017 Alvin Kamara

From an efficiency standpoint, Jones and Kamara have always drawn comparisons (at least in my eyes). Both are threats on the ground and through the air. Neither Kamara nor Jones need 25-30 touches per game to make their mark on the game. Jones totaled 22 touches for... wait for it... 236 yards and 3 TD's. Jones is on a tear both rushing and receiving. The principals of regression do not apply to Mr. Jones, as he is on pace for another ridiculous TD season, tied for the league lead with 4 total TD's in this young 2020 season.

- Raiders upset Saints in the first ever game in Las Vegas. Death Star looks awesome.

The Las Vegas Raiders captured an impressive win vs. what many thought was a juggernaut Saints team. Alvin Kamara did Alvin Kamara things, racking up 173 yards from scrimmage and 2 TD's. Beyond Kamara, you could really tell the Saints missed star wide out, Michael Thomas. I did not think Thomas would be needed to win this game, apparently I was wrong. The Raiders fed Darren Waller all night, along with a healthy dose of Josh Jacobs (27 carries). Waller was the stand out, posting a line of: 12 receptions (16 targets) / 103 yards / 1 TD. Rookie Bryan Edwards caught his 2 targets for 42 yards. I am still trying to figure out why they cannot give Edwards 5-8 targets per game... he was consistently open last night, even when covered by Lattimore.

---

Report Card:

The report card segment will be where I rate my starts/sits of the week from the previous week. Catch me and Alex's Starts & Sits on our podcast every Friday!

My starts of the week for week 2 were as follows:

QB: Aaron Rodgers (QB 16 | 18.7 pts.) - Grade: C

My process on Rodgers was fine. In week 1 vs. Minnesota, Rodgers had 44 passing attempts despite a huge rushing performance from the GB backfield. Rodgers still put up a fine performance in week 2, but 18.7 points didn't win you your week. It probably didn't lose you your week either.

RB: Jonathan Taylor (RB 14 | 18 pts.) - Grade - B+

Colts Rookie Jonathan Taylor looked impressive in week 2, his first game as the full time starter. Taylor handled 26 carries for 101 yards and 1 TD. There was another goal-to-go situation where Nyhiem Hines was on the field over Taylor, but had JT scored that 2nd TD (like I predicted), he would have finished comfortably as a RB 1. Taylor dominated the backfield touches and is now a smash start every single week.

WR: CeeDee Lamb (WR 18 | 14.5 pts.) - Grade - A-

Lamb eclipsed 100 yards in his second game for the Cowboys. He also played 80+% of the snaps for the second straight week. In a previous article I predicted that Lamb could see FLEX value from the get go, and eventually work his way towards WR 2 numbers, weekly. In week 2, Lamb produced a WR 2 week, and I am happy.

WR (Honorable Mention): Diontae Johnson (WR 7 | 19.2 pts. ) - Grade - A+

I did not talk about Diontae on the pod, but I did post a tweet mentioning him as a great play this week. Diontae has been 'My Guy' since day one of A-Z Fantasy Football. Week 2 showed exactly why I have been so high on Johnson dating back to last year. Through week 2, Johnson is one of TWO WR's to see 30+% target share in both games (the other is Adam Thielen). Diontae has seen double digit targets in back to back weeks, and looks to be in sync with QB Ben Roethlisberger. One of my bold predictions from a LONG time ago: Diontae Johnson will finish as a top 20 WR in 2020. Through two games he is the WR 19, and the arrow is pointing up.

TE: Jared Cook (TE 18 | 8.3 pts.) - Grade - D+

All signs pointed to Jared Cook being a TE 1 vs. the Raiders, but the Saints as a whole did not look very impressive. In week 1, Cook saw 8 targets. In week 2 (minus Michael Thomas), Cook saw 5 targets, catching only 2 of them. His week was saved by a TD, but a TE 19 finish leaves a lot to be desired.

---

Popped off | Dropped off:

https://fantasydata.com | 0.5 PPR Scoring

Popped Off:

- QB - Cam Newton - QB 2 | 34.6 pts.

30/44 passing / 397 yds. / 1 TD | 11 rush att. / 47 yds. / 2 TD

- RB -Aaron Jones - RB 1 | 43.6 pts.

Rushing - 18 att. / 168 yds. / 2 TD | Receiving - 4 rec. / 68 yds. / 1 TD

- RB - James Robinson - RB 8 - 19.5 pts.

Rushing - 16 att. / 102 yds. / 1 TD | Receiving - 3 rec. / 18 yds. / 0 TD

- RB - Darrell Henderson - RB 10 | 19.1 pts.

Rushing- 12 att. / 81 yds. / 1 TD | Receiving- 2 rec. / 40 yds. / 0 TD

- WR - Terry McLaurin - WR 3 | 22 pts.

10 tgt. / 7 rec. / 125 yds. / 1 TD

- WR - Diontae Johnson - WR 7 | 19.2 pts.

13 tgt. / 8 rec. / 92 yds. / 1 TD

- WR - D.K. Metcalf - WR 8 | 17.2 pts.

6 tgt. / 4 rec. / 92 yds. / 1 TD

- TE - Tyler Higbee - TE 1 | 25.9 pts.

5 tgt. / 5 rec. / 100 yds. / 3 TD

- TE - Darren Waller - TE 3 | 22.3 pts.

16 tgt. / 12 rec. / 103 yds. / 1 TD

***

Dropped Off: - QB - Kirk Cousins - QB 39 | -1.48 pts.

11/26 passing / 113 yds. / 3 INT / 0 TD

- RB - Clyde Edwards-Helaire - RB 30 | 10 pts.

Rushing - 10 att. / 38 yds. / 0 TD | Receiving - 6 rec. / 32 yds. 0 TD

- RB - Ronald Jones II- RB 31 | 9.7 pts.

Rushing - 7 att. / 23 yds. / 1 TD | Receiving - 2 rec. / 4 yds. / 0 TD

- RB - Nyhiem Hines - RB 80 | 0.9 pts.

Rushing - 0 att. / 0 yd. / 0 TD | Receiving - 1 rec. / 4 yds. / 0 TD

- WR - Robert Woods - WR 36 | 10.3 pts.

5 tgt. / 2 rec. / 14 yds. / 0 TD | 3 rush / 19 yds. / 1 TD

- WR - JuJu Smith-Schuster - WR 48 | 8.3 pts.

8 tgt. / 7 rec. / 48 yds. / 0 TD

- WR - Julio Jones - WR 92 | 3.4 pts.

4 tgt. / 2 rec. / 24 yds.

- TE - Chris Herndon - TE 44 | 1 pt.

4 tgt. / 1 rec. / 5 yds. / 0 TD

---

The Waiver Wire:

(Roster % are according to Yahoo Fantasy Football's roster data)

Waiver add of the week:

This is my overall top priority add of the week at any position.

Robby Anderson - WR, Panthers - 62% Rostered -

I hesitated picking Robby Anderson given that he is already 62% rostered. That being said, through two weeks, Anderson ranks as the WR 5 (!!) on the young 2020 season. Anderson eclipsed 100 yards for the second straight week. Anderson has played 82% (wk 1) and 74% (wk 2) of offensive snaps. He has amassed 18 targets in just two weeks. Anderson reuniting with former Temple HC, Matt Rhule may have been just what he needed to take his game to the next level... or maybe it was just getting away from Adam Gase. Regardless, Anderson should be rostered in all leagues. Yes, 62% is a lot, but it is not enough. If Anderson is still on your waiver wire, pick him up. He is a weekly start based on volume alone.

Quarterback:

Justin Herbert - QB, Chargers - 3% Rostered

Justin Herbert was a surprise start on Sunday, and all he did was throw for 300+ yds. and lead the Chargers into an overtime period with the defending Super Bowl champion, KC Chiefs. Herbert looked very impressive in his debut, but shockingly reports from HC Anthony Lynn are that Tyrod Taylor will remain the starting QB once he is ready to play after his mysterious chest injury. I think what we saw out of Herbert on Sunday made him more than deserving of waiver consideration in week 2. He could be a QB streaming option sooner than later.

Ryan Tannehill - QB, Titans - 46% Rostered

Ryan Tannehill's week 1 was comprised of volume. Week 2, Tannehill's efficiency was on full display (again). Throwing only 24 passes, Tannehill threw 4 TD's on Sunday vs. the Jags. Also worth noting... The Titans were without start wideout, A.J. Brown. Tannehill is rostered in almost 50% of leagues, but he could be a weekly starter for sure. If you are a QB streamer and Tannehill is on waivers, he could offer you some consistency at QB, saving you FAB, and the headache of the question, "Who do I start at QB this week?". Through 2 weeks, Tannehill ranks as the QB 9.

Gardner Minshew* - QB, Jaguars - 32% Rostered Gardner Minshew makes my list for the 2nd week in a row. Still rostered in only 32% of leagues, Minshew put up another impressive performance in week 2. Minshew threw 45 times, completing 30 passes for 339 yds. and 3 TD's. The Titans were 11 point favorites in this game, Minshew almost led the Jags to their second consecutive win, the final score of the game was 33-30. As long as the Jaguars defense is trash (it will be all season), there will always be a reason for Minshew to be throwing the ball. This is why you will see a couple of other Jags players pop up later down the list.

Running Back:

James Robinson - RB, Jaguars - 70% Rostered

Similar to Robby Anderson, Robinson is already rostered in the majority of leagues. That being said, 70% is still too low, especially after what we saw on Sunday. Through 2 weeks, Robinson ranks as a rid range RB 2 (RB __). Given the super star RB's that are going to miss time, check your waiver wire one last time for James Robinson. If he is still there, he is a must add.

Devonta Freeman - RB, Giants - 15% Rostered

Devonta Freeman has finally found a home in New York, at least for this season. The 28 year old RB should walk right into this starting role, but from what we have seen from the Giants O-line thus far, Freeman may have some growing pains coming his way. Freeman is a reliable pass catcher which really bodes well for him, as that skillset should make him relevant right away. I am slightly concerned about Freeman's ability to handle a full workload given what we saw from him in Atlanta just a year ago, and at 28 years old with his history of injuries, who knows how much 'juice' Freeman even has left. Nonetheless, Freeman finds himself as the clear starting RB for an NFL team, and that is at least interesting to me. With Saquon Barkley being placed on IR, you can cut him in re-draft (non-keeper) leagues and replace him with Devonta Freeman if you just gotta have this Giants backfield.

Darrell Henderson* - RB, Rams - 32% Rostered

Henderson was a guy I was ready to move on from. After posting just 3 carries in week 1, Henderson came to life in week 2. Henderson had 12 carries for 81 yards and 1 TD. He also added 40 yards through the air on 2 receptions. This is the Darrell Henderson the Rams drafted a year ago. With Cam Akers exiting the game with a rib injury, it was Henderson, NOT Malcolm Brown, who looked like the better back in LA. Don't go crazy on FAB with Henderson, but a nice target if you are looking to add RB depth

Mike Davis - RB, Panthers - 5% Rostered

Mike Davis is the backup to now-injured, Christian McCaffery. On Sunday's game vs. the Bucs, Davis shined as a receiver catching 8/8 targets for 74 yards. Davis looks like he will have this backfield to himself for the next 4-6 weeks. Given that he saw 8 targets filling in mid-game for CMC, that is encouraging for Davis's fantasy value. That being said, temper expectations for Davis.. Just because he has this backfield does not mean he is destined for greatness, he has some huge shoes to fill.

Joshua Kelley - RB, Chargers - 39% Rostered

Joshua Kelley built off of an impressive week 1 performance by playing a huge role in week 2 vs. the Chiefs. Kelley handled 23 rushing attempts on Sunday. His yardage total was not super impressive (64 yds.), but Kelley's 23 carries put him right up there with names like Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb when it comes to rushing attempts in week 2. Kelley's role is not going away, 39% rostered is much too low.

Jerick McKinnon - RB, 49ers - 24% Rostered

Jerick McKinnon might finally be getting his chance to shine for the 49ers. Back in 2018, McKinnon took his talents to San Francisco for what was a dream pairing of a hyper athletic RB with a Kyle Shanahan led offense. McKinnon had some of the worst injury luck imaginable. Now his teammates Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman find themselves injured, and likely to miss time. McKinnon & teammate Jeff Wilson Jr. will be relied upon with the 49ers WR core still gashed with injuries of their own.

Wide Receiver:

Tre'Quan Smith - WR, Saints - 15% Rostered

"Tre'Quan Smith is a guy who I think is ready to really blossom and just explode in this offense," - Drew Brees.

Monday night vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, the Saints were without super star wideout, Michael Thomas. Tre'Quon Smith helped fill this void nicely. Smith saw 7 targets from QB Drew Brees, catching 5 of them for 86 yards. Smith is in his 3rd year of this Saints offensive system, and in the absence of Michael Thomas, Smith will be heavily relied upon to make an impact on games for this Saints offense who should be hungry coming off of an upset loss to the Raiders.

Russell Gage - WR, Falcons - 22% Rostered

Russell Gage has been a guy I have quietly been a fan of all offseason. In the last 8 games, Gage has seen 69 targets, 47 receptions. In an offense led by Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, there is still enough to go around for Gage. In 2020 alone, Gage's 21 targets rank 8th in the NFL. Gage has weekly FLEX appeal especially considering he is almost always on the field, playing 70% and 83% of snaps in his first two games, respectively.

Laviska Shenault Jr. - WR, Jaguars - 17% Rostered

I am in on Viska. Last year in my main dynasty league, I was prepared to take Laviska Shenault in the 1st round of our rookie draft. As news of his injuries surfaced, I faded Shenault and ended up with 0 shares of Shenault on any of my dynasty leagues. I am not going to make that mistake in re-draft. Shenault is a weapon that the Jags are desperately trying to get going. Through 2 weeks, the rookie has seen 8 targets, catching 6 of them. Not amazing through the air, but what I love about Viska is his involvement in the running game. Shenault has already seen 7 plays designed to highlight him as a runner. Shenault is not only a starting WR for the Jags, he is also the RB 2 until further notice while Ryquel Armstead is still on the COVID list. I expect his involvement to increase moving forward. I might be early on this call, but I would rather be early on Viska than miss out on his versatility in an offense that will only seek to get Shenault more involved as the season goes on.

Keelan Cole - WR, Jaguars - 4% Rostered

Keelan Cole has seen 12 targets in the first two weeks of action, catching 11 of them. Cole has recorded a TD in both games played thus far, and ranks as the WR 17 through two weeks. D.J. Chark was getting off of the buzz throughout the pre-season, but Keelan Cole is proving to have a clearly defined role in this offense, and QB Gardner Minshew is not afraid to heavily target Cole all over the field. My waiver wire columns have featured Jacksonville quite a bit, that is because they are an offense that will consistently be playing from behind, making them a great offense to target for fantasy football purposes.

Tight End:

Mo Alie-Cox - TE, Colts - 1% Rostered

Mo-Alie-Cox is quite literally a giant. Alie-Cox was thrust into the starting role on Sunday vs. the Vikings after TE Jack Doyle somewhat surprisingly was not able to play in the game. Alie-Cox saw 6 targets from Philip Rivers, catching 5 of them for 111 yds. The connection between Rivers and Alie-Cox looked very natural. It helps when the recipient of Rivers's targets is a 6'5", 270 lb. athletic freak. If you are hurting at TE, Alie-Cox is an intriguing name to target on the waiver wire this week. Like we all know, Rivers does love his TE's. If Jack Doyle happens to miss significant time, Mo Alie-Cox could be in line for a big role in this offense, which is now down Parris Campbell for an unknown amount of time.

---

As always, thank you for checking out my article! If you liked what you read, please be sure to follow me on Twitter, @ZackFFB. Also check out @AtoZffb, our main page run by myself and my best friend, Alex. Feel free to send us any questions you have!

Also... Check out our podcast wherever you listen do your podcasts! Here is our Linktree info to help make that search just a little bit easier for you: A-Z FFB - Linktree

I'll catch you next week. Same bat-time, same bat-channel!

Peace! Zack Housholder Sources: Fantasydata.com / Profootballreference.com / ESPN.com