Table Talk: Week Two Review, Injury Recap, Waiver Adds
#BloodySunday is what Adam Schefter called it. There is a good chance that if you play in more than one league either you or the person you were playing against lost someone to injury. It’s times like these when it is difficult to keep going. You are not alone in that thought. But with injury comes opportunity. Zoom through the box scores to check the injury roundup and see who we should be targeting off waivers to replace our studs.
Browns 35, Bengals 30
The Browns looked a lot better not playing the Ravens.
We learned it is possible for both Chubb and Hunt to have good games. Chubb dominated touches, but Hunt wasn’t far behind in fantasy points.
OBJ had a nice point explosion in week two. He’s the alpha in the offense and they want to get him the ball to keep him happy.
Landry is off to a slow start recovering from offseason hip surgery. Hooper is straight droppable (see new section at the bottom of Spoiled Egg players).
Cincy is still finding their offensive footing. Burrow threw the ball 61 times!!
Mixon continues to dominate rushing attempts, but is being taken off the field more than we were promised he would be after excelling at the end of last season.
AJ Green continues to get a lot of targets, but they are not converting. His usage is that of a WR1/2, but the connection with Burrow just isn’t there early. He’s still a WR3 with the target share he has gotten.
Cincy TE’s ruled in this game, combining for 15 targets. Uzomah was lost for the season. Sample is a wait and see if the targets continue.
Bills 31, Dolphins 28
Bills continue to throw a lot more and a lot better than we thought they would in the preseason. Allen had 35 attempts for 417 yards and 4 TD’s. Allen has made the most of matchups against the Jets and Fins to start the year with his first two career 300 yard games. Allen is looking every bit the MVP long shot many thought he could be. This offense has been built perfectly to him and we are seeing his maturation before our eyes. We need to see him continue this success against better teams, but it is a very encouraging start.
I was wrong on my initial evaluation of Diggs. They are featuring him in ways I didn’t think they would. Turning him into more than just a deep threat. He had 13 targets in this game and should be a solid option moving forward.
The Bills got their run game going more, but still seem committed to the pass through two weeks. Neither Moss or Singletary has distanced themselves and neither has gotten enough work to clearly define their role in the offense yet. I still want Moss as he has been in goal line packages.
The Dolphins running game remains a stay away, but Miles Gaskin had a second good game. Howard hasn’t been much more than a goal line back and Breida isn’t seeing a lot of work.
Gesicki had a big game with the Dolphins trailing through the fourth quarter. It’s encouraging for him to come through as he has been their slot receiver early through the year. I remain skeptical of him having a huge breakout year, but he should have spike weeks like this and is worth the add.
Parker went 8/5/53/1 while Williams went 5/1/26/0. Parker has the early edge while Williams continues making his way back from the ACL injury.
49er’s 31, Jets 13
The worst of the injuries hit the Niner’s. Garoppolo, Mostert, Coleman, Bosa, Thomas all left this game with various injuries. They still trounced the putrid Jets with their “JV team”.
Just as I was ready to give up on expecting regression to catch Raheem Mostert he is set to miss multiple games. He had an 80 yard TD to start this game. Coleman was bad in relief. McKinnon looked good again, he has a chance to shine with the other two missing the next game.
Jordan Reed 8/7/50/2 emerged as Kittle’s replacement and gave this team the pick me up it needed. He will be playable as long as Kittle is out (one more week).
With all the injuries on defense I would be fine dropping the Niner’s D. They have a tasty matchup against the Giants next week, but after that they won’t have the pass rush to force the turnovers needed to be a weekly top unit.
The Jets are bad. Their RB’s are unplayable and their receivers aren’t much better. With Crowder out for the game and Perriman leaving the game early it was Hogan and Berrios who led the team in receiving. I am not interested in either and am bailing on Herndon who was used more as a blocker than a receiver in this game. There are better options at TE.
Steelers 26, Broncos 21
The Steelers continue to look good on offense with Big Ben back. They were missing half their OL against a tough Broncos defense and still controlled the game.
Conner was indeed the back to own as he dominated touches and points. He was a third round pick in fantasy drafts for a reason and should be a start as long as he is healthy going into games. I think he was removed as a precaution in week one as the outcome wasn’t in doubt against the Giants.
Diontae Johnson outscored JuJu in week two and I believe they will both be top 20 options moving forward with upside of the Brown/JuJu finish from two years ago.
Ebron showed signs of life in this offense with a 5/3/43/0 line for the week, keep him on your radar as his ceiling is still very high in this offense.
The Broncos lost Drew Lock for a few weeks and Courtland Sutton for the season.
The offense actually looked pretty good with backup Jeff Driskel in the game.
Things will likely run through Fant and Jeudy, but keep rookie KJ Hamler on your radar as well.
MG3 had 19 carries and 2 receptions with Lindsay out for the game. If they weren’t playing the Steelers that likely would have resulted in a much better output, although 84 yards and a TD is nothing to sneeze at.
Colts 28, Vikings 11
This is the Colts team we were expecting last week. Which might say more about the Jags (who also played the Titans tough) than the Colts.
Nyheim Hines disappeared in confounding fashion. This means Jonathon Taylor is an unquestioned RB1 moving forward.
Parris Campbell was lost for the season in this game. :’( Rookie Michael Pittman will be given a chance to win the number two wideout job now.
Mo Allie Cox went over 100 yards in place of Jack Doyle. Maybe worth an add if you are desperate at TE. He is an athletic TE who #playedbasketballpreviously
Cousins line wasn’t as bad as it really looks as two of the INT’s came at the end of the first half on Hail Mary type attempts.
Cook saw a larger share of touches in week two, after Mattison was surprisingly involved in week one.
Thielen saw the target volume again, but couldn’t convert as he did in week one. He’s still a WR1 the rest of the way, but it might be more up and down than we like it to be as this offense gets its feet under it with new OC Gary Kubiak.
Titans 33, Jaguars 30
Tannehill continues to play like a QB1 under center in Tennessee. This is why you don’t draft QB’s early. Tannehill was without his top option, but still threw 4 TD’s.
Jonnu Smith took over as the top receiving option in this game 5/4/84/2. Without Brown around he will likely keep up TE1 production. He was a breakout candidate this season that is paying off.
Corey Davis had another TD without Brown healthy. He is worth a roster spot as a former first round pick who has shown flashes before and is showing it again.
The Titans appear to be missing Jack Conklin who they let walk in free agency. Henry had 25 carries for only 84 yards. He’ll have better days, but is off to a slow start in 2020.
Minshew has been phenomenal to start the year. 339 yards with 3 TD’s this week. Keeping the Jags in both games this season.
James Robinson goes over 100 yards again and is looking to be the next Leonard Fournette. Go get him if he is still available in your league.
Keelan Cole and DJ Chark are both off to a good start and Laviska Shenault’s usage has been promising through two weeks. This offense is not the stay away many predicted and pieces are definitely worth rostering.
Cowboys 40, Falcons 39
This game was the offensive explosion we were hoping for. The total stats are mind boggling from this one. 153 plays, 950 total yards, 79 points, 55 first downs.
Dak throws for 450 yards and a TD, while rushing for 3 more.
Zeke had another great game: 89 yards and a TD on the ground, 6 catches for 33 yards in the air. He is the top RB in the game with the injuries to Barkley and CMC.
Cooper and Lamb appear to be the reliable passing game options as they are feeding on short and intermediate routes while Gallup is mostly a medium to deep target. Gallup will have huge games, but his usage is relatively maddening right now for fantasy owners.
Dalton Schultz saw 10 targets for 9 receptions and 88 yards with a TD in Jarwin’s absence. Another deep TE add while we wait to see if this usage continues in games they don’t throw 47 times.
Matt Ryan had 4 TD’s in this game. Ridley with 2 TD’s again, Hurst got his first TD as a Falcon, and Gage had the fourth.
Julio Jones is looking like he is playing hurt. No word on an injury, but he doesn’t look like himself right now. The other receivers on the team are enjoying the attention he commands.
Gurley has remained healthy and dominating touches at RB for the Falcons. No work in the receiving game in this one though.
The Falcons blunder at the end of the game is really only impactful because it is another nail in Dan Quinn’s coffin. If a coaching change is made in season it could have a huge impact on this offense if it results in the loss of Koetter as well (Koetter would likely be made the interim HC, but strange things happen). I don’t see Quinn returning next year.
Rams 37, Eagles 19
The Rams are looking really good with a healthy OL.
Goff with 3 TD’s against a good Eagles D.
Akers and Brown left the game early. Henderson did not disappoint with his touches. This is the reason I wasn’t all in on Brown in last week’s waiver adds. They want Henderson to be the guy, but this was his first healthy game and he brought the spark they needed running well against a hard defense to run well on.
Higbee showed signs of a return to form from the end of last season 5/5/54/3. There are not many TE’s I wanted before him in drafts and even fewer now.
The rest of the receiving game was fairly quiet, but Van Jefferson seems to have a firm grasp on the third receiver spot, but is still fourth in the pecking order. He would get a big boost if something were to happen to Kupp or Woods.
Miles Sanders dominated work in his first game of the season. Scott was involved, but not to the level he was last season. I am holding on Scott and enjoying this if I own Sanders.
Wentz threw the ball 43 times, but only managed 242 yards with 2 INT’s, no sacks this week is a small positive after the beating he took last week.
The receiving work was spread around pretty evenly. I am still buying Reagor and Goedert.
Bears 17, Giants 13
The most notable thing to happen in this game was the loss of Saquon Barkley for the year with an ACL injury. Other ligaments were involved in the injury that will make surgery/rehab a bit more complicated and could potentially delay his return next season. A tough break for him after missing time with an ankle injury last season.
Montgomery had a second good game this season. His usage is high in the Bears offense and for now Trubisky is playing well enough to keep things moving.
Allen Robinson saw 9 targets and only was able to haul in 3 of them. The trade demands will continue. Only 47% of his targets have been deemed “catchable”.
Sterling Shepard left this game with a turf toe injury. His absence will have a bigger boost on Golden Tate, but it is less target competition for Engram and Slayton as well.
These two teams only managed 30 points, there is nothing really to comment on.
Packers 42, Lions 21
Aaron Jones had himself a day. 18 carries for 168 yards and 2 TD’s. 4 receptions for 68 yards and another TD. He is playing for his second contract and the start for this team makes their offseason both baffling and infuriating. I grew higher and higher on Jones as the season approached, but he seems set to be a top 10 back and is clearly on pace for top 5 production again this season.
Davante Adams left this game twice, the second time with a hamstring injury. We haven’t gotten an update on him yet (no practice yet), but I feel as though the move may have been precautionary with a big lead and not wanting to risk the health of their top aerial weapon. We’ll learn more throughout the week.
MVS remains worthy of a waiver addition and I value him a lot more than Lazard.
Stafford needs Golladay back to get this offense back to what it was last season.
The three way RB committee strikes again. Peterson leads in carries and rushing yards, Swift gets the passing game usage and Kerryon got the TD. I remain highest on Swift for his upside (especially with the receiving game role secured), but it is hard to trust him in your lineup when he gets the fewest carries on the team.
Bucs 31, Panthers 17
I’m stubborn, but I’m not a fool. I wouldn’t say I am off the RoJo bandwagon, but I’m not leading the charge anymore. It will be interesting to see how the snap share breaks out, but Fournette got more carries and receptions in this one. He managed to break away for a long 46 yard TD as well. props to him for not getting caught from behind. McCoy was more involved in the passing game than we would like for either back, but it appears that Fournette is going to get a chance with lead back duties.
The Bucs offense looked better overall. Brady was able to lean on the running game more in this one, but still connected with Mike Evans for 104 yards and a TD in their first game together.
Godwin should be back next week.
CMC left this game late with a high ankle sprain. The initial diagnosis is 2-6 weeks. I would expect McCaffrey to return on the shorter side of that, but the Panthers don’t have anything to play for this season and might hold him out longer to ensure his health moving forward.
Mike Davis came in for him and saw 8 receptions immediately. I expect Samuel to contribute in the backfield with Davis moving forward.
DJ Moore and Robby Anderson are the receivers to own in this offense and Bridgewater showed he can keep them both afloat against a tough D.
Cardinals 30, Football Teamers 15
Kyler Murray gets it done on the ground again. 67 yards and a TD to go with 286 passing yards a TD and an INT. This running output is why many had him as a borderline top 5 QB this season. Through two weeks he is looking good, they won’t all be as easy as this though.
Hopkins dominated target share again 9/8/68/1. Kirk wasn’t blanked in this one getting to 57 yards. Isabella appears from nowhere with 67. Hopkins is still the only startable WR in this offense. Larry Fitz off to another hot start before age catches up with him.
A week after Peyton Barber stumbled to two TD’s we see Antonio Gibson get the bulk of rushing work with 13 of the team’s 23 carries for 55 yards and a TD. It is still a time share, but this is more carries than we were expecting for him this soon. Clearly Washington has seen his talent and wants to get him the ball. He’s a borderline RB2/Flex play for now.
McLaurin made the most of an easier week two matchup with a 10/7/125/1 line. He gathers all the attention but will continue to produce like a WR1/2. Logan Thomas saw 9 targets in this one and remains one of the trendier TE pickups I am actually buying.
Ravens 33, Texans 16
This is the drubbing I feared it would be. The Ravens Defense was even better than I thought as it shut down all elements of the Texans offense.
Mark Ingram got the rushing TD this week and Gus Edwards got mop up duty. This running game situation remains avoidable until someone sets themselves apart. Otherwise you are throwing darts on a weekly basis.
Lamar showed his high floor in this blowout as he ran for 54 yards and threw one TD. Four FG’s and a defensive TD will do that to your final line.
Apparently Will Fuller was battling hamstring tightness and was blanked in this game.
Cooks filled in nicely with 8/5/95/0. He should be viewed as a WR3 for the rest of the season.
Akins had another nice day but doesn’t see the field enough in a 50/50 split for me to invest.
The Texans are continuing to find their feet and will look better when they don’t play the two best teams in the AFC (Chiefs last week).
Chiefs 23, Chargers 20
The Chargers have found ways to frustrate the Chiefs offense in ways very few other teams have. They actually almost make Mahomes look human. Still, Mahomes threw for 300 yards and 2 TD’s.
It took awhile, but Hill 11/5/99/1 and Kelce 14/9/90/1 put up the numbers we count on them to put up. Hill did most of his damage on a 54 yard TD catch and roll, while Kelce picked the Chargers apart throughout the game.
CEH was thwarted on the ground, but put together 8/6/32/0 through the air after not having any targets in week one. It’s promising usage for the rookie RB.
Watkins left the game early, but no receiver filled his shoes from week one.
Justin Herbert made the surprising start after a very concerning issue with Tyrod Taylor. Apparently Herbert found out after the coin toss he would be starting. He promptly threw for 311 yards a TD and an INT. It was a promising debut, but it sounds like the team doesn’t have the full playbook installed with Herbert at QB. It remains unclear who the starter is moving forward.
Ekeler had a nice rebound performance with 4 catches for 55 yards and 16 carries for 93 yards. We would love to see more of Herbert if it means that Ekeler will see those very valuable targets that he excels at turning into high yardage.
Kelley continues to morph into the MG3 role as he got 23 carries and 3 targets.
Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry were the winning receivers this week. QB clarification might let us know how to handle this passing game situation moving forward, but for now we are waiting to see. Henry remains playable weekly as a TE1. Allen and Mike Williams will remain matchup dependent for now after inconsistent usage through two weeks.
Seahawks 35, Patriots 30
Game of the week!
Russ continues to cook, even after throwing an early pick six. He finished with 288 yards and 5 TD’s! He looked really good throwing to all levels against one of the best defenses in the league. I believe Carroll knows his defense isn’t what it used to be and knows he has to unleash Russ to win games. Russ will continue to cook.
DK Metcalf proved he is matchup proof as he continuously got the better of DPOY Stephon Gilmore. 6/4/92/1 with a long 54 yard bomb. It’s a 1A/1B situation, but let’s just be thankful there isn’t more mouths to feed.
The 1B would be Tyler Lockett who went 8/7/67/1 in week two and took advantage of open space at literally every part of the field. Both receivers are locked in for the rest of the season.
Chris Carson had another good game and remains a solid RB2 (albeit with RB1 production through two weeks).
Cam is literally Superman. Last week the game plan was to have him run the Dolphins into the ground, this week he picked apart the Seahawks at all levels. He has shown he is fully healthy and is thriving with the offensive mind of Josh McDaniels calling plays. He threw for 397 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick. He added 11 carries for 47 yards and 2 TD’s. The Pats have made it clear that they will continue to run the single-wing at the goal line with Newton. He is absolutely dominant and showing why there are 31 really dumb GM’s in the NFL.
Edelman had a career day with 11/8/179/0. He should be a very solid WR2/3 again this season in games where the Pats don’t run the ball 30+ times.
N’Keal Harry had a nice day 12/8/72/0 and Damiere Byrd showed he can contribute as well 9/6/72/0. I don’t expect this offense to have enough pass volume to support three receivers, but I would want Harry over Byrd.
James White missed this game after personal tragedy struck. With no RB’s seeing goal line usage this is a backfield to avoid. I remain intrigued by Damien Harris who can return from IR in week four at the earliest, but that is it.
Raiders 34, Saints 24
Are the Raiders for real? Back-to-back 34 point wins. Who is this team?
Josh Jacobs got all the carries for his team 27 of 35, but only saw three targets. The usage is inspiring, but until we see slightly more I have him as a RB2 still.
Derek Carr continues to only have eyes for Darren Waller. 16 targets on 34 passing attempts resulting in 12 catches, 103 yards and a TD. I was wrong to be fading Waller in the preseason. He is the focal point of the offense and will remain so while the receivers catch-up to the NFL game.
Brees went over 300 yards very late in this game without Michael Thomas.
Alvin Kamara carried the load on the ground with 9 receptions for 95 yards. He also had 13 carries for 79 yards and 2 TD’s. He will earn every penny of that new contract while MT is out.
Trequan Smith was the second best receiver for the Saints on MNF. 7/5/86/0. Emmanuel Sanders didn’t catch a pass until the very end of the game. Jared Cook was also disappointing.
The Saints looked disjointed without MT and it remains unknown when he will return. Kamara will be a stud in the interim and Smith would be my priority add at WR if he is still available. You might want to look for a new QB if you are relying on Brees through this period.
Spoiled Eggs
Players it is okay to drop in 10 or 12 team leagues. I chose this list from players owned in at least 25% of leagues. It will grow as the season moves along.
Quarterbacks:
Really any back-up QB. The position is so deep that there is little reason to keep two, especially with the rash of injuries and possibility to add difference makers at RB/WR. If you are carrying Cam, Big Ben or Tannehill as your QB2 then I would look to trade someone your other QB that you drafted higher for whatever you can get. This strategy is not for everyone, but I want you to make the most of your bench spots and right now stashing RB’s/WR’s with elite upside should injury strike is the way to go.
Running Backs:
Sony Michel (very little value with Cam operating as the goal line back), Matt Breida (worst share of a three way committee), Peyton Barber (looked like he might have some use after week one, but almost no usage in week two)
We aren’t cutting bait on a lot of RB’s yet because there have been so many injuries, but there are quite a few guys on the bubble.
Wide Receiver:
None yet.
Borderline: Emmanuel Sanders (No defined role in this offense and didn’t see a spike without MT), Justin Jefferson (passing game not built to holdup multiple receivers right now and he is playing behind Bisi Johnson)
Tight End:
The reason I put this in this week was to tell you which TE’s to bail on. Rob Gronkowski (just not seeing any usage as he plays behind OJ Howard. He could just be learning the system, but he doesn’t seem to have the defined role I thought he would), Austin Hooper (I told you not to draft him, now don’t roster him), Chris Herndon (The Jets are frustrating and their use of Herndon is no exception), Ian Thomas (most have bailed already, but he’ll still be on your waiver wire if he is ever going to break out. He’s been battling turf toe and didn’t see a target this week.)
Defenses:
San Fran (I mentioned above, but the loss of half their DL is excruciating. They play the Giants so maybe play them once more, but I am looking to stream or add someone more promising from here.), Minnesota (They have just looked terrible through two weeks. The loss of Barr will be felt for a long time, but without Hunter they can’t force enough pressure to make up for their lackluster corners.), Philadelphia (just don’t have it figured out yet this season)
Broken Eggs
A recap of the fantasy relevant injuries from the week and what we know after initial testing. Replacements will be mentioned here and prioritized in the Grocery List.
Saquon Barkley- Torn ACL and is done for the year. If you are contending in dynasty it could be worth looking into flipping him for a starting RB from a rebuilding squad. Wayne Gallman filled in last year, Dion Lewis was the only back active yesterday which is why he got all the work. I am no insider but I believe the Giants sign Devonta Freeman and feature him as the lead back with Lewis as the scat.
Christian McCaffrey- High ankle sprain. Will miss “multiple” weeks. I have seen 2-6 floated around as the usual return time. We could see him land on the new IR and be out at least three weeks. Mike Davis is the direct backup. He likely won’t see 96% of the snaps as CMC does, but could see 75% of the touches. I think Curtis Samuel gets carries out of the backfield and the team finds a third person to split.
Raheem Mostert- Has an MCL sprain. Will likely miss at least one week and potentially up to three or four. The severity of the sprain is not yet known. With Coleman also banged up (no update on his injury) I think McKinnon gets a lot of work with Jeff Wilson and UDFA JaMycal Hasty gets promoted from the practice squad. Shanahan has ties to Freeman from their days in Atlanta, but I would only see him signing here if Mostert’s injury is a lot more serious than it is believed to be.
Cam Akers- Rib cartilage injury. It is believed he will miss at least one game. Henderson/ Brown will split duties. Brown broke his finger in this game, it is unknown if he will miss time. Henderson could be the lone back next Sunday and would be a high-end RB2 in that scenario.
Devante Adams- Hamstring. Need to see how he practices on Tue/Wed.
Courtland Sutton- Torn ACL. Suffered after returning to action with the AC joint sprain. He is out for the year. KJ Hamler will see increased playing time. Raises Fant and Jeudy more than a new option.
Parris Campbell- PCL injury. Expected to be sidelined for the year. Michael Pittman will get his chance to fill the role.
Will Fuller- Aggravated continued problems with his hamstrings. He worked on this all summer and escaped the preseason and week one unscathed before sitting most of this game. We will have to see how he practices through the week, but it will be hard to trust him in week three.
Sterling Shepard- Turf toe. Unknown time table on missed games, likely at least one. Gives Golden Tate the biggest boost.
Breshad Perriman- Sprained his ankle in this game. His return to play is unknown. We want no part of the Jets offense right now.
Sammy Watkins- Left the game with a concussion. We’ll see how he progresses through the protocol during the week. Likely back for week three, but unsure.
Drew Lock- AC Joint sprain. Out for 2-6 weeks. Lowers the ceilings of all Broncos skill players. In the deepest of 2QB leagues Jeff Driskel is playable.
Jimmy Garoppolo- High ankle sprain. Will definitely miss next week’s game and could miss up to two additional games. Nick Mullens is a satisfactory backup. If the WR’s become healthy he will maintain their value.
Tyrod Taylor- Rib/chest issue. He apparently reacted poorly to a shot he was given that was meant to help with the pain and had to be rushed to the hospital. He has been released and I believe traveled with the team. The QB of the future (Herbert) performed well, so it remains unclear how this will unfold moving forward.
An additional note to monitor is Julio Jones who balled out in week one, but reportedly battled a hamstring issue through the week of practices and then was a fantasy goat (not G.O.A.T.) in the Falcons/Cowboys game. It is likely a minor injury since he stayed in the game, but we will monitor moving forward. Grab Russel Gage if you need some assurances.
Grocery List
Priority Waiver Adds by position
Running Back:
James Robinson RB, Jax- Still available in 30-40% of leagues. Should be near 100% owned given his usage in the first two weeks.
Josh Kelley RB, LAC- He’s stepping into the Melvin Gordon role. There is room for he and Ekeler to both be top 20 RB’s.
Jerick McKinnon RB, SF- It looks like McKinnon will be the guy this week against the Giants. I have said all preseason that I thought he could win this starting job outright and this is his opportunity. He has 2 TD’s in two games so far with limited opportunity and that opportunity won’t be nearly as limited in week three. He’ll still split touches, but he should get the bulk of the work.
Mike Davis RB, Car- Davis will get most of the work in the Panthers backfield while CMC is out. He will be a RB2 worthy roster spot for each game he starts and that could be as many as 5-6 weeks. The others on this list figure to be usable through the whole season, but none of them quite carry Davis’s perspective ceiling if he gets even 80% of CMC’s usage. He showed he was a capable pass catcher in this last game and that is the role on the offense I think he is most likely to continue to excel in.
Dion Lewis/ Wayne Gallman- We don’t know yet what the Giants will do. As of this writing they haven’t announced who the nominal starter will be or if they will be signing Devonta Freeman. I still believe they sign Freeman, but Lewis and Gallman figure to be involved regardless. It’s a bad situation as the Giants line is fairly poor and the offensive transition under new coaching has not gone smoothly through two weeks, but both Lewis and Gallman are decent receivers for running backs and figure to pile up receiving stats like Barkley was doing before the injury.
Devonta Freeman RB, FA- I wanted to put Freeman above the Giants backs, but he doesn’t have that job quite yet. There is still a chance he remains unsigned or goes to a less desirable situation (meaning one where he shared the job with better players). If Freeman becomes the lead back of the Giants before waivers are due he would slot above Mike Davis due to his long term value and ability to command the majority of touches in the offense.
Miles Gaskin RB, MIa- Officially interesting after two weeks of leading the Miami backfield in touches. Howard has the goal line role firmly entrenched, but Gaskin appears to be operating in the role we thought Breida would fill. If you are really desperate for touches this is a cheap source of them.
Damien Harris, RB NE- No New England RB has looked good through two games. This backfield is still wide open for Harris to step into when he comes off of IR, potentially in week four.
Wide Receiver:
Robby Anderson WR, Car; Brandin Cooks WR, Hou- Both are owned in only 60% of leagues and are the number two wide receiver on offenses that are passing quite a bit. Robby Anderson appears to be another player excelling in the absence of Adam Gase.
Anthony Miller WR, Chi; Mike Williams Wr, LAC; Christian Kirk WR, Ari- Three more WR’s owned in 50-60% of leagues that figure to be a little more volatile than the top options listed, but still hold quite a bit of weekly value. Especially as we get closer to bye weeks.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling/ Allen Lazard WR’s, GB- Not knowing how severe Davante Adams injury might be, both Packers wideouts are worth a speculative add. I lean MVS over Lazard, but it is really a coin flip.
Corey Davis WR, Ten- Davis didn’t have quite as big of a day as in week one, but still caught a TD. He is very interesting in the efficient Titans passing game. With AJ Brown still out he carries WR3 upside weekly.
Michael Pittman WR, Ind- TY Hilton has not impressed this season, and with the loss of Parris Campbell number two wideout duties are up for grabs. A lot of people liked Pittman coming out of college and he has all the opportunity with a lot of injured pieces in the passing game in Indy.
Russel Gage WR, Atl- He and Hurst figure to trade-off as the third option in the passing game, but Gage has had two good weeks to start the year and has an established rapport with Ryan.
Jalen Reagor WR, Phi- Caught all four of his targets in week two. He is growing into his role now that he is healthy. Buy while the price is still low.
Laviska Shenault/ Keelan Cole WR’s Jax- The Jaguars offense has looked really good against the divisional favorites. These two players get it done in different ways, but they are both getting it done. Cole is currently ahead of Chark in fantasy points on the season and Shenault is involved in multiple facets of the offense while he continues to establish himself. Cole is a good short term add for receiver health and Shenault is the long term play if you want to store a higher ceiling player.
Curtis Samuel WR, Car- Samuel has not taken off like many hoped he would with Bridgewater under center. It has been Robby Anderson doing that. Still, I believe Samuel’s versatility will be called on with the injury to CMC and we will see him lineup all over the formation (code for in the backfield) and ease some of those playmaking concerns that this team is going to have.
Tre’Quan Smith WR, NO- Smith saw the volume spike with Michael Thomas’s injury and if you are desperate than he is the wide receiver I would look to add. There has been a lot of hope for him the last few years that he hasn’t lived up to, but maybe he will be forced into it now.
Quarterbacks:
Gardner Minshew QB, Jax- Minshew just continues to excel. He has 500+ yards and 6 TD’s through two games. He hasn’t been running as much as he did last season, but he hasn’t needed to the way he has been throwing the ball. If your QB has been slow out of the blocks, consider making the change now.
Ryan Tannehill QB, Ten- Tannehill is picking up right where he left off last season. He was elite down the stretch last year and has been successful without his top wide receiver. The Titans rushing attack has been slow to get rolling and Tannehill is another strong option for those in need of QB help.
Tight Ends:
Dallas Goedert TE, Phi- He’s up to 83% owned, but that should really be 100%.
Mike Gesicki Mia; Jonnu Smith Ten- Both TE’s are in the 60% range and should be the immediate adds over the guys I told you to drop earlier. Both had awesome games in week two and saw good target totals in week one. They were two of the many breakout candidates, but they have seemingly landed on their feet early in the year.
Logan Thomas TE, Was- Thomas has seen elite target share numbers as the number two option in the Football Teamers passing attack. He holds full season value, which is more than the next group.
Jordan Reed SF; Mo Allie Cox Ind- Each of these two showed elite usage in a very short sample. If you need an injury replacement or just want a short term band-aid they are it.
Dalton Schultz TE, Dal- Schultz might be having a Higbee type awakening in the Dallas O. With the injury to Jarwin, Schultz saw 10 targets this week. He won’t see that number of targets weekly, but he should remain usable on four to six targets a week.
Drew Sample TE, Cin- We are getting real deep here, but the Bengals have thrown A LOT through two weeks of the season and Burrow has favored the TE position. He was locked onto Uzomah on Thursday Night before he left the game injured and immediately locked onto his backup. If you are in a deep or TE premium league, than Sample is worth a flier.
Defenses:
Tampa Bay- Still available in 50% of leagues. TB is one of the most talented defenses in the league with a soft upcoming schedule. Not that schedule has mattered to them so far looking good against the Saints and Panthers, two top offenses from last season.
Indianapolis- Struggling against the Jags is going to be a thing this season. They rebounded very well against the Vikings (leading all units in scoring in week two) and gets a juicy slate of NYJ, CHI, CLE, CIN before their bye week. They will lead the defenses for the week column if they still qualify.
Arizona- Looked good against the 49er’s and Football Teamers. Their upcoming schedule is DET, CAR, NYJ. That’s three plus matchups for a defense having a nice turnaround with an offense that will increase the speed of games and create opportunities for turnovers.