Trashman’s Fantasy Fallout Heading Into Week 2

It’s that time again RosterWatch Nation! This is the fallout going into week 2 of the NFL season….

 

Packers – 10 @ Bears – 3

 

• Aaron Jones is the clear lead back in Green Bay, out touching Jamaal Williams 14 – 7. 

 

• Geronimo Allsion(0 targets) was an afterthought in the Packers offense, after many thought he would play a vital role as their starting slot receiver. Perhaps it was a matter of game flow, but when guys like Mercedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan are getting more targets than him, it’s disconcerting. 

 

• Mike Davis was the de facto lead back on Thursday night with 11 touches to David Montgomery‘s 7 and Tarik Cohen‘s 8(none of which were carries). This kind of workload puts a major wrench in Montgomery’s owners’ works, as he was drafted as a high end RB2 with upside by most. It might be the case that the Bears are just easing Montgomery in, but he’s a flex at best until further notice. Davis should be added in most formats, as he’s just as viable. 

 

• Anthony Miller saw 1 target Thursday night on the way to a fantasy goose egg. His storyline is similar to Allison’s in that much more was expected of him coming into the season, only for him to disappear on gameday. Maybe his ankle is still bothering him, or he’s being eased in after missing most of camp with the injury. In any case, the Bears’ offense was rather stagnant, so maybe they’ll course correct next week and use him more going forward. He’s a hold.

 

Titans – 43 @ Browns – 13

 

• Derrick Henry(161 yards, 2 TDs) was everything the Titans hoped for and more on Sunday as a lead back. It must be bittersweet for them, realizing that he could have been doing this 3 years ago. Dion Lewis had only 6 touches to Henry’s 20 and is one bad game away from being droppable. 

 

• Rookie WR A.J. Brown led the Titans in receiving(3 rec, 100 yards) despite getting 23 fewer snaps than Corey Davis(48 snaps, 0 rec). You can’t drop Davis yet, he was covered by All-Pro Denzel Ward, but you need to run and add Brown where possible. He displayed an uncanny knack for getting open, and he’s available in 97% of leagues.

 

• Marcus Mariota(248 yards, 3 TDs) had a solid game, but I’m not sold on him as a viable weekly starter yet. He completed 14 of only 24 attempts, and a lot of his yardage came on a few plays that were broken by his pass catchers. 

 

• Baker Mayfield, floundered after making a strong start on Sunday, ending up throwing 3 INT on the day to 1 TD. His offensive line took some hits after losing a lineman to an egregious penalty and another to injury, but Mayfield had a cruddy last preseason game too, so this is a bad look. He should have an easier go against the Jets on Monday night, but you might look to pick up some insurance at the QB position if you own him. 

 

• OBJ(11 tar, 7 rec, 77 yards) looked no worse for the wear coming off a hip pointer, and should be good to go next Monday. 

 

Rams – 30 @ Panthers – 27

 

• Todd Gurley had 15 touches to Malcolm Brown‘s 11 on Sunday, and though he logged 103 yards on the day, Brown had a respectable 53 yards, and more importantly, 2 TDs. Gurley may perform more like a RB2 this season, at least until the Rams have to make a playoff push. Brown needs to be added in all formats as weekly flex option. 

 

• Darrell Henderson ran once for 0 yards on Sunday and isn’t startable in fantasy. He’s strictly handcuff material at this point. 

 

• Cam Newton was a bit rusty on Sunday through the air, but more concerningly he ran the ball only 3 times for -2 yards. The veteran QB relied almost entirely on Christian McCaffrey to move the ball, and when that’s the case, you’re going to have low production days like this in fantasy on occasion. Newton’s health is fine though, and he’ll look to bounce back in what should be a cherry matchup with the Bucs. 

 

• TE Greg Olsen only had 39 yards on the day, but he was third in targets(9) to McCaffrey(11) and D.J. Moore(10). He’s old and injury prone, but Olsen is owned in only 65% of leagues, so he needs to be added if you need help at the position. 

 

• Curtis Samuel had a ho-hum outing(3 rec, 32 yards) with the Rams shortening the field all day. He’s likely to be boom or bust for much of the season, but Samuel should be more boom this week against the Bucs. 

 

Chiefs – 40 @ Jaguars – 26

 

• LeSean McCoy outgained Damien Williams on the ground 81 yards to 26 yards on three fewer carries(10). It should be noted that Williams was in on the goal line though. Look for McCoy’s usage to increase as he picks up more of the playbook, but don’t expect Williams to disappear. He’ll be an integral part of the offense moving forward, especially with Tyreek Hill out for at least the next few games with a collarbone injury.

 

• Sammy Watkins exploded as the go-to WR with Hill going down(9 rec, 198 yards, 3 TD). He’s a WR1 as long as Hill is out, and perhaps beyond. 

 

• Mecole Hardman did little in his NFL debut, but the loss of Hill will free up some targets for him. He’s worth a look in deep or daily leagues while Hill is out.

 

• I spoke about Gardner Minshew a couple of weeks ago on my Youtube Garbage Grab segment as a serviceable option if Nick Foles were to go down, and now I’m taking 1-900 calls as a Jamaican fortune teller. In all seriousness, Minshew looked solid on Sunday(22 for 25, 275 yards, 2 TD), though the Chiefs’ defense is far from an elite outfit. It’s hard to say if you should downgrade Jags pass catchers, as I wasn’t sure how well  they would fare with Foles under center. What we do know is that Foles is on I.R. with a designation to return, so he’s out for at least 8 weeks. I wouldn’t stream Minshew just yet, but a strong performance against a tough Texans defense will go a long way. Former Steeler backup Josh Dobbs has been added to the roster in Jacksonville just in case. 

 

• Chris Conley led the Jags in receptions(6 rec, 97 yards, 1 TD) on Sunday, and still flourished when Minshew came under center. Both he and D.J. Chark (4 rec, 146 yards, 1 TD) had career days against Kansas City. They warrant additions in deeper and daily formats, but I’m not even going to  think about starting them consistently until we see them produce against a decent defense, a la the Texans this week. 

 

• Nick Foles loves his slot receivers, Dede Westbrook stood to benefit from that connection. We’ve yet to see whether Minshew acts in kind, but it was encouraging that one of his TDs went to Westbrook. Dede remains a WR3.

 

Ravens – 59 @ Dolphins – 10

 

• QB Lamar Jackson silenced his doubters who said he couldn’t throw the ball with a Madden NFL like 324 yard, 5 TD effort on Sunday. He only attempted 20 passes, but he connected on 17 of them. Jackson benefitted from facing a Dolphin defense that is at rock bottom and rebuilding, but if he can perform half that well through the air consistently, while adding his usual rushing yards, he’ll be QB1 viable on a weekly basis. He’s well worth a start against Arizona this week. 

 

• Don’t be fooled by Gus Edwards‘ 17 carries in this one – the Ravens had the game well in hand when he took over in the backfield. He’s worth owning, but he’s playing behind Ingram at the goal line, and i don’t see the Ravens crushing their future opponents as readily. Justice Hill and Edwards both worked on the opening drive for the Ravens, in addition to Mark Ingram, so this is a committee with Ingram serving as the thunder to Hill’s lightning with Edwards serving in a cleanup role. Hill will get more action in more competitive games, so don’t drop him. 

 

• We kind of have to take most of the Ravens’ offensive players’ performances with a grain of salt, considering the bogus team they played, but a 4 catches for 147 yards and 2 TDs is hard to ignore in the case of Marquise Brown. The rookie flashed DeSean Jackson like field stretching ability multiple times on Sunday. Only 30% owned, add him where you can. He should have ample opportunities to make big plays against a Patrick Peterson absent Cardinals squad. 

 

• Mark Andrews‘ performance(8 rec, 108 yards, 1 TD) may be more of what we can expect on a regular basis, though he did do most of his damage with Robert Griffin III under center. He’ll be in the TE1 conversation this week, though the Cardinals generally keep TEs under wraps. 

 

• Bad news for Dolphins RBs. They’re probably going to be playing from behind a lot this season, so you may see similar lines to the 6 touch 27 yards for Kenyan Drake and 6 touches for 12 yards for Kalen Ballage in the future. It’s just one game, but this isn’t an encouraging sign. I wouldn’t go dropping either player just yet, but if someone offers you a trade…

 

• Good news for Dolphins WRs. They’re probably going to be playing from behind a lot this season, so Devante Parker and Preston Williams may retain considerable value even with the Dophins tanking in such exquisite fashion. Both should be added if you need WR help. From the looks of things Miami is going to trail the Pats early in Week 2. 

 

Falcons – 12 @ Vikings – 28

 

• Ito Smith outgained Devonta Freeman 31 yards to 19 yards on the ground in this one, which isn’t a huge deal, but the fact that they seemed to be in an even timeshare is. Smith is owned in only 20% of leagues so that needs to change. I’m not off of Freeman at all, but the fact that the Falcons O-line had such a hard time opening lanes makes me temper my expectations for a breakout season now that Tevin Coleman is gone. 

 

• Mohamed Sanu is still alive and well apparently(6 rec, 57 yards). He’s nobody’s savior, but he can be flexed in PPR formats in a pinch. 

 

• Kirk Cousins only had 10 passing attempts on Sunday, so if you’re worried about Vikings pass catchers, don’t be. The Vikings controlled the game on the ground yesterday, running the ball 38 times. 

 

• Alexander Mattison flirted with double-digit touches against the Falcons, coming away with 49 yards on 9 touches. He’s a high-end hand-cuff for the oft injured Cook, and could work his way to standalone value if he keeps this up. 

 

Bills – 17 @ Jets – 16

 

• Rookie RB Devin Singletary(9 tou, 98 yards) didn’t make an appearance until halfway through the third quarter, but he quickly made his presence known leading the Bills in rushing and catching the second most balls on the day(5). Frank Gore doesn’t appear to be much of a threat to his workload, and T.J. Yeldon was nowhere to be seen against the Jets. Singletary is still unowned in 25% of leagues. 

 

• It’s early, but it looks like John Brown can be trusted as a Bill(7 rec, 123 yards, 1 TD). He’s still unowned in half of fantasy leagues, so make sure to add him. Cole Beasley had a decent game as well(5 rec, 40 yards), for Cole Beasley, but I’m not sniffing around him except in deeper PPR formats. 

 

• If you were fretting over whether Le’Veon Bell would get the kind of action he did in Pittsburgh, fret no more. He had 9 targets on the day in addition to 17 carries for 92 yards and a TD. No other runner had more than 2 carries. 

 

• Jamison Crowder had a jaw-dropping 17 targets on Sunday for 14 catches for 99 yards. We may be looking at a contender for league leader in receptions when all is said and done. He’s owned in less than half of leagues, so you know what to do.

 

Redskins – 27 @ Eagles – 32

 

• Derrius Guice came away from Sunday’s game with a torn meniscus in his right knee(not the one he injured last year). He’s expected to miss a few weeks, so now is the time to pick up Adrian Peterson, only 38% owned, and/or Chris Thompson, only 13% owned. 

 

• Chris Thompson led the Redskins in targets(10), and 3 players tied for second behind him with 7, but only one of them caught 5 rec for 125 yards and a TD, and that’s rookie Terry McLaurin. He’s a must add in all formats. 

 

• If Jordan Reed can’t go in Week 2, Vernon Davis needs to be owned and streamed.

 

• Miles Sanders led Philly in carries(11), Jordan Howard led in YPC(7.3), and Darren Sproles led in yards(63). If that isn’t a committee, I don’t know what it is. Sanders still has the best outlook though, and it might be worth throwing some trade offers out to anxious owners for him. 

 

• DeSean Jackson looked like he was 23 on the field Sunday(8 rec, 154 yards, 2 TD). A potential top 10 receiver from here on out, he’s owned in only 65% of leagues. Go get him.

 

Colts – 24 @ Chargers – 30

 

• The Colts may not have Andrew Luck, but they have a dominant offensive line, so Marlon Mack is safe in fantasy for now. He looks like an RB1. 

 

• Unfortunately, no Colt except for Mack and T.Y. Hilton looks like they’re worth owning in fantasy right now. Nyheim Hines did have 8 touches, but he did little with them(17 yards).

 

• Melvin who? It took two backs to replace Gordon, but Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson both did admirable jobs in carrying the load on Sunday with over 200 yards and 2TDs of combined offense. Ekeler is obviously the 1A to Jackson’s distant 1B, but both need to be owned. 

 

• Mike Williams might be my disappointment of the weekend, as he literally limped out of the game in the 4th quarter. No word yet on his condition, but his 2 rec for 29 yards performance is enough to make me sit him this week.

 

Bengals – 20 @ Seahawks – 21

 

• Joe mixon came away with a low grade ankle sprain and is day to day. Gio Bernard needs to be added as a potential workhorse in Week 2. 

 

• John Ross was the definition of boom or bust within the context of one game, as he traded off big play for ball drop throughout the game. Even so, he came away with 7 rec, 158 yards and 2 TDs, so it goes without saying that he needs to be added in al formats as long as A.J. Green is sidelined. 

 

• Tyler Lockett‘s day was salvaged with one play, a 44 yard TD in the 4th quarter. It was his first target on the day, which is scary. The Seahaws are going to live and die by the run, so Lockett will have some nail biters. 

 

• D.K. Metcalf had 4 catches for 89 yards on the day to lead the Seahawks in receiving. It was a great line for his first game, but the overall lack of passing offense worries me some. He’s big and fast enough to make his own plays though, so he should be fairly consistent.

 

Lions – 27 @ Cardinals – 27

 

• Kerryon Johnson only had 5 more carries(16) than C.J. Anderson on Sunday, so the rumors of Johnson carrying the backfield may have been just that. His 61 yard total on a day when the Lions ran 80 plays leaves much to be desired. He’ll get a good shot to redeem himself against a Charger team that just got gutted by Marlon mack. Anderson can be added in deeper formats, though he’s probably going to be largely TD dependent in fantasy.

 

• Marvin Jones(4 tar) was the odd man out as T.J. Hockenson(9 tar), Danny Amendola(13 tar), and Kenny Golliday(9 tar) all out targeted him Sunday. It could very well be any of these guys who gets the short end any given week though, so I wouldn’t panic just yet. I would go pick up Hockenson and Amendola with a quickness though. 

 

• Kyler Murray turned his day around(29 comp, 308 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) after starting out terrible for the first three quarters of play. He found a safety blanket in Larry Fitzgerald, though Christian Kirk had 12 targets on the day. He faces Baltimore this week though, so I’m not streaming him just yet.

 

• Rookie WR Keesean Johnson(5 rec, 46 yards)had 10 targets on Sunday. It was a strong line for a 4th WR, but all bets are off with Michael Crabtree coming to the fold next week. I’d say Johnson is worth an immediate add in dynasty and deeper PPR formats though.

 

Giants – 17 @ Cowboys – 35

 

• Eli Manning had a decent line(304 yards, 1 TD), but most of it was done through checkdowns(6.8 YPA) and he lost a fumble. Daniel Jones did come in on the last drive and didn’t do himself any favors, so Eli is safe for now. 

 

• Sterling Shepard is in the concussion protocol so, do yourself a favor and pick up Cody Latimer in his stead. Latimer went for 8 tar, 3 rec, and 74 yards on Sunday, and would be in line for a lot of work if Shepard can’t play this week. 

 

• For a team predicated on the run, the Cowboys sure did throw it a lot on Sunday, though the Cowboys did say they’d limit Ezekiel Elliott‘s touches. True to their word, Elliott had only 13 carries, the same amount as Tony Pollard. Don’t expect that kind of split moving forward, as the limitation was purely precautionary.

 

• Michael Gallup made a 2nd year quantum leap Sunday with 7 rec for 158 yards. He got behind the Giants secondary with ease, and is poised to do the same against a Washington secondary that just got torched by DeSean Jackson. Gallup is still unowned in 30% of leagues. 

 

• Randall Cobb was in my Garbage Grab Bag on Sunday morning, and he didn’t disappoint(4 rec, 64 yards, 1 TD). He looked healthy and powerful on the field. Pick him up in your PPR leagues. 

 

49ers – 31 @ Buccaneers – 17

 

• Tevin Coleman sprained his ankle on Sunday and is expected to miss time, making Raheem Mostert a sneaky add. Mostert had 9 carries for 40 yards in relief of Coleman and had a better YPC(4.4) than Matt Breida(2.5). 

 

• Jimmy Garropollo looked about as suspect on Sunday(161 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) as he’s looked throughout the preseason. George Kittle was the only 49er to see more than 3 targets(10), and is the only 49er pass catcher, Dante Pettis is dealing with a calf injury, that I’m touching outside of daily leagues right now. 

 

• Richie James only played because Trent Taylor was out with a foot injury and parlayed that into a 39 yard TD. He’s worth watching this week, as Taylor has no timetable for a return. 

 

• Mike Evans‘ 28 yard debacle can largely be blamed on an illness that affected him this week. He should right his ship this week against the Panthers. 

 

• Ronald Jones(14 tou, 93 yards) was easily the Bucs’ best back on Sunday. He also out touched Peyton Barber 14 to 10. I don’t know that Barber has lost his job yet, but Jones should be added if you need RB help. He may have finally turned a corner. 

 

• Keep an eye on RB Dare Ogunbowale. He had 5 targets on the way to a 4 rec, 33 yard line. He’s been talked up all preseason as the third down back in Tampa, and with Barber squandering his chances, Ogunbowale could see more action moving forward. 

 

Steelers – 3 @ Patriots – 33

 

• Nothing of much note happened on behalf of the Steelers offense Sunday night, as the Pats’ defense played lights out. Donte Moncrief did lead the team with 10 targets, though he did little with them, dropping more balls than he caught(3). James Washington(2 rec, 51 yards) looked like the better WR.

 

• Tom Brady is still unowned in 7% of leagues, which is a lot considering his potential now that Antonio Brown is on the team. 

 

• Rex Burkhead had 8 carries to Sony Michel‘s 15 and actually tied him in touches(15). His role will diminish when AB becomes active, but he could retain a flex-worthy role in PPR formats. 

 

• Phillip Dorsett led the Patriots with 95 yards and 2 TDs on 4 catches, but those might have well been AB’s yards. Demaryius Thomas‘ addition will only devalue him further.