It was another fun, and shocking, set of games in Week 2. Unfortunately, fantasy football managers in leagues from coast to coast are scrambling for replacements for some of the biggest names in the game.
In just two weeks, No. 1 overall pick Christian McCaffrey hasn’t played a down, teammate Deebo Samuel will now join him on the shelf, and that’s just one team. Justin Jefferson was nicked up, the Los Angeles Rams have lost Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua to multiweek injuries, David Njoku has gone down, Keenan Allen and A.J. Brown missed a game already, and that’s just the beginning. It might only be Week 2, but we’re in midseason form as far as working the waiver wire.
In addition, it seems up is down, down is up as we’ve had some key players at positions not living up to expectations and, frankly, not even coming close.
As we look back at Week 2, we’ll check out some utilization situations, and how they’re changing the fantasy landscape going into Week 3.
Cleveland Browns running backs
What in the world is head coach Kevin Stefanski doing? Last season, Jerome Ford saved his bacon after Nick Chubb went down with a gruesome knee injury on a Monday night in Pittsburgh. Ford ran for 813 yards on 204 carries with four rushing TDs, while adding 44 receptions for 319 yards and five more TDs.
Ford lost just one fumble, too, which is remarkable for a young back. His payback is that Stefanski decided to give D’Onta Foreman 14 carries in Jacksonville, including down around the goal line, while Ford was limited to seven rushes. We often don’t see all of the things a coach sees, so sometimes it’s unfair to criticize. And, to be fair, while Ford finished with 64 yards on just seven carries, he had two runs of 36 and 12 yards, and the others weren’t much. But, still, Ford was more explosive, and Foreman saw two times as many carries. Browns are gonna Browns, I guess.
We’ll see how the situation shakes out in Week 3 against the New York Giants. Chubb is eligible to return from the PUP list in Week 5, so it might all be academic anyway.
WR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett is getting a little long in the tooth as he is now on the downside of 30. In the NFL, that can be a death knell. Still, few have been as productive as Lockett in recent years, going for 1,000 yards in four straight seasons from 2019-22, while posting a respectable 894 yards and five scores in 2023, his sixth straight campaign with five or more scores.
However, in New England in Week 2, it was DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba who had the eye of QB Geno Smith, while Lockett was serving as the distant third choice among wideouts.
While Lockett had six grabs and seven targets in Week 1, the fact he had just two targets in a game that went to overtime raises some red flags. Lockett will be barely worth hanging onto in leagues of 12 or fewer teams if he can’t secure at least five to seven targets per game. Watch this closely.
Los Angeles Rams wide receivers
On paper, the Los Angeles Rams looked like an offensive juggernaut heading into the 2024 season. Puka Nacua was a sensation in his rookie campaign of 2023, setting multiple records. Cooper Kupp was healthy again, and he racked up 21 targets in Week 1. And, of course, Kyren Williams is a tremendous option on the ground and in the passing game.
The biggest concern was the back health of Matthew Stafford, but somehow he is still standing. Yet, he has lost his top receivers to multiweek injuries in each of the first two games.
Nacua and Kupp are sidelined for multiple weeks, so others must step up. Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell were each targeted four times in Week 2, and it appears they’ll get first crack at the most targets among wideouts in LA. Jordan Whittington also is a young player worth watching. He had two targets, while Tyler Johnson is another option.
Your best bet is Robinson. He has racked up 225 receptions and 2,600 yards with 20 TDs across his seven-plus NFL seasons. Get him as a WR3 or flex fantasy option in leagues of 12 or more teams, and hope he can stay healthy as well as shed fumbling problems which plagued him in the past.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs
We touched on the Tampa Bay running backs situation last week in this space, but the backfield picture is even more muddled after Week 2.
Rachaad White was taken as early as Round 2 in some fantasy drafts, and he was expected to be a bona fide RB1. QB Baker Mayfield wasn’t supposed to be the leading rusher in a game like he was in Week 2 in Detroit, but that’s where we are.
White was stymied for 18 rushing yards on 10 carries, and he has 25 rushing attempts for just 49 yards through two games. Some of the lack of production can be attributed to a minor groin injury he sustained against the Detroit Lions. But, that wasn’t the issue in Week 1. Bucky Irving is breathing down his neck, looking to carve a role out in the offense. He had seven totes for 22 yards, or 3.1 yards per carry, so he didn’t force a change just yet. But, if White continues to struggle, we could Irving start ticking off double-digit touch games at White’s expense.
WR Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s Christian Kirk was expected to be the WR1 in Duval, while Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis were expected to be complementary options. So far through two games, Kirk’s fantasy value has plummeted, and it’s BTJ and Davis getting the looks.
There were a ton of targets to go around in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns with Evan Engram on the shelf due to injury. TE Brenton Strange did a good job filling the void. Among the wideouts, Davis led the team with seven targets, and he had three grabs for 43 yards. Thomas had a giant 66-yard play in the second half, cashing in two of his four targets for a game-high 94 yards. That leaves Kirk, who had minus-1 yard on one catch and three targets.
Kirk was drafted as a WR3 or WR4 by fantasy managers in leagues of 12 or more teams, but he has a mere two catches and 29 yards on seven targets in two games. Even third-string TE Luke Farrell has two catches on the season. Kirk is not playable in most fantasy leagues right now.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers
The Cincinnati Bengals were expected to compete for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive AFC North. Through two games, they’re winless, and the offense is struggling. A big part of that is the lack of consistency in the passing game.
There is a storm brewing in the Queen City, as diva receiver Ja’Marr Chase feels he was misled by the organization in talks for a new contract. It was a question mark if he’d even play in Week 1 due to the impasse. He did, but he had six grabs for 62 yards. He was even less remarkable in Week 2 at Kansas City, going for four grabs and 35 yards on five targets. And, he popped off at a ref and had a costly personal foul. It could be frustration with his off-field situation boiling over.
Tee Higgins is making progress in his return from a hamstring injury, and he could potentially debut Monday against Washington.
But, seriously, how many people thought Andrei Iosivas would lead the team with two receiving scores through as many games? He has been a bright spot in a dreadful start, filling the void left by the departed Tyler Boyd. Iosivas can be used as a WR4 in fantasy leagues of 12 or more teams. Chase is still Chase, and hopefully he pouts less and balls out more. Maybe having Higgins on the other side soon will take some defensive pressure off of No. 1. We’ll see.
