Cardinals QB – Carson Palmer‘s “shoulder thing” cost him Week 2 in a tasty matchup against the Giants, and Drew Stanton made everyone miss Palmer even more by stinking it up to the tune of a 14-for-29 day and getting sacked four times. If Palmer remains out – and with it being a nerve issue, there’s more than the usual cause for concern — Stanton could be poised to get a couple more starts. Although if he keeps looking this rough, the Cards might soon want to see what rookie Logan Thomas can give them.
Cardinals RB -While Andre Ellington is playing through his foot injury effectively, Jonathan Dwyer has carved out a decent-sized role as Arizona’s short-yardage back and change of pace – he got nine carries to Ellington’s 15 on Sunday. Dwyer opened the game’s scoring with a one-yard TD rush, and it makes sense for the team to employ him in that role moving forward, particularly with an eye on preserving the undersized Ellington’s health.
Falcons WR – Matt Ryan had an awful Week 2, and he took every receiver but Julio Jones down with him. That said, Devin Hester was targeted one time, and he caught it for two yards – a far cry from his explosive Week 1 performance. It’s certainly worth noting that although Matt Ryan aired it out for the second straight week, attempting 44 passes after trying 43 in the opener, he only looked Hester’s way one time. A grim reminder that no team’s No. 4 wide receiver puts up consistent fantasy results.
Ravens RB – Bernard Pierce had the kind of game in Week 2 that his fantasy owners were expecting from him in Week 1, as he took 22 of the 30 RB carries and turned them into 96 yards, plus a reception for seven yards. While Justin Forsett was strong off the bench, gaining 72 total yards on just 12 touches, the Ravens clearly want Pierce to take this job and run with it in the vacuum left by Ray Rice. And although John Harbaugh said that Lorenzo Taliaferro would see a good amount of use on Thursday… he never touched the ball. But I do think they’re going to see what he can do at some point this year.
Ravens WR – Surprisingly, Steve Smith remained a focal point of the Baltimore offense in Week 2, leading the team in targets (10), catches (six) and receiving yards (71). This game wasn’t nearly as impactful from a fantasy perspective as the last one, but through two games, Steve has been targeted 25 times to Torrey Smith‘s 10.
Ravens TE – Owen Daniels returned from the dead to catch two touchdown passes in Week 2, thoroughly frustrating Dennis Pitta owners, who thought they were holding an upper-level tight end after his 10-catch Week 1. It’s clear that Daniels has a role in this offense and won’t be marginalized to bench work, meaning either Pitta or Daniels could put up numbers from week to week, but that production’s going to be a bit unpredictable.
Bills RB – The script was flipped with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson against Miami -Jackson out-touched Spiller 14-13, but gained just 51 total yards while Spiller racked up 78. This looks like it should continue on as a roughly 50-50 timeshare, with Jackson likely to do more of the opening and closing, while Spiller runs through the middle of the game.
Bills WR – Things returned to normal with Sammy Watkins‘ ribs feeling better in Week 2, as Watkins racked up eight catches on 11 targets for 117 yards and a score – all easily team bests. The further Watkins gets from his rib ailment, the more consistently he should produce. Meanwhile, the only other Buffalo wideouts to catch passes were Robert Woods (one for five yards) and Mike Williams (one for three yards). Goes to show you that EJ Manuel doesn’t need to throw that much to keep Watkins relevant as long as he’s a focal point of the offense.
Panthers QB – Cam Newton (ribs) returned healthy and reasonably productive after missing Week 1. Nothing to see here, Derek Anderson Fan Club.
Panthers RB – DeAngelo Williams sat out of Sunday’s game due to a thigh issue, leaving Jonathan Stewart as the main man in the Carolina running game, but Stewart turned in a dud, netting just 37 yards (22 of them on one play) on 15 carries, plus a 22-yard catch. A touchdown saved his fantasy day, but no one came away impressed. Mike Tolbert managed to lose five yards on four carries, which doesn’t raise his stock much if Williams remains out.
Panthers WR – With Newton back, Jason Avant got into the action Sunday, catching five balls for 54 yards and a score, but it’s hard to get excited about Cam’s No. 4 receiving option (behind Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery and Greg Olsen) in a run-centric offense. Benjamin had a quiet Week 2, catching only two of the eight balls thrown his way, but the fact that he was targeted so much offers continued promise moving forward.
Bears WR – Did you bench Brandon Marshall (ankle) because you thought he wouldn’t play and you had no one else playing in the late games? Ah, well, he only had 48 yards receiving anyway… oh, wait, he also scored three touchdowns to make you (okay, me) feel like an idiot. Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) played, too, though he collected just 47 yards and no touchdowns. That left Santonio Holmes marginalized, which is the way it should be.
Bengals RB – Staked to an early-second-quarter lead, the Bengals ran and ran and ran some more against the Falcons, and while Giovani Bernard piled up 169 total yards and a touchdown (although he averaged just 3.3 YPC), Jeremy Hill got his fair share of work too, carrying 15 times for 74 yards and a goal-line plunge, plus two catches for 22 more yards. Of course, generally speaking, the Bengals aren’t going to hand the ball off 42 times per game, so don’t go rushing Hill into your lineup over more established players. Hill got most of his action in during the second half with the Bengals leading comfortably.
Bengals WR – A.J. Green hurt his toe on Sunday, and although his MRI was negative, playing with a hurt toe is awfully difficult and Cincy has a Week 4 bye coming up, so it wouldn’t be altogether surprising to see Green sit out next week to try to heal up. If so, Mohamed Sanu would slide to the top spot on the chart, and some combination of Brandon Tate and Dane Sanzenbacher would be Nos. 2 and 3, and Andy Dalton owners would be working the wire hard.
Bengals TE – Jermaine Gresham‘s first week with this position all to himself yielded just three catches (on three targets) for 25 yards, but as Andy Dalton only threw the ball 23 times, this isn’t a true reflection of what we can expect from Gresham. It’d be unsurprising to see him catch four to six passes most weeks.
Browns QB – Brian Hoyer turned in another competent game in Week 2, going 24-of-40 for 204 yards and a score to defeat Drew Brees and the Saints – impressive. Johnny Manziel did get into the action this time, throwing an incomplete pass on second-and-13 from deep in the Browns’ own territory. But it looks like Hoyer’s gaining job security with his solid play despite a near-total lack of receiving talent.
Browns RB – While Terrance West didn’t blow anyone’s socks off as the starter on Sunday against New Orleans, he did roll up 90 total yards and a touchdown – that’ll do. It’s worth noting, though, that West wasn’t totally handed the keys to the castle – Isaiah Crowell carried 11 times to West’s 19 and produced a shiny 4.7 YPC to West’s 3.6. It seems fairly likely that Ben Tate (knee) will sit out Week 3 too, giving himself some extra time to heal up with the Browns on bye in Week 4, so squeeze value out of West while you can.
Browns WR – Hey, Miles Austin was targeted 10 times and caught a touchdown! That’s the good news. The bad news is that he produced a quiet line of six catches for 44 yards on all that action. Andrew Hawkins, unsurprisingly, was the most targeted (12) and most productive of the group, although he gained a fairly quiet 70 yards on six catches. Josh Gordon‘s suspension can’t be reduced fast enough – although even if it is, Gordon will likely still miss 10 games at least.
Browns TE – Gary Barnidge turned out to be at least a serviceable pass-catching replacement for Jordan Cameron on Sunday, reeling in all four of his targets for 41 yards while Jim Dray collected just one catch for five yards. Barnidge would presumably remain the top receiving tight end if Cameron misses further time, but his value is limited to very deep formats.
Cowboys RB – The Cowboys actually not only won a game, but won it running away, and as a result, Lance Dunbar got 11 carries worth of action as DeMarco Murray‘s backup. Unfortunately, he turned them into only 27 yards – just one more than Joseph Randle gained on his three totes. One has to think that if Murray were to go down, the Cowboys might just end up turning to Randle more than Dunbar, particularly considering how little Dunbar is – not to mention his inconsistencies as a rusher.
Broncos WR – Wes Welker could be back soon once the NFL’s new drug agreement is fully hammered out, but in his absence, Emmanuel Sanders delivered the kind of game we’re looking for from him, catching eight balls for a team-high 108 yards. We’re still waiting for a big-time impact game from Demaryius Thomas, though he did mange 62 yards and a score. Andre Caldwell was the only other wideout targeted, and he didn’t catch that one pass. Trendy sleeper Cody Latimer was inactive. Once Welker comes back, the depth guys on this chart will be marginalized even more – and maybe Manning will put up bigger numbers.
Lions RB – Reggie Bush entered Week 2 bothered by a knee issue, and found himself marginalized behind Joique Bell, as Bush touched the ball only eight times to Bell’s 16. That said, Bell didn’t do a lot to separate himself – he only caught six of 11 pass targets, averaged just 3.6 yards on his rushes, and lost a fumble. Look for Bush to get a bigger cut of the pie in Week 3 against the Packers.
Lions TE – Eric Ebron led all Detroit tight ends in targets in Week 2, catching three of five for 38 yards after being shut out in the opener. Meanwhile, Joseph Fauria and Brandon Pettigrew drew just one target each. It seems like this situation is just going to destroy the fantasy value of all involved unless injuries strike.
Packers RB – Eddie Lacy returned from a concussion Sunday, but gained just 43 yards on 13 carries and caught two balls for 18 yards against the Jets’ tough defensive front. But the important thing is that it was all Lacy, and no James Starks at all.
Packers WR – Surprisingly, the second-most targeted receiver for the Pack (behind Jordy Nelson‘s 16) in this one was not Randall Cobb, but Davante Adams, who caught five of seven passes for 50 yards. Obviously, Cobb and Nelson remain co-No. 1 receivers, but it’s worth noting that Adams – who stuck out in training camp – carved out such a big chunk of the looks for himself while Jarret Boykin was targeted just three times, catching one for six yards. We could be looking at Aaron Rodgers‘ new No. 3 receiver here.
Texans RB – With the Texans sticking it to Houston, Alfred Blue got work as the primary backup to Arian Foster, carrying 11 times to Jonathan Grimes‘ three. (Foster, for his part, turned 28 carries into a huge game.) It looked for all the world like Grimes was the clear No. 2 man here, but now it appears that it’s Blue, a confusing development for Foster owners looking to handcuff their injury-prone back. I suspect there would be a timeshare if Foster were hurt.
Colts RB – This has already turned into a full-blown timeshare between Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson, and if the Colts want to be intellectually honest, they should bench Richardson. Of course, they won’t, probably solely because Bradshaw’s wheels will likely fall off with full-time use. Continue remembering Dan Herron‘s name.
Colts TE – Monday night’s matchup against the fantasy-friendly Philadelphia secondary should give us a better idea of how much we can expect from Dwayne Allen in his timeshare role with Coby Fleener.
Jaguars QB – Chad Henne just got sacked 10 times on Sunday, which is pretty spectacular. If I was Blake Bortles, I’d be in no rush to get out there in game action behind the Jags’ horrendous offensive line. But it’s hard to ignore that Bortles looked like a star in camp; how long can the Jags stand to lose ugly with Henne at the helm before they try something different?
Jaguars RB – Toby Gerhart was the only back to carry in Week 2, and he managed to gain eight yards. Yep. Eight yards on seven carries. He didn’t look bothered by his ankle, but he did look rather bothered by the same terrifyingly bad offensive line that got Henne sacked 10 times. Gerhart, who still owns a career 4.5 YPC, has rushed 25 times for 50 yards so far this year. Jordan Todman and Denard Robinson aren’t looking like enticing potential replacements either – not with that line blocking for them.
Jaguars WR – Looks like it’s going to be a different guy every week here. Allen Hurns muffed what would have been a very lengthy touchdown early in Sunday’s game and ended up with just two catches on six targets for 13 yards – more second-half-of-Week-1 Hurns than first-half-of-Week-1 Hurns. He was spotted on crutches after the game, too, after spraining his ankle. Allen Robinson tied with Hurns for the most targets and collected four catches for a team-high 75 yards; meanwhile, Marqise Lee, who made an impression in Week 1, was quiet, gaining only 11 yards. That may be attributable to a hamstring injury that bothered him all week. In any case, Cecil Shorts is due back soon, which should push everyone down the depth chart.
Chiefs RB – One week after the Chiefs forgot about Jamaal Charles, he suffered a first-quarter ankle sprain against Denver, sending him to the sideline while Knile Davis took over and collected 105 total yards and two touchdowns. Word is that Charles’ ailment is a mild one, but ankles can be troublesome, making Davis a hot pickup, even if it’s only for a one-week cameo in Miami. Cyrus Gray doesn’t appear likely to challenge him for touches.
Chiefs WR – Dwayne Bowe‘s return Sunday yielded just three catches for 40 yards, and the Chiefs’ receiving game continues to look uninteresting. Donnie Avery caught three of six passes for only 14 yards, while Junior Hemingway totaled two catches on four targets for 21 yards and A.J. Jenkins caught three for 16. Bowe’s clearly No. 1 here, but Avery’s grip on No. 2 may be tenuous if he can’t start producing more.
Chiefs TE – Travis Kelce‘s emergence continues – he led Kansas City with 81 yards on four catches Sunday, while Anthony Fasano caught three for 39. As practically the only downfield weapon on this team aside from Bowe, he should continue seeing plenty of action as the Chiefs try to generate more offense.
Dolphins RB – Just when you thought it was safe to start Knowshon Moreno, he suffered a pretty severe elbow injury after just one carry Sunday, and now appears set to miss at least a month – possibly more. That elevates Lamar Miller to the de facto No. 1 role, though Miller suffered an ankle tweak of his own in Week 2. He appears to be in line to start going forward, and with 4.8 YPC through the first two games, is a reasonable flex-type roll as long as he’s playing. If the ankle limits Miller, Damien Williams is the next man up on the chart.
Dolphins WR – Rookie return man Jarvis Landry got a surprising amount of work in the pass game Sunday, reeling in five of six targets for 49 yards (second on the team only to Mike Wallace), though he also lost a fumble. It’s worth noting, though, that he was still just the fourth-most-targeted Dolphins receiver, and third among wideouts. I’m in no rush to label him the new No. 3 instead of Brandon Gibson, but it’s a situation worth monitoring for deep leaguers.
Vikings RB – Minnesota fans disappointed to see their team – which had been lacking depth-chart turmoil – excluded from this space need fear no more, as Adrian Peterson has gone ahead and made things, um, interesting due to the charges he’s facing for allegedly beating his son. The Vikings announced Monday that Peterson has been reinstated and the expectation is he will play this Sunday. In Peterson’s absence, the Vikes rolled with the uninteresting Matt Asiata, who (not unpredictably) managed only 36 rushing yards on 13 carries, but did reel in five catches for 48 yards and a score. The more interesting name if Peterson misses any more time down the line is Jerick McKinnon, an electric talent who should be difficult for the Vikes to keep on the bench if Asiata continues being so, well, Asiata-like.
Patriots RB – Schizophrenic backfield usage is Bill Belichick’s calling card, and so we shouldn’t be entirely surprised that he surprised us by rolling out Stevan Ridley for 25 carries, which Ridley turned into 101 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Shane Vereen did a lot with his six carries (40 yards), but was uncharacteristically ignored in the passing game, with just one catch on two targets for exactly zero yards. A bizarre and unpredictable situation.
Patriots WR – In a low-volume week for Tom Brady, only Julian Edelman found anything remotely resembling fantasy relevance in the New England receiving corps; no other wideout caught more than the 13 yards that Aaron Dobson collected on his one catch. Kenbrell Thompkins didn’t play, while Danny Amendola didn’t catch his only target. You really don’t want to own any of these guys but Edelman.
Saints RB – Boy, Mark Ingram sure does look good. He turned only 11 carries and three catches (unusual!) into 104 yards and a touchdown against Cleveland. Unfortunately, the injury bug is back for Ingram as Adam Schefter reports that he will likely miss a month with a hand injury. This opens the door for Khiry Robinson to have a bigger role in the offense over the next month.
Saints WR – Drew Brees‘ stats throwing to Saints wide receivers Sunday: 9-for-15, 79 yards. Yikes. That said, Cleveland’s Joe Haden-led secondary is strong, so we can be forgiving. Kenny Stills (quad) made it back for this one, and he, Robert Meachem and Brandin Cooks each caught three balls for not much yardage (Meachem was the best at 37) , while Marques Colston was shut out cold. Not even a target. For real. In any case, Cooks was the most-targeted wideout on the team, and even if the Saints don’t consider him their No. 2 yet, I do. That drops Stills to No. 3.
Giants WR – Jerrel Jernigan again was the No. 3 receiver Sunday, with Odell Beckham (hamstring) sitting out once again. Word is, however, that Beckham could make his NFL debut in Week 3, pushing Jernigan down the chart. Not that being at the top of the chart is doing wonders for Victor Cruz; don’t be overly surprised if Rueben Randle ends up overtaking the fairly ineffective Cruz, who turned 10 targets into just five catches for 60 yards last week.
Giants TE –Larry Donnell has surprisingly established himself as a fantasy factor early on, following up his strong Week 1 by leading the Giants in catches (seven) and yards (81) Sunday against the Cardinals. Daniel Fells stole a touchdown from him, but Donnell looks like a legitimate fantasy tight end, especially for PPR.
Jets RB – This time, Chris Ivory got the slightly stronger end of the timeshare, though his 13 runs for 43 yards and a touchdown aren’t blowing anyone away. Chris Johnson, for his part, was useless – he ran for just 21 yards on 12 totes and failed to gain a yard from his three pass targets (one catch). Ouch. This should continue to be a roughly 50-50 scenario, with Johnson and Ivory taking turns playing the role of top dog depending on matchups. Worth noting is that Bilal Powell did something with his few touches Sunday, carrying four times for 16 yards and taking two passes for another 32.
Jets WR – Week 2 confirmed what we thought about this pass game, which is that it’s gonna be Eric Decker or bust from a fantasy perspective. You can own Jeremy Kerley, as he’s going to see a good amount of targets, but he’s only good for deeper PPR leagues. No. 3 man David Nelson isn’t good for much.
Jets TE – Jeff Cumberland and Jace Amaro combined for just 20 yards on two catches Sunday, and it’s not looking like either will be fantasy-relevant for some time yet. One will probably need to get hurt just to give the other even a semblance of every-week utility.
Raiders QB – The Raiders seem to be set on starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub, and Carr delivered a fantasy-friendly line – 263 passing yards, a TD, two picks and 58 crucial rushing yards. It’s not the best real-life game, but that’s getting it done from a fantasy perspective, particularly in deeper or two-QB leagues.
Raiders RB – With Maurice Jones-Drew (hand) missing Sunday’s game, Darren McFadden got to be the primary ballcarrier, but although he punched in a one-yard touchdown, his day was otherwise unremarkable: 12 carries for just 37 yards and two catches for another 31. With the Raiders getting blown out, they didn’t get much of a chance to see what Latavius Murray could do – he carried just once for six yards. It seems likely that MoJo plays in Week 3, but things would probably break out similarly if he doesn’t.
Raiders WR – Remember how I said “results may vary” last week? Well, they did Sunday. This time, James Jones saw twice as many targets (14) as the next-most-targeted receivers (that’d be Andre Holmes and tight end Mychal Rivera), and he turned them into nine catches, 112 yards and a touchdown, though he also lost a fumble. Expected No. 1 man Rod Streater caught only one ball on three targets for six yards, and Holmes was quiet as well, with 45 yards on five catches. Denarius Moore, too, had a down day, with just 29 yards on three receptions. Keep watching to see how this shakes out, but it seems like Jones has solidified the No. 2 spot and may be the primary option for plays down the field.
Raiders TE – Mychal Rivera was the only tight end targeted in Week 2, catching five balls for 31 yards and negating most of those points with a lost fumble. The second-year man appears to be the primary pass-catching tight end on this team, for what that’s worth. He was fantasy-relevant in fits and starts as a rookie, so keep an eye on him, particularly if Carr shows signs of development.
Eagles TE – Keep an eye on how things break out between Zach Ertz and Brent Celek on Monday night.
Seahawks WR – In an odd week for the Seahawks, they played from behind the whole game, and yet Percy Harvin was targeted one time. One. A five-yard pass. He also had a 51-yard touchdown run and a six-yard rushing loss – good enough to lead the team in ground yardage. The Seahawks simply didn’t run a lot of plays this week – just 38. For comparison, the opposing Chargers racked up 37 rushes and another 37 pass attempts. Still, you’d expect Harvin to be involved in a bigger ratio of plays than three out of 38. Doug Baldwin was targeted the most times (six), while Jermaine Kearse led the team in catches and yards (four for 61). That’s not to suggest any depth chart changes, but that skimpy usage certainly has to be a concern for Harvin owners.
49ers RB – All your Carlos Hyde excitement just evaporated with a four-carry-zero-yard effort, but hey, he caught a five-yard pass! Frank Gore took a more typical chunk of rushing duties, though even he ran it just 13 times, totaling 63 yards and a touchdown. Dear Hyde’s fantasy owners: He’s gonna be good, but don’t overrate him. And don’t start him while Gore’s around.
49ers TE – Vernon Davis hurt his ankle on Sunday, leaving Derek Carrier and Vance McDonald as the Niners’ healthy tight ends. It’s hard to say how long Davis will be out – with ankle sprains, your results may vary – but it’s worth noting that Carrier was the most-targeted tight end last week, reeling in three passes for 41 yards to McDonald’s one for nine yards. McDonald was thought to be the No. 2 man here, but this is a situation that bears watching if Davis does indeed miss time.
Rams QB – After an ineffective first half, Shaun Hill was benched ostensibly due to a quad strain, leading to the NFL debut of Austin Davis, who at least outproduced Hill in terms of YPA despite similarly failing at putting points on the board. Hill’s likely going to get another chance as the starter here, but he could quickly lose his job to Davis if he continues putting up ugly stat lines. Or if that injury lingers.
Rams RB – While Zac Stacy didn’t really get it done in Week 1 – 11 carries for 43 yards and an eight-yard catch – Benny Cunningham wasn’t much more productive on the ground, though a 27-yard reception helped him tie Stacy in total yards. Indeed, as anticipated, Cunningham cut significantly into Stacy’s touches, with eight to Stacy’s 12. It’s hard to judge too much from this game in which the Rams got blown out, but then again, this is a team that could be on the wrong end of a lot of blowouts this year, nerfing both backs’ value.
Rams WR – Brian Quick was the most heavily targeted and most productive receiver on this team – the only productive fantasy player on the team, in fact – with seven catches and 99 yards in Week 1. Tavon Austin and Chris Givens were quiet, while Kenny Britt failed even to catch a pass. This QB situation isn’t getting any better, and while it’s possible that some of the Rams’ receivers will rack up yards here and there due to the team always playing from behind, it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s Britt one week, Quick another, and Givens another still, with fantasy owners unable to turn to any of these guys with any confidence.
Buccaneers RB – Doug Martin fell on his face (figuratively) Sunday, playing through a leg injury and rushing just nine times for nine yards, but Bobby Rainey didn’t do anything much to displace him, with his six touches (four carries, two roushes) resulting in all of 20 yards, a touchdown and a lost fumble. But Rainey would likely be in line to take the majority of the carries if Martin’s injury – the status of which is currently uncertain – holds him out in Week 2. Mike James is the only other option.
Buccaneers WR – Unsurprisingly, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans got the most targets (nine each) in Week 1, but it is a bit surprising that Jackson was so unproductive (four catches, 36 yards) and that Evans equaled him in looks already. While no other Tampa receiver saw more than two targets, Chris Owusu did turn one of his two into a 19-yard touchdown. He appears to be solidly No. 3 here.
Buccaneers TE – Brandon Myers ended up being Tampa’s top receiver in Week 1, but his six catches were only good for 41 yards, as he didn’t serve as much more than a dump-off option. Austin Seferian-Jenkins was targeted just twice, reeling in a 26-yarder. It looks like this is Myers’ spot to lose, but the Bucs clearly see the rookie’s playmaking potential.
Titans RB – With the Titans playing from behind all game long, there wasn’t much rushing work to be found here. Shonn Greene‘s five carries – yeah, five – led the team, and Dexter McCluster (who carried four times for 30 yards) was the only running back to catch a pass. The good news for Greene owners is that he turned his five touches into 40 yards and is now sitting on a season line of 20 carries for 111 yards (5.6 YPC). Bishop Sankey carried just twice for three yards and is shaping up for an imminent cut from a lot of fantasy teams.
Titans WR – With Jake Locker spending most of Sunday airing the ball out, you’d think that Kendall Wright and/or Justin Hunter would put up numbers. No such luck. Wright, Hunter and Nate Washington were targeted a combined 17 times; they caught just six of those passes for a total of 58 yards, while TE Delanie Walker was the apple of Locker’s eye (14 targets, 10 catches, 142 yards and a TD). Not really much change in the pecking order here, as Hunter and Washington have turned into co-No. 2 receivers behind Wright. But they’re all gonna need Locker to be better about getting them the ball.
Redskins QB – Unrest all around the Washington depth chart starts with Robert Griffin III, who suffered a Week 2 ankle injury that could keep him out for months, not weeks – maybe even the whole year. That elevates the strong-armed, but not-so-accurate Kirk Cousins to top dog. Cousins did turn in a competent 22-for-33 performance in Griffin’s place, accumulating 250 yards and two touchdowns.
Redskins RB – We already knew Alfred Morris was the man, but Roy Helu suffered a knee injury on Sunday, promoting Silas Redd to backup duties. Redd delivered with 41 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. The news about Helu has been mixed – some optimistic, some pessimistic – so Morris handcuffers will have to see how things work out in practice this week.
Redskins WR – DeSean Jackson left Sunday’s game with a shoulder issue, but early reports are that he’s already feeling better, so I consider him likely for next week’s game. Pierre Garcon didn’t benefit from Jackson’s absence, catching just one of his four targets for 12 yards. Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant (no, not the ex-Packer) were the top two targets in this one, collecting 57 yards each. A curious situation, and one that damages Garcon’s fantasy value.
Redskins TE – This looks like one of those moments when you want to drop what you’re doing and pick up Niles Paul. Paul not only was the primary pass-catching tight end on Sunday, he was the most targeted and most productive receiver on the team, grabbing eight balls on 11 tries for 99 yards and a score. Reed’s hamstring ailment figures to keep him out at least another week.