Week 2 gives us a new week’s worth of data to sift through. One notably murky backfield situation became much clearer, while another RBBC’s playing time distribution changed a great deal from Week 1 to Week 2. Those two club’s running back situations as well as others are highlighted this week. I’ll preemptively note that the Bengals messy situation is not included in the featured teams. They’ve fired their offensive coordinator, and I believe that makes their RB usage to date nearly worthless to evaluate for future expectations.

View snap counts for all NFL teams and players

Arizona Cardinals last week @IND, this week vs. DAL

 
In the aftermath of David Johnson’s injury, Arizona’s backfield is left in disarray without a dependable fantasy option. Ellington led the backfield in snaps, but he carried the ball only two times for 11 yards and did little in the passing attack with three receptions for 12 yards on five targets. Chris Johnson was the most productive back with 11 carries for 44 yards, both team highs. Williams toted the rock nine times for 22 yards, but neither he nor Johnson were targeted in the passing game. It’s somewhat surprising to see Chris Johnson lead the way in running since he was cut after the preseason and only brought back due to David Johnson’s injury. None of these backs are startable.

Baltimore Ravens last week vs. CLE, this week @JAC

 
Buck Allen is off to a strong start to the season. He built on his Week 1 success by rushing for 66 yards on 14 carries and getting busy in the passing attack with five receptions for 35 yards on six targets after being blanked on one target in the opener. The increased playing time for Allen is the product of West battling a soft-tissue injury. Allen’s done enough to warrant Flex consideration or a look at RB2 on rosters weak at running back. West should be held onto while he battles through his injury, but even if he plays this weekend, I wouldn’t suggest starting him. Dynasty league gamers should take note that Collins — a fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in the 2016 NFL Draft — made the most of his limited playing time carrying the ball seven times for 42 yards.

Carolina Panthers last week vs. BUF, this week vs. NO

 
McCaffrey has played more than 40 snaps in each of his first two regular season games. Stewart was once again the more productive runner, and playing in a close game allowed him to hit the 15-carry threshold for the second time. Stewart’s value will be tied directly to game script, while McCaffrey’s versatility and value added as a pass catcher make him the safer bet week to week for touches. Both are solid plays against the inept Saints’ defense this week, and after catching nine of 12 targets for 72 yards through two games, I’m optimistic McCaffrey will make even more waves in the passing attack in the wake of Greg Olsen breaking a bone in his foot.

Detroit Lions last week @NYG, this week vs. ATL

Source: MLive
 
The snap counts aren’t up for the Monday Night Football game, but thankfully MLive provided them in their recap of the Lions’ win. Abdullah and Riddick split the snaps nearly right down the middle with Washington muddying the waters with two of his three carries coming from the red zone on the Lions’ fourth drive of the game. Abdullah carried the ball 17 times for 86 yards and looked sharp, while Riddick rushed nine times for 20 yards. The Lions only attempted 21 passes, and none were cast Abdullah’s way while Riddick hauled in all three of his targets for a measly 17 yards. Both backs are starter-worthy options in a potential shootout in Detroit against the Falcons. Riddick gets the biggest value boost from the matchup since the Falcons continue to have no answer for running backs in the passing game. Atlanta has yielded the most targets (26), are tied for the most receptions allowed (19), and have surrendered the fourth most receiving yards (143 to running backs while also coughing up a pair of touchdown receptions to them, tied with two others for the most allowed, per Pro-Football Reference.

Indianapolis Colts last week vs. ARZ, this week CLE

 
The Colts offense has been dreadful this year, but both of their touchdowns have come on the ground. Mack punched a score in against the Rams and Gore reached pay dirt in an overtime loss to the Cardinals in Week 2. Turbin played more this week, but he turned in only 19 yards from scrimmage on three runs and a reception. Gore easily led the way with 14 carries for 46 yards, but he’s a touchdown-dependent back who’s sharing more reps this year and tied to a terrible offense — at least as long as Andrew Luck is sidelined. Mack went backward losing three yards on six carries, but he caught one pass for 11 yards. His explosiveness could be on display later in the season if Luck returns and is able to keep defenses honest. Mack’s merely a stash option for now.

New England Patriots last week @NO, this week vs. HOU

 
Things continue to mostly go as expected in New England’s backfield. They won in Week 2, and Gillislee served as the closer. He also rushed for another touchdown. Gillislee remains a total non-factor in the passing game with zero targets. White was an integral part of the passing attack catching all eight of his targets for 85 yards against the Saints, but he returned to form as a runner carrying just two times for 11 yards after setting a new career-high for carries in the season opener. The most interesting development is that Burkhead touched the ball or was targeted on 75% of his snaps played rushing twice for three yards and catching three of four targets for 41 yards and a score. The score came on the opening drive, but Burkhead wasn’t involved in the offense most of the rest of the afternoon and left the game early with a rib injury. His versatility could lend itself to an occasional touchdown, but he’s not startable while the other backs ahead of him are healthy. Having said that, he’s not the worst bench option in 12-team or 14-team leagues or larger depending on bench size and team needs.

New Orleans Saints last week vs. NE, this week @CAR

 
Two weeks, two different leaders in offensive snaps. One thing has remained the same, Peterson brings up the rear. He did play more snaps in Week 2, but Peterson can safely be cut. Ingram remains the best fantasy option after totaling 76 yards from scrimmage on eight carries and four receptions on five targets. Kamara carried the ball just one time after rushing seven times in the opener, but he upped his target totaled from six in Week 1 to seven in Week 2, and he reeled in three of those targets for 51 yards receiving.

New York Giants last week vs. DET, this week @PHI

Source: NJ.com
 
For the Giants snap counts, I turned to NJ.com. Perkins played as many snaps as Vereen and Darkwa combined, but the second-year back was awful once again. He led the team with seven rushes, but he mustered only 10 yards rushing, trailing both Vereen (28) and Darkwa (17). Vereen’s the closest thing to a useful fantasy commodity, but with the return of Odell Beckham Jr., the pass-catching back managed only three targets that turned into three receptions for 27 yards. This backfield is a mess and actually worse than that of the team they share a home stadium with.

New York Jets last week @OAK, this week vs. MIA

 
The backhanded compliment for this group in the closing sentence of the Giants’ backfield analysis is about as good as it gets. The Jets continue to befuddle me — and, frankly, anyone with common sense — by leaning on Forte as the leader in their RBBC. There’s no question the Jets are in a rebuild, yet a 31-year-old who they’ve previously put on the trading block and is no part of their future is getting the majority of the work. The Jets are gonna Jet, I suppose. Forte rushed nine times for 53 yards and caught all four of his targets for 38 yards. If he continues to lead the way in work, he could have some bye week fill-in appeal. Powell’s value continues to slide after rushing six times for 13 yards and failing to haul in either of his two targets. Worse yet for Powell, second-year back Elijah McGuire carved out some playing time and might be worthy of some reps for evaluation purposes. Powell can be cut in shallow leagues, and his leash is extremely short in leagues where he’s still ownable.

Philadelphia Eagles last week @KC, this week vs. NYG

 
Blount failed to carry the ball and caught a pass for zero yards in Week 2. He saved gamers who foolishly used him in Week 1 with a touchdown reception, but he posted a bagel in Week 2. More concerning for those who still roster him is that the game was close throughout, and the Eagles had no interest in using Blount. He’s 100% touchdown dependent, and his low ceiling is paired with a zero-point floor. Meanwhile, Sproles rushed 10 times for 48 yards and added two receptions on four targets for 30 yards. He’s still a better play in PPR formats than standard leagues, but he’s far from worthless in standard-scoring leagues.

Seattle Seahawks last week vs. SF, this week @TEN

 
I’ll take the opportunity to pat myself on the back. Last week, I wrote, “I’d be less shocked by Lacy being included on the inactive list than I would be by Lacy playing and doing anything noteworthy against the 49ers.” Lacy was inactive in Week 2, and he can safely be cut in all league types. It’s looking like Brandon Jacobs to the 49ers 2.0 from a performance — or lack thereof — standpoint. Rawls returned, but preseason darling Carson is the new feature back. He didn’t disappoint in role rushing 20 times for 93 yards with one reception on two targets for seven yards. Carson’s given head coach Pete Carroll no reason to waffle on the running back pecking order, and the rookie is sneaking into RB2 territory.

Tennessee Titans last week @JAC, this week vs. SEA

 
Murray is dealing with a hamstring strain and could miss this week’s game against the Seahawks. Head coach Mike Mularkey still views Murray as the starter, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean, but the 29-year-old running back’s value is sliding while Henry’s value is rising. Henry’s been the more impressive back so far this year, and Murray’s well on his way to getting Wally Pipped. If Murray sits, Henry’s a strong RB2 this week. Murray was drafted as an RB1, but even if he’s active, it would be prudent to sit him if you have a viable alternative.

Washington Redskins last week @LAR, this week vs. OAK

 
Kelley ran wild against the Rams amassing 78 yards on 12 carries, but his afternoon was cut short by a rib injury. It was initially feared he suffered a fractured rib, but the injury is reportedly a rib cartilage injury and not a fracture. His status for this week is up in the air. Perine didn’t play in the first game of his rookie season, but he carried the ball 21 times for 67 yards with a 12-yard long in relief of Kelley. It appears if Kelley misses time, Perine will stand in as the primary ball carrier with Thompson retaining his role as the receiving back. Speaking of Thompson, he carried the ball three times for 77 yards and a pair of scores. Thompson has some explosiveness as evidenced by his 61-yard touchdown run last week and his 5.9 yards per rush attempt (Y/A) in 112 career carries, but he’s unlikely to receive more than a few carries per game while getting the bulk of his usage as a pass catcher. He’s an active receiver, though, with seven receptions on 12 targets for 81 yards and a touchdown this year.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.