Week 2 of the NFL season is now mostly in the books. The Sunday Night Football game is playing as I write this, and only the normal, single-game Monday Night Football contest remains. This week offered opportunities for some of the opening week’s top performers to validate their Week 1 showings, and one second-year signal caller immediately comes to mind. Others looked to bounce back after disappointing starts to their season. And, of course, another week of games means a growing sample size for all players. It’s important to remember that it’s ill-advised to overreact to two games, however, it’s also never too early to look at data and re-calibrate expectations for the rest of the season. The draft is just the beginning of the season. Making savvy free-agent additions, waiver claims, and proactive trades is the next step on the road to a fantasy championship.
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Ravens 23 at Bengals 34 (Thursday)
After squashing the lowly Bills in Baltimore in their season opener, the Ravens found themselves in an early hole they couldn’t dig out of in Cincinnati on Thursday night. Joe Flacco was forced to play catch up and aired it out a whopping 55 times. Many of those passes were off the mark, but he ultimately finished with 376 yards passing, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while absorbing four sacks. John Brown has quickly established himself as the best pass-catching option in the offense after scoring a touchdown for the second straight week. The tight ends collectively saw plenty of work, though, it’s a collective effort that renders none of them fantasy assets. The game script was a disaster for Alex Collins, and he only carried the ball nine times for 35 yards. He did, however, somewhat salvage his line with three catches for 55 yards on four targets. Better game scripts likely lie ahead for Collins, making him a reasonable buy-low target. Although, it’s worth pointing out that Javorius Allen was trusted with a goal-line carry that resulted in the team’s only rushing touchdown.
The Bengals raced out to 21 unanswered points early in the second quarter entirely on Andy Dalton to A.J. Green touchdowns. The stud receiver posted a 5-69-3 line. Popular breakout candidate John Ross was saved in Week 1 by a touchdown grab, but he hauled in just one of four targets for eight yards and no scores this week. Tyler Boyd actually led the team in receptions (six), receiving yards (91), and tied for the team lead in targets (nine) while scoring a touchdown of his own. With 14 targets through two games, he looks like the second most desirable receiver on the team. Tyler Eifert had another quiet showing, but he’s stayed healthy. Speaking of health, Joe Mixon (84 yards rushing on 21 carries and one reception for three yards) is projected to miss the next two to four weeks after hurting his knee and undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Saturday. Giovani Bernard is a high-priority waiver claim in leagues he’s available and a high-end RB2/fringe RB1 for however long Mixon ends up out. Ending Cincinnati’s recap on a positive note, with a talented mix of skill position players to work with and a line that’s kept Dalton upright (zero sacks after taking just two in Week 1), Dalton’s thrived and played himself into matchup-based startability.
Browns 18 at Saints 21
The Browns Browned again in Week 2. By the time you’re reading this, it’s likely Zane Gonzalez is looking for new work. He missed two extra-point attempts and two of four field-goal attempts. Tyrod Taylor made strides in Week 2 as a passer, but rushed for just 26 yards and was far less fantasy helpful. With every loss — or non-win, I suppose — he’s one step closer to having his starting job usurped by this year’s No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, Baker Mayfield. Carlos Hyde once again averaged under three yards per carry, but he also once again rushed for a touchdown and received a hearty dose of touches. He’s a volume-driven RB2/Flex who could eventually cede touches to backfield mates Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr. if he remains so inefficient. The impending release of Josh Gordon left Jarvis Landry as the unquestioned No. 1 in the passing attack, though, Antonio Callaway actually led the team with 81 yards receiving thanks to a 47-yard touchdown bomb he hauled in. His big-play ability could earn him additional looks if he can avoid off-field troubles. Landry is a locked in WR2 with WR1 upside in the wake of Cleveland parting ways with Gordon.
The Saints spit the hook and an 0-2 start to the season. Drew Brees was sharp, and Alvin Kamara did the bulk of his yardage damage as a receiver for the second time this year. He tallied 99 yards from scrimmage (46 rushing and 53 on six receptions), but he failed to reach pay dirt. The Michael Thomas Show was once again on full display in Week 2 with a 12-89-2 line on 13 targets. The Saints defense bounced back after getting creamed in Week 1, and the embarrassing Week 1 showing is — spoiler alert — a little less embarrassing after Tampa Bay’s Week 2 showing (more on that to come).
Chargers 31 at Bills 20
The Chargers handled their business on a trip out east to Buffalo, and Philip Rivers shined in a plus matchup. Melvin Gordon totaled a ho-hum 66 yards from scrimmage on 15 touches (nine carries and six receptions), but he was a fantasy monster thanks to three scores (one rushing and two receiving). Austin Ekeler again demonstrated his value in the backfield ripping off 77 yards rushing on 11 carries and adding 21 more on three grabs. The second-year back has quickly played himself into the Flex mix, and his value would shoot through the roof if anything happened to Gordon. With the Chargers comfortably in control the entirety of the game, Keenan Allen posted a pedestrian 6-67-0 line on eight targets. Mike Williams’ size helped him make a touchdown catch in traffic, but he was only targeted one other time and totaled a 2-27-1 line. For now, he’s a dicey flex who has touchdown-scoring upside, but he’s also a player whose role is likely to expand as the season marches along.
The Bills remain arguably the favorites to land the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. However, they looked less pathetic with Josh Allen starting at quarterback. The rookie signal caller missed some easy throws, tossed two interceptions, and took five sacks (not all his fault, as his line often left him under duress nearly immediately after the snap). He also showed off his big arm and tossed a touchdown pass. He has a ton of kinks to iron out, but his ability and willingness to take shots downfield could eventually open things up for LeSean McCoy. Having said that, it was another dud for Shady (39 yards on nine carries and 29 yards on four receptions), who exited with a rib injury, and he’s low-ceiling RB2/flex in a putrid offense.
Chiefs 42 at Steelers 37
This game exceeded the shootout hype it received. Speaking of exceeding the hype, Patrick Mahomes bested his electric opener with 326 yards passing and a half-dozen touchdown passes (as well as 18 yards rushing). He showed off his arm strength and touch, and he’s played himself into matchup-proof starter status. His ceiling is elevated by a pathetic defense, and he has an embarrassment of riches to work with in the passing attack. Continuing to harp on his bad defense, think back to pre-2017 (or Week 1 of this season) Drew Brees and what he needed to do to make up for his defense’s inability to stop anyone. Tyreek Hill was once again hyper-efficient with a 5-90-1 line on just six targets. Travis Kelce alleviated concerns of those who own him in fantasy with a monster 7-109-2 line on 10 targets, and even Sammy Watkins balled out with 6-100-0 on seven targets and a 31-yard rush. I’d pump the breaks on Watkins excitement, but signs of life are more than he showed in the preseason and Week 1. Kareem Hunt was the clear feature back with 18 carries, but he parlayed them into a ho-hum 75 yards rushing, failed to reach pay dirt, and caught his lone target for just five yards. It’s not the ideal start for last year’s NFL leading rusher, but being the feature back in such a high-octane offense will eventually result in some spike weeks.
The Steelers were staring at a 21-0 deficit after the first quarter and had to play catch up. Remarkably, they tied it up entering the half at 21-21, but the rollercoaster ride that started off terribly likely contributed to James Conner carrying the ball only eight times. His eight carries for 17 yards were a disappointing follow up to his league-high 135 yards rushing in the opener, but he did rush for another touchdown this week and helped his bottom line by hauling in all five of his targets for 48 yards. He’s an RB1 as long as Le’Veon Bell continues to hold out. Ben Roethlisberger continued the home/road trends and erupted for 452 yards passing and three touchdowns with zero interceptions and just one sack. He aired it out an eye-popping 60 times, and the volume supported numerous pass catchers including surprise leading receiver, tight end Jesse James (5-138-1), JuJu Smith-Schuster (13-121-1 on 19 targets), and Antonio Brown (9-67-0 on 17 targets). Brown appeared banged up, and he was clearly disgruntled and partaking in heated conversations with coaches throughout the game. As is the case with the aforementioned Chiefs, Pittsburgh’s offense’s ceiling is raised by their lousy defense.
Colts 21 at Washington 9
The Colts won, but it wasn’t a banner performance from Andrew Luck (179 yards passing, two touchdowns, and two interceptions). The Colts backfield is a messy RBBC situation, and Eric Ebron continues to threaten Jack Doyle’s production with another touchdown grab. T.Y. Hilton is the only player in the offense who’s a must-start option. He was responsible for a strong 7-83-1 line on 11 targets. That’s not too shabby for a guy who’s struggled at times on the road.
Washington laid an egg in their home opener, and, like the Ravens, probably came out of Week 1 too hyped after thoroughly whooping a horrendous team. Alex Smith posted a pre-2017 like line, and Adrian Peterson turned back into a pumpkin (11 carries for 20 yards, three receptions for 30 yards, and zero touchdowns). Chris Thompson was the much more valuable back. He rushed just four times for one yard, but he led the team in receptions (13) and targets (14) for the second week in a row, and he also led the team in receiving yards (92) this week after finishing second on the team in that category in Week 1. He’s firmly entrenched in the RB2 ranks in PPR formats, but he’s also at the back end of that mix in standard scoring formats, too. Through two weeks, Jordan Reed remains healthy. He was targeted eight times and reeled in six for 55 yards.
Dolphins 20 at Jets 12
The Dolphins moved to 2-0 with their victory over the division-rival Jets this week, and Ryan Tannehill was again only tasked with game managing. After throwing 28 passes in the season opener, he threw just 23 passes this week. The low pass volume when the Dolphins are able to get out to a lead or play in close games creates extremely low floors for their pass catchers. Case in point, after beating up the Titans for 4-106-2 on five targets in the opener, Kenny Stills was held to 17 scoreless yards on two receptions (three targets) this week. None of Miami’s pass catchers surpassed 40 yards receiving in Week 2. After rushing for 61 yards on nine carries (6.8 yards per carry) in the opener, Frank Gore rushed for just 25 yards on nine carries while adding 19 yards receiving on one reception. Kenyan Drake carried the ball just two more times than Gore, but he was far more productive with 53 yards and a touchdown, and he also caught all four of his targets for 17 yards receiving. Drake’s an RB2, and he’ll settle in there more comfortably if Gore plays more like the Week 2 version going forward.
Apparently it’s a little early to fit Sam Darnold for a gold jacket. In all seriousness, he wasn’t a total train wreck, but he reminded onlookers that he’s a rookie (and a young one at that) with his two interceptions. He passed for 334 yards and a touchdown, and he once again force fed Quincy Enunwa (11 targets). Enunwa caught seven passes for 92 yards, and he’s a WR2. Robby Anderson was held to just 27 yards on three receptions, but his big-play ability will lead to bigger days. Furthermore, as his 1-41-1 line in Week 1 illustrates, his field-stretching ability makes him a threat to produce WR3/flex value on a limited volume of looks. Terrelle Pryor followed up a 3-49-0 line in Week 1 with 4-84-0 in Week 2. He was an unmitigated bust in his lone season with Washington last year, but he caught 77 balls for 1,007 yards, and four touchdowns in 2016. He’s not yet trustworthy in most leagues, but there’s previously-demonstrated upside here. The backfield remains a timeshare with Isaiah Crowell’s strengths as a runner matching Bilal Powell’s as a receiver, though, the former didn’t show much rushing for only 35 yards on 12 carries. Game script will dictate who is the better weekly play, with Crowell standing out in games the Jets are favored or projected to stay close and Powell looking like the better play when the Jets are sizable dogs and expected to play catch up.
Eagles 21 at Buccaneers 27
Nick Foles wasn’t great in this loss, but he was far more competent than in the season opener. He passed for 334 yards, threw no interceptions, and tossed a beautiful touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor. His showing in what’s likely his last start before the return of Carson Wentz should relieve gamers who own pass catchers on the Eagles. If Wentz is forced to miss another week or misses a game or games later in the season, Foles at least returned to being competent at moving the ball. Circling back to Agholor, he had a nifty line of 8-88-1 on 12 targets. Zach Ertz was the focal point of the passing attack with team-leading totals in targets (13), receptions (11), and receiving yards (94). It was his second straight week of double-digit targets. Even with Darren Sproles out, three backs carried the ball six times or more against the Buccaneers. Be careful about reading too much into the spread out work, though. Jay Ajayi was forced out of the game for the remainder of the first half after hurting his back on a seven-yard loss on his first carry. He returned in the second half, and he punched in a touchdown run. Having preached caution on reading too much into the backfield usage, I’ll also point out that Corey Clement was the most productive back rushing for 30 yards and a score on six carries and adding 55 yards receiving on five grabs. The second-year back has produced when given a chance, and he’s actually probably the most well-rounded back on the team.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has no intention of returning to Earth. For the second time in as many weeks, he bested 400 yards passing with four touchdown passes. In 45 games, Jameis Winston has half as many games with 400 or more yards passing and as many games with four or more touchdown passes as Fitzmagic has through the first two games this year. Suffice to say, it’s not that crazy anymore to suggest Fitzpatrick could (and should) remain the starter after Winston completes his three-game suspension. Is the well-traveled veteran going to continue to play at this pace? Of course not. However, he gets his softest matchup to date next week against the visiting Steelers. He’s a starter in 12-team leagues in Week 3, and pass catchers DeSean Jackson, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and O.J. Howard all benefit from his gunslinging nature. Not all members of the offense are making waves, though. Peyton Barber had just 29 yards from scrimmage, and he hasn’t even cracked triple-digit yards from scrimmage through two games.
Panthers 24 at Falcons 31
This game didn’t start off as a shootout with the Panthers and Falcons managing just a field goal each in the first quarter, but it turned into one. Cam Newton showed off his ceiling with 335 yards passing, three touchdown passes, one interception and a team-leading 42 yards rushing — I guess technically that’s not quite his ceiling given the lack of a rushing score, but the general sentiment remains the same. Christian McCaffrey rushed for just 37 yards but did so at a solid 4.6 yards per carry on eight totes. More importantly, he — predictably — whooped the Falcons through the air with 14 receptions on 15 targets for 102 yards receiving. Devin Funchess caught seven of nine targets for 77 yards after a quiet opener, and he looks like a major beneficiary from Greg Olsen’s absence. The trio of Jarius Wright, Torrey Smith, and DJ Moore each caught a touchdown. Moore’s touchdown was a 51-yard grab on which he did much of the work after the catch, and it illustrated his game-changing ability. That said, it was his only grab, and he was targeted just two times after playing just 25% of Carolina’s offensive snaps in the opener and touching the ball only one time (a rush for three yards, accompanied by zero targets).
No Devonta Freeman? No problem for the Falcons running game. Tevin Coleman rushed for 107 yards on 16 carries, and fourth-round pick Ito Smith rushed for 46 yards on nine carries. Freeman’s expected to miss another week or two, and Coleman’s an RB2 in his absence. Matt Ryan was outstanding in victory completing 23 of 28 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and taking zero sacks. Even first-round pick Calvin Ridley made some noise with a 4-64-1 line on five targets. Not all was rainbows and butterflies for the fantasy options on the Falcons. Mohamed Sanu caught his only two targets for 19 yards, and Julio Jones caught five of nine targets for a scoreless 64 yards.
Texans 17 at Titans 20
The Texans 17 points scored is a disappointing showing, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Their 437 yards of offense at 7.0 yards per play demonstrates they still harbor the ability to move the ball, and even with warts that include four sacks, one interception, and two fumbles (neither lost), Deshaun Watson flashed his rookie season excellence with 310 yards passing, two scores, and 44 yards rushing. Will Fuller V made his season debut and led the team with eight receptions, 113 yards, and scored a touchdown on nine targets. He’s a big-play machine and has now caught eight touchdowns in five games played with Watson. He’s a weekly WR2. DeAndre Hopkins was barely outdone by Fuller this week, and he beat up on the Titans secondary to the tune of a 6-110-1 line on 11 targets. Lamar Miller had a solid but unspectacular day with 68 yards rushing on 14 carries and two receptions for two receiving yards. He remains a low-end RB2.
The Titans opened the scoring with a 66-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt. That touchdown matched the offense’s touchdown output. Taking away that play, the Blaine Gabbert-led offense managed a paltry 217 total yards. Corey Davis was more efficient this week catching five of his seven targets for 55 yards, but the reduced volume meant a less productive fantasy line overall than in Week 1. Neither Derrick Henry (18 rushes for 56 yards at 3.1 yards per carry) nor Dion Lewis (42 yards rushing on 14 carries for 3.0 yards per carry) were efficient. As long as Gabbert fills in for Marcus Mariota, no one is a safe fantasy option in Tennessee’s offense.
Vikings 29 at Packers 29
Two weeks into the 2018 season, we have two ties. After going 0-3 on field goals (including what would have been a game-winner with time expiring in overtime), Daniel Carlson might be looking for employment by the time you’re reading this. Kirk Cousins flamed the Packers for 425 yards passing, four touchdowns, and one interception. Even behind a banged up offensive line, Cousins was sacked just two times. Both Adam Thielen (12-131-1 on 13 targets) and Stefon Diggs (9-128-2 on 13 targets) ate, and Kyle Rudolph didn’t need a touchdown to provide gamers a useful fantasy line (7-72-0) this week. Dalvin Cook rushed only 10 times for 38 yards, but he bolstered his yards from scrimmage with three receptions on five targets for 52 yards. He’s yet to score a touchdown, but Cook has now reached 90-yards from scrimmage in back-to-back games. Latavius Murray had just two carries for 19 yards, and he’s little more than a handcuff or touchdown-or-bust flex play when bye weeks start.
Aaron Rodgers played on his sprained knee, and he passed for 281 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions against the loaded Vikings defense. He hooked up with Jimmy Graham six times for 95 yards on eight targets after a quiet debut for the tight end. Davante Adams posted an 8-64-1 line despite playing at less than 100% as well. After a big opener, Randall Cobb turned in a dud with four receptions for 30 yards. In the five games Cobb played last year with Rodgers starting and finishing the contest, he totaled at least 60 yards receiving or caught a touchdown four times. Add that in with his big opener, and there are reasons for optimism regarding Cobb’s fantasy outlook. It might be worth kicking the tires on his availability after his quiet game. Second-year running back Jamaal Williams was a bit better this week (59 yards rushing on 16 carries and 12 yards receiving on three receptions) than he was in Week 1, but he hasn’t exactly sewn up feature back duties while more explosive fellow second-year back Aaron Jones has served his two-game suspension to open the year. Jones should be universally owned entering Week 3 given his immense upside and the uncertainty of how playing time will shake out in Green Bay’s backfield.
Rams 34 at Cardinals 0
The Rams were the biggest betting favorites this week, and they played the projected role of bully well. They steamrolled the Cardinals in a shutout, and Todd Gurley scored three rushing touchdowns. He rushed for only 42 yards on 19 carries through three quarters (while adding 31 yards receiving on three catches), and he didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter. He left the game with cramping, but with the game in hand, the Rams had no reason to put him back in. Jared Goff shredded the Cardinals for 354 yards passing on 32 attempts, but he threw for just one touchdown and tossed a pick, too. The gaudy yardage output from Goff allowed the Rams’ talented trio of receivers, Cooper Kupp (6-63-0), Robert Woods (6-81-0), and Brandin Cooks (7-159-0) to help fantasy teams. Cooks has quickly rendered concerns he’d follow in Sammy Watkins’ footsteps as a decoy moot. He’s clearly not just a decoy.
Sam Bradford passed for only 90 yards on 27 pass attempts. That’s remarkable, and not in a positive sense. He’s now at risk of being benched at any time for rookie Josh Rosen. Larry Fitzgerald once again led the Cardinals in receiving yards, but that amounted to only 28 yards on three receptions. If Fitz said he had flashbacks of playing with John Skelton, that would be entirely believable. He also exited with a hamstring injury. Not even David Johnson has been immune to the comical shortcomings of the offense. He rushed for just 48 yards on 13 carries, but more alarmingly he caught only one pass for three yards on two targets. Check out Johnson’s alarming routes run per game, target share, and air yards per game numbers through two games tweeted out by NFL.com fantasy football Managing Editor Graham Barfield. Bradford’s struggles aren’t helping DJ’s cause, but his negligent usage by offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is even more troubling for his rest-of-season outlook.
Lions 27 at 49ers 30
The Matt Patricia era for the Lions hasn’t gotten off to a good start. After getting waxed in their home opener, they were more respectable in a road loss to the 49ers. Still, they coughed up 30 points, and the running game failed to crack the century mark. Kerryon Johnson led the way with 43 yards on eight carries, but LeGarrette Blount wasn’t far behind with 38 yards rushing on an identical eight carries. Johnson added five grabs for 23 yards on six targets, and Theo Riddick got a share of the backfield pie serving as the primary pass-catching back with a team-leading nine receptions for 47 yards on a dozen targets. Detroit’s backfield isn’t fantasy friendly. Matthew Stafford cleaned things up and threw zero interceptions while picking the 49ers apart for 347 yards passing and three scores on 53 pass attempts. Golden Tate caught seven of 13 targets for 109 yards, and he’s the safest play in the passing attack. However, both Kenny Golladay (6-89-1 on nine targets) and Marvin Jones Jr. (4-54-1 on nine targets) are also valuable fantasy assets and members of Detroit’s passing attack. The exciting second-year receiver has now bested Jones in receptions and receiving yards in both games this season. The lack of a pass-catching option at tight end should allow all three receivers to be fantasy starters most weeks.
After throwing three interceptions in the opener, Jimmy Garoppolo finished with zero this week. Lost in the box score is that Jimmy G had an interception negated by a defensive penalty. He also took six sacks. Garoppolo has significant upside, but the first two weeks serve as a reminder that he’s not yet an established stud and could have hiccups along the way to reaching that status. Tight end George Kittle was the most disappointing performer for the 49ers. After finishing last season with a flurry and posting 90 yards on five grabs in the opener, he was targeted just four times and caught two passes for 22 yards against the Lions. Even with a bad showing, he’s a weekly starter at a bad position with top-5 upside at the position. Garoppolo spread the ball around targeting four players a team-high four times and nine players at least once. Pierre Garcon was one of the four-target quartet, and he reeled them all in for a team-high 57 yards. It wasn’t an impressive showing in Marquise Goodwin’s absence. Alfred Morris once again led the team in carries, but he turned his 14 runs into only 48 yards and couldn’t hold a candle to Matt Breida’s 138 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. Morris somewhat surprisingly caught a couple of targets for 32 yards, and Breida caught three passes for 21 yards. The second-year back is clearly the back to own in San Francisco, and he’s now emerged as a flex play who could get an upgrade to RB2 if he siphons more work from the less effective Morris.
Raiders 19 at Broncos 20
The return of Jon Gruden hasn’t resulted in a win yet for the Raiders. The offense was much sharper in this contest, though. Derek Carr completed an incredible 29 of 32 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions. It was a promising follow up to his awful opener. Marshawn Lynch scored his second touchdown of the season while rushing for 65 yards on 18 carries and catching two passes for three yards. Amari Cooper can be removed from milk cartons after reeling in all 10 of his targets for 116 yards. Jared Cook predictably didn’t duplicate his 9-180-0 line from the opener, but he also didn’t disappear and caught all four of his targets for 49 yards. The perennial breakout candidate at tight end is a top-10 option at a bad position. Jordy Nelson turned in another clunker, and Martavis Bryant failed to add a big-play element to the offense with just 30 yards on four receptions.
With one interception and no touchdown passes, Case Keenum now has more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three) through two games. — he did rush for one score. Keenum’s still an upgrade over the dreadful options the Broncos rolled out at quarterback last year, but he’s not yet resembling his 2017 breakout version. Emmanuel Sanders didn’t match his Week 1 production, but he led the way receiving again with four receptions on four targets for 96 yards. Demaryius Thomas was highly inefficient and caught just five of 11 targets for 18 yards, and he had at least three drops, according to the CBS telecast. A rookie running back surpassed 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career, but it wasn’t Royce Freeman, Denver’s third-round pick. Undrafted free-agent Phillip Lindsay rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries and caught one pass for four yards. Lindsay is now up to 178 yards rushing on 29 carries with 35 yards receiving on three receptions. He has some elusiveness and isn’t just going to go away and clear a path to bell-cow usage for Freeman. Freeman carried the ball eight times for 28 yards, but he salvaged his day with a rushing touchdown.
Patriots 21 at Jaguars 30
The Patriots weren’t able to duplicate their success from the AFC Championship game against this same foe. Tom Brady avoided throwing any interceptions en route to a 24 for 35 for 234 yards and two touchdowns performance, but he did lose a fumble. Rookie Sony Michel was active for the first time in his NFL career and led the team in carries (10) and rushing yards (34), but Rex Burkhead, and James White also received work, though Burkhead didn’t see many snaps until late in the game. White was the most utilized back, as he carried the ball four times for 11 yards and caught seven of eight targets for 73 yards. Phillip Dorsett once again proved to be an integral part of the passing attack, albeit with a pedestrian five grabs on seven targets for 44 yards. Rob Gronkowski was mostly silent catching just two passes for 15 yards, but Chris Hogan rebounded from his awful Week 1 with a 3-42-2 line on five targets.
No Leonard Fournette was no problem for the Jaguars. T.J. Yeldon led the running game with 58 yards on 10 carries, and he caught a pair of passes for 13 yards. Corey Grant finally received the extra work in the offense that was promised much of the offseason, and he carried the ball four times for 13 yards while adding six grabs for 56 yards. Really, though, it was the Blake Bortles and Keelan Cole Show. Bortles went 29 for 45 for 377 yards passing, four touchdowns, one interception, and six carries for 35 yards. He completed passes to nine different pass catchers. Cole led the way with a 7-116-1 on eight targets. Among those grabs was a one-handed grab that’s easily the catch of the year through two weeks and has the potential to retain that title the entire season. Dede Westbrook was no slouch with 4-83-1 as a receiver and a loss of six on one carry. Even pricey offseason signing Donte Moncrief got in on the fun with four receptions for 34 yards that included a touchdown.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
