Anyone else still catching their breath?

Week 2 was a wild one filled with tons of scoring, several thrillers, and some horrendous officiating. Now, let’s try to wrap our minds around the wacky Week 2 that was.

Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice

The Surprises 

1. Here comes Courtland 

While Cooper Kupp, Tyler Lockett, and Terry McLaurin all posted better statistical days, Courtland Sutton’s Week 2 performance was the most remarkable and surprising. Sutton went from one catch on three targets for 14 yards in Week 1 to nine catches on 12 targets for 159 yards. The only thing he didn’t do was get in the end zone, but it was a great day nonetheless against a hapless Jaguars secondary.

What do we do from here? The absence of Jerry Jeudy clearly helped Sutton here, as he was Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite target. Sure, Tim Patrick stole a touchdown. But Sutton’s the guy. And if he’s back to his old self after suffering a torn ACL, then he’s someone I’d be looking to buy.

2. Cordarrelle Patterson…? 

The RB3 in PPR leagues in Week 2 as of Sunday night was… Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson carried the ball seven times for 11 yards and a touchdown, hauling in five passes for 58 yards and another score. Patterson’s random performance really stands out in what was an off week for many of the league’s top running backs.

What do we do from here? Anyone who has Mike Davis might feel sick to their stomachs, and I don’t blame you. Davis had just nine carries for 38 yards in a blowout loss to the Bucs. Maybe it was a result of game script, as the Falcons were trailing all game, but Davis’ status as an RB2 is tenuous at best right now.

3. Tony Pollard stars

A Dallas Cowboys running back rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while hauling in three passes for 31 yards, and it wasn’t Ezekiel Elliott. No, it was Tony Pollard, who finished as the RB4 in PPR formats. And if we’re honest, Pollard looked like the tailback with more burst and speed on Sunday.

What do we do from here? Elliott didn’t have a bad day, rushing for 73 yards and a touchdown. But the touches were nearly split between the two. I wouldn’t describe this as a timeshare just yet, but Pollard is a factor and has been productive. Anyone with Elliott should make adding Pollard a priority. Right now, he’s just an important handcuff, but he could present legitimate standalone value if these touches keep coming.

The Disappointments

1. Second-year QBs 

It was a pretty bad day for the second-year QBs from the 2020 draft class. Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field with a rib injury. Justin Herbert threw two interceptions in a disgruntling loss to Dallas. And Joe Burrow threw three interceptions on three consecutive throws in a terrible performance against Chicago.

What do we do from here? With Tua, all we can do is wait and hope for the best. While Herbert and Burrow were sub-par Sunday, they should still be trusted as mid-range to low-end QB1s.

2. Rookie QBs 

The rookie quarterbacks did not fare well, either. Zach Wilson threw four interceptions. Trevor Lawrence threw two picks. Justin Fields came in after Andy Dalton left the game with an injury and also threw a pick. The only rookie with a clean box score was Mac Jones, who had a pedestrian 186 yards and no touchdowns.

What do we do from here? None of these rookie quarterbacks are worth starting outside of 2QB leagues, and even in those formats I’d be looking for alternatives.

3. George Kittle 

You didn’t draft Kittle in Round 3 to get four catches for 17 yards. But for the second straight week, Kittle failed to reach the end zone. He’ll surely deliver value down the road, but teams banking on him might be facing an 0-2 record.

What do we do from here? Teams chasing a title may want to inquire with that potentially desperate Kittle manager to try and buy low. Otherwise, keep the faith.

4. Amari Cooper

Yeah… this is the ride Amari Cooper takes you on. Last week, he was invincible. This week, he was practically invisible, then got shaken up late. Cooper wound up with three catches for 24 yards. Not great.

What do we do from here? The moment you begin to lose faith in Cooper is when he busts out. Unfortunately, you’ve got to buckle up for the roller coaster ride.

5. The referees 

I have to mention just how terrible the refs were Sunday, specifically in the late games. Just watch the Cowboys-Chargers and Seahawks-Titans games for a glimpse at how poor officiating can be across the league. Sorry to any Julio Jones managers who got robbed by this overturned touchdown.

Julio Jones’ TD was overturned after official review. pic.twitter.com/bKZjLm44Nm

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 19, 2021

Week 1 By the Numbers 

42: Number of rushing yards Derrick Henry had in the first half. He finished with 182 rushing yards, caught six passes for 55 yards, and scored three touchdowns. Talk about a tale of two halves.

179: Josh Allen’s passing yards in a 35-0 win over Miami. Obviously, the game was a blowout and required little from Allen late. However, his stat line may have left his managers wanting more.

9: A.J. Brown’s targets in Week 2. However, he only caught three of those passes for 43 yards. I feel like I’m picking on Brown, but he’s been pretty disappointing through two weeks.