Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 3 Rankings
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1.
Ezekiel Elliott
RB - DAL (at SEA)
Through two games, it's fair to say Mike McCarthy won't be making this a timeshare any time soon. Elliott has racked up 55 opportunities while Pollard has just eight of them. If you have Pollard on your roster, don't drop him, as he's one of the most valuable bench stashes out there. The Seahawks front seven is not a particularly good unit, and they got worse when they lost Bruce Irvin this week to an ACL injury, but they've allowed a league-low 92 rushing yards through two games. Playing against Todd Gurley and Sony Michel will help, though holding those two teams to just 2.88 yards per carry is an accomplishment. That's also likely why opponents have gone with a run play just 31.3 percent of the time against the Seahawks (second-lowest mark in the league), because their secondary can be picked on. But again, Elliott isn't in the same category as Gurley or Michel. There were 10 running backs who finished as the RB14 or better against them last year, including four 30-point performances. This is a game where Prescott should shine, but you shouldn't be shocked if Elliott changes opinions on how good the Seahawks run defense actually is.
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2.
Derrick Henry
RB - TEN (at MIN)
The good news is that the Titans are 2-0 and Henry leads the league in rushing attempts. The bad news is that he hasn't scored through two weeks and has caught just three passes for 15 yards. That currently has him sitting at RB25 on the season in PPR formats, right behind Myles Gaskin. It's disappointing to see him not crush Jacksonville, a team that he dismantled last year, but that's why they play the game, right? The vitals are good for Henry and things would look a bit different if he'd scored. The Vikings were a threating defense in recent history, but not so much anymore. The biggest losses to their run defense this offseason were defensive tackle Linval Joseph and edge rusher Everson Griffin, which hurt, but they just lost linebacker Anthony Barr last week to a torn pectoral injury. Even with him on the field, the Vikings defense has allowed 280 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns over the first two weeks. Heck, even going back to last year, they allowed five different running backs to surpass 100 yards on the ground. This is no longer a matchup to be worried about. Keep him in lineups as your RB1; he'll get back on track.
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3.
Alvin Kamara
RB - NO (vs . GB)
I don't know what the Saints were thinking last week. Murray had three carries through the first 10 minutes of that game for 14 yards, yet they went away from the run and it cost them the game. Meanwhile, Kamara continues to be hyper-efficient, and is the No. 2 running back in fantasy right alongside his doppelganger, Aaron Jones. The Packers run defense is nothing to be worried about, as they allowed a massive 4.86 yards per carry last year and have continued that trend in 2020 while allowing 4.87 yards per carry through two weeks. The lone issue is that running backs have totaled just 48 touches against them in the first two weeks, as they've averaged just 53.5 plays per game. But when you pair an efficient running back like Kamara against a Packers defense that's allowed 1.08 PPR points per opportunity, you get big results. Kamara has averaged two touchdowns per game to this point, and he might just get there again in Week 3. Start him as a star RB1. Murray went from 15 carries in Week 1 to just three in Week 2, which gives you all sorts of anxiety when trusting him. But we can't let one matchup dictate how we feel about a player. In a game where the Saints are 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 51.5 points, he should have some scoring opportunities. Consider him a semi-risky RB4 who has touchdown upside.
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4.
Jonathan Taylor
RB - IND (vs . NYJ)
I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, or someone is messing with me. Hines totaled 15 touches in a game that was close throughout with Marlon Mack in the lineup for 1.5 quarters, but then totaled one touch in a game where Mack was on injured reserve. Cool story, Colts. Meanwhile, Taylor didn't see a single carry until the mid-second quarter in Week 1, but then received 26 carries in Week 2. I really hope there's more clarity this week, as it makes no sense to me. The only explanation is that Hines doesn't have a role when the Colts are well ahead, which is why they gave Jordan Wilkins nine carries in Week 2. They're double-digit favorites this week. What happens when your offense averages 68.0 plays per game and your opponent allows 70.0 plays per game? Fantasy points, that's what. The Jets run defense has been very good under Gregg Williams, as they allowed just 3.12 yards per carry through 17 games coming into Week 2. The wheels came off against the 49ers in that game though, as they allowed a few big runs that netted 184 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. There's a lot to dissect here because the Jets aren't the same defense they were last year, as they've lost safety Jamal Adams and linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason. Things can change quickly with teams trending in the direction the Jets are, so when you factor that in, combined with a 27-point team-implied total, Taylor is a must-start high-end RB2 who can reach top-five numbers if last week was a sign of things to come for the Jets. Hines is a lot trickier because the gamescript should be similar to last week's game where he got exactly one touch. It's starting to feel like a Tarik Cohen situation where you want him used more than he actually is. The Jets did allow the 11th-most fantasy points through the air to running backs last year, but again, Hines needs touches to get there. Consider him an RB4 where we hope last week was a fluke.
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5.
Josh Jacobs
RB - LV (at NE)
Don't worry much about Jacobs' lackluster performance in Week 2 against the Saints, as we already knew it was going to be a tough one. Instead, be excited that this offense is putting points up on the board. Scoring 34 points in each of the first two games is a massive accomplishment for this team that didn't score more than 31 points in any game last year. That was legitimately the only thing I was concerned about with Jacobs coming into the season; his upside in what's been a low-scoring offense. Oddsmakers don't see that continuing this week, as the Raiders are projected for just 20.8 points against the Patriots. This isn't a great matchup, but it's much better than it was last year when the Patriots allowed just 76.1 rushing yards per game and allowed one rushing touchdown the entire season. Through two games in 2020, they've allowed 184 rushing yards and a touchdown to the combination of Dolphins and Seahawks running backs. Chris Carson was the only one who totaled more than 13 touches, and he wound up with 19.8 PPR points. The lone concern with Jacobs is his usage in the pass game. It appeared great in Week 1 when he saw a career-high six targets, but then we went back to just three targets in Week 2, reminiscent of his 2019 season. When the Raiders are six-point underdogs, that's a legitimate concern, though this is where I tell you he ran 17 pass routes in Monday's game, which was nearly double of that of Jalen Richard (10). Jacobs should continue to be trotted out as a low-end RB1 with a stable floor.
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6.
Dalvin Cook
RB - MIN (vs . TEN)
The fact that Cook has scored three touchdowns has saved him from looking like an ugly top-six pick this year, though it's not his doing. The Vikings offense has only run 48.0 plays per game because their defense can't get off the field, and it's led to Cook totaling just 29 touches through two weeks. The two starting running backs who've gone against the Titans haven't had that problem, as they've both (James Robinson, Melvin Gordon) totaled at least 18 touches, and that's despite the Titans winning both those games. Titans opponents have averaged 66.5 plays per game this year, which would be a welcomed sight for all Vikings players who've been forced to be too efficient with minimal plays. The 5.15 yards per carry the Titans have allowed to this point is the fourth-highest mark in the league, though it was expected to be a strength of theirs this year with their talented front seven. Maybe the loss of interior defensive lineman Jurrell Casey matters more than most thought? There were also nine running backs who totaled at least five receptions against the Titans last year, so Cook's floor should be fine, and we all know his ceiling in this offense. Trot him back out there as a solid RB1 this week. With the Vikings not running many plays, Mattison has totaled just 14 touches through two weeks, which makes it difficult to trust him as anything more than a desperation RB5. He does remain one of the better handcuffs in the league, though.
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7.
Aaron Jones
RB - GB (at NO)
Not only is Jones getting it done on the ground, but he's also tied for the league lead with four red zone targets through two games. If you saw his highlight reel catch last week, you'll know that his targets aren't going away. Against the Saints, the Packers will need to get creative, as this is a team that shuts down running games. They've allowed just 3.41 yards per carry on the year with one touchdown on 54 carries, and it's nothing new, as they ranked as the No. 6 team against running backs last year while allowing 3.65 yards per carry. The 145.9 fantasy points they allowed on the ground ranked as the third-best behind only the Patriots and Bucs. The 181.8 PPR points they allowed through the air to running backs was a lot better, as that was the 10th-most in football. Jones has now seen at least six targets in each of the last three regular seasons he's played. If Davante Adams is out or limited, that number should be safe. This is not going to be an explosion game on the ground, but as I've been saying since this offseason, Jones is very similar to Alvin Kamara in that he's highly efficient, even if he doesn't get 20-plus touches per game like some top-tier backs. Start him as a low-end RB1 in this matchup. Williams has surprisingly seen 19 touches over the first two games, but only four have been targets. In a matchup with the Saints, I don't want to take his touches, as they offer a very low ceiling.
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8.
DeAndre Hopkins
WR - ARI (vs . DET)
You have to love the fact that Kyler Murray knows where the money is made, as he's targeted Hopkins 25 times through two games. When targeting Hopkins, he's averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. When he targets anyone else, he's averaged 5.6 yards per attempt. The Lions cornerback unit is in trouble, as they traded away top cornerback Darius Slay this offseason, then lost another starting cornerback (Justin Coleman) to injured reserve. Meanwhile, Desmond Trufant is questionable for this game with a hamstring injury. They drafted Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick, but he didn't look ready in his first NFL game, allowing seven catches for 121 yards on 10 targets in coverage. Based on alignment, it seems Hopkins will see the most of second-year cornerback Amani Oruwariye, who's allowed a 79.3 percent catch-rate and a touchdown every 9.7 targets in his coverage. Start Hopkins and expect big results.
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9.
Nick Chubb
RB - CLE (vs . WAS)
We've now seen two different gamescripts for the Browns, and they've given us clarity on how the backfield will be handled under Kevin Stefanski. Chubb is the preferred early-down option, especially in positive gamescripts, while Hunt is the preferred pass-catching back who'll get double-digit carries if they run the ball 25-plus times. Through two games, this backfield has averaged 32.0 touches per game. Funny enough, the Vikings running backs averaged 32.5 under Kevin Stefanski last year. Against Washington, we should see them rack up the carries, though there have been warning signs about efficiency in this matchup. Under Ron Rivera, this unit has allowed just 0.56 PPR points per opportunity to running backs, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in football through two weeks. A big part of that is due to them being one of just four teams who've yet to allow a touchdown to running backs. Now, to be fair, they played a Miles Sanders-less Eagles team in Week 1 and then Kyler Murray rushed for two touchdowns in Week 2, so we can't automatically assume they're rock stars that you can't run the ball against. Chubb and Hunt are tied, leading the league with 4.4 yards after contact, so getting to them isn't all you have to do; you still must bring them down. In a game they should be able to run the ball 30-plus times, you have to start these two. Chubb is the preferred option due to the positive gamescript and has double the carries Hunt does inside the five-yard-line, so start him as a low-end RB1. Hunt is still a fine backend RB2 play given the projected gamescript.
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10.
Chris Carson
RB - SEA (vs . DAL)
Week 2 was more of the timeshare we envisioned before the season started, as Carson totaled 20 touches to Hyde's seven touches. When the ball is in his hands, Carson looks good... refreshed. They're working to get him in space in the passing game, too, which certainly raises his floor. The Cowboys have faced a league-high 65 rushing attempts through two weeks, but they haven't allowed a whole lot of efficiency, as they've allowed just 3.40 yards per carry and 1.30 PPR points per target. That amounts to just 0.61 PPR points per opportunity to this point, which is the third-lowest mark in the league. While the Cowboys were a team to run the ball against last year, things change under a new coordinator, and Mike Nolan has apparently put more emphasis on stopping the run. Carson should still be started as a high-end RB2, but just know that running backs haven't been particularly efficient against them to this point. Hyde isn't someone who can be trusted outside of maybe a game the Seahawks are expected to win by double digits.
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11.
Miles Sanders
RB - PHI (vs . CIN)
Based on what we saw in Week 2, Sanders is 100 percent healthy. He played 77 percent of the snaps, which is massive for a player in Doug Pederson's offense. Now a big home favorite, can we get a breakout game from him in Week 3? When playing the Bengals, the gap between running backs and quarterbacks is 24.6 fantasy points, which is the second-highest gap in the league. Despite the additions the Bengals made this offseason, they still appear to be a team you can run the ball against, as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt showcased on primetime last week. We watched the Chargers and Browns both rack up at least 32 carries in this matchup, which bodes well for Sanders, and maybe even Scott. The Bengals allowed 19 running backs to finish as top-20 options against them last year and have allowed three of them through two games in 2020. The Eagles offensive line is a problem, but we can't pretend that the Browns or Washington have offensive lines that are great, and they were able to make it work. Start Sanders as an RB1 in this matchup. Scott touched the ball seven times in Sanders' return to the lineup, which isn't great, but what is great is the fact that it was only those two (Sanders and Scott) who touched the ball. If we get anywhere close to the 35 touches per game running backs have averaged against the Bengals here, Scott could offer last-minute RB4 value, especially in PPR formats.
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12.
Joe Mixon
RB - CIN (at PHI)
He's scored just 16.2 half PPR points through two games, which is not what fantasy enthusiasts had in mind when they drafted him in the first round. The offensive line does have a few new parts and may take some time to gel, but the biggest concern with Mixon is that he's conceding a lot of passing-down work to Giovani Bernard. To this point, Mixon has run 44 routes, while Bernard has run 41 routes. With that being said, Mixon has totaled just six targets on 97 pass attempts by Burrow (6.2 percent target share) while Bernard has seen 12 targets. Teams have chosen to run the ball against the Eagles, as Washington and the Rams ran the ball on 54.7 percent of their plays. Their running backs amassed 55 carries and 204 yards with three rushing touchdowns over the last two weeks, and we can't pretend they have the most talented units or offensive lines. The problem here is gamescript with Mixon, as the Bengals are 6.5-point underdogs, which would not favor his role as the early-down back. He should still get goal-line touches against a team that's allowed 64 points in their first two games. Mixon should remain in lineups as a high-end RB2.
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13.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
RB - KC (at BAL)
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14.
Kenyan Drake
RB - ARI (vs . DET)
The Week 1 usage was a little worrisome, but in the end, Drake has now out-touched Edmonds 40-15 through two weeks, which makes this a 73/27 split. Drake is the workhorse we thought he'd be. The Lions are clearly having issues stopping the run right now, as they've allowed a massive 353 yards on 51 carries against the Packers and Bears. The loss of Damon "Snacks" Harrison was always going to be an issue and it's not like they can bring help down into the box, as their secondary is aching. The 6.92 yards per carry they've allowed is the most in the NFL, as is the 441 total yards they've allowed to running backs. When you look at that combined with the 30-point implied team total for the Cardinals, Drake owners should be dancing. If you go back to the game these two teams played last year, you'd see David Johnson with 137 total yards and a touchdown, finishing as the RB5 on the week. Drake should be in the RB1 conversation this week and someone you're using in DFS. Edmonds is strictly a handcuff, though he'll have a role in games the Cardinals fall behind as a pass catcher. He's not someone you should rely on for more than 5-8 touches per game, though.
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15.
Austin Ekeler
RB - LAC (vs . CAR)
Guess who ranks sixth in the NFL in carries? Ekeler... and Kelley. They both have 35 carries through two games. Ekeler has been more efficient and has two more targets, but Kelley is a real thing in fantasy. He has the same number of carries as fellow rookies Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jonathan Taylor. Here's a crazy stat: Kelley totaled 23 carries in Week 2. Melvin Gordon didn't hit that number in any game through his last two years with the Chargers. Want more good news for these backs? A robust 56.1 percent of the production the Panthers have allowed to skill-position players has gone to running backs. No other team in the league has a number higher than 50.2 percent. Running backs have averaged 34.9 more PPR points per game than quarterbacks have against this Panthers defense. It's a limited sample size, sure, but you get the point. They've now allowed 33 rushing touchdowns to running backs over their last 18 games, while no other team in the league has allowed more than 19 in that span. Kelley has eight carries inside the red zone, while Ekeler has four to his name. I'm still siding with Ekeler as the one to play considering his passing-game usage, but the gap is shrinking. Ekeler needs to be played as a sturdy high-end RB2 while Kelley should be considered a high-end RB3, at minimum with the role he's walked into.
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16.
James Conner
RB - PIT (vs . HOU)
So much for those Snell hopes and dreams on the waiver wire, eh? I figured they'd give Conner another chance and he played well, compiling 121 total yards and a touchdown on 18 touches while Snell totaled exactly one yard on his four touches. This is Conner's backfield, but the Steelers will show no hesitance no move away from him if he's inefficient or dealing with an injury. There was no team in the NFL who allowed more fantasy points on the ground than the Texans last year, and it wasn't all that close, as the Chiefs were a full 16 PPR points behind them at No. 2. It wasn't just on the ground, either. They allowed a massive 1.98 PPR points per target through the air, which ranked second to only the Dolphins. When you have those numbers combined with a running back who'll likely see 18-plus opportunities, it's a recipe for big success. Both the Chiefs and Ravens rushed for more than 160 yards in their matchups against them, so there's little reason to doubt the Steelers backs. Play Conner as a low-end RB1 and as long as he stays upright, he should crush this matchup.
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17.
David Montgomery
RB - CHI (at ATL)
The touch count for the Bears through two weeks is: Montgomery 33, Cohen 15, and Cordarrelle Patterson 14 (yes, I'm counting him as a running back). The way to see that is that Montgomery is the leader in essentially a 55/45 timeshare. That's not great considering the Bears are 2-0 and the gamescript fit his role perfectly in Week 2. He's run extremely well, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and made a few shifty moves in the open field last week that led to a 28-yard receiving touchdown, but will those positive gamescripts continue? They are three-point underdogs in this game, and the Falcons have stopped the run extremely well considering their competition. Despite playing against Ezekiel Elliott and Chris Carson, they've allowed just 3.45 yards per carry through two weeks. There seem to be a variety of ways to score, though, as Carson caught two touchdowns, Elliott rushed for one, while Dak Prescott rushed for three. Montgomery is going to get the goal-line, which is the positive here, as the Bears are implied for 22 points. Where the Falcons struggle is to limit running backs through the air, as they've allowed 15-of-16 passes to be completed for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Since Dan Quinn became the Falcons coach, they've allowed an average of 6.4 receptions per game to running backs. Montgomery can have his role diminish in a highly negative gamescript, though oddsmakers have this as a close game. Plug him in as a low-end RB2 this week. Cohen is officially someone I'm worried about with just three targets through two games. Montgomery has six targets. Heck, Javon Wims has four targets. Cohen is not an early-down back who's going to grind out a high yards per carry. If he's not getting the targets, you can't use him in fantasy. The Falcons matchup suits him well, especially indoors, but he must be classified as a risky RB4/flex with some upside should Matt Nagy actually use him in the passing game.
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18.
Tyreek Hill
WR - KC (at BAL)
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19.
Todd Gurley II
RB - ATL (vs . CHI)
After Gurley totaled 19 of the Falcons 28 opportunities in Week 1 (67.9 percent), he totaled 21 of 34 opportunities in Week 2 (61.8 percent). Those are decent shares, but there is a warning sign above him. He caught just 1-of-5 targets in Week 1 and then saw zero targets in Week 2. If all he's getting is early-down work, he's going to be a touchdown-or-bust player. Targets are worth 2.5x what a carry is worth, so we don't care so much about his 21 carries that went for a measly 61 yards. Fortunately, he plays for a high-powered offense that should be in scoring position often. This week may not be one of those high-scoring weeks, though. The Bears aren't a cake matchup, especially with Akiem Hicks on the field. You can go back to last year and see they allowed 4.12 yards per carry without him, but just 2.92 yards per carry with him. The Falcons are projected for 25.0 points, which bodes well for Gurley considering the Bears have not allowed a quarterback more than two passing touchdowns since back in Week 7 of 2018. Gurley has received all five of the red zone carries for the Falcons this year. He's a touchdown dependent RB2 but one who has a better shot than most to get one this week.
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20.
Calvin Ridley
WR - ATL (vs . CHI)
We talked about a year three explosion from Ridley, but to lead all wide receivers by 16.1 half PPR points after two weeks? Sheesh. He's playing the alpha in this offense while Julio Jones plays through a hamstring injury, racking up 22 targets, 16 receptions, 239 yards, and four touchdowns. This week will be the toughest test yet when he lines up across from Kyle Fuller, the Bears top cornerback who's allowed just 6-of-15 passing for 70 scoreless yards in his coverage this year, including an interception. This should be a good battle, and while Fuller is a good cornerback, Ridley's better. Look for them to try and stretch the field with Ridley, as the route Fuller struggled the most with in 2019 was the go route and post route, allowing over 20 yards per target on said routes. Fuller is better when he can be physical with wide receivers, only Ridley's a bit too shifty for that physical play. Continue plugging him in as a WR1 until he gives you a reason not to, especially while Jones is playing at less than 100 percent.
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21.
Julio Jones
WR - ATL (vs . CHI)
He's trying to play through a hamstring injury right now, which can be problematic for fantasy owners. There's no way you can sit Jones when he's active, but he was more of a decoy last week. It should be noted that he did drop a long touchdown that was thrown by Russell Gage. Stay tuned for updates to Jones' status, but he's continually played through injuries throughout his career. The Bears secondary has played extremely well early in the season, holding Marvin Jones to just 4/55/0 on eight targets and then Darius Slayton to 3/33/0 on six targets. These guys are not Julio Jones, but they're typically fantasy producers. Jones lines up on the left side of the formation most often, which means he'll see a lot of rookie Jaylon Johnson in coverage. While Johnson has looked solid, he's still a rookie. On 12 targets in coverage, he's allowed 5/79/0, so not shutdown, but also very good for no preseason action and being thrown into the fire. There were just five receivers who posted WR1 numbers against the Bears last year, so they've been a relatively tough matchup. You have to play Jones if he takes the field, but temper expectations and avoid him in cash games. *Update* The Falcons are admitting Jones may have worsened his hamstring condition last week and there's talk of holding him out in Week 3. We'll pay attention as the week goes on and I'll update the notes here.
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22.
James Robinson
RB - JAC (vs . MIA)
Robinson has been fantastic this season and is coming off a dominant performance against the Tennessee Titans. He's now played himself into RB3 territory with the amount of touches he's seeing and his work on the field. Robinson should be considered a fine RB3/FLEX option this week against the Miami Dolphins defense.
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23.
Allen Robinson II
WR - CHI (at ATL)
It hasn't been a great start to the season for Robinson, who caught just 3-of-9 targets for 33 yards against the Giants last week. He also dropped a pass that fell into the defenders hands for an interception. Fortunately, he has a matchup with the Falcons on deck. Their cornerback duo of Isaiah Oliver and A.J. Terrell is one to target with wide receivers. We've already watched four different receivers total 16-plus PPR points against them, and none of those wide receivers even saw double-digit targets. Knowing that Robinson has seen at least seven targets in 16 of his last 18 games, he's going to produce against a secondary that's allowing 2.01 PPR points per target. Plug him in as a low-end WR1 this week and expect results. He should be someone to consider as a discounted stud in cash games, too.
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24.
Mike Evans
WR - TB (at DEN)
You had to know Evans was going to get peppered with targets against the Panthers when Godwin was announced as out, right? What was somewhat shocking was that Evans lined up in the slot on 47 percent of his routes, something that's really been unheard of. With Godwin back, Evans will move back to a near full-time perimeter role. With A.J. Bouye out of the lineup, the Broncos are starting slot cornerback Bryce Callahan on the perimeter alongside rookie Michael Ojemudia. Through two games, that duo has allowed 18-of-25 passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns in their coverage. Callahan is 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds. Evans moves back and forth, so he'll see a mix of them both, but he can with either matchup. There's zero reason to fade Evans this week when you consider the matchup, even if Brady hasn't looked great through two games. Start Evans as a borderline WR1 once again this week.
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25.
Adam Thielen
WR - MIN (vs . TEN)
He was one of my biggest whiffs last week, as I figured he'd crush the Colts secondary, but Kirk Cousins had one of the worst games of his career. Thielen has seen a 31.4 percent target share through two weeks, so there's little reason to worry about him in that aspect. Sadly, they're only having him run 15 percent of his routes from the slot, which is where he's been most effective throughout his career. Thielen might get a rookie in coverage more often than not in Week 2, as the Titans are missing their top cornerback Adoree Jackson, and might be down his backup with Johnathan Joseph, who suffered a leg injury in Week 2. That would leave Kristian Fulton at LCB, which is where Thielen lines up most of the time. Fulton has only seen four targets in his young NFL career, which have led to three catches for 48 yards, though the one incomplete pass was an interception just last week. I did like Fulton during the draft process but going against Thielen is going to be tough for any rookie. Knowing his target share, combined with the fact that the Vikings should run a lot more plays this week, you should trust Thielen as a high-end WR2 in his matchup with the rookie.
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26.
Kareem Hunt
RB - CLE (vs . WAS)
We've now seen two different gamescripts for the Browns, and they've given us clarity on how the backfield will be handled under Kevin Stefanski. Chubb is the preferred early-down option, especially in positive gamescripts, while Hunt is the preferred pass-catching back who'll get double-digit carries if they run the ball 25-plus times. Through two games, this backfield has averaged 32.0 touches per game. Funny enough, the Vikings running backs averaged 32.5 under Kevin Stefanski last year. Against Washington, we should see them rack up the carries, though there have been warning signs about efficiency in this matchup. Under Ron Rivera, this unit has allowed just 0.56 PPR points per opportunity to running backs, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in football through two weeks. A big part of that is due to them being one of just four teams who've yet to allow a touchdown to running backs. Now, to be fair, they played a Miles Sanders-less Eagles team in Week 1 and then Kyler Murray rushed for two touchdowns in Week 2, so we can't automatically assume they're rock stars that you can't run the ball against. Chubb and Hunt are tied, leading the league with 4.4 yards after contact, so getting to them isn't all you have to do; you still must bring them down. In a game they should be able to run the ball 30-plus times, you have to start these two. Chubb is the preferred option due to the positive gamescript and has double the carries Hunt does inside the five-yard-line, so start him as a low-end RB1. Hunt is still a fine backend RB2 play given the projected gamescript.
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27.
Travis Kelce
TE - KC (at BAL)
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28.
Amari Cooper
WR - DAL (at SEA)
Despite not scoring a touchdown yet, Cooper sits as the WR16 on the year. He's looked solid and not hampered by the injury we talked about during the preseason. While Gallup and Lamb fight to be the No. 2 option, it appears Cooper's role is safe. The Seahawks are the definition of a funnel defense, as they've allowed running backs just 16.0 PPR points per game but have allowed wide receivers 67.5 fantasy points per game. You read that right. Seriously, I double checked just to be sure. Through two games, they've allowed 135.1 fantasy points to wide receivers. The combination of Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar was supposed to be a positive, but it hasn't to this point, as they've combined to allow 22-of-33 passing for 333 yards and a touchdown in their coverage. Cooper will see the most of Griffin, who is the cornerback fellow Alabama route runner Calvin Ridley tagged for most of his 9/130/2 against. In a game with a 54.5-point total, there's going to be some passing and some points scored, and you're not going to want to miss them. Cooper should be played as a WR1 until further notice.
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29.
D.K. Metcalf
WR - SEA (vs . DAL)
Prior to the start of the season, I said that there's a chance we see Metcalf truly breakout as a top-10 receiver. Through two weeks, he's flashed some of the reason we loved him and currently sits as the WR7. Not only is he averaging seven targets, but they're coming from Russell Wilson, and he has one-play upside. Despite being matched up with Stephon Gilmore last week, he managed to walk away with four catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. He's matchup-proof until further notice. The Cowboys have not been a matchup to avoid, either. Through two games, they're allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per target to wide receivers. The Cowboys cornerbacks play sides, and they flip-flopped from Week 1 to Week 2, and it seemed to screw something up with Chidobe Awuzie, because he allowed two touchdowns in his coverage. He allowed just three touchdowns all of last season... on 90 targets. He also suffered an apparent hamstring injury in that game and may not play this week. The other cornerback is rookie Trevon Diggs, who has allowed 7-of-11 passing for 123 yards through two games. In a game they're projected for 30 points, there's little reason to fade Metcalf, who should be considered a low-end WR1/WR2 at the very least.
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30.
Davante Adams
WR - GB (at NO)
We got a scare with Adams last week, as he suffered a hamstring injury that had him exit the game in the third quarter. He reportedly wanted to go back in, but they held him back with a big lead. You must pay attention to his practice participation throughout the week. The part that's extremely rough is that this is a brutal matchup with Marshon Lattimore this week, one of the league's premier cornerbacks, so if Adams is at less than 100 percent, it only gets worse. Despite shadowing the league's best receivers, Lattimore has allowed six touchdowns in his coverage over a span of 254 career targets in coverage. Not bad, eh? Keep in mind he plays Mike Evans and Julio Jones twice a year. You can't sit Adams if he plays, that much we know, but you need to understand this is a tough matchup and Adams won't carry a massive ceiling.
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31.
David Johnson
RB - HOU (at PIT)
It was all David Johnson for the Texans in Week 2, as he totaled all 15 opportunities for the Texans running backs. It didn't amount to much, as he tallied just 50 scoreless yards against a stingy Baltimore defense. That matchup likely primed him for this one, as the Steelers have been the worst matchup for running backs since the start of 2019. Here's a fun fact: You'd have to go all the way back to Week 16 of 2018 to find the last time they allowed a top-12 performance to a running back. That's 19 straight games without allowing a running back to finish as an RB1. It's not due to a lack of trying, either, as the Steelers faced the ninth-most running back touches in 2019. Over their last 18 games, running backs have averaged a miniscule 0.65 PPR points per opportunity (carries and targets). Think about how good that is... even if Johnson were to get 20 touches, their average performance would give him 13.0 PPR points. Johnson is just a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 who you're hoping finds the end zone similar to Melvin Gordon last week. Duke Johnson was reportedly close to playing last week and will put a dent into David's workload, though not enough to make Duke a viable fantasy option, especially in this game.
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32.
Terry McLaurin
WR - WAS (at CLE)
He's had a couple tough matchups to start the year against Darius Slay and Patrick Peterson, but McLaurin continues to shine while finishing as the No. 11 fantasy receiver through two weeks, racking up 12 receptions for 186 yards and a touchdown. Knowing the other options on the team, his 26.6 percent target share should hold strong throughout the season. The Browns don't have a shadow cornerback, but rather trust their cornerbacks to play sides. The good news for McLaurin is that he plays about 75 percent of his snaps on the left side of the formation, which is away from the Browns top cornerback Denzel Ward. He'll see Terrence Mitchell, who's played every snap on that side of the field. It's fair to say that Mitchell has been undervalued for much of his career, allowing just a 75.5 QB Rating when targeted in coverage, including allowing just 2-of-10 passing for 19 yards against the Bengals last week. But again, he's not on the level of Slay and Peterson, as proven by the four teams he's been on over the last five years. We could also see the return of Greedy Williams, which would boot Mitchell from the lineup. No matter the case, I'm not letting this secondary scare me off McLaurin, who's a rock-solid WR2 with top-12 upside given his target share.
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33.
Tyler Lockett
WR - SEA (vs . DAL)
While Metcalf may be the higher-scoring receiver, Lockett has been mightily impressive catching 15-of-16 targets himself while totaling 159 yards and a touchdown. We know he's the primary slot receiver for Wilson, which is a completely different role, but one that he excels in. The Cowboys have 2017 third-round draft pick Jourdan Lewis covering the slot, someone who's been trending down since coming into the league. Since the start of last year, he's allowed 44-of-62 passing for 568 yards and four touchdowns in his coverage. That 9.16 yards per target is mighty high for a slot cornerback, which is likely why they had Anthony Brown starting in Week 1, only to move him to IR prior to Week 2. When you are playing against a backup cornerback with Russell Wilson as your quarterback, you should expect results. Start Lockett as you normally would, which is a rock-solid WR2 with top-10 upside in any given game.
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34.
Mark Ingram II
RB - BAL (vs . KC)
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35.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR - PIT (vs . HOU)
It's been good to see Smith-Schuster be fantasy relevant again, though he's seemingly taken a backseat to Diontae Johnson through two weeks. He's totaled a solid 14 targets that have turned into 117 yards and two touchdowns, but his 19.2 percent target share pales in comparison to Johnson's 31.5 percent share. The matchups will likely dictate who has the better week, but this week, they could choose either matchup. Smith-Schuster will see a mix of Bradley Roby and John Reid in coverage, a duo that's allowed 5-for-5 passing for 51 yards and a touchdown while covering the slot over the first two weeks. Not many realize, but Sammy Watkins plays the slot the most for the Chiefs, and if you recall, it was him having a big game in Week 1 where he tallied seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Smith-Schuster should be started as a rock-solid WR2 who clearly has top-12 upside, but he's going to need to surpass his teammate in targets to get there.
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36.
Melvin Gordon III
RB - DEN (vs . TB)
Considering the matchups he had over the first two weeks, Gordon has played well and currently sits as the RB12 in PPR formats. With Phillip Lindsay out for a few weeks, he should continue to get the 18-21 touches he has over the first two games. Unfortunately, he has a meeting with the Bucs on deck. The stats will tell you that they've allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs on the year, but that doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. Since Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles took over in Tampa, they've allowed just 1,027 yards on 347 carries. I'll save you the math - that's 2.96 yards per carry, easily the lowest mark in the NFL. They have, however, allowed the most fantasy points through the air to running backs in 2020, as the Saints and Panthers backfields have turned in 40.8 PPR points through the air alone. Rewind that for a minute and think... that's Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey. Meanwhile Gordon has seen three targets in each of his two games, so he's not on that level. Still, he's a three-down back who's getting 80 percent of the touches, so even in a tough matchup, he should be considered a low-end RB2/high-end RB3. It certainly doesn't help that oddsmakers have set the Broncos team total to just 18.8 points.
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37.
Mark Andrews
TE - BAL (vs . KC)
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38.
D.J. Moore
WR - CAR (at LAC)
It's clear that Moore is still the same highly-targeted receiver in Joe Brady's offense as he was in Scott Turner's last year, as his 22 targets rank fourth among wide receivers. He hasn't found the end zone yet, and while those will come, it may not be in Week 3. The Chargers incredible cornerback duo of Chris Harris Jr. and Casey Hayward awaits, though there's a twist to what we thought. The Chargers have deployed Harris in the slot, which means Michael Davis is starting on the perimeter. The Chargers have still allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per target (1.36) to wide receivers, and they were the fourth-best team in the league against wide receivers last year, too. It helps that they've faced just 15.8 wide receiver targets per game in that stretch. You can't bench Moore with all the targets he's getting, but you need to understand how tough of a matchup this is, knocking him down into low-end WR2 territory. I definitely prefer him over Anderson considering Moore will match up with Davis more than he will Hayward, unless they shadow Moore, which seems dangerous to leave Anderson in Davis' coverage all game.
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39.
Odell Beckham Jr.
WR - CLE (vs . WAS)
He ended last week with 76 yards and a touchdown, but if you watched that game, it could've been much more. There were penalties that should've been called, but the good news is that people were able to see Beckham is still very good on national television. The potential downside, however, is that Mayfield seemed to go into that game with a different mindset, and it was one that wasn't going to force the ball to Beckham. This is a good thing in some ways, but it could take away some of the steady targets. Going against Washington's cornerbacks is hardly a daunting task, though the pressure their front seven is bringing to the quarterback has allowed them to look better than they are. The duo of Ronald Darby and Fabian Moreau have stuck to sides, and Beckham plays on both sides of the formation, so he'll see a mixture of these two. We watched DeAndre Hopkins catch 8-of-9 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown against this secondary last week. Beckham may not get back to the elite status we once knew, but he should remain in play as a solid WR2 with upside as long as Mayfield can keep it together.
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40.
D.J. Chark Jr.
WR - JAC (vs . MIA)
If you didn't gauge the panic level of Chark's owner in your league this week, you're doing fantasy football wrong. He's the No. 1 receiver on this team and the flood gates are going to open soon. With Minshew using everyone on the field, it'll only take away the attention that Chark gets. This week will likely be a tough one to maintain his efficiency, but the Dolphins cornerback duo of Xavien Howard and Byron Jones haven't lived up to their reputation over the first two weeks. They allowed N'Keal Harry and Julian Edelman catch 10-of-13 balls for 96 yards (and almost a touchdown, had Harry not fumbled into the end zone), and then allowed Stefon Diggs and John Brown to rip them to shreds for 12 catches, 235 yards, and two touchdowns. It's likely due to the fact that their front seven isn't generating any pressure, leaving them out to dry in coverage. I'd like Chark more if he moved into the slot more than 17 percent of the time (his percentage to this point), as he'd evade the coverage of those two cornerbacks, but he's still talented enough to win. Because of that, he should be considered a high-end WR3 who should start seeing more targets. *Update* Byron Jones has been ruled out for this game, which is good news, but Chark himself is listed as a game-time decision with a chest injury. You'll want to check the inactive list right before Thursday night football.
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41.
Robert Woods
WR - LAR (at BUF)
Don't hit the panic button on Woods after his weak outing against the revamped Eagles secondary. He did manage to sneak in a rushing touchdown to ensure he didn't completely bust, but five targets isn't ideal. Still, it's one game. That was the first time he hasn't seen at least eight targets in a game since back in Week 8 of last year. The Bills are likely going to use Tre'Davious White to shadow Woods while he's on the perimeter, which is where he runs his routes about 55 percent of the time. He's one of the best cornerbacks in football and has allowed just a 54.1 percent catch rate over the course of his career, and that's while often shadowing opposing No. 1 receivers. There have been 17 wide receivers who've seen eight or more targets against the Bills over their last 18 games, but only five of them have scored more than 16 PPR points, which is middling WR2 territory most of the time. Of those five wide receivers, four of them were slot-heavy receivers (Jamison Crowder three times, Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker). You need to keep expectations in check for Woods this week, as he's likely a low-end WR2 for this one. He can still do some damage during that 45 percent slot usage.
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42.
Marquise Brown
WR - BAL (vs . KC)
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43.
Stefon Diggs
WR - BUF (vs . LAR)
See Diggs get targets, see Diggs succeed. I don't know what was so hard about this for the Vikings to understand, as he continually struggled to get targeted in that offense. He ended last year with 94 targets and that was with Adam Thielen missing essentially half the season. With the Bills, he's now on pace for a ridiculous 176 targets, 128 receptions, 1,912 yards, and eight touchdowns. No big deal. That's obviously not going to be sustainable, and he'll have his toughest matchup of the season here in Week 3 when Jalen Ramsey is asked to shadow him. We saw fellow route-running savant Amari Cooper wiggle his way to a 10-catch, 81-yard performance against Ramsey back in Week 1, so he's not unbeatable. Still, Ramsey has allowed just four touchdowns in his coverage over the last two-plus years, which has spanned over 173 targets, with most of which coming against top-tier receivers. You can't keep Diggs out of your lineup with the targets he's getting, but temper expectations into WR3 territory this week.
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44.
Cooper Kupp
WR - LAR (at BUF)
We knew that Kupp's usage would change a bit this year with them wanting to run more 12 personnel, but he's still playing almost every snap and still running about 60 percent of his routes from the slot. That's a big positive in this matchup because of the top five performances against the Bills secondary over the last two years, slot-heavy receivers have accounted for four of them. This is highly unusual. Taron Johnson is the one who'll be tasked with trying to slow Kupp down this week. He was in coverage for eight of Jamison Crowder's receptions in Week 1, even though they amounted to just 56 yards. That's been Johnson's thing over the last two years, allowing a high 74 percent catch-rate, but limiting the yards overall by keeping the play in front of him. Kupp should offer a solid floor with the best matchup of the Rams receivers, though I can't say he's anything more than a mid-to-low-end WR2.
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45.
Keenan Allen
WR - LAC (vs . CAR)
How happy was Allen to see Justin Herbert under center? He was targeted 10 times by the rookie, connecting on seven of them for 96 yards, while the rest of the receivers combined for just six targets. There was an episode of Hard Knocks this preseason where I watched Herbert go over to Allen and said something to the effect of, "I'm just here to get the ball to you, man. Consider me your assistant," or something like to that effect. It's clear he's a fan of Allen's game. The Panthers have Corn Elder covering the slot, a third-year cornerback who's seen just 10 career targets in his coverage. On those targets, he's allowed seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. When the Chargers aren't running the ball all over the Panthers, they should be targeting Allen over the middle of the field. Knowing Allen saw a 30.3 percent target share in Herbert's first start, you should feel confident starting him as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 with a solid floor.
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46.
T.Y. Hilton
WR - IND (vs . NYJ)
I said last week that if you couldn't trust Hilton against the Vikings, then when could you? After a three-catch, 28-yard performance, you can't be feeling great. Through two games with Rivers in plus matchups, Hilton currently sits as the WR66 in fantasy, right in between Curtis Samuel and Tre'Quan Smith, just like we all expected. The loss of Parris Campbell surely can't hurt his target floor moving forward. The Jets perimeter cornerback duo of Blessuan Austin and Pierre Desir is another one of the least talented units in football, as the duo has combined to allow 10-for-13 passing for 97 yards and two touchdowns through two weeks. The issue comes down to how many times the Colts will actually need to throw the ball but knowing the Jets' opponents have averaged 70.0 plays per game, we should see at least 30 pass attempts out of Rivers here. Hilton may have hit the point where he's just not the same player, but he doesn't need to be to post WR3/4 numbers in this game.
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47.
Michael Gallup
WR - DAL (at SEA)
The kneejerk reaction to the Cowboys drafting Lamb was that Gallup would take a big hit. We all got past that and said it was realistic to see Lamb in the Randall Cobb role, with maybe a slight portion of the tight end targets that had vacated. Unfortunately, the initial reaction may have been correct. Gallup has 10 targets through two games while Lamb has 15 of them. There was just one stretch of two games where Gallup had 10 targets last year, so we're officially worried. He's typically at LWR, which means he'll see the most of Quinton Dunbar, the Seahawks big acquisition at cornerback. The Seahawks as a whole have struggled to stop wide receivers, but Dunbar has been at least competent. If the last two years are a sign of anything, he's the most talented cornerback on the team. Again, this team has allowed 67.5 PPR points per game to wide receivers, so there's production to be had, but Gallup is at the stage where he almost needs to prove it before he can be trusted as a top-30 wide receiver. He's just a borderline WR3/4 option despite the plus matchup, though the bright side is that the Seahawks have allowed six top-36 wide receivers through two games.
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48.
Diontae Johnson
WR - PIT (vs . HOU)
Is there a real possibility that Johnson has emerged as the Steelers' WR1? The target totals would suggest that the answer to that question is yes. Through two games, Johnson has seen 23 targets to Juju's 14. Johnson is now solidifying himself as a weekly must-start option and Big Ben should be looking his way often in this matchup. Johnson has top-15 upside this week and should be played everywhere that you've got him.
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49.
Leonard Fournette
RB - TB (at DEN)
It appeared that Jones may have lost the starting job last week. It's a shame because it was almost as if the Bucs were looking for a reason, but he gave them one when he botched the handoff leading to a turnover. Bruce Arians said after the game that he's not planning on giving the starting job to Fournette, and that he likes him to come into the game later and finish teams off. This could very easily become a Peyton Barber/Jones situation from last year where we never seemingly know which one to start. For now, it appears that Jones hasn't lost all hope, but he's on thin ice every week, which can't be good for his mental state entering a game. The Broncos have allowed 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games to open the season, as both Derrick Henry and James Conner were able to get there. That's a big change from last year when they allowed two 100-yard rushers all season. Oddly enough, Fournette was one of them when he rattled off 225 yards on 29 carries in their Week 4 matchup. The bottom line with this matchup is that we have a lack of confidence in which running back to trust. Jones appears to be the 1A but he presents so much risk that he can't be played as anything more than a low-end RB3 with tons of risk. Meanwhile, Fournette is going to get some touches, though how many depends on if Jones screws something up. Fournette should be considered a high-end RB4 who has some upside, sure, but also has a five-touch floor if Jones is running hot.
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50.
CeeDee Lamb
WR - DAL (at SEA)
It's odd to think that none of the Cowboys receivers have scored a touchdown this season, especially considering they've combined for 50 targets through two games. Oddly enough, the Seahawks have allowed a league-leading 731 yards to wide receivers (no other team has allowed more than 524 yards) but have only allowed two touchdowns to them. Lamb has been running 91.4 percent of his routes from the slot, which means he'll match up with last year's fourth-round pick Ugo Amadi, who hasn't been what you'd describe as great on his limited playing time. He's only seen 22 targets in coverage throughout his 123 snaps in coverage, allowing 19 of them to be completed for 164 yards, though none of them have gone for touchdowns yet. He's only playing because safety/cornerback Marquise Blair is out for the year with a torn ACL. This is a matchup that Lamb should be able to take advantage of, making him a decent WR3 play this week.
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51.
Julian Edelman
WR - NE (vs . LV)
I had to double-check the stat sheet from Sunday night's game, as Edelman's eight catches for 179 yards brought his season average to 13.1 yards per target. He's never averaged more than 7.9 yards per target in his career. Just 51 of his 236 yards are after contact, so Newton is targeting him much further down the field. He's running 81 percent of his routes from in the slot, which means he'll see veteran Lamarcus Joyner in the slot. After a rough start to his slot cornerback transition (from safety), Joyner has been solid, allowing just 9.7 yards per reception, though the 72.9 percent completion-rate is high. The best performance by a slot-heavy receiver against the Raiders since the start of last year is Keenan Allen's eight-catch, 68-yard game where he didn't even score. That's not great for his projection in this game, but you have to keep playing him while getting the targets he is (9.0 per game) from Newton. Consider him a decent floor WR3 who may not come with a massive ceiling in this contest.
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52.
Devin Singletary
RB - BUF (vs . LAR)
Singletary has been getting the majority of the touches in this backfield and has put up some decent numbers. However, without the goal-line opportunities, it's unlikely that we see Singletary ever finish higher than a RB2 in a given week. Singletary can be rolled out this week as a RB3 in a fine matchup for RBs on paper.
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53.
Antonio Gibson
RB - WAS (at CLE)
Last week in this article, I wrote "Gibson is an upside RB4 who should continue to see his role grow." Well, after just one week, he saw his snaps skyrocket. He played just 18 snaps in the opener but watched that number grow to 43 snaps in Week 2, while Barber went from 29 offensive snaps to just one last week. Now, McKissic is clearly going to be a thorn in Gibson's side, as he's been consistent in his snaps and has totaled 16 opportunities through two weeks, but he's only going to lose momentum as the season goes on. The Browns run defense has played much better than anyone anticipated given their linebacking unit, as they've allowed just 2.97 yards per carry over the first two weeks to backfields much more talented than this one. The Ravens and Bengals running backs combined for just 38 carries in the two games combined, and no running back has rushed for more than 46 yards. With Gibson only seeing one target in a game they trailed throughout, he's still not getting enough opportunities to play as anything more than an RB3 but we're getting closer. McKissic is never someone you're going to feel comfortable playing, so why roster him? And Barber, well, we've seen enough, right?
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54.
A.J. Green
WR - CIN (at PHI)
There's some pros and cons to Green moving forward. The pros are that he's seen a team-high 22 targets through two weeks and Burrow looks like he's going to be a good one. The cons are that Green has turned those 22 targets into just 80 scoreless yards and hasn't looked like the player he once was. His 3.6 yards per target is the 31st worst mark of all-time from wide receivers who've seen 20-plus targets. It seems every time he gets up off the ground, it's a struggle. He might be working back into game-shape after having 2019 off, which must be the hope. Until we see his efficiency rise, we have to treat him as a risky start in fantasy. Still, his ridiculous 330 air yards through two weeks leads the NFL by a full 34 percent. Take this from someone who loved Green before the season began: I have zero clue what to do. Fortunately, his matchup doesn't entice you to start him this week, as he's likely getting Darius Slay in coverage, one of the top cornerbacks in the game. Slay did move around the formation in Week 1, but then stayed firmly planted at LCB in Week 2, so it's possible we don't have a shadow situation, but I'd expect it. Slay hasn't allowed anything higher than a 97.4 QB Rating in his coverage over each of the last six seasons. Green should be considered a risky WR3 who needs to remind us of the player we once knew. If he does, the volume has been better than ever.
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55.
Joshua Kelley
RB - LAC (vs . CAR)
Kelley has been an amazing find for fantasy managers that took the shot on him late in drafts and he saw an insane 23 carries last week against the Kansas City Chiefs. He's also seeing some work out of the backfield as a receiver and he's getting the goal-line carries. Kelley's in an excellent spot this week to return top-20 value at the RB position and he should be started everywhere you can against the worst run defense in the NFL right now.
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56.
Zack Moss
RB - BUF (vs . LAR)
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57.
Zach Ertz
TE - PHI (vs . CIN)
The Eagles are going to run 2TE sets a lot more than even I expected. After two weeks, we've seen Ertz play 126 snaps while Goedert has played 118 of them. Meanwhile, the highest snap count among receivers is 101 by Jalen Reagor. These two are the heartbeat of the offense. Goedert is starting to look like the preferred option, as he out-targeted Ertz once again. He now leads the duo in targets on the season, 17-14. The Bengals have an all-new linebacker group and have been without starting safety Shawn Williams, but they've been competent against tight ends to this point, allowing 7.44 yards per target with no touchdowns. It's such a small sample size, so we must go back to look at 2019 when they allowed 8.40 yards per target (fourth-most), and 1.91 PPR points per target (sixth-most) to the position. There were six tight ends who saw more than three targets against them last year, and five of them finished as top-nine options. It's safe to say you can start both of these tight ends, though Goedert might be the favorite moving forward, as he's totaled at least eight targets in four straight games dating back to last year, and has at least six targets in each of his last nine games. With Jalen Reagor ruled out, these two are going to be busy. I'd set the over/under on their targets at 15.
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58.
Darius Slayton
WR - NYG (vs . SF)
Slayton came crashing back down to earth last week, but he does have some upside in this matchup. With some key pieces missing from this offense now, Slayton's going to be needed more than ever and this 49ers secondary isn't as daunting as it's been in previous seasons. He can be rolled out as a WR3 again this week.
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59.
Jarvis Landry
WR - CLE (vs . WAS)
The 10-day break should be good for Landry, who's been bothered by his surgically repaired hip, forcing him to be limited in practices. Through two games, he's caught 8-of-9 targets for 107 scoreless yards. This figures to be a run-heavy attack by the Browns, but teams have averaged 70.0 plays per game against Washington, so we should still see 30-plus pass attempts. Knowing the strength of the Washington defense (getting pressure), slot receivers should provide an outlet for their quarterbacks when under duress. We've seen the combination of Greg Ward and Larry Fitzgerald combine to catch 12-of-14 balls for 81 yards against them over the first two weeks, which isn't particularly exciting, but then again, you didn't draft Landry to be exciting. The matchup with Jimmy Moreland in the slot is a good one, so as long as Landry appears healthy, he should deliver decent WR3/4 numbers in this game.
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60.
John Brown
WR - BUF (vs . LAR)
The targets came back down to where we expected them to be with Brown in Week 2, as he saw just six of them, though that was enough to produce 82 yards and a touchdown, though most of that came on a late 46-yard touchdown catch. With Josh Allen dropping back to pass a lot more, it's put Brown on a path to exceed last year's 115 targets, even with Diggs on the roster. On top of that, Diggs will often draw the opponent's top cornerback in coverage, leaving Brown with a better WR/CB matchup. The Rams have Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams on the perimeter, but we're expecting Ramsey to shadow Diggs, which would leave Brown with Williams. He's only faced 23 career targets, but he's been promising on them, intercepting three passes while allowing one touchdown. He did a great job with Michael Gallup for most of Week 1, and then held his own against the Eagles in Week 2. Brown should be considered a semi-risky WR3/4-type option this week, though it helps that Allen is playing better than ever.
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61.
J.K. Dobbins
RB - BAL (vs . KC)
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62.
Marvin Jones Jr.
WR - DET (at ARI)
Considering Golladay was out the first two weeks, you can say that it's been a disappointing start to the season for Jones, who has just 78 yards through two games. He has the same number of targets as Amendola and just one more than the rookie Quintez Cephus. The Cardinals haven't been a very giving team to wide receivers thus far, as the 46.9 PPR points they've allowed to them is the lowest in the league. It certainly helps that they've played just one receiver who was a legitimate threat (Terry McLaurin), and he was able to post 125 yards and a touchdown. Last year, against this defense (without Patrick Peterson, who was suspended), Jones caught 4-of-4 passes for 56 yards. That's an interesting number because Jones has not topped that number in each of his last six games. He's becoming more and more volatile, but when the total for a game is 54.5, you want to believe he's going to get a slice of that pie. He's a risk/reward WR3/4 this week.
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63.
Tyler Boyd
WR - CIN (at PHI)
After many panicked based on his Week 1 usage, Boyd reminded fantasy owners that he's still a very large part of this offense with his seven-catch, 72-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 2. That was a smash spot, though, as he was playing against a backup slot cornerback. This week, it's going to be a lot different, as the Eagles went out and acquired one of the best slot cornerbacks in the game. Nickell Robey-Coleman has been a thorn in receivers' side, allowing just a 61.9 percent completion rate, which is low for a slot cornerback, and 6.04 yards per target in his coverage. To be fair, Boyd did play against him last year while he was on the Rams and posted a 6/65/0 line on nine targets, so it wasn't a complete waste. We're probably looking at a situation similar to Cooper Kupp last week, who wound up with five catches for 81 yards. This is not the plus matchup it was for wide receivers last year, so don't let anyone tell you that. Boyd should be considered a low-upside WR3 in this game.
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64.
DeVante Parker
WR - MIA (at JAC)
Parker defied all odds when he came back last week after dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. On 8 targets, he was able to finish with a 5-51-1 line and be a solid contributor to your fantasy lineup if you had the guts to play him. As long as Parker's healthy and he practices this week, he's a fantastic WR2 option in this matchup. The Jaguars haven't been able to stop anyone through the air yet and Parker should put together a solid outing.
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65.
Will Fuller V
WR - HOU (at PIT)
He was on and off the field throughout Week 2 and wound up playing 37 snaps, but he didn't have a single target. Fantasy owners have seen this all too often with Fuller. Just one week after accounting for 51 percent of their air yards, this happens. You'll need to monitor his practice participation throughout the week, but the matchup leaves a lot to be desired. The Steelers have allowed just two wide receivers to top 100 yards against them since the start of last year. One was Tyler Boyd, who is nothing like Fuller, while the other was Darius Slayton in Week 1. Both of them saw nine targets, a number that's going to be hard for Fuller to get to if he's not 100 percent, especially now that Brandin Cooks is near full health and developing rapport with Watson. The Steelers allowed just six plays of 40-plus yards last year and none with 60-plus yards, so relying on a big play out of Fuller wouldn't make sense. You need volume, so pay attention to the practice reports. If he's practicing in full, you must consider him as a boom-or-bust WR3. If he's limited throughout the week and questionable, he moves into WR4 territory with donut potential (a zero in your lineup). I'll update his notes later in the week.
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66.
DeSean Jackson
WR - PHI (vs . CIN)
He's the No. 2 receiver in the league when it comes to air yards, a stat that's often predictive of fantasy success. To this point, Jackson has averaged just 6.9 yards per target, but over the last seven years, he's averaged at least 10.0 yards per target in six of them. Seeing seven and nine targets is encouraging; he'll bounce back. The Bengals secondary hasn't allowed more than four receptions to a receiver over the first two weeks, which is due to the fact that running backs have had their way with them. But still, we've seen Keenan Allen get eight targets and turn them into 4/37/0, Mike Williams turn nine targets into 4/69/0, and then Odell Beckham turn six targets into 4/74/1. What was encouraging for Jackson is that Beckham seemed to routinely get open down the field against them, and if not for some holding, we would've seen a bigger game out of him. If Wentz can get some time, those air yards for Jackson might turn into a big play or two. Given his target and air yards share, he should remain in the WR3 conversation.
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67.
Tyler Higbee
TE - LAR (at BUF)
We're now two weeks in and Higbee has played a rock-solid 87.3 percent of the snaps. Not that you were wondering if you should play him or not after that three-touchdown performance, but if you were here, I told you his vitals were good in Week 1 despite a weak stat line. The Bills defense has been a magnet for tight end targets, as they've seen 20 targets (third-most), which has led to them allowing 15 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown. Those are great numbers and keep in mind that the two tight ends they played against (Mike Gesicki, Chris Herndon) have not been particularly efficient throughout their careers. Of the production they've allowed to running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, 24.1 percent of it has been the tight ends, which ranks as the ninth-highest percentage in the league. With the tough matchup for Robert Woods, we should see Higbee peppered with some targets in this matchup, making him a rock-solid TE1.
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68.
Chris Godwin
WR - TB (at DEN)
After missing the game last Sunday, Godwin was cleared in the concussion protocol on Monday, so he's good to go. He'll return to a matchup with undrafted rookie Essang Bassey. Through two games, he's seen six targets and none of them have hit the ground. They've only gone for 45 yards, as teams haven't felt the need to push the ball downfield against this defense. The Bucs can really pick their poison this week this week, as Evans' cornerback matchup is just as good as Godwin's. But going by the fact that the Broncos have allowed just 11.2 yards per reception is an indicator that Godwin's role may be more valuable. You're starting both of them, obviously, so the hope is that they use this game to boost the confidence of Brady and his receivers, and that they both can produce top-20 numbers.
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69.
Darren Waller
TE - LV (at NE)
Remember when the Raiders drafted a bunch of wide receivers that would ruin Waller's fantasy prospects? That was fun. He has 24 targets through two games, while Ruggs and Edwards have combined for 11 targets. He's currently the TE2 in PPR formats, just 2.2 points behind Travis Kelce. The Saints had absolutely no solution for him, including Malcolm Jenkins, one of the best cover safeties out there. It's why you must wonder if the Patriots use Stephon Gilmore to cover him. The Patriots played a couple big-name tight ends last year and here were the results: Zach Ertz 9/94/0, Travis Kelce 7/66/0, and Mark Andrews 2/21/0. Not the worst results, but definitely could be better. The Patriots defense isn't the same, though, and have five new starters in the mix. Mike Gesicki was held to just 3/30/0 in Week 1 and then exploded in Week 2, so maybe it's the scheme that limits the production? You can't sit a tight end who's averaging 12 targets per game, but you can limit expectations considering he might be staring at Gilmore in coverage. He's a TE1 every week, but this is one where you want to stay away in cash games.
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70.
Hunter Henry
TE - LAC (vs . CAR)
It didn't matter who the quarterback was for the Chargers when it came to Henry, who saw the exact same eight targets in each game. His 156 yards through two weeks ranks second among tight ends. Sadly, tight ends haven't produced against the new defensive scheme in Carolina, as they've allowed a miniscule 1.06 PPR points per target on the season. It's a very small sample size but allowing just 58 yards on 13 targets is good no matter which way you slice it. When you find out those tight ends were Darren Waller, Rob Gronkowski, and O.J. Howard, you should be even more impressed. The Bucs and Raiders totaled just 65 pass attempts in the two games against the Panthers, too, so it's not likely that this game brings a lot of volume. You're starting Henry every week with the targets he's getting, but based on what we've seen from this defense, you need to temper expectations to low-end TE1 territory.
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71.
Jerick McKinnon
RB - SF (at NYG)
With both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman out for this game, the workload will be split between McKinnon, Wilson, and likely Kyle Juszczyk. Over the last 11 games Wilson has played, he's scored five touchdowns on 30 touches, which is ridiculous. That happened because 16 of his 27 carries came inside the red zone, including 10 of them inside the 10-yard line, which was 25 percent of the team's total on the season. He's clearly the favored back in the red zone. McKinnon looked good last week, rumbling for 77 yards and a touchdown on just three carries against the Jets. That's the issue right there, though. Three carries in a game they lost Mostert, and even before Coleman got hurt, he was inefficient. Still, McKinnon got three carries. He had five targets in Week 1, which is something we should be looking for with Mullens under center. He targeted running backs 49 times in his eight games, enough for a 17.9 percent target share, and they didn't have the problems they do now at wide receiver. The Giants have allowed a healthy 4.64 yards per carry through two games, and though they haven't allowed a rushing touchdown, they did allow David Montgomery to score a receiving touchdown last week. We know Kyle Shanahan's scheme works, which is why we search for running backs who will get the most touches in it. My guess here would be that Wilson gets at least 12 touches, including goal-line work. Because of that, he's my favorite play in this backfield and should be considered a middling RB3 this week. McKinnon has a much wider range of outcomes, so we need to be careful not to expect too much for a running back who's received nine touches in the last two-plus years. He has some upside, sure, but I can't say for certain he gets more than 10 opportunities, and we're expecting Wilson to get the touches that matter most. Consider McKinnon a high-end RB4.
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72.
Mike Williams
WR - LAC (vs . CAR)
It wasn't the best week for Williams, as it seemed rookie quarterback Justin Herbert favored Keenan Allen rather than taking one-on-one shots down the field, though he still did target him over 16 yards down the field. On the year, Williams now has 229 air yards, which ranks as the 10th-most among wide receivers. The Panthers have only seen 26 wide receiver targets through two weeks, but have allowed a massive 15.06 yards per reception on them, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. Williams plays on both sides of the formation, so he'll see a mixture of Donte Jackson and Rasul Douglas in coverage. Jackson allowed a robust 16.9 yards per reception in his coverage last year. He has 4.32-second speed, but he's just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. Williams can win that matchup. Douglas certainly has better size (6-2, 209) to handle Williams, but he's slow (4.59-second speed) and allowed 15.7 yards per reception in his coverage as well. The only concern about Williams in this match is the targets. If they're there, he'll produce. This could be a two-touchdown type game if they really wanted, but after seeing just four targets in Herbert's debut, we have to keep him in the boom-or-bust WR4 range.
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73.
Jerry Jeudy
WR - DEN (vs . TB)
He's instantly the best wide receiver on this team with Courtland Sutton out for the year, though he also just lost his starting quarterback. The good news is that Jeff Driskel was competent when asked to play in relief last week, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers tough defense. The Bucs defense is no walk in the park, either. They've continually gotten better and have allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers through two weeks despite playing against the Saints and Panthers. Now, to be fair, any wide receiver who's seen more than five targets against them has finished with 100-plus receiving yards (D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson). Jeudy has seen 15 targets through two games, so with Sutton out, that number should only rise as he gains more experience. He's running 77 percent of his routes from the slot, which means he'll see second-year cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting the most. That's a good thing, as he's allowed a 74.1 percent catch-rate in his coverage over his 18 games of experience, including four touchdowns on 81 targets. The Bucs best cornerback is Carlton Davis, who won't see Jeudy more than 20 percent of the time. There's risk with a backup under center, but Jeudy should be able to deliver competent WR3/4 numbers in this game with upside for more.
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74.
Corey Davis
WR - TEN (at MIN)
After a great Week 1 performance, Davis was bailed out by a touchdown to salvage his Week 2 performance where Tannehill threw four touchdowns. The one Davis did snag was impressive, and we did talk about the volume concerns in that game, which came true when Tannehill threw just 22 passes. The Vikings are allowing more fantasy points per game than the Jaguars did, and I'm not talking about just the wide receivers. As for the receivers, the Vikings have allowed a massive 53.1 PPR points per game to them, which ranks as the second most in the league behind only the Seahawks. That's what happens when you flip your cornerback depth chart upside down. The combination of Mike Hughes and Holton Hill have allowed 19-of-24 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns through two weeks, and they're the ones Davis will see much of the day. Much of that was done by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers receivers, but Tannehill has proven to be playing at a high level, so there's little reason to doubt he can get the ball to Davis. If Brown remains out, Davis is in the WR3 conversation. If Brown can suit up, Davis might still be the preferred play (depending on how limited Brown is), but his floor would drop him into the WR4 range.
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75.
Jared Cook
TE - NO (vs . GB)
Who would've thought that Cook would see fewer targets with Michael Thomas out of the lineup? This has been the life of Cook fantasy owners through the years. Tight ends have only been targeted seven times against the Packers this year, but every single one of those targets have been caught for 101 yards, though no touchdowns. That 14.4 yards per target is the most in the league. In the same defensive scheme last year, this defense allowed eight tight ends to post top-12 numbers against them, though it's worth noting that seven of them saw six-plus targets. That's a number Cook should get to, though after last week's oddball performance from the Saints, nothing should shock you. I'd still say he's a lock for five-plus targets and that makes him a low-end TE1 with upside should the Saints offense return to form.
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76.
Robby Anderson
WR - CAR (at LAC)
It appears that Matt Rhule and Joe Brady had a big role planned for Anderson when they signed him to that two-year deal this offseason. It was the best thing for his production, as he's tallied 15 receptions for 223 yards and a touchdown, enough to make him the No. 5 receiver in PPR formats. We've definitely seen "boom" performances from Anderson in the past but they were usually throughout the season and not back-to-back. Now having at least eight targets in two straight games to open his Panthers career, it's a good sign of things to come. Unfortunately, the Chargers are not a defense to attack with wide receivers, as they've allowed the 10th-fewest points to them in 2020, and that's coming off last season's No. 4 finish. They added Chris Harris Jr. to the mix, which certainly helps compensate for the loss of safety Derwin James on the back end, though that's where Tyreek Hill beat them last week. He'd totaled just four catches for 45 scoreless yards on 10 targets before that fourth-quarter bomb that went for a 45-yard touchdown. That's why it's so hard to sit someone like Anderson, as he also presents that one-play upside, and when he's getting eight-plus opportunities per game, the chances rise. The Chargers did allow just six pass plays of 40-plus yards last year, so it's far from a certainty. He's turning into a WR3, though he comes with bust risk in this matchup knowing he'll see Casey Hayward the most, who might be a top-five cornerback in the league.
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77.
Emmanuel Sanders
WR - NO (vs . GB)
It hasn't been a great start to the relationship between Sanders and Brees, as Sanders is averaging just 4.1 yards per target. He saw just three targets with Michael Thomas out of the lineup, making fantasy owners want to pull out their hair. Sanders is playing 40 percent of his snaps in the slot, which means he'll see a mixture of all Packers cornerbacks. If there's been a trend over the last two years, it's that the Packers are hurt deep down the field by wide receivers, and that's evidenced by the 14.95 yards per reception this year and 15.84 yards per reception last year. Sanders has an average depth of target of just 7.5 yards, which is among the lowest in the league. This doesn't seem like a matchup that fits his strengths very well, making him a mediocre WR4/5, and that's with Thomas out of the lineup.
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78.
Jonnu Smith
TE - TEN (at MIN)
Smith is currently the TE1 in all of fantasy football and has now moved into weekly must-start territory. In a matchup that should see Tennessee put points up on the board, Smith should easily return TE1 value yet again.
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79.
Preston Williams
WR - MIA (at JAC)
Williams hasn't looked like the same player that we saw on the field in 2019. He's struggling with drops and just simply hasn't been as productive. While this is a solid matchup for him, it's hard to put him into your lineup with confidence this week. He can be started as a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 because of the matchup.
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80.
Dallas Goedert
TE - PHI (vs . CIN)
Goedert came out swinging in week one, but disappointed fantasy managers that rolled him into their starting lineup in week two. He's still getting the targets that make him an intriguing option in deep leagues, but he's not someone that can be trusted as a reliable start every single week. In this matchup, Goedert is a high-end TE2.
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81.
Malcolm Brown
RB - LAR (at BUF)
We were told by Sean McVay himself that this would be a timeshare in 2020 and he wasn't lying. Through two games, the touch count is: Brown 32, Akers 18, Henderson 17. We may have lost one part of that timeshare in Week 2 as Akers had to leave with a rib injury. That would certainly help clear things up and make us feel better about both Brown and Henderson, as the Rams running backs have combined to average 33.5 touches per game, which is enough for two running backs to be productive. The Bills run defense isn't anything too intimidating and they were without two starting linebackers last week, though you wouldn't know it by the stat sheet. They have yet to play a running back who's totaled more than seven carries. This is what happens when you play the Jets and Dolphins over the first two weeks. If you look at them last year, they allowed a healthy 4.37 yards per carry, though the 25.6 touches per game they allowed to running backs was the eighth-lowest mark in football. I've brought this stat up before and I think it makes sense to do it again given the Rams willingness to run the ball in the red zone. Under Sean McDermott, the Bills have now allowed 46 rushing touchdowns to running backs over 50 regular season games. That averages out to 14.7 per season. By comparison, there were just five teams who allowed more than that in 2019. If Akers is ruled out, Henderson is my favorite play as a high-end RB3, though Brown is right there in a tier below (low-end RB3). They come with risk, sure, but given the number of touches going around combined with touchdown upside, it's a risk you should be willing to take. Akers is currently questionable for the game, but don't be surprised if he misses at least one week with his rib cartilage injury.
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82.
Ronald Jones II
RB - TB (at DEN)
It appeared that Jones may have lost the starting job last week. It's a shame because it was almost as if the Bucs were looking for a reason, but he gave them one when he botched the handoff leading to a turnover. Bruce Arians said after the game that he's not planning on giving the starting job to Fournette, and that he likes him to come into the game later and finish teams off. This could very easily become a Peyton Barber/Jones situation from last year where we never seemingly know which one to start. For now, it appears that Jones hasn't lost all hope, but he's on thin ice every week, which can't be good for his mental state entering a game. The Broncos have allowed 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games to open the season, as both Derrick Henry and James Conner were able to get there. That's a big change from last year when they allowed two 100-yard rushers all season. Oddly enough, Fournette was one of them when he rattled off 225 yards on 29 carries in their Week 4 matchup. The bottom line with this matchup is that we have a lack of confidence in which running back to trust. Jones appears to be the 1A but he presents so much risk that he can't be played as anything more than a low-end RB3 with tons of risk. Meanwhile, Fournette is going to get some touches, though how many depends on if Jones screws something up. Fournette should be considered a high-end RB4 who has some upside, sure, but also has a five-touch floor if Jones is running hot.
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83.
Sony Michel
RB - NE (vs . LV)
It was incredibly sad to hear about White's personal tragedy last week, so I want to send nothing but positive thoughts to him and his family. He is expected to be back with the team for this game, so we'll move forward assuming he does. Michel has picked up right where he left off last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and not catching a single pass. It's brutal, too, as Cam Newton's presence should be opening holes up for him. It's worth noting that he's faced 8-plus man defensive fronts on 41.2 percent of his carries, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. According to NFL's NextGenStats, he's getting almost exactly what he's been expected to, though that doesn't soak up fantasy owners' tears. In a game they're six-point favorites against a team that has allowed 4.66 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns on just 41 carries, he must be under consideration as a mid-to-low-end RB3 who comes with touchdown upside. Guys, Newton isn't going to rush for two touchdowns every game. That same Raiders team that's allowed a lot of rushing totals has allowed a massive 9.83 targets to running backs, and that's something we continually saw last year, as they allowed the fourth-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. We don't know how much White will be involved, so it's a tough week to rank him, but given the matchup, he should offer high-end RB4 value in PPR formats. Burkhead has been even less efficient than Michel and will concede the passing down work to White, so he's droppable.
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84.
Allen Lazard
WR - GB (at NO)
There were back-to-back plays in Week 2 where Aaron Rodgers likely lost some confidence in Lazard, as he threw the ball back-shoulder on what should have been a 28-yard touchdown, but Lazard turned around too late. The very next play, he dropped a pass over the middle. He has nine targets through two games, which isn't the end of the world, but it's also not the range we were hoping for. The Saints perimeter cornerback duo of Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins is among the best in the NFL, so it means a lot to know that Lazard is playing 63 percent of his snaps in the slot. That will match him up with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson most of the time. He's allowed 7-of-8 passing in his coverage for 46 yards through two weeks. It's not a matchup you actively target, but it's the best of the Packers bunch. Lazard should be on the WR4/5 radar for this game, especially if Adams is held out, as it would raise his target floor.
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85.
Brandin Cooks
WR - HOU (at PIT)
It was good to see Cooks on the field in a full-time role, as his connection grew stronger with Deshaun Watson. He caught 5-of-8 targets for 95 yards, leading the team in a brutal matchup against the Ravens secondary. The Steelers aren't slouches either, as they've allowed just 16 receivers to score more than 11.2 PPR points against them since the start of last year. Why is that number significant? It's the average number of points it took to finish as a top-36 receiver in 2019. That's what you're looking for when starting any wide receiver, a top-36 performance. Cooks tends to do well against slower cornerbacks, and the Steelers duo of Joe Haden and Steven Nelson kind of fit in that group. Nelson ran a 4.49 when coming into the NFL while Haden ran a 4.52, though both are slower than they were when they came into the league. It's not a great matchup, but we'd give Cooks a solid bump if Fuller can't go or is limited throughout the week. For now, we'll assume Fuller plays after being limited in practice. Cooks should be in the high-end WR4 conversation whose arrow is trending up.
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86.
Laviska Shenault Jr.
WR - JAC (vs . MIA)
The Jaguars are trying to get the ball in his hands and let him do work, as he's now totaled eight targets and seven carries through two games. In a game where they should be efficient running the ball, it would mean a lot if he got the same five carries he did in Week 2. He's coming on the field in 3WR sets behind Keelan Cole, though we could see that change as the season progresses. Miami does have a talented cornerback duo, though, particularly on the perimeter, which is where Shenault is playing two-thirds of his snaps. You don't want to rely on carries yet, either, as it was just one game where he saw them (two carries in Week 1). It's definitely encouraging and he should be owned with the chance of a breakout, but it's only a matter of time before Chark starts seeing the targets he deserves, which will make Shenault even tougher to project. He's a boom-or-bust WR5-type option.
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87.
T.J. Hockenson
TE - DET (at ARI)
Hockenson has been on fire to start the season and it's resulted in a top-10 TE ranking for fantasy through two weeks. However, he gets a slight downgrade with Golladay most likely returning to the lineup this week. Hockenson is a low-end TE1 in this matchup.
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88.
Mike Davis
RB - CAR (at LAC)
With fantasy MVP Christian McCaffrey out for 4-6 weeks, Davis figures to be the starting running back for the next month or so. He only netted one carry in relief last week, but he saw eight targets, catching all of them for 74 yards. Davis used to be considered a third-down back who could be mixed in on early downs, so it's good to see the Panthers realize his potential through the air. The downside is that the Chargers defense awaits, and they've been murderous through two weeks, allowing just 0.63 PPR points per opportunity, which ranks as the fourth-lowest number in the league. The 3.94 yards per target they've allowed is ridiculous, especially when you know they've played against Joe Mixon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first two games. The 46 touches that running backs have totaled is also the fifth-lowest mark in the league, and that's despite teams running 68.5 plays per game against them. He's still a starting running back who's likely locked into 15 touches, so he belongs in the middling RB3 territory.
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89.
Kenny Golladay
WR - DET (at ARI)
It appears he'll be back in Week 3 based on early week reports. As is the case with any player coming off a multi-week soft tissue injury, there's a bit more risk associated with them. Coming back to a matchup with the Cardinals isn't a bad thing, though it's also not as good as some think. A league-low 34.4 percent of skill-position players fantasy points have come from wide receivers against the Cardinals. That number was at 45.7 percent in 2019, which was below league average as well, though it certainly helped that they allowed a million points to tight ends. Golladay caught 4-of-9 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in their Week 1 meeting last year, though that was without Patrick Peterson, who was serving a suspension. The Cardinals now have a starting cornerback duo of Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick on the perimeter, which should be considered above average. Through two games, the duo has combined to allow 9/113/1 on 18 targets. Volume was paramount against this defense last year, as they allowed 19 receivers to score more than 13.1 PPR points, and 14 of them had nine or more targets. Oddly enough, they didn't allow a single multi-touchdown game to a wide receiver. Golladay should be in lineups if he's playing but think of him as more of a WR2/3 in his first game back.
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90.
Hayden Hurst
TE - ATL (vs . CHI)
For those that took a chance on Hurst's role in this offense during draft season, congrats. He racked up eight targets in his second game with the team and turned them into 5/72/1. He's seen 13 of the 14 targets that have gone to tight ends in this offense, which is another good sign about sustainability. The Bears have been pretty generous to tight ends over the first two weeks of 2020, allowing T.J. Hockenson to finish as the TE4 in Week 1, and then Evan Engram to bounce back and finish as a top-15 option in Week 2. It seems the Bears are willing to allow you to dink-and-dunk your way down the field with tight ends, as they allowed the fifth-most receptions to tight ends last year, but the 9.23 yards per reception they allowed was the second-lowest mark in football. Seeing Hurst get eight targets in a game Ryan threw the ball 36 times has to make you feel good about his floor, so continue trotting him out there this week as a mid-to-low-end TE1, though there are likely better tournament options.
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91.
Mike Gesicki
TE - MIA (at JAC)
Gesicki showed up in a big way last week by turning 11 targets into 8 receptions for 129 yards and a score. He's always had the athleticism, but he now appears to be getting the targets necessary with Preston Williams struggling and no other option behind Devante Parker stepping up in this offense. Jonnu Smith just torched the Jaguars defense for multiple touchdowns and Gesicki's in a prime spot to be a top option at the TE position this week with this matchup. You can start him as a low-end TE1.
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92.
D'Andre Swift
RB - DET (at ARI)
Through two weeks, here are the snap counts between these three: Swift 54, Peterson 39, Johnson 39. Gross. Here are the opportunity counts: Peterson 24, Swift 18, Johnson 16. Again, gross. Even worse is that Swift and Johnson have gotten two carries inside the 10-yard-line while Peterson has just one, which seems like it should be Peterson's role. This is going to be an ugly backfield to predict every week, though Swift should eventually establish himself as the top option. The Cardinals have surprisingly not allowed a running back more than 56 yards on the ground through two weeks. They limited Raheem Mostert to just 56 yards on 15 carries, though he did rattle off 95 yards and a touchdown through the air. Swift is clearly the preferred receiving option, as he's been in on 39 pass snaps, while Peterson and Johnson have combined for 33. Running backs have accounted for 50 percent of fantasy production against the Cardinals, which ranks as the third-highest in the league, so if the Lions are going to come anywhere close to their 24.5-point implied total, someone is likely to have value. Swift would be my choice, but as you can see, there's no guarantee. Treat him as a low-end RB3 and hope he finds his way into the end zone or sees quite a few targets. Peterson is getting the most touches but if he's not locked into goal-line work, he won't offer much upside at all. He's nothing more than a RB4 who's got a limited ceiling. I wouldn't want to start Johnson considering the 8.0 opportunities per game.
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93.
Noah Fant
TE - DEN (vs . TB)
It was a quiet start to the game for Fant last week, but he made his mark on the Steelers once Jeff Driskel came in and ultimately finished with four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. My concern with Fant this year was the lack of targets with so many good options, but now without Sutton and Lindsay, things have opened up a bit, allowing him to be the No. 4 tight end through two weeks. The Bucs knew their safety position was one they could've upgraded, and they did, snagging Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round. He's looked good through two weeks, and the Bucs have allowed just 14.8 PPR points to tight ends through the first two games, which ranks as the seventh fewest in the league. That's somewhat easy to do when you play against Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz in Week 2, who combined for just one catch and eight yards. If you go back to Week 1, it was a different story with Jared Cook, who snagged 5-of-7 targets for 80 yards. Knowing the Bucs allowed nine top-12 tight ends last year in this scheme, the jury is still out, but Fant should be seeing five-plus targets in every game, making him a solid low-end TE1/high-end TE2.
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94.
Anthony Miller
WR - CHI (at ATL)
He's averaging 4.1 air yards per snap, which ranks as the second-highest mark in the NFL behind only DeSean Jackson. That's the good news. The bad news is that he's not an every-down player and wound up with a big fat zero in Week 2. He dropped what should've been a touchdown early in the game and played just 26 snaps against the Giants in a cake matchup. There were just three games he played less than 31 snaps in 2019, so his role has sadly not grown this year. The Falcons brought in Darqueze Dennard to cover the slot this year, but it hasn't panned out through two weeks, as he's allowed 16-of-20 passing for 160 yards through two weeks. Their entire cornerback unit is what I'd describe as below average. If Miller were to get the targets, he'd likely produce in this matchup, but we can't guarantee anything when he's playing less than 30 snaps. For now, he's just a talented WR4/5 who comes with a low floor in a plus-matchup.
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95.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR - GB (at NO)
He ranks 12th in the NFL in air yards, so we can't simply give up on him after a down game. Similar to Lazard, Valdes-Scantling had back-to-back bad plays in Week 2, including a drop in the end zone. He's playing on the perimeter 80 percent of the time, which means he'll see a lot of Marshon Lattimore or Janoris Jenkins in coverage. Teams have chosen not to target those cornerbacks much, as the Saints have faced just 29 wide receiver targets, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Rodgers appears willing to target Valdes-Scantling in one-on-one coverage down the field, so we could see a few deep shots that may pay off, but you shouldn't bet on it against this secondary. He's a risk/reward WR5 who would get a solid bump if Adams sits.
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96.
Henry Ruggs III
WR - LV (at NE)
Ruggs showed his talent and speed in his first week in the NFL, but he simply didn't see enough opportunity this past game to be a reliable fantasy option. This is another tough matchup for him and Carr simply didn't target the wide receivers enough last game to instill confidence plugging Ruggs into your starting lineup moving forward. He's a WR4 at best this week.
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97.
Russell Gage
WR - ATL (vs . CHI)
He's not going away anytime soon. Since taking over for Mohamed Sanu in that role, Gage has totaled 87 targets over a span of 11 games, which amounts to 7.9 per game. Over the course of a season, that would amount to 127 targets. Here's a list of big-name players who saw fewer targets than that in 2019: DeVante Parker, Davante Adams, Courtland Sutton, Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper... do you catch my drift? His targets aren't worth as much as those guys, but he's a reliable player in fantasy because of his target floor. The Bears have Buster Skrine covering the slot, and while he played well in 2019, slot receivers have fared well this year. First, it was Danny Amendola racking up 5/81/0 on seven targets, and then it was Golden Tate catching all five of his targets for 47 yards. Again, not sexy, but worth a spot-start in such an injury-plagued week. With the Bears defending the run so well, we saw Matthew Stafford rack up 42 pass attempts while Daniel Jones hit the 40 mark. If the Falcons go down a similar path, which seems likely, Gage should be able to fill a WR4-type role on your fantasy team. He's reminding me of 2018 Adam Humphries who finished as a top-30 wide receiver, but you always knew his ceiling was limited.
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98.
Evan Engram
TE - NYG (vs . SF)
Engram bounced back from his week one performance, but he still didn't look exceptional on the football field. Jones threw an interception because of Engram coming out of his break slowly, slipping on the field, and giving little effort to make up for his mistake. With the other receiving options that are now going to miss some time in this offense, it's possible that Engram sees enough work to be relevant on sheer volume alone, but it's not going to feel great plugging him into your lineup. He's a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 this week against the 49ers.
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99.
N'Keal Harry
WR - NE (vs . LV)
It's been a good two weeks for Harry with Cam Newton, as he's been targeted a team-high 18 times, connecting on 13 of them for 111 yards, though he hasn't found the end zone just yet. That could change in Week 3 against the Raiders, who have struggled on the perimeter. The duo of Travon Mullen and Damon Arnette have combined to allow 13 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets in coverage. Keep in mind they played against a Michael Thomas-less Saints and Panthers receiving corps. This was a problem last year, too, as they allowed seven different perimeter receivers post more than 100 yards, and that doesn't even include Allen Robinson's 97-yard, two-touchdown performance. Harry is quickly moving up the ranks as Newton shows he can still play, and he deserves consideration as a WR4 this week who comes with some touchdown upside.
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100.
Christian Kirk
WR - ARI (vs . DET)
Is it time to drop him? I think we've probably reached that point, though it depends on who you're dropping him for. He's seen just nine targets through two weeks when Murray's thrown the ball 78 times. That amounts to a 11.5-percent target share. Kirk is expected to see the Lions rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah in coverage the most this week, and that can be considered a good thing after he struggled in his NFL debut last week, allowing seven catches for 121 yards in his coverage. It may have been rookie first game jitters, or he could still be working his way back from his hamstring injury. Whatever the case, it would take a real leap of faith to start Kirk this week after his miserable stat lines from the first two weeks, so he's just a boom-or-bust WR5.
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101.
Latavius Murray
RB - NO (vs . GB)
I don't know what the Saints were thinking last week. Murray had three carries through the first 10 minutes of that game for 14 yards, yet they went away from the run and it cost them the game. Meanwhile, Kamara continues to be hyper-efficient, and is the No. 2 running back in fantasy right alongside his doppelganger, Aaron Jones. The Packers run defense is nothing to be worried about, as they allowed a massive 4.86 yards per carry last year and have continued that trend in 2020 while allowing 4.87 yards per carry through two weeks. The lone issue is that running backs have totaled just 48 touches against them in the first two weeks, as they've averaged just 53.5 plays per game. But when you pair an efficient running back like Kamara against a Packers defense that's allowed 1.08 PPR points per opportunity, you get big results. Kamara has averaged two touchdowns per game to this point, and he might just get there again in Week 3. Start him as a star RB1. Murray went from 15 carries in Week 1 to just three in Week 2, which gives you all sorts of anxiety when trusting him. But we can't let one matchup dictate how we feel about a player. In a game where the Saints are 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 51.5 points, he should have some scoring opportunities. Consider him a semi-risky RB4 who has touchdown upside.
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102.
Tre'Quan Smith
WR - NO (vs . GB)
As expected, Smith saw a much larger role with Michael Thomas out of the lineup. We can extend the chart we used last week, or I could just tell you that in the 12 games where Smith has seen three or more targets, he's scored double-digit PPR points in seven of them and has just two games with less than 7.4 PPR points. If Thomas is out, he's on the fantasy radar, and this matchup suits his role well. The Packers secondary has allowed 15.8 yards per reception to wide receivers over their last 18 games, which is more Smith's role than Emmanuel Sanders', as he's targeted down the field with more frequency. It doesn't help that Brees is throwing the ball deep (20-plus yards) on just 4.4 percent of his passes, though. That's the third-lowest mark in the league and the real issue with the ceiling for any Saints wide receiver not named Thomas. If Thomas has to miss another week, Smith is likely the best play among Saints receivers, but Brees needs to start taking shots down the field.
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103.
Adrian Peterson
RB - DET (at ARI)
Through two weeks, here are the snap counts between these three: Swift 54, Peterson 39, Johnson 39. Gross. Here are the opportunity counts: Peterson 24, Swift 18, Johnson 16. Again, gross. Even worse is that Swift and Johnson have gotten two carries inside the 10-yard-line while Peterson has just one, which seems like it should be Peterson's role. This is going to be an ugly backfield to predict every week, though Swift should eventually establish himself as the top option. The Cardinals have surprisingly not allowed a running back more than 56 yards on the ground through two weeks. They limited Raheem Mostert to just 56 yards on 15 carries, though he did rattle off 95 yards and a touchdown through the air. Swift is clearly the preferred receiving option, as he's been in on 39 pass snaps, while Peterson and Johnson have combined for 33. Running backs have accounted for 50 percent of fantasy production against the Cardinals, which ranks as the third-highest in the league, so if the Lions are going to come anywhere close to their 24.5-point implied total, someone is likely to have value. Swift would be my choice, but as you can see, there's no guarantee. Treat him as a low-end RB3 and hope he finds his way into the end zone or sees quite a few targets. Peterson is getting the most touches but if he's not locked into goal-line work, he won't offer much upside at all. He's nothing more than a RB4 who's got a limited ceiling. I wouldn't want to start Johnson considering the 8.0 opportunities per game.
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104.
Golden Tate
WR - NYG (vs . SF)
It's possible that Tate is still trying to play through the hamstring injury that limited him through training camp and held him out of Week 1, as he went down to the ground without a fight against the Bears on multiple occasions, which is something we never see out of him, as he's typically among the league leaders in yards after the catch. It's something to monitor. K'Waun Williams is the one Tate will see in coverage most of the time, a cornerback who's played extremely well over the last two years, allowing just 5.35 yards per target and one touchdown on 82 targets in coverage. Now, to be fair, the 49ers run a lot of zone coverage, so Tate won't always line up against him, but that could be looked at as a negative as well. On 46 Golden Tate targets against zone coverage last year, Daniel Jones had just a 69.7 QB Rating compared to 108.9 in man coverage. Tate should be considered a middling WR4 who will get more targets now that Shepard and Barkley are out.
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105.
Curtis Samuel
WR - CAR (at LAC)
With Christian McCaffrey out of the lineup, I'm guessing the Chargers get Samuel a lot more involved in the backfield. He's totaled five carries to this point while getting 10 targets (just two in Week 2), so it should be fair to project him for 10 opportunities moving forward. The Chargers have surprisingly gone with Michael Davis on the perimeter and moved Chris Harris Jr. into the slot over Desmond King, who's been a sturdy presence in the slot over the last few years. King even went to social media this week, asking why he's not on the field. It's a good question. Davis is a former undrafted free agent who's been competent, but Harris proved last year he's capable of handling perimeter receivers, so why then don't go with a combination of Casey Hayward, Harris, and King? I don't know. But Harris is a real problem for Samuel, as he's one of the best cornerback in the league. He got burned on a 54-yard touchdown last week, but it required an insane throw by Patrick Mahomes to get done, something we won't see Bridgewater doing. Samuel gets a bump in appeal with McCaffrey out, but the matchup isn't a good one, making him a risky WR4/5.
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106.
Sammy Watkins
WR - KC (at BAL)
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107.
Darrell Henderson
RB - LAR (at BUF)
We were told by Sean McVay himself that this would be a timeshare in 2020 and he wasn't lying. Through two games, the touch count is: Brown 32, Akers 18, Henderson 17. We may have lost one part of that timeshare in Week 2 as Akers had to leave with a rib injury. That would certainly help clear things up and make us feel better about both Brown and Henderson, as the Rams running backs have combined to average 33.5 touches per game, which is enough for two running backs to be productive. The Bills run defense isn't anything too intimidating and they were without two starting linebackers last week, though you wouldn't know it by the stat sheet. They have yet to play a running back who's totaled more than seven carries. This is what happens when you play the Jets and Dolphins over the first two weeks. If you look at them last year, they allowed a healthy 4.37 yards per carry, though the 25.6 touches per game they allowed to running backs was the eighth-lowest mark in football. I've brought this stat up before and I think it makes sense to do it again given the Rams willingness to run the ball in the red zone. Under Sean McDermott, the Bills have now allowed 46 rushing touchdowns to running backs over 50 regular season games. That averages out to 14.7 per season. By comparison, there were just five teams who allowed more than that in 2019. If Akers is ruled out, Henderson is my favorite play as a high-end RB3, though Brown is right there in a tier below (low-end RB3). They come with risk, sure, but given the number of touches going around combined with touchdown upside, it's a risk you should be willing to take. Akers is currently questionable for the game, but don't be surprised if he misses at least one week with his rib cartilage injury.
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108.
Mecole Hardman
WR - KC (at BAL)
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109.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR - SF (at NYG)
He made his NFL debut last week, playing 44 snaps and running 25 routes, which was right up there with Bourne for tops among 49ers receivers. He saw three targets, catching two of them for 21 yards, so nothing to write home about. The Giants have still yet to allow a receiver more than 69 yards, and that's despite playing against JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and Allen Robinson. Newly acquired cornerback James Bradberry has played quite well outside of a few pick plays that caught him up. Aiyuk is playing almost all his snaps on the perimeter, which means he'll see Bradberry and Corey Ballentine, as I don't foresee Bradberry shadowing anyone in this game. Ballentine is the one to attack, as he's allowed nearly 10.0 yards per target over his two years in the league, including a touchdown every 10.0 targets. We watched Bears rookie Darnell Mooney just flat out win a one-on-one battle in the end zone with him last week on a broken play. Aiyuk is someone who's trending up and as long as Bradberry doesn't shadow, he could have a fantasy relevant week. We'd ideally see it first, making him a risk/reward WR5 play.
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110.
Myles Gaskin
RB - MIA (at JAC)
This backfield didn't get any clearer in Week 2, as Gaskin led the way with 13 touches, Breida got eight, while Howard brought up the caboose with five. The issue, of course, is that Howard is getting the goal-line opportunities, stealing any sort of ceiling for someone like Gaskin. The Jaguars have surprised early in the season, allowing Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor to combine for just 106 yards on 34 carries (3.12 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. They did allow the Colts running backs to combine for a ridiculous 17 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 meeting, which clearly benefits someone like Gaskin, who has the passing-down role locked up with 11 targets through two weeks, while Breida has just two. The 7.40 yards per target the Jaguars allowed to running backs was the third-highest mark in the league, too. If you play in a PPR format, Gaskin can be considered a back-end RB3 for those dealing with injuries; just understand he doesn't come with a massive ceiling. The Jaguars have allowed at least 20 points to their opponents in nine of their last 10 games, so there should be a chance at Howard stealing a touchdown, but even then, what do you get? He's nothing more than a touchdown-hopeful RB4/5. Breida is the forgotten man whose role falls in between those of Gaskin and Howard.
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111.
Michael Pittman Jr.
WR - IND (vs . NYJ)
With Parris Campbell out of the lineup, Pittman will be a full-time player. That started when Campbell exited last week and allowed Pittman to see six targets in Week 2, which may not sound like much, but it led the wide receivers, and he was highly questionable coming into that game. He's been playing on both sides of the formation, but he was on the left side about 60 percent last week. That's where Blessuan Austin is playing, a second-year cornerback who's the more talented one of the Jets perimeter duo. Since being asked to play a bigger role towards the end of last year, he's allowed just 6.77 yards per target in his coverage and one touchdown on 43 targets. He's 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, so he should be able to at least contest Pittman's targets. We're expecting a run-heavy gameplan from the Colts, but with Pittman being a full-time player, he needs to be considered most weeks. The matchup is decent, though I think I'm okay waiting until we see him truly breakout to put him into lineups as anything more than a hail mary WR5.
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112.
Larry Fitzgerald
WR - ARI (vs . DET)
We've now gone over a span of 12 games where Fitzgerald has topped 56 yards just once and has caught two touchdowns over his last 15 games. He's a stable presence over the middle of the field and his team is implied for 30 points, so we should at least consider him. The Lions have Darryl Roberts covering the slot with Justin Coleman on IR, which isn't really much of a downgrade. He's been in the league for five years now and has never allowed a 100 QB Rating in his coverage over the course of a full season. He was targeted just one time by Aaron Rodgers last week and did allow 30 yards on it, but that was it. Against the Bears, he saw five targets and allowed just one catch for 22 yards. I wouldn't consider this a week to rely on Fitzgerald, though he may have a scoring opportunity with that high team total.
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113.
Nyheim Hines
RB - IND (vs . NYJ)
I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone, or someone is messing with me. Hines totaled 15 touches in a game that was close throughout with Marlon Mack in the lineup for 1.5 quarters, but then totaled one touch in a game where Mack was on injured reserve. Cool story, Colts. Meanwhile, Taylor didn't see a single carry until the mid-second quarter in Week 1, but then received 26 carries in Week 2. I really hope there's more clarity this week, as it makes no sense to me. The only explanation is that Hines doesn't have a role when the Colts are well ahead, which is why they gave Jordan Wilkins nine carries in Week 2. They're double-digit favorites this week. What happens when your offense averages 68.0 plays per game and your opponent allows 70.0 plays per game? Fantasy points, that's what. The Jets run defense has been very good under Gregg Williams, as they allowed just 3.12 yards per carry through 17 games coming into Week 2. The wheels came off against the 49ers in that game though, as they allowed a few big runs that netted 184 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. There's a lot to dissect here because the Jets aren't the same defense they were last year, as they've lost safety Jamal Adams and linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason. Things can change quickly with teams trending in the direction the Jets are, so when you factor that in, combined with a 27-point team-implied total, Taylor is a must-start high-end RB2 who can reach top-five numbers if last week was a sign of things to come for the Jets. Hines is a lot trickier because the gamescript should be similar to last week's game where he got exactly one touch. It's starting to feel like a Tarik Cohen situation where you want him used more than he actually is. The Jets did allow the 11th-most fantasy points through the air to running backs last year, but again, Hines needs touches to get there. Consider him an RB4 where we hope last week was a fluke.
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114.
Frank Gore
RB - NYJ (at IND)
Only in 2020 would we see a 37-year-old Frank Gore get 21 carries in a game where the Jets lost 31-13. He's averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry and has scored a touchdown on two of his last 349 carries, but yeah, let's not find out what else we have on the roster. Stop trying to understand the Jets. No one does. Running backs have averaged a league-low 20.5 touches through two games against the Colts, and they haven't done much with them, as the 189 total yards allowed to the position is the fifth lowest in all of football. When you add in the Jets 16.5-point implied total, and you have yourself a running back unit to fade. Unless you're in a league where you're actively trying to score in between 4-6 points a week with your running back, you shouldn't roster Gore.
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115.
Steven Sims
WR - WAS (at CLE)
He's only seen eight targets through two weeks but has turned them into 103 yards, so Sims has been doing his part when called upon. If Washington wants to exploit matchups, he'll be a bigger part of the gameplan this week, as the Browns have relied on Tavierre Thomas to cover the slot and that hasn't worked out all that well, as he's allowed 11-of-12 passing for 104 yards and a touchdown in his coverage. There have been 14 balls thrown his way over the course of his three-year career, and just one has hit the ground. Sims is far from a sure thing, but if Washington falls behind and they want to take the efficient road down the field, Sims should be a bigger part of the gameplan. He should be considered an emergency WR5 option with some upside in this game. It's worth noting that we'd downgrade his matchup if Kevin Johnson were able to return to the lineup.
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116.
Tarik Cohen
RB - CHI (at ATL)
The touch count for the Bears through two weeks is: Montgomery 33, Cohen 15, and Cordarrelle Patterson 14 (yes, I'm counting him as a running back). The way to see that is that Montgomery is the leader in essentially a 55/45 timeshare. That's not great considering the Bears are 2-0 and the gamescript fit his role perfectly in Week 2. He's run extremely well, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and made a few shifty moves in the open field last week that led to a 28-yard receiving touchdown, but will those positive gamescripts continue? They are three-point underdogs in this game, and the Falcons have stopped the run extremely well considering their competition. Despite playing against Ezekiel Elliott and Chris Carson, they've allowed just 3.45 yards per carry through two weeks. There seem to be a variety of ways to score, though, as Carson caught two touchdowns, Elliott rushed for one, while Dak Prescott rushed for three. Montgomery is going to get the goal-line, which is the positive here, as the Bears are implied for 22 points. Where the Falcons struggle is to limit running backs through the air, as they've allowed 15-of-16 passes to be completed for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Since Dan Quinn became the Falcons coach, they've allowed an average of 6.4 receptions per game to running backs. Montgomery can have his role diminish in a highly negative gamescript, though oddsmakers have this as a close game. Plug him in as a low-end RB2 this week. Cohen is officially someone I'm worried about with just three targets through two games. Montgomery has six targets. Heck, Javon Wims has four targets. Cohen is not an early-down back who's going to grind out a high yards per carry. If he's not getting the targets, you can't use him in fantasy. The Falcons matchup suits him well, especially indoors, but he must be classified as a risky RB4/flex with some upside should Matt Nagy actually use him in the passing game.
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117.
Scotty Miller
WR - TB (at DEN)
His role didn't grow with Godwin out of the lineup, as he still played on the perimeter while they moved Mike Evans into the slot almost half the time. We actually saw Justin Watson play more snaps than Miller in Week 2, though it was negligible. But going from six targets down to three targets is less than ideal when we're talking about a second-year sixth-round pick. We've watched two quarterbacks throw the ball 40-plus times, so we can't ignore Miller, but he's also the third option at wide receiver behind two guys who happen to have great matchups. Miller is not a recommended start for the time being, as there's too much uncertainty.
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118.
Logan Thomas
TE - WAS (at CLE)
All you can do is chase targets at the tight end position, and Thomas is clearly getting them in this offense called by Scott Turner. He's totaled 17 targets through two games, and though they've only netted 63 yards, we must follow the targets, especially when he's about to go against a defense that's allowed a league-high 18 receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends through two games. We watched Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah rack up the fantasy points against them in Week 2, so it's not like Mark Andrews did all the damage. All in all, the Browns have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to skill-position players through two weeks. Thomas isn't a highly efficient player to this point, but against the Browns, he may not need to be. Consider him a solid high-end TE2 streamer.
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119.
Kendrick Bourne
WR - SF (at NYG)
He's the only 49ers receiver who's played more than 55 snaps. He's been on the field for 102-of-123 plays, so he's a full-time player, and he's racked up six catches for 101 yards through two weeks. He's never someone you're excited to play, but with all the injuries adding up, some may be looking at him as a potential floor play. It seems likely that he'll see the most of Giants top cornerback James Bradberry, who's done extremely well in his new uniform. Both Allen Robinson and Diontae Johnson both saw at least nine targets, but neither of them topped 57 yards. Bourne moves back and forth, so it's possible he sees a 50/50 mix of Bradberry and Corey Ballentine, who's been the weakest link to this point. With Brandon Aiyuk moving into a bigger role and now past the first game jitters, my expectations are that he takes over the top receiver play for the 49ers, making Bourne just a WR6.
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120.
Randall Cobb
WR - HOU (at PIT)
We saw Cobb a lot more involved in the offense in Week 2, though it took a zero-target game from Will Fuller to get there. He caught 5-of-6 targets for 59 yards, though he did have the best matchup on the field. He actually does once again this week against Mike Hilton, though it's not a smash spot or anything. In his four years with the Steelers, Hilton has allowed a pedestrian 66.1 percent catch-rate (this is decent for a slot cornerback) and 10.4 yards per reception with a touchdown every 31 targets. The Steelers biggest weakness is over the middle of the field, but the only receivers who've truly capitalized on that saw seven-plus targets and had a big role in their offense (Tyler Boyd, Tyler Lockett, Christian Kirk, Julian Edelman, and Jarvis Landry). Those are the slot receivers who finished top-36 against the Steelers. If Fuller is inactive, there's a chance, but I don't think Cobb should be considered anything more than a WR5 in fantasy right now.
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121.
Bryan Edwards
WR - LV (at NE)
He continued to play a full-time role in Week 2, though he ended the game with just two targets. He has just three on the season, which is not going to get it done. He's caught all three of them and looks good out there, but this is what we've come to expect out of the Raiders offense, as they spread the ball around, and it leads to some inconsistent receivers. There's a chance that Stephon Gilmore covers Darren Waller in this game, but if he doesn't, Edwards would make the most sense for him to cover while they could bracket Ruggs. No matter which way you slice it, you can't start Edwards until he starts seeing consistent targets. He's rosterable in 12-team leagues with deep benches, but I can't say you absolutely need to hang onto him.
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122.
Cole Beasley
WR - BUF (vs . LAR)
He just continues to do his thing in the slot, as he's now totaled at least 9.0 PPR points in 14-of-17 games since the start of the 2019 season. Even with Diggs and Brown going off the first two weeks, he's managed to stay afloat as a top-45 receiver in PPR formats. The Rams allowed stud nickel cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman to walk in free agency, leaving them to start Troy Hill in his place. There was a point in Hill's career where he was a cornerback you targeted heavily in matchups, as he was allowing over a 110 QB Rating in his coverage during his first four years in the league. Then he had a breakout year in 2019 where he allowed a miniscule 5.95 yards per target in his coverage. Of the 95 cornerbacks who covered at least 300 snaps in 2019, his 54.7 QB Rating in coverage was the fifth best in football. Fast forward one year and he's allowed 12-of-13 passes to be completed for 139 yards in his coverage. The move to the slot has clearly had a negative impact on his play. Beasley should offer a solid floor of a WR4, particularly in PPR formats.
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123.
Chris Herndon IV
TE - NYJ (at IND)
If you started Herndon last week because of what we talked about here, I'm sorry. I was right there with you. We were quickly reminded what it's like to play a Jets skill-position player and we instantly regret it. But when he caught 6-of-7 targets in Week 1, and then we found out that Jamison Crowder and Le'Veon Bell wouldn't play, the vital signs were good. Four targets, one catch, and five yards later, we're wondering what happened. Now on to play the Colts, who have allowed just 11 yards to tight ends this year... on seven targets. They weren't a matchup to target with tight ends last year, as they allowed just one tight end all year finish with more than 14.0 PPR points, and none of them finished with more than 73 yards. It's hard saying Herndon doesn't have any appeal considering the targets have to go somewhere, but as we found out last week, it's hardly a guarantee they go his way. It does help that the Colts just placed Malik Hooker on injured reserve, which hurts their safety combo. Herndon should remain in the TE2 conversation, but it's tough to trust anyone on this team right now.
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124.
Chase Edmonds
RB - ARI (vs . DET)
The Week 1 usage was a little worrisome, but in the end, Drake has now out-touched Edmonds 40-15 through two weeks, which makes this a 73/27 split. Drake is the workhorse we thought he'd be. The Lions are clearly having issues stopping the run right now, as they've allowed a massive 353 yards on 51 carries against the Packers and Bears. The loss of Damon "Snacks" Harrison was always going to be an issue and it's not like they can bring help down into the box, as their secondary is aching. The 6.92 yards per carry they've allowed is the most in the NFL, as is the 441 total yards they've allowed to running backs. When you look at that combined with the 30-point implied team total for the Cardinals, Drake owners should be dancing. If you go back to the game these two teams played last year, you'd see David Johnson with 137 total yards and a touchdown, finishing as the RB5 on the week. Drake should be in the RB1 conversation this week and someone you're using in DFS. Edmonds is strictly a handcuff, though he'll have a role in games the Cardinals fall behind as a pass catcher. He's not someone you should rely on for more than 5-8 touches per game, though.
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125.
James White
RB - NE (vs . LV)
It was incredibly sad to hear about White's personal tragedy last week, so I want to send nothing but positive thoughts to him and his family. He is expected to be back with the team for this game, so we'll move forward assuming he does. Michel has picked up right where he left off last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and not catching a single pass. It's brutal, too, as Cam Newton's presence should be opening holes up for him. It's worth noting that he's faced 8-plus man defensive fronts on 41.2 percent of his carries, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. According to NFL's NextGenStats, he's getting almost exactly what he's been expected to, though that doesn't soak up fantasy owners' tears. In a game they're six-point favorites against a team that has allowed 4.66 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns on just 41 carries, he must be under consideration as a mid-to-low-end RB3 who comes with touchdown upside. Guys, Newton isn't going to rush for two touchdowns every game. That same Raiders team that's allowed a lot of rushing totals has allowed a massive 9.83 targets to running backs, and that's something we continually saw last year, as they allowed the fourth-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. We don't know how much White will be involved, so it's a tough week to rank him, but given the matchup, he should offer high-end RB4 value in PPR formats. Burkhead has been even less efficient than Michel and will concede the passing down work to White, so he's droppable.
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126.
Jordan Howard
RB - MIA (at JAC)
This backfield didn't get any clearer in Week 2, as Gaskin led the way with 13 touches, Breida got eight, while Howard brought up the caboose with five. The issue, of course, is that Howard is getting the goal-line opportunities, stealing any sort of ceiling for someone like Gaskin. The Jaguars have surprised early in the season, allowing Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor to combine for just 106 yards on 34 carries (3.12 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. They did allow the Colts running backs to combine for a ridiculous 17 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 meeting, which clearly benefits someone like Gaskin, who has the passing-down role locked up with 11 targets through two weeks, while Breida has just two. The 7.40 yards per target the Jaguars allowed to running backs was the third-highest mark in the league, too. If you play in a PPR format, Gaskin can be considered a back-end RB3 for those dealing with injuries; just understand he doesn't come with a massive ceiling. The Jaguars have allowed at least 20 points to their opponents in nine of their last 10 games, so there should be a chance at Howard stealing a touchdown, but even then, what do you get? He's nothing more than a touchdown-hopeful RB4/5. Breida is the forgotten man whose role falls in between those of Gaskin and Howard.
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127.
James Washington
WR - PIT (vs . HOU)
Some will wonder if Claypool is the add off the waiver wire after his big catch last week, but he's still trailing Washington in the pecking order. Claypool ran 13 routes while Washington ran 22 of them. This is not a team that runs 4WR sets, so we're going to have to wait for one of them to emerge before relying on either of them as anything more than a big play or bust WR5/6-type option. For now, the better option is Washington, but knowing the Texans have faced just 18.0 receiver targets per game, it's tough to say either of them are good bets.
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128.
Austin Hooper
TE - CLE (vs . WAS)
We thought Hooper would be much more involved in the gameplan with David Njoku going to IR, but four targets is not something to get excited about. The Browns decided to involve rookie Harrison Bryant and give him two targets, so this is bound to be a timeshare no matter what. Unless we see a game where the Browns are expected to throw the ball 35-plus times, it's going to be tough to trust Hooper as anything more than a touchdown dependent TE2. In this game against Washington, it's tough to see that being the case with the Browns favored by almost a full touchdown. The one positive for Hooper, however, is that of the production Washington has allowed to skill-position players, 28.5 percent of it has gone to tight ends, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league. He's far from a guarantee with the limited targets, but Hooper may be better than expected this week as a high-end TE2.
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129.
Justin Jefferson
WR - MIN (vs . TEN)
It's going to be tough for Jefferson to produce when the Vikings have thrown the ball just 51 times over the first two weeks, but he's caught 5-of-6 targets for 70 yards while running nearly all his routes from the slot, which should be good for production. The Titans have seventh-round rookie Chris Jackson covering the slot and he's been picked on a bit through two games, allowing eight catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on just 12 targets in his coverage. Let me be clear: He hasn't been very good. To further that point, PFF has graded him as the third worst cornerback in coverage through two weeks. If you're looking for a hail mary play this week, Jefferson might offer a surprise.
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130.
Alexander Mattison
RB - MIN (vs . TEN)
The fact that Cook has scored three touchdowns has saved him from looking like an ugly top-six pick this year, though it's not his doing. The Vikings offense has only run 48.0 plays per game because their defense can't get off the field, and it's led to Cook totaling just 29 touches through two weeks. The two starting running backs who've gone against the Titans haven't had that problem, as they've both (James Robinson, Melvin Gordon) totaled at least 18 touches, and that's despite the Titans winning both those games. Titans opponents have averaged 66.5 plays per game this year, which would be a welcomed sight for all Vikings players who've been forced to be too efficient with minimal plays. The 5.15 yards per carry the Titans have allowed to this point is the fourth-highest mark in the league, though it was expected to be a strength of theirs this year with their talented front seven. Maybe the loss of interior defensive lineman Jurrell Casey matters more than most thought? There were also nine running backs who totaled at least five receptions against the Titans last year, so Cook's floor should be fine, and we all know his ceiling in this offense. Trot him back out there as a solid RB1 this week. With the Vikings not running many plays, Mattison has totaled just 14 touches through two weeks, which makes it difficult to trust him as anything more than a desperation RB5. He does remain one of the better handcuffs in the league, though.
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131.
Danny Amendola
WR - DET (at ARI)
After catching five passes for 81 yards in a tough matchup against the Bears, Amendola let deep-leaguers down with his two-catch, 21-yard performance in Week 2, though he did see seven targets for the second straight week. We should probably move on considering the lack of ceiling, but it's hard to ignore that he went for 7/104/1 against this defensive scheme last year. The Lions chose to target him 13 times in that game. The Cardinals have shifted things around and now have second-year cornerback Byron Murphy in the slot, which is a completely different position for a cornerback. Through his first 18 games in the pros, he's allowed 77 receptions for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 targets. That's more touchdowns allowed than anyone else in the league. If you need a last-minute WR4/5 due to injuries, I'm willing to go back to Amendola in a pinch.
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132.
KJ Hamler
WR - DEN (vs . TB)
In his first NFL game, Hamler ran more routes than any other Broncos receiver. He's been mixed in the slot as well as the perimeter, though he's running the majority of them on the perimeter. That's a bit concerning, as the Bucs best cornerback Carlton Davis plays there, but it's worth noting that Davis has 4.53-second speed while Hamler ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash in pre-Combine testing. The Bucs did allow 14 pass plays of 40-plus yards last year, which ranked as the fifth most, so there's a chance Hamler gets behind the defense. If he keeps getting seven targets like he did in Week 2, Hamler is going to be someone to look at as a boom-or-bust WR5-type option.
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133.
Keelan Cole
WR - JAC (vs . MIA)
He leads the team in targets right now, and rightfully so considering he's caught all 11 of them for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He out-snapped Laviska Shenault last week 51 to 43, making him the No. 2 receiver in this offense. He's running almost all of his routes from the slot, which is extremely good in this matchup against Miami, who have allowed Julian Edelman 5/57/0 in Week 1, and then 5/70/0 to Cole Beasley in Week 2. Their primary slot cornerback is Jamal Perry, though they benched him for Nik Needham in Week 2. That didn't fare well, so who knows which route they'll take this week. What we do know is that Cole can play a role in fantasy football and his early-season performances may not be a fluke. Knowing he has the best matchup on the field, he deserves a slight bump in the rankings. Both him and Shenault should be considered WR5 types, with Cole being the safer of the two. With all the injuries in the league, you could do worse as a last-ditch option in Week 3.
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134.
Adam Humphries
WR - TEN (at MIN)
Suddenly, he's tied for the most targets (13) on the team. He caught 5-of-6 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars and is suddenly back on the radar with A.J. Brown missing in action. When the Titans opponent goes three-wide, it moves Mike Hughes into the slot. He's a former first-round pick from 2018 who's talented and at 5-foot-10 and 189 pounds, he should be agile enough to hang alongside Humphries. It's not a must-avoid matchup for those who are looking for a last-minute PPR option, as Hughes has allowed 5-of-6 passing in the slot for 74 yards through two weeks. If Brown remains out, we should have five-plus targets for Humphries, making him a decent floor WR5/6, but he lacks a ceiling.
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135.
Carlos Hyde
RB - SEA (vs . DAL)
Week 2 was more of the timeshare we envisioned before the season started, as Carson totaled 20 touches to Hyde's seven touches. When the ball is in his hands, Carson looks good... refreshed. They're working to get him in space in the passing game, too, which certainly raises his floor. The Cowboys have faced a league-high 65 rushing attempts through two weeks, but they haven't allowed a whole lot of efficiency, as they've allowed just 3.40 yards per carry and 1.30 PPR points per target. That amounts to just 0.61 PPR points per opportunity to this point, which is the third-lowest mark in the league. While the Cowboys were a team to run the ball against last year, things change under a new coordinator, and Mike Nolan has apparently put more emphasis on stopping the run. Carson should still be started as a high-end RB2, but just know that running backs haven't been particularly efficient against them to this point. Hyde isn't someone who can be trusted outside of maybe a game the Seahawks are expected to win by double digits.
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136.
Chase Claypool
WR - PIT (vs . HOU)
Some will wonder if Claypool is the add off the waiver wire after his big catch last week, but he's still trailing Washington in the pecking order. Claypool ran 13 routes while Washington ran 22 of them. This is not a team that runs 4WR sets, so we're going to have to wait for one of them to emerge before relying on either of them as anything more than a big play or bust WR5/6-type option. For now, the better option is Washington, but knowing the Texans have faced just 18.0 receiver targets per game, it's tough to say either of them are good bets.
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137.
Kerryon Johnson
RB - DET (at ARI)
Through two weeks, here are the snap counts between these three: Swift 54, Peterson 39, Johnson 39. Gross. Here are the opportunity counts: Peterson 24, Swift 18, Johnson 16. Again, gross. Even worse is that Swift and Johnson have gotten two carries inside the 10-yard-line while Peterson has just one, which seems like it should be Peterson's role. This is going to be an ugly backfield to predict every week, though Swift should eventually establish himself as the top option. The Cardinals have surprisingly not allowed a running back more than 56 yards on the ground through two weeks. They limited Raheem Mostert to just 56 yards on 15 carries, though he did rattle off 95 yards and a touchdown through the air. Swift is clearly the preferred receiving option, as he's been in on 39 pass snaps, while Peterson and Johnson have combined for 33. Running backs have accounted for 50 percent of fantasy production against the Cardinals, which ranks as the third-highest in the league, so if the Lions are going to come anywhere close to their 24.5-point implied total, someone is likely to have value. Swift would be my choice, but as you can see, there's no guarantee. Treat him as a low-end RB3 and hope he finds his way into the end zone or sees quite a few targets. Peterson is getting the most touches but if he's not locked into goal-line work, he won't offer much upside at all. He's nothing more than a RB4 who's got a limited ceiling. I wouldn't want to start Johnson considering the 8.0 opportunities per game.
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138.
Van Jefferson
WR - LAR (at BUF)
You would've thought that Jefferson surpassed Reynolds based on the target numbers from Week 2, as Jefferson saw five targets while Reynolds saw two. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as Jefferson ran just 15 routes while Reynolds ran 17 of them. They're still sharing that No. 3 wide receiver role, though Jefferson should pull away with it sooner rather than later. The Bills have allowed a league-low 6.42 yards per target to wide receivers this year, so volume is paramount for a receiver to be successful. No wide receiver scored more than 12.8 PPR points against the Bills without at least eight targets last year, so feel free to avoid them in this matchup.
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139.
Eric Ebron
TE - PIT (vs . HOU)
It hasn't been the start Ebron wanted to his career in Pittsburgh, as he's caught 4-of-7 targets for 61 scoreless yards. I was worried about his role and when he'd get on the field, but he's run 55 pass routes through two weeks, which is among the top-20 tight ends in football. The downside is that he's averaging just 1.11 yards per route run, which ranks as the 12th-worst among tight ends with at least five targets. It could take some time for him to get on the same page with Roethlisberger given the lack of preseason action, and it's not like Diontae Johnson will continue to get a 31.5 percent target share. Ebron is someone to watch as the weeks go on because it shouldn't surprise you if he has a big game with the number of pass routes he's running. But save that for a week when the Steelers are involved in a potential shootout. That's not something we see happening this week, as the total of 45 points is mediocre. On top of that, Smith-Schuster and Johnson have plus matchups with the cornerbacks this week, so no need to force-feed Ebron. He's on our radar, but not a recommended streamer just yet.
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140.
Hunter Renfrow
WR - LV (at NE)
It was my concern before the season with Renfrow, as I asked, "what's the upside?" The Raiders receivers have been difficult to predict under Greg Olson/Jon Gruden, but as the clear-cut No. 3 receiver behind both Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards, I couldn't see any chance you'd start Renfrow with confidence. He's seen just five targets through two games, and though he's caught all of them, they've gone for 58 yards. He's playing just under 50 percent of the snaps, so feel free to move on.
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141.
O.J. Howard
TE - TB (at DEN)
Howard is the receiving option in this Bucs TE room, but he's not necessarily someone that you can rely on week in and week out just yet. This situation is a mess for fantasy managers to try and figure out and it might be best to just leave Howard on your bench or even your waiver wire in 1TE formats.
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142.
Boston Scott
RB - PHI (vs . CIN)
Based on what we saw in Week 2, Sanders is 100 percent healthy. He played 77 percent of the snaps, which is massive for a player in Doug Pederson's offense. Now a big home favorite, can we get a breakout game from him in Week 3? When playing the Bengals, the gap between running backs and quarterbacks is 24.6 fantasy points, which is the second-highest gap in the league. Despite the additions the Bengals made this offseason, they still appear to be a team you can run the ball against, as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt showcased on primetime last week. We watched the Chargers and Browns both rack up at least 32 carries in this matchup, which bodes well for Sanders, and maybe even Scott. The Bengals allowed 19 running backs to finish as top-20 options against them last year and have allowed three of them through two games in 2020. The Eagles offensive line is a problem, but we can't pretend that the Browns or Washington have offensive lines that are great, and they were able to make it work. Start Sanders as an RB1 in this matchup. Scott touched the ball seven times in Sanders' return to the lineup, which isn't great, but what is great is the fact that it was only those two (Sanders and Scott) who touched the ball. If we get anywhere close to the 35 touches per game running backs have averaged against the Bengals here, Scott could offer last-minute RB4 value, especially in PPR formats.
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143.
Miles Boykin
WR - BAL (vs . KC)
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144.
Jordan Reed
TE - SF (at NYG)
We don't know if Kittle will play just yet, but it certainly wasn't a good sign that he was ruled out days before the game against the Jets. It helps the 49ers to know that Reed can step in and play well, as he racked up seven catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns in his first full-time game since 2018. Stay tuned to the bottom of these notes as the week goes on for updates. The Giants have done a good job with tight ends over the first couple weeks, as Eric Ebron and Jimmy Graham both finished with exactly one catch for 18 yards. But that's the thing... they're Ebron and Graham, guys who haven't been fantasy producers for some time. They also saw a combined three targets, so we can't assume anything. It's a new defense under Joe Judge, so we must sit back and observe, but knowing how involved the tight ends are in this offense, it's hard to sit the starter. If Kittle is out again, Reed should be on the streaming radar as a low-end TE1. If Kittle plays, well, you're playing him. As of now, the 49ers are expecting to have Kittle back.
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145.
Benny Snell Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . HOU)
So much for those Snell hopes and dreams on the waiver wire, eh? I figured they'd give Conner another chance and he played well, compiling 121 total yards and a touchdown on 18 touches while Snell totaled exactly one yard on his four touches. This is Conner's backfield, but the Steelers will show no hesitance no move away from him if he's inefficient or dealing with an injury. There was no team in the NFL who allowed more fantasy points on the ground than the Texans last year, and it wasn't all that close, as the Chiefs were a full 16 PPR points behind them at No. 2. It wasn't just on the ground, either. They allowed a massive 1.98 PPR points per target through the air, which ranked second to only the Dolphins. When you have those numbers combined with a running back who'll likely see 18-plus opportunities, it's a recipe for big success. Both the Chiefs and Ravens rushed for more than 160 yards in their matchups against them, so there's little reason to doubt the Steelers backs. Play Conner as a low-end RB1 and as long as he stays upright, he should crush this matchup.
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146.
Mo Alie-Cox
TE - IND (vs . NYJ)
We don't know what's going on with Doyle as of now, but Frank Reich said that it's too early to tell early in the week. But one thing is certain, and that's that Alie-Cox carved himself out a big role. He torched the usually tough Vikings defense for 5/111/0 on just six targets, and now with Parris Campbell on the shelf, that opens up more targets over the middle of the field. The Jets were one of the best in the NFL at defending tight ends last year, but lost Jamal Adams, who took on a lot of that responsibility. They've only seen 12 targets to the tight end position through two weeks, and those have amounted to 10 catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. If Doyle plays, it's going to be tough to trust either of them because they may cancel each other out, and it's clear the Colts value Doyle as an every-down player. However, if Doyle misses another game, Alie-Cox should be considered a borderline TE1. It should be noted that Doyle missed practice on Wednesday.
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147.
Dion Lewis
RB - NYG (vs . SF)
The Giants are going to move forward with some sort of combination of Freeman, Gallman, and Lewis after Saquon Barkley suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Some will think Gallman was inactive due to being behind Lewis on the depth chart, but it was more to do with the type of players they are. Lewis complimented Barkley, while Gallman is more of a backup. Freeman didn't look good with the Falcons last year, so many want to leave him for dead. There are others who say, "If Barkley couldn't produce behind the Giants offensive line, why do you want any of these guys?" It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Teams gameplan differently when Barkley is in there versus when Dion Lewis is in there. Remember last year when Gallman filled in for Barkley against Washington and totaled 27.8 PPR points? That doesn't make him better. The 49ers run defense isn't as scary as it was just one week ago, as they've lost a lot of firepower on their defensive line, as both Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are both out for the season. To this point, they've allowed just 0.67 PPR points per opportunity to running backs, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league, though we must remember that one of those games was against the Jets and their incompetent offense. We can't pretend the Giants offense has been much better, as they've totaled just 55 yards on 30 carries this season and have scored just 29 points as a team through two games. If you wanted to play one, Freeman would be my choice, though trusting him as anything more than an RB4 could lead to disappointment as he's learning a new offense on the fly. Lewis is nothing more than a change of pace running back at this stage, though he'll get some work in the passing game with the void left by Barkley. Lewis is a low-upside RB4/5-type option. As for Gallman, he's the dark horse to be the best option on the team. If for whatever reason Freeman is inactive due to just a few days with the team, Gallman would take his place.
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148.
Dalton Schultz
TE - DAL (at SEA)
What an incredible starting debut out of Schultz, who caught 9-of-10 targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. The best part is that no defense can be overly concerned with him considering the other options available to Dak Prescott. While not every game is going to feature 47 pass attempts and 450 yards from Prescott, this week's game actually has a higher total than last week's game. The Seahawks were horrendous against tight ends last year, but went out and traded for Jamal Adams this offseason, which certainly helped. While slowing Ryan Izzo was no tough task, the Seahawks held Hayden Hurst to just three catches for 38 yards in their first game, and it took a circus grab for him to make it over 15 yards. A league-low 9.2 percent of targets have gone to the tight end position against the Seahawks to this point. Schultz should definitely be rostered but don't automatically assume he's a can't-miss starter in this matchup. He's still on the streaming radar in what's expected to be a high-scoring game.
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149.
John Ross
WR - CIN (at PHI)
After Ross was trusted as the clear-cut No. 3 receiver on this team in Week 1 running 37 routes to just 9 routes for Higgins, we saw a changing of the guard in Week 2 when Higgins ran 42 routes while Ross ran just 23 of them. This is clearly an open competition, and one that Ross may have lost already. For now, we should give Higgins the benefit of the doubt. Against the Eagles, you really don't want to start either of them, as they have yet to allow a receiver top 81 yards or five receptions. Keep in mind they've played against Terry McLaurin, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp. We'll continue to monitor this receiver corps, but neither of these two need to be rostered right now.
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150.
Greg Olsen
TE - SEA (vs . DAL)
After Olsen allowed a pass to go right through his hands and off his helmet for a pick-six on the first drive, he didn't see a target for the rest of the game. He played 45 snaps, so it's not like he was benched or anything. Still, to see him and Dissly, who's playing half the snaps, combine for just two targets, it's worrisome. The Cowboys have been a mixed bag, as they held Tyler Higbee to just 3/40/0 in their first matchup, but then allowed Hayden Hurst to tag them for 5/72/1 in Week 2. It's still a small sample size, but when you combine those two together, you have eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on just 12 targets, so it's not a matchup I'd say is a must avoid. I'm more concerned about the targets between the two of them, but knowing the tight ends combined for seven targets in Week 1, we may want to consider Week 2 a fluke. Olsen is still playing the most snaps, making him the one you'd want to play, if any. He's a TE2 who comes with some risk.
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151.
Demarcus Robinson
WR - KC (at BAL)
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152.
Rob Gronkowski
TE - TB (at DEN)
Arians has come out and said that he views Gronkowski as a blocker in this scheme, which is a death sentence for a tight end's fantasy outlook. The days of relying on Gronk as a weekly fantasy option are over.
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153.
Tyler Eifert
TE - JAC (vs . MIA)
It was Eifert who walked away with the touchdown in Week 2, but it was James O'Shaughnessy who ate into his potential upside. Eifert did see a respectable six targets (what we look for in streamers), but O'Shaughnessy saw four of his own. We can't expect Minshew to throw the ball 45 times every week, especially in a game they're favored to win. The Dolphins haven't really been tested up the middle with tight ends to this point, as Ryan Izzo and Dawson Knox combined to see just five targets. Don't go assuming that Eifert is going to get targeted more than them, either, as he received just one target in Week 1. He's never going to be someone you'll stream confidently, as he's just a touchdown dependent option. The injuries have added up over the years, leading him to average just 6.86 yards per target over the last two years. This is not an obvious matchup you need to attack.
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154.
Gus Edwards
RB - BAL (vs . KC)
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155.
Zach Pascal
WR - IND (vs . NYJ)
With Parris Campbell going to IR, we saw Pascal play 40 of his 63 snaps in the slot, which can be beneficial to his efficiency moving forward. He's only seen seven targets through two games, so it's not like you're seriously considering him outside of deep leagues, and the Jets best cornerback, Brian Poole, is the one who plays there. He's been a godsend for the Jets in the slot since arriving last year, allowing just 4.80 yards per target and one touchdown on 66 targets. If you look at the slot cornerbacks who played at least 100 snaps in coverage last year, Poole ranked as the eighth best when you go by QB Rating when targeted. Pascal is going to have some solid weeks, but it's not a great matchup with Poole.
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156.
Jimmy Graham
TE - CHI (at ATL)
I tried to warn you about Graham last week, saying he'll be a touchdown-or-bust option most weeks, but after seeing just one target in Week 2, you can't even consider him. He even saw his snaps decrease from 52 in the opener, to just 40 against the Giants. The Falcons secondary has had a rough start to the year against tight ends, allowing Greg Olsen to catch all four of his targets for 24 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and then allowing backup tight end Dalton Schultz to obliterate them for nine catches, 88 yards, and a touchdown last week. It's difficult to know who to trust against the Falcons because almost all the matchups are so good, but this all comes back to the fantasy floor for Graham, which was one catch for 18 yards last week. He can't be a recommended streamer with a one-target floor, even in what appears to be a great matchup. He's a touchdown-dependent TE2.
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157.
Tony Pollard
RB - DAL (at SEA)
Through two games, it's fair to say Mike McCarthy won't be making this a timeshare any time soon. Elliott has racked up 55 opportunities while Pollard has just eight of them. If you have Pollard on your roster, don't drop him, as he's one of the most valuable bench stashes out there. The Seahawks front seven is not a particularly good unit, and they got worse when they lost Bruce Irvin this week to an ACL injury, but they've allowed a league-low 92 rushing yards through two games. Playing against Todd Gurley and Sony Michel will help, though holding those two teams to just 2.88 yards per carry is an accomplishment. That's also likely why opponents have gone with a run play just 31.3 percent of the time against the Seahawks (second-lowest mark in the league), because their secondary can be picked on. But again, Elliott isn't in the same category as Gurley or Michel. There were 10 running backs who finished as the RB14 or better against them last year, including four 30-point performances. This is a game where Prescott should shine, but you shouldn't be shocked if Elliott changes opinions on how good the Seahawks run defense actually is.
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158.
Willie Snead IV
WR - BAL (vs . KC)
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159.
Matt Breida
RB - MIA (at JAC)
This backfield didn't get any clearer in Week 2, as Gaskin led the way with 13 touches, Breida got eight, while Howard brought up the caboose with five. The issue, of course, is that Howard is getting the goal-line opportunities, stealing any sort of ceiling for someone like Gaskin. The Jaguars have surprised early in the season, allowing Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor to combine for just 106 yards on 34 carries (3.12 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. They did allow the Colts running backs to combine for a ridiculous 17 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 meeting, which clearly benefits someone like Gaskin, who has the passing-down role locked up with 11 targets through two weeks, while Breida has just two. The 7.40 yards per target the Jaguars allowed to running backs was the third-highest mark in the league, too. If you play in a PPR format, Gaskin can be considered a back-end RB3 for those dealing with injuries; just understand he doesn't come with a massive ceiling. The Jaguars have allowed at least 20 points to their opponents in nine of their last 10 games, so there should be a chance at Howard stealing a touchdown, but even then, what do you get? He's nothing more than a touchdown-hopeful RB4/5. Breida is the forgotten man whose role falls in between those of Gaskin and Howard.
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160.
Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB - SF (at NYG)
With both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman out for this game, the workload will be split between McKinnon, Wilson, and likely Kyle Juszczyk. Over the last 11 games Wilson has played, he's scored five touchdowns on 30 touches, which is ridiculous. That happened because 16 of his 27 carries came inside the red zone, including 10 of them inside the 10-yard line, which was 25 percent of the team's total on the season. He's clearly the favored back in the red zone. McKinnon looked good last week, rumbling for 77 yards and a touchdown on just three carries against the Jets. That's the issue right there, though. Three carries in a game they lost Mostert, and even before Coleman got hurt, he was inefficient. Still, McKinnon got three carries. He had five targets in Week 1, which is something we should be looking for with Mullens under center. He targeted running backs 49 times in his eight games, enough for a 17.9 percent target share, and they didn't have the problems they do now at wide receiver. The Giants have allowed a healthy 4.64 yards per carry through two games, and though they haven't allowed a rushing touchdown, they did allow David Montgomery to score a receiving touchdown last week. We know Kyle Shanahan's scheme works, which is why we search for running backs who will get the most touches in it. My guess here would be that Wilson gets at least 12 touches, including goal-line work. Because of that, he's my favorite play in this backfield and should be considered a middling RB3 this week. McKinnon has a much wider range of outcomes, so we need to be careful not to expect too much for a running back who's received nine touches in the last two-plus years. He has some upside, sure, but I can't say for certain he gets more than 10 opportunities, and we're expecting Wilson to get the touches that matter most. Consider McKinnon a high-end RB4.
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161.
Jordan Akins
TE - HOU (at PIT)
After a solid Week 1 performance where he found the end zone, Akins racked up seven targets in Week 2, which was the second-highest mark of his career. He caught all of them for 55 yards, further making us consider him a legitimate streaming option. Unfortunately, he's going to share the red zone work with the vulture, Fells. But there have been 15 targets to the two of them through two weeks, amounting to a respectable 22.1 percent target share. The Steelers have allowed just a 52.9 percent catch-rate to tight ends through two games, which is much different than the 69.9 percent completion rate they allowed in 2019. They actually allowed 1.93 PPR points per target to tight ends last year, which was the fifth-highest mark in the league, but they faced the fourth-fewest targets, so their overall numbers looked better. With how dominant they are against running backs and wide receivers, it's only natural to expect them to have some sort of weakness. If Will Fuller is held out, the target floor goes up for Akins, but even if he plays, Akins is on the high-end TE2 radar. I'll update later in the week based on the practice reports.
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162.
Chris Thompson
RB - JAC (vs . MIA)
You know what I thought about last week? What's the difference between Robinson and the Leonard Fournette many were drafting in the third round prior to him getting cut? Robinson is the clear workhorse on this team, and we now know that Thompson isn't getting much work. So again, what's the difference? I'll be honest, I didn't like Fournette at his third-round price, but as a back-end RB2? Absolutely. Robinson has totaled 32 of the team's 34 running back carries and has averaged 5.1 yards per carry on them. With how well the receivers and Minshew are playing, he should continue to find holes. The Dolphins are clearly a team to run the ball against, as the weak running back units of the Patriots and Bills combined for 212 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries over the last two weeks. You'd have to go all the way back to Week 10 of last year to find the last time the Dolphins didn't allow at least 21 points to their opponent. When you combine that with the team-implied total of 23.8 points, and Robinson should have a good shot to score in this game. Consider him a stable low-end RB2. As for Thompson, he has totaled just seven touches through two weeks. There's no reason you should feel compelled to start him, especially in a game they are favored to win.
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163.
Darrel Williams
RB - KC (at BAL)
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164.
Tee Higgins
WR - CIN (at PHI)
After Ross was trusted as the clear-cut No. 3 receiver on this team in Week 1 running 37 routes to just 9 routes for Higgins, we saw a changing of the guard in Week 2 when Higgins ran 42 routes while Ross ran just 23 of them. This is clearly an open competition, and one that Ross may have lost already. For now, we should give Higgins the benefit of the doubt. Against the Eagles, you really don't want to start either of them, as they have yet to allow a receiver top 81 yards or five receptions. Keep in mind they've played against Terry McLaurin, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp. We'll continue to monitor this receiver corps, but neither of these two need to be rostered right now.
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165.
Damiere Byrd
WR - NE (vs . LV)
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166.
Jamaal Williams
RB - GB (at NO)
Not only is Jones getting it done on the ground, but he's also tied for the league lead with four red zone targets through two games. If you saw his highlight reel catch last week, you'll know that his targets aren't going away. Against the Saints, the Packers will need to get creative, as this is a team that shuts down running games. They've allowed just 3.41 yards per carry on the year with one touchdown on 54 carries, and it's nothing new, as they ranked as the No. 6 team against running backs last year while allowing 3.65 yards per carry. The 145.9 fantasy points they allowed on the ground ranked as the third-best behind only the Patriots and Bucs. The 181.8 PPR points they allowed through the air to running backs was a lot better, as that was the 10th-most in football. Jones has now seen at least six targets in each of the last three regular seasons he's played. If Davante Adams is out or limited, that number should be safe. This is not going to be an explosion game on the ground, but as I've been saying since this offseason, Jones is very similar to Alvin Kamara in that he's highly efficient, even if he doesn't get 20-plus touches per game like some top-tier backs. Start him as a low-end RB1 in this matchup. Williams has surprisingly seen 19 touches over the first two games, but only four have been targets. In a matchup with the Saints, I don't want to take his touches, as they offer a very low ceiling.
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167.
David Moore
WR - SEA (vs . DAL)
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168.
Wayne Gallman
RB - NYG (vs . SF)
The Giants are going to move forward with some sort of combination of Freeman, Gallman, and Lewis after Saquon Barkley suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Some will think Gallman was inactive due to being behind Lewis on the depth chart, but it was more to do with the type of players they are. Lewis complimented Barkley, while Gallman is more of a backup. Freeman didn't look good with the Falcons last year, so many want to leave him for dead. There are others who say, "If Barkley couldn't produce behind the Giants offensive line, why do you want any of these guys?" It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Teams gameplan differently when Barkley is in there versus when Dion Lewis is in there. Remember last year when Gallman filled in for Barkley against Washington and totaled 27.8 PPR points? That doesn't make him better. The 49ers run defense isn't as scary as it was just one week ago, as they've lost a lot of firepower on their defensive line, as both Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are both out for the season. To this point, they've allowed just 0.67 PPR points per opportunity to running backs, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league, though we must remember that one of those games was against the Jets and their incompetent offense. We can't pretend the Giants offense has been much better, as they've totaled just 55 yards on 30 carries this season and have scored just 29 points as a team through two games. If you wanted to play one, Freeman would be my choice, though trusting him as anything more than an RB4 could lead to disappointment as he's learning a new offense on the fly. Lewis is nothing more than a change of pace running back at this stage, though he'll get some work in the passing game with the void left by Barkley. Lewis is a low-upside RB4/5-type option. As for Gallman, he's the dark horse to be the best option on the team. If for whatever reason Freeman is inactive due to just a few days with the team, Gallman would take his place.
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169.
Cam Akers
RB - LAR (at BUF)
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170.
Olabisi Johnson
WR - MIN (vs . TEN)
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171.
Rex Burkhead
RB - NE (vs . LV)
It was incredibly sad to hear about White's personal tragedy last week, so I want to send nothing but positive thoughts to him and his family. He is expected to be back with the team for this game, so we'll move forward assuming he does. Michel has picked up right where he left off last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and not catching a single pass. It's brutal, too, as Cam Newton's presence should be opening holes up for him. It's worth noting that he's faced 8-plus man defensive fronts on 41.2 percent of his carries, which is the fourth-highest mark in the league. According to NFL's NextGenStats, he's getting almost exactly what he's been expected to, though that doesn't soak up fantasy owners' tears. In a game they're six-point favorites against a team that has allowed 4.66 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns on just 41 carries, he must be under consideration as a mid-to-low-end RB3 who comes with touchdown upside. Guys, Newton isn't going to rush for two touchdowns every game. That same Raiders team that's allowed a lot of rushing totals has allowed a massive 9.83 targets to running backs, and that's something we continually saw last year, as they allowed the fourth-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. We don't know how much White will be involved, so it's a tough week to rank him, but given the matchup, he should offer high-end RB4 value in PPR formats. Burkhead has been even less efficient than Michel and will concede the passing down work to White, so he's droppable.
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172.
Quintez Cephus
WR - DET (at ARI)
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173.
Isaiah Ford
WR - MIA (at JAC)
While scanning over every team, I typically find something fantasy owners would be shocked by. How about this one: Ford leads the Dolphins wide receivers in targets (14) through two weeks. He's playing the slot role in Chan Gailey's offense, which has typically netted results. The matchup over the middle of the field against the Bills was one to attack, and the Dolphins did just that, as Ford racked up seven receptions for 76 yards. The Jaguars have D.J. Hayden covering the slot, a role he's been quite good in over the last few years. The biggest game he allowed to a slot receiver last year was six catches for 93 scoreless yards. While I do believe Ford is a name to watch as the weeks go on, I don't want to consider him more than a WR5 in this matchup.
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174.
Peyton Barber
RB - WAS (at CLE)
Washington rolled out Peyton Barber in week one and it frustrated fantasy managers beyond belief. In week two though, Barber just saw one carry. He's off the redraft radar as this now becomes Gibson's backfield.
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175.
Chris Hogan
WR - NYJ (at IND)
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176.
Breshad Perriman
WR - NYJ (at IND)
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177.
Cordarrelle Patterson
WR,RB - CHI (at ATL)
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178.
Ian Thomas
TE - CAR (at LAC)
We got the hint after Week 1 that this may not be a tight end friendly offense under Joe Brady when Thomas saw just one target, but now that we've seen him get zero targets in the follow-up game, you're good to let him go. The Panthers tight ends have combined for just 4-of-76 targets to this point.
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179.
George Kittle
TE - SF (at NYG)
If Kittle comes back into the lineup this week, he's a must-start option. The 49ers are desperately going to need him in this matchup and he could easily see 10-12 targets. If Kittle does sit, Reed becomes a fantastic pivot option again.
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180.
Giovani Bernard
RB - CIN (at PHI)
Bernard has been utilized more than expected so far this season, but he's not seeing enough usage to be considered for fantasy football. He can remain on your waiver wire.
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181.
Chris Conley
WR - JAC (vs . MIA)
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182.
Kenny Stills
WR - HOU (at PIT)
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183.
Andy Isabella
WR - ARI (vs . DET)
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184.
Brian Hill
RB - ATL (vs . CHI)
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185.
J.D. McKissic
RB - WAS (at CLE)
Last week in this article, I wrote "Gibson is an upside RB4 who should continue to see his role grow." Well, after just one week, he saw his snaps skyrocket. He played just 18 snaps in the opener but watched that number grow to 43 snaps in Week 2, while Barber went from 29 offensive snaps to just one last week. Now, McKissic is clearly going to be a thorn in Gibson's side, as he's been consistent in his snaps and has totaled 16 opportunities through two weeks, but he's only going to lose momentum as the season goes on. The Browns run defense has played much better than anyone anticipated given their linebacking unit, as they've allowed just 2.97 yards per carry over the first two weeks to backfields much more talented than this one. The Ravens and Bengals running backs combined for just 38 carries in the two games combined, and no running back has rushed for more than 46 yards. With Gibson only seeing one target in a game they trailed throughout, he's still not getting enough opportunities to play as anything more than an RB3 but we're getting closer. McKissic is never someone you're going to feel comfortable playing, so why roster him? And Barber, well, we've seen enough, right?
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186.
Josh Reynolds
WR - LAR (at BUF)
You would've thought that Jefferson surpassed Reynolds based on the target numbers from Week 2, as Jefferson saw five targets while Reynolds saw two. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as Jefferson ran just 15 routes while Reynolds ran 17 of them. They're still sharing that No. 3 wide receiver role, though Jefferson should pull away with it sooner rather than later. The Bills have allowed a league-low 6.42 yards per target to wide receivers this year, so volume is paramount for a receiver to be successful. No wide receiver scored more than 12.8 PPR points against the Bills without at least eight targets last year, so feel free to avoid them in this matchup.
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187.
LeSean McCoy
RB - TB (at DEN)
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188.
Irv Smith Jr.
TE - MIN (vs . TEN)
I know what you're thinking... is there any separation between these two? Sadly, no. Rudolph has played four more snaps while Smith has run two more routes. It's a 50/50 timeshare of a duo that has combined for just eight targets through the first two weeks. With that being said, there should be some production to be had in this matchup. The Titans have now allowed 14 different tight ends to finish as top-15 options against them since the start of the 2019 season (span of 18 games), including both Tyler Eifert and Noah Fant to start this year, as they both found the end zone. The 2.06 PPR points per target they've allowed to this point would've been the second most in football last year, and again, they allowed 1.90 PPR points per target in 2019 (seventh most), so it's not like they were slowing down the position much then, either. If you're looking for a desperation tournament play at tight end, Smith would make sense considering he's coming off a four-target game, while Rudolph saw just one.
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189.
Greg Ward
WR - PHI (vs . CIN)
It seems Ward is losing a grip on the No. 3 wide receiver spot, as John Hightower and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside are both playing similar snap counts to him. In Week 2, Ward ran just five pass routes, which is not nearly enough to consider for any league. The Eagles seem dead set on running 2TE sets, which eliminates his slot heavy role. He's droppable in fantasy leagues.
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190.
Darren Fells
TE - HOU (at PIT)
After a solid Week 1 performance where he found the end zone, Akins racked up seven targets in Week 2, which was the second-highest mark of his career. He caught all of them for 55 yards, further making us consider him a legitimate streaming option. Unfortunately, he's going to share the red zone work with the vulture, Fells. But there have been 15 targets to the two of them through two weeks, amounting to a respectable 22.1 percent target share. The Steelers have allowed just a 52.9 percent catch-rate to tight ends through two games, which is much different than the 69.9 percent completion rate they allowed in 2019. They actually allowed 1.93 PPR points per target to tight ends last year, which was the fifth-highest mark in the league, but they faced the fourth-fewest targets, so their overall numbers looked better. With how dominant they are against running backs and wide receivers, it's only natural to expect them to have some sort of weakness. If Will Fuller is held out, the target floor goes up for Akins, but even if he plays, Akins is on the high-end TE2 radar. I'll update later in the week based on the practice reports.
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191.
Dawson Knox
TE - BUF (vs . LAR)
Despite Josh Allen throwing the ball 81 times through two weeks, Knox has seen just six targets for a 7.4 percent target share. Allen doesn't want to check down, and when he does, it's to Cole Beasley. It's not like this is a good matchup, either, as the Rams have seen 20 tight end targets that have amounted to just 95 scoreless yards. That's a ridiculously low 1.03 PPR points per target they've allowed, which includes a game against the Eagles tight ends. Knox is not on the streaming radar.
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192.
Kyle Rudolph
TE - MIN (vs . TEN)
I know what you're thinking... is there any separation between these two? Sadly, no. Rudolph has played four more snaps while Smith has run two more routes. It's a 50/50 timeshare of a duo that has combined for just eight targets through the first two weeks. With that being said, there should be some production to be had in this matchup. The Titans have now allowed 14 different tight ends to finish as top-15 options against them since the start of the 2019 season (span of 18 games), including both Tyler Eifert and Noah Fant to start this year, as they both found the end zone. The 2.06 PPR points per target they've allowed to this point would've been the second most in football last year, and again, they allowed 1.90 PPR points per target in 2019 (seventh most), so it's not like they were slowing down the position much then, either. If you're looking for a desperation tournament play at tight end, Smith would make sense considering he's coming off a four-target game, while Rudolph saw just one.
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193.
Darwin Thompson
RB - KC (at BAL)
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194.
Nelson Agholor
WR - LV (at NE)
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195.
Drew Sample
TE - CIN (at PHI)
The Bengals have thrown the ball 97 times through two weeks, with the tight ends accumulating a massive 21 targets (21.6 percent target share). Now that C.J. Uzomah is out for the season, Sample will be relied upon as the go-to option. He caught 7-of-9 targets for 45 yards against the Browns last week, which may not seem like a huge deal from a yardage standpoint but seeing nine targets is huge. What's also huge is that Sample is tied for the league lead in red zone targets with four of them. You must consider him if streaming tight ends, and the matchup against the Eagles has been a tremendous one in 2020. First, it was Logan Thomas who caught four passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. Then it was Tyler Higbee tagging them for 54 yards and three touchdowns. Every passing touchdown the Eagles have allowed this year has gone to a tight end. It seems like moving on from Malcolm Jenkins might have hurt more than the Eagles thought. Sample is definitely on the streaming radar this week.
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196.
Jalen Richard
RB - LV (at NE)
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197.
Devin Duvernay
WR - BAL (vs . KC)
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198.
Royce Freeman
RB - DEN (vs . TB)
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199.
Dan Arnold
TE - ARI (vs . DET)
I guess you can say it's good news that Arnold has six targets through two games, as that puts him on pace for 48 over the course of a 16-game season, which is double what the leading Cardinals tight end had last year (24). But that doesn't do anything for us from a fantasy standpoint, as they've amounted to 4.1 and 4.6 PPR point performances. The Lions have already allowed two tight end touchdowns, though they're a bit fluky, as the 3.86 yards per target they've allowed (third lowest in NFL) is a more telling stat. You shouldn't be trusting Arnold in season-long leagues. If anything, he's a very cheap tight end to stack with Murray in tournaments, though I can't do it myself.
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200.
Braxton Berrios
WR - NYJ (at IND)
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201.
Jordan Wilkins
RB - IND (vs . NYJ)
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202.
Tim Patrick
WR - DEN (vs . TB)
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203.
AJ Dillon
RB - GB (at NO)
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204.
Jakobi Meyers
WR - NE (vs . LV)
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205.
Duke Johnson Jr.
RB - HOU (at PIT)
It was all David Johnson for the Texans in Week 2, as he totaled all 15 opportunities for the Texans running backs. It didn't amount to much, as he tallied just 50 scoreless yards against a stingy Baltimore defense. That matchup likely primed him for this one, as the Steelers have been the worst matchup for running backs since the start of 2019. Here's a fun fact: You'd have to go all the way back to Week 16 of 2018 to find the last time they allowed a top-12 performance to a running back. That's 19 straight games without allowing a running back to finish as an RB1. It's not due to a lack of trying, either, as the Steelers faced the ninth-most running back touches in 2019. Over their last 18 games, running backs have averaged a miniscule 0.65 PPR points per opportunity (carries and targets). Think about how good that is... even if Johnson were to get 20 touches, their average performance would give him 13.0 PPR points. Johnson is just a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 who you're hoping finds the end zone similar to Melvin Gordon last week. Duke Johnson was reportedly close to playing last week and will put a dent into David's workload, though not enough to make Duke a viable fantasy option, especially in this game.
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206.
Ito Smith
RB - ATL (vs . CHI)
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207.
Darnell Mooney
WR - CHI (at ATL)
Mooney has seen his role increase in this offense each week of the season and he looks like he's going to be a steal for the Bears in the draft. He's not worth looking at for redraft leagues just yet, but he should be rostered in every Dynasty league.
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208.
Josh Adams
RB - NYJ (at IND)
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209.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside
WR - PHI (vs . CIN)
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210.
Jaylen Samuels
RB - PIT (vs . HOU)
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211.
Corey Clement
RB - PHI (vs . CIN)
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212.
Devontae Booker
RB - LV (at NE)
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213.
Dontrelle Inman
WR - WAS (at CLE)
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214.
A.J. Brown
WR - TEN (at MIN)
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215.
Kyle Juszczyk
RB - SF (at NYG)
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216.
Travis Homer
RB - SEA (vs . DAL)
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217.
Justin Watson
WR - TB (at DEN)
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218.
Anthony McFarland Jr.
RB - PIT (vs . HOU)
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219.
Raheem Mostert
RB - SF (at NYG)
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220.
Trent Taylor
WR - SF (at NYG)
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221.
Jakeem Grant
WR - MIA (at JAC)
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222.
Mike Boone
RB - MIN (vs . TEN)
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223.
Lamical Perine
RB - NYJ (at IND)
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224.
J.J. Taylor
RB - NE (vs . LV)
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225.
Ryan Nall
RB - CHI (at ATL)
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226.
Michael Thomas
WR - NO (vs . GB)
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227.
JaMycal Hasty
RB - SF (at NYG)
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228.
Patrick Laird
RB - MIA (at JAC)
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229.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
RB - TB (at DEN)
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230.
Kalen Ballage
RB - NYJ (at IND)
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231.
Gerald Everett
TE - LAR (at BUF)
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232.
Bryce Love
RB - WAS (at CLE)
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233.
Eno Benjamin
RB - ARI (vs . DET)
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234.
Tyler Ervin
RB - GB (at NO)
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235.
Deonte Harris
WR - NO (vs . GB)
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236.
Devonta Freeman
RB - NYG (vs . SF)
The Giants are going to move forward with some sort of combination of Freeman, Gallman, and Lewis after Saquon Barkley suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Some will think Gallman was inactive due to being behind Lewis on the depth chart, but it was more to do with the type of players they are. Lewis complimented Barkley, while Gallman is more of a backup. Freeman didn't look good with the Falcons last year, so many want to leave him for dead. There are others who say, "If Barkley couldn't produce behind the Giants offensive line, why do you want any of these guys?" It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Teams gameplan differently when Barkley is in there versus when Dion Lewis is in there. Remember last year when Gallman filled in for Barkley against Washington and totaled 27.8 PPR points? That doesn't make him better. The 49ers run defense isn't as scary as it was just one week ago, as they've lost a lot of firepower on their defensive line, as both Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are both out for the season. To this point, they've allowed just 0.67 PPR points per opportunity to running backs, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league, though we must remember that one of those games was against the Jets and their incompetent offense. We can't pretend the Giants offense has been much better, as they've totaled just 55 yards on 30 carries this season and have scored just 29 points as a team through two games. If you wanted to play one, Freeman would be my choice, though trusting him as anything more than an RB4 could lead to disappointment as he's learning a new offense on the fly. Lewis is nothing more than a change of pace running back at this stage, though he'll get some work in the passing game with the void left by Barkley. Lewis is a low-upside RB4/5-type option. As for Gallman, he's the dark horse to be the best option on the team. If for whatever reason Freeman is inactive due to just a few days with the team, Gallman would take his place.
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237.
Buddy Howell
RB - HOU (at PIT)
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238.
Jason Huntley
RB - PHI (vs . CIN)
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239.
Dare Ogunbowale
RB - JAC (vs . MIA)
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240.
Ty Montgomery
RB - NO (vs . GB)
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241.
KhaDarel Hodge
WR - CLE (vs . WAS)
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242.
Dante Pettis
WR - SF (at NYG)
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243.
Trenton Cannon
RB - CAR (at LAC)
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244.
Javon Wims
WR - CHI (at ATL)
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245.
Justice Hill
RB - BAL (vs . KC)
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246.
Ryquell Armstead
RB - JAC (vs . MIA)
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247.
C.J. Ham
RB - MIN (vs . TEN)
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248.
Will Dissly
TE - SEA (vs . DAL)
After Olsen allowed a pass to go right through his hands and off his helmet for a pick-six on the first drive, he didn't see a target for the rest of the game. He played 45 snaps, so it's not like he was benched or anything. Still, to see him and Dissly, who's playing half the snaps, combine for just two targets, it's worrisome. The Cowboys have been a mixed bag, as they held Tyler Higbee to just 3/40/0 in their first matchup, but then allowed Hayden Hurst to tag them for 5/72/1 in Week 2. It's still a small sample size, but when you combine those two together, you have eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on just 12 targets, so it's not a matchup I'd say is a must avoid. I'm more concerned about the targets between the two of them, but knowing the tight ends combined for seven targets in Week 1, we may want to consider Week 2 a fluke. Olsen is still playing the most snaps, making him the one you'd want to play, if any. He's a TE2 who comes with some risk.
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249.
Ameer Abdullah
RB - MIN (vs . TEN)
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250.
Jalen Guyton
WR - LAC (vs . CAR)
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251.
Mike Thomas
WR - CIN (at PHI)
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252.
Auden Tate
WR - CIN (at PHI)
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253.
Reggie Bonnafon
RB - CAR (at LAC)
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254.
Robert Tonyan
TE - GB (at NO)
He's the leading tight end in snaps (92), pass plays (50), and production, though that's not saying much. He has three targets on the year with two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. And after Jace Sternberger dropped one of his two targets last week, he's not moving up the depth chart. We saw Darren Waller dismantle the Saints defense last week, but that's because he's legitimately a wide receiver in a tight ends body. The Saints were the 10th-best defense against tight ends last year, so don't let that game sway your decision to never think about a Packers tight end again.
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255.
Mohamed Sanu
WR - SF (at NYG)
He played just 13 snaps in his 49ers debut, though he was with the team for just a couple days prior to the game. It would seem that was to ease him in, but we don't know for sure, as Kendrick Bourne, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Taylor all played at least 28 snaps. Until we see him on the field in a full-time capacity, we can't consider him in fantasy.
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256.
Jeremy McNichols
RB - TEN (at MIN)
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257.
Jamison Crowder
WR - NYJ (at IND)
It seems like Crowder might be held out another week with his hamstring injury, as Adam Gase described the situation as "up in the air" during his Monday call. Seeing as he was ruled out early last week, you shouldn't take it for granted that he plays this week. He's the only Jets receiver worth considering at this point if he plays, though there would be plenty of risk attached to him. Despite their opponents targeting wide receivers just 28 times (third fewest in the league), the Colts have allowed 228 yards and three touchdowns to them. The 2.17 PPR points per target ranks as the sixth most on the young season. Kenny Moore is the cornerback they have cover slot receivers and he's done a good job for them over the last four years, allowing 7.07 yards per target and a touchdown every 48.3 targets. Even if Crowder suits up, he's a risky WR4 and one who could leave you with a zero if he aggravates his injury.
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258.
Kalif Raymond
WR - TEN (at MIN)
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259.
Ryan Izzo
TE - NE (vs . LV)
The Patriots tight ends have combined for four targets over the first two games. Sure, Izzo has received all of them, but let's not pretend that you're considering him. The Raiders allowed a touchdown to Jared Cook last week, sure, but they've also held tight ends to just 66 yards on 11 targets through two games. Carry on.
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260.
Josh Malone
WR - NYJ (at IND)
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261.
Marvin Hall
WR - DET (at ARI)
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262.
James O'Shaughnessy
TE - JAC (vs . MIA)
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263.
T.J. Yeldon
RB - BUF (vs . LAR)
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264.
Jace Sternberger
TE - GB (at NO)
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265.
Senorise Perry
RB - TEN (at MIN)
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266.
Nick Boyle
TE - BAL (vs . KC)
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267.
Anthony Firkser
TE - TEN (at MIN)
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268.
Harrison Bryant
TE - CLE (vs . WAS)
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269.
Damion Ratley
WR - NYG (vs . SF)
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270.
Vance McDonald
TE - PIT (vs . HOU)
|
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271.
Josh Hill
TE - NO (vs . GB)
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272.
Jason Witten
TE - LV (at NE)
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273.
Gabriel Davis
WR - BUF (vs . LAR)
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274.
C.J. Prosise
RB - HOU (at PIT)
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275.
Ryan Griffin
TE - NYJ (at IND)
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276.
Adam Trautman
TE - NO (vs . GB)
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277.
Qadree Ollison
RB - ATL (vs . CHI)
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278.
Tyler Kroft
TE - BUF (vs . LAR)
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279.
Devin Asiasi
TE - NE (vs . LV)
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280.
Collin Johnson
WR - JAC (vs . MIA)
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281.
Kaden Smith
TE - NYG (vs . SF)
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282.
Blake Bell
TE - DAL (at SEA)
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283.
Ross Dwelley
TE - SF (at NYG)
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284.
Isaiah McKenzie
WR - BUF (vs . LAR)
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285.
Jack Doyle
TE - IND (vs . NYJ)
We don't know what's going on with Doyle as of now, but Frank Reich said that it's too early to tell early in the week. But one thing is certain, and that's that Alie-Cox carved himself out a big role. He torched the usually tough Vikings defense for 5/111/0 on just six targets, and now with Parris Campbell on the shelf, that opens up more targets over the middle of the field. The Jets were one of the best in the NFL at defending tight ends last year, but lost Jamal Adams, who took on a lot of that responsibility. They've only seen 12 targets to the tight end position through two weeks, and those have amounted to 10 catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. If Doyle plays, it's going to be tough to trust either of them because they may cancel each other out, and it's clear the Colts value Doyle as an every-down player. However, if Doyle misses another game, Alie-Cox should be considered a borderline TE1. It should be noted that Doyle missed practice on Wednesday.
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286.
Cam Batson
WR - TEN (at MIN)
|
|
287.
Cameron Brate
TE - TB (at DEN)
|
|
288.
Rashard Higgins
WR - CLE (vs . WAS)
|
|
289.
Khari Blasingame
RB - TEN (at MIN)
|
|
290.
Noah Togiai
TE - IND (vs . NYJ)
|
|
291.
Patrick Ricard
RB,DT - BAL (vs . KC)
|
|
292.
Foster Moreau
TE - LV (at NE)
|
|
293.
Chris Manhertz
TE - CAR (at LAC)
|
|
294.
Jesse James
TE - DET (at ARI)
|
|
295.
Virgil Green
TE - LAC (vs . CAR)
|
|
296.
Jacob Hollister
TE - SEA (vs . DAL)
|
|
297.
MyCole Pruitt
TE - TEN (at MIN)
|
|
298.
Freddie Swain
WR - SEA (vs . DAL)
|
|
299.
Alex Armah
RB - CAR (at LAC)
|
|
300.
Cole Kmet
TE - CHI (at ATL)
|
|
301.
Adam Shaheen
TE - MIA (at JAC)
|
|
302.
Seth Roberts
WR - CAR (at LAC)
|
|
303.
Zay Jones
WR - LV (at NE)
|
|
304.
Malik Taylor
WR - GB (at NO)
|
|
305.
DeAndre Carter
WR - HOU (at PIT)
|
|
306.
Tajae Sharpe
WR - MIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
307.
DaeSean Hamilton
WR - DEN (vs . TB)
|
|
308.
Jakob Johnson
RB,TE - NE (vs . LV)
|
|
309.
Olamide Zaccheaus
WR - ATL (vs . CHI)
|
|
310.
Antonio Gandy-Golden
WR - WAS (at CLE)
|
|
311.
Nick Vannett
TE - DEN (vs . TB)
|
|
312.
Keke Coutee
WR - HOU (at PIT)
|
|
313.
Daurice Fountain
WR - IND (vs . NYJ)
|
|
314.
Byron Pringle
WR - KC (at BAL)
|
|
315.
Noah Brown
WR - DAL (at SEA)
|
|
316.
Elijhaa Penny
RB - NYG (vs . SF)
|
|
317.
C.J. Board
WR - NYG (vs . SF)
|
|
318.
Alec Ingold
RB - LV (at NE)
|
|
319.
John Hightower
WR - PHI (vs . CIN)
|
|
320.
Joe Reed
WR - LAC (vs . CAR)
|
|
321.
Marcedes Lewis
TE - GB (at NO)
|
|
322.
Nick Keizer
TE - KC (at BAL)
|
|
323.
Tyler Conklin
TE - MIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
324.
Demetrius Harris
TE - CHI (at ATL)
|
|
325.
Trevon Wesco
TE - NYJ (at IND)
|
|
326.
Christian Blake
WR - ATL (vs . CHI)
|
|
327.
Diontae Spencer
WR - DEN (vs . TB)
|
|
328.
Marcus Baugh
TE - WAS (at CLE)
|
|
329.
Anthony Alridge
RB - WAS (at CLE)
|
|
330.
Levine Toilolo
TE - NYG (vs . SF)
|
|
331.
Samaje Perine
RB - CIN (at PHI)
|
|
332.
Luke Stocker
TE - ATL (vs . CHI)
|
|
333.
D'Ernest Johnson
RB - CLE (vs . WAS)
|
|
334.
Trayveon Williams
RB - CIN (at PHI)
|
|
335.
Darrell Daniels
TE - ARI (vs . DET)
|
|
336.
Lynn Bowden Jr.
WR,RB - MIA (at JAC)
|
|
337.
K.J. Hill
WR - LAC (vs . CAR)
|
|
338.
Ashton Dulin
WR - IND (vs . NYJ)
|
|
339.
Jeremy Sprinkle
TE - WAS (at CLE)
|
|
340.
Stephen Anderson
TE - LAC (vs . CAR)
|
|
341.
Durham Smythe
TE - MIA (at JAC)
|
|
342.
Jordan Thomas
TE - ARI (vs . DET)
|
|
343.
Sean McKeon
TE - DAL (at SEA)
|
|
344.
Josiah Deguara
TE - GB (at NO)
|
|
345.
Cethan Carter
TE,RB - CIN (at PHI)
|
|
346.
Stephen Carlson
WR - CLE (vs . WAS)
|
|
347.
Jake Butt
TE - DEN (vs . TB)
|
|
348.
Jaeden Graham
TE - ATL (vs . CHI)
|
|
349.
Luke Willson
TE - SEA (vs . DAL)
|
|
350.
Johnny Mundt
TE - LAR (at BUF)
|
|
351.
Andrew Beck
TE - DEN (vs . TB)
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