Fantasy Football Player Notes

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.

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.

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.

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.