Another Sunday in the books. Hopefully all of you clinched victory. I know that's probably impossible, but it's a worthwhile aspiration.
As always, let's walk through the most notable fantasy impact for each Sunday team. While there might be one or two exceptions below, I'd rather zoom in on the implications of one major fantasy storyline than to gloss over several storylines.
Bills -- The only surprising thing in this one was how they gave up the first touchdown of the game: 75 Vegas yards on only five plays. Then the defense settled down, and the offense began to cook (pun intended). Notably, Gabe Davis -- one of my favorite preseason WR bargains -- got going in a big way. He should be a strong streamer most weeks.
Raiders -- On the opposite end of the prediction spectrum, I couldn't have been more forceful about why Josh Jacobs was a major regression/injury risk. A week after the Jets netted 170+ ground yards against these Bills in a largely one-dimension offense, Jacobs finished with negative yards on nine carries. A healthy 5-51 receiving line salvaged his day. He now has 46 rushing yards on 28 carries. Sell high if it's not too late.
Bengals -- Only two weeks in, we've reached the stage of the season when *slight* panic might be setting in with Joe Burrow. But good news! His next four contests are against the Rams, Titans, Cardinals, and Seahawks. He's one of my favorite buy-low quarterbacks. This offense is too loaded to wilt.
Ravens -- Hats off to Lamar Jackson and Ravens. This was a statement road victory against a divisional rival. OBJ's injury might appear to be the most notable fantasy news. But since I've viewed the aging veteran as a low-ceiling bust (he was my WR57 this summer), the bigger news concerns Gus Edwards, who found the end zone (huzzah!). But Justice Hill out-touched him 14-10, and just as importantly, Edwards didn't earn a target. This is Edwards in a nutshell: TD-or-bust. If you're rostering him, I'm begging you to sell high.
Falcons -- An incredible win for Atlanta. Drake London is the big story, rebounding after Week 1 to lead his team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. He also caught the lone Desmond Ridder passing TD. London managers can breathe a bit easier. And it was encouraging to see a more dynamic Ridder in the youngster's best NFL start.
Packers -- How remarkable that Green Bay nearly won despite being down their #1 RB and #1 WR. Many of you know my preseason views on Jordan Love. This is what I was banking on, and he's coming through big-time. He's one of many painfully undervalued preseason fantasy options. Why didn't more people elevate Love? Maybe because he hadn't shown anything yet. Or maybe because of an ultra-young receiving corps. Either way, if you drafted Love late, congrats on hitting a home run.
Lions -- Brutal loss for Detroit, whose defense failed to come through. I was clearly wrong to promote their DST this summer. We'll see if it snaps back next weekend versus the Falcons. In the meantime, David Montgomery's injury is hugely importantly. Montgomery has battled nagging injuries in recent years. Despite only a "good" fantasy performance by Jahmyr Gibbs, the rookie RB is a great buy-low guy if you can pry him from an opponent. Even if Montgomery returns in Week 3, this is a reminder that Gibbs is in a prime spot, despite sharing the load.
Seahawks -- I short-changed Seattle's chances in this one. Is the Lions' secondary far worse than I believe, or were the Week 1 Seahawks an outlier for what will be another terrific season? Or maybe both? Geno Smith apparently is still more than relevant. And a favorable early-season schedule can only help.
Titans -- Shocked that Tennessee pulled out the W. A huge victory. Derrick Henry logged 28 touches, and not very efficiently. Rookie Tyjae Spears once again looked electric, and this time on 10 touches. The clock on Tennessee's 2023 outlook is still ticking. If they're a playoff-caliber team, I believe they'll keep Henry. If they're not, then I believe they'll try to trade Henry, making Spears a potential top-12 RB in the second half of the season.
Chargers -- Justin Herbert clearly missed Austin Ekeler, whose usage in the passing game could not be replicated by Joshua Kelley (zero catches) or Elijah Dotson (2-13 receiving line). Notably, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have a combined 37 targets through two contests, accounting for 50% of Herbert's throws. For all the talent this team seemingly possesses on offense, it's largely concentrated in four guys. If you're starting Joshua Palmer or Gerald Everett or anyone else, it's a TD-or-bust situation.
Buccaneers -- So much we could tough on here. I'm most interested in Rachaad White reviving his fantasy value with a strong bell-cow line. Sean Tucker tanked, rushing for seven yards on one play while collecting zero yards on his other seven carries. White strengthened his hold on the lead job.
Bears -- Nothing surprising about Justin Fields going out of his way to target D.J. Moore. What *was* surprising was Fields earning only three yards on four carries. He was also sacked six times. Fields remains a raw talent. The problem is that his offense didn't get noticeably better this offseason. Yes, adding Moore was key. But they're still in rebuilding mode. I cautioned readers about Fields entering this weekend, and I'll do the same next weekend when the Bears travel to Kansas City.
Jaguars -- The biggest Jacksonville fantasy storyline after Week 1 was the return of Calvin Ridley. Because there's a push-and-pull in multi-dimensional offenses, I predicted a big game for Christian Kirk in Week 2. And that's how it played out, with Kirk hitting 22 fantasy points on 14 targets, while Ridley (who might have been a bit hobbled) caught only two of eight passes for 32 yards. This isn't a predictable offense. The biggest question is whether Trevor Lawrence can feed more than two receivers per game.
Chiefs -- Skyy Moore! Or maybe not. Fantasy managers love touchdowns for obvious reasons. But it's still tough to read how Kansas City's receiving corps will shake out. Travis Kelce led the way with nine targets. Kadarius Toney and Justin Watson had five each. Moore had four. Noah Gray and MVS had three. Rashee Rice, two. Now two weeks in, this WR situation remains as fluid as ever, creating challenges for anyone guessing which one(s) will step up.
Texans -- Houston literally went nuts through the air. John Metchie caught only one pass. Nico Collins cemented his status as the #1. Is Collins an unquestioned weekly starter going forward? It's getting hard to say no.
Colts -- Anthony Richardson looked like an in-his-prime Lamar Jackson in the first half. Then a concussion ended his afternoon early. Ironically, he's probably questionable for next week's matchup versus Jackson and the Ravens. Would be a shame not to see those two face off. For now, Richardson is (a) far better than I expected, and it's not even close, and (b) probably running more aggressively than his coaches want to see. Whenever he does return, we might witness a slightly more conservative Richardson -- great news for his health and longevity, and perhaps resulting in a slight hit to his fantasy ceiling.
Rams -- This preseason, betting lines placed the Rams among the biggest Super Bowl longshots. Then they lost Cooper Kupp for at least four games. And then . . . Puka Nacua. I'll write more about Nacua later this week. For now, these two things are true: (1) he's doing what few, if any, rookie WRs have done in their first two NFL games, and (2) he's on pace for 298 targets. The all-time single-season record is 205. The question is not whether he regresses; it's "how much." I was completely wrong to overlook him heading into this season. And if he were on my roster, I'd trade him for top-10 WR value in a heartbeat.
49ers -- George Kittle, folks. I keep sounding the alarm. It's not too late to sell high, or high-ish. Brock Purdy isn't a high-volume passer, and Kittle is no better than a distant #4 offensive option. His blow-up late last season came when Deebo Samuel was hurt. The nearly 30-year-old was a fade in my rankings. He has a solid top-16 floor, but no longer possesses a near-elite ceiling.
Cardinals -- An extraordinary collapse for a team that might go 0-17. For the 20th time in the past two years, James Conner proved me wrong. How does he do it? Well, it turns out the Giants' run defense -- which was among the league's worst last season -- remains pretty bad. If Conner hits double-digit points versus Dallas next weekend, I'll be a convert.
Giants -- At halftime, I was researching the last time a team was shutout in consecutive weeks (quite possibly, the most recent example was the 2008 Browns). Then the seemingly lowly Giants found their groove, albeit against one of the worst teams. Daniel Jones had about 17 fantasy points in the final frame, reinforcing why he's still fantasy-relevant. The biggest news, however, was Saquon Barkley ankle injury. His prospects for this Thursday's game seem dim, and managers should be concerned even beyond that. There is no obvious handcuff, though Matt Breida might get the first crack at it. In other words, it's a rough situation all-around.
Cowboys -- Fascinating fantasy angles aren't found only in big days. Sometimes a muted performance speaks volumes. Michael Gallup 2019 breakout seems like forever ago. Even with Brandin Cooks sidelined, Gallup couldn't get going, as the unproven Jalen Tolbert appeared to leapfrog him. Even in very deep leagues, Gallup is droppable. Keep an eye on Tolbert, a 2022 third-round pick.
Jets -- After urging managers to sell high on Garrett Wilson, the standout wideout proved me wrong with one big TD reception. That said, he caught only one of his other seven targets for 15 yards. Sometimes points are sustainable. Wilson's aren't. Managers have to hope that the Jets -- eyeing a slim shot at a postseason berth -- sign a better QB than Garrett Wilson, especially with the news that Aaron Rodgers might be back in January. Until/unless a quarterback change occurs, no WR -- not even Garrett Wilson -- will be a reliable fantasy starter.
Broncos -- On paper, Russell Wilson crushed it for fantasy managers, racking up about 25 points. But on the field, he continued to look like a guy who will give way to Jarrett Stidham by December. Maybe that's not fair or realistic. And yet, the 0-2 Broncos next face the Dolphins and Bears on the road, followed by the Jets at home, the Chiefs on the road, and then the Packers and Chiefs at home. A road game against Buffalo awaits them after their Week 9 bye. They could realistically be 2-7 or worse heading into a Week 11 tilt versus the Vikings. While the rushing yards are nice, two-QB / Superflex leaguers should consider adding Stidham if you have Wilson.
Commanders -- On a day of big comebacks, Washington's was beyond impressive, led by Brian Robinson. The young RB had a career-best performance while securing more than one catch for the first time in his last five games. This is the key for a guy who's become largely TD-dependent and volume-reliant. If Robinson can consistently earn even 3-4 targets per week, his floor should be high enough to keep him in streaming conversations, regardless of how tough the opponent's defense is.
Patriots -- I had thought New England's defense would be better through two games, though in fairness they've faced two of the NFL's most explosive offenses. Still, negative game scripts have capped Rhamondre Stevenson's ceiling. Managers can and should celebrate his solid outing last night. However, inefficient running and playing from behind aren't helping. Next are road games against the Jets and Cowboys. If you're 0-2, perhaps this is a good time to trade Stevenson for as close to draft value as possible. Because he could struggle to hit 12+ fantasy points these next two weeks.
Dolphins -- Finally, another bad call by me. I didn't think Miami would open the season 2-0. Facing the Chargers and Pats on the road seemed too tough, even for a supposedly vaunted offense. My biggest shortsightedness concerns Raheem Mostert, who I faded in my rankings in the belief that the 31-year-old could not stay healthy. Through two games, he's proven me very wrong.