A lot to cover, let's dive in with the biggest fantasy storyline for each Sunday team:
Ravens -- On Saturday, Mark Andrews was one of more than a dozen players I highlighted -- guys whose values likely would spike or drop depending on what happened yesterday. I pointed out that Andrews' targets per game have plummeted each year since 2021. He was TD-dependent last year, which was fine for managers who benefited from his 11 scores in his final 12 games. But that's not sustainable, and now we're witnessing the fallout for a tight end who's gone from heavily targeted to lightly targeted in four years.
Browns -- The Jerry Jeudy vs. Cedric Tillman question takes a backseat (for now) to Quinshon Judkins' 13-touch debut. Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson are droppable in most leagues. This is now Judkins' backfield.
Steelers -- Jaylen Warren has rushed poorly on the ground in both contests, but statistically he's making managers happy. Kaleb Johnson remains an afterthought, and Kenneth Gainwell isn't a strong challenger to move up the depth chart. Warren essentially solidified his standing.
Seahawks -- Kenneth Walker vs. Zach Charbonnet, part 2, and this time Walker won comfortably. A tough pairing to figure out, though of course Walker now has momentum.
Jets -- Justin Fields' Week 1 magic transformed into something abysmal in Week 2. Ironically, I was down on him this summer compared to his ADP, and then was ready to accept defeat (and embrace his fantasy relevance) heading into Sunday. Somewhere between his first two performances lies the "real" Fields -- probably a high-floor streamer. Whether or not he's healthy in Week 3, the Jets' top playmakers will have roughly the same outlooks.
Bills -- It's hard to diminish Keon Coleman's or Khalil Shakir's values in a blowout victory where they weren't really needed. Still, it's a reminder that this WR group isn't as hierarchical as it was during Stefon Diggs' heyday.
Saints -- Spencer Rattler has taken some big steps forward, and fantasy-wise he has the playmakers to be more than serviceable in the right matchups. I'm now curious whether he's helming the offense well enough to keep rookie Tyler Shough at bay. As always, midseason QB changes can mess with WR/TE fantasy values, so managers with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and/or Juwan Johnson might prefer stability over the unknown.
49ers -- Mac Jones passed the eye test for the first time in a while -- great news if you have any Niners, because Brock Purdy could be out multiple weeks.
Dolphins -- A step in the right direction, but a loss is a loss. Notably, the "big three" of De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle all got going. There's still plenty of boom in this offense, and there's also as much risk as ever, particularly if a loss next week in Buffalo prompts management to rethink the entire season.
Patriots -- Rhamondre Stevenson . . . wow. One week after being comfortably outplayed by rookie TreVeyon Henderson, Stevenson dominated. There is no passing of the baton, at least not yet. Frustrating for managers who (like me) expected the rookie to take over -- not serve as the #3 behind Antonio Gibson.
Titans -- New week, same question: can Cam Ward feed more than one receiver? In his debut, it was nobody. Yesterday it was rookie Elic Ayomanor. It's a challenging situation if you invested in Calvin Ridley,
Rams -- On Saturday I reiterated longstanding concerns about Kyren Williams' bell cow status. He had 389 touches last season and is deceptively TD-dependent. Blake Corum ran better yesterday in a limited role. We'll see if his workload expands.
Lions -- Sam LaPorta had 6+ targets in his previous nine regular season contests. Yesterday he had only four. A very positive game script limited Jared Goff to 28 throws. LaPorta seems like a good buy-low TE in deep leagues.
Bears -- D'Andre Swift ran well but lost a fumble, and Chicago got crushed. As I discussed on the podcast last week and on this blog Saturday, losing is bad news for Swift managers -- that at some point rookie Kyle Monangai and/or Roschon Johnson would see more action. Yesterday Monangai had eight pretty productive touches. We'll see if this carries over into next week.
Cowboys -- What a game, and perhaps Javontae Williams' best performance since his promising (pre-injury) 2021 rookie campaign. Huge news for managers who rolled the dice on him.
Giants -- Two major storylines. First Cam Skattebo outplayed Tyrone Tracy. Still a long season ahead of us, yet it also matters. And for the second consecutive summer, Wan'Dale Robinson was one of the biggest WR bargains on my draft board. He was ranked about 70 spots ahead of his overall ADP. Also talked about him on the podcast. In top-heavy offenses with a young #2 WR, we can usually trust in that young #2 WR.
Bengals -- The latest news on Joe Burrow (last night) is that he could miss a few weeks or even a few months. Devasting news if you drafted him. Jake Browning is one of the most fantasy-friendly backup QBs. Any missed time for Burrow would marginally-to-moderately affect those with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for all of the obvious reasons.
Jaguars -- A lot could be said about Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, and a potentially more crowded receiving corps. But Brian Thomas Jr. had 12 targets, while Travis Hunter earned a respectable six. The points will come. To me, the more interesting story is Bhayshul Tuten's debut as Travis Etienne's handcuff. Although LeQuint Allen looms, Tuten showed he's (probably) ready to handle much more if Etienne ever misses time.
Cardinals -- James Conner vs. Trey Benson, part 2. Conner got the score, though he once again underwhelmed on the ground. I'm even more bullish about Benson than I was last week.
Panthers -- Did anyone else wonder if Bryce Young would be benched after committing two turnovers in the first six minutes? He was able to hang in, and due partly to talent and (I believe) partly to Arizona taking their foot off the gas while leading 27-3 late in the third quarter, Young led a respectable near-comeback. Hunter Renfrow proved to be a difference maker; the journeyman caught his first TD pass(es) since the 2022 season. No doubt he'll be a popular waiver add, but before diving in, consider that Young threw 55 passes. Most weeks, Renfrow will be no better than a TD-dependent dart throw.
Colts -- If he starts seeing the end zone. Tyler Warren could make a push for overall TE1 fantasy production.
Broncos -- JK Dobbins vs. RJ Harvey, round 2, and it's Dobbins by a mile. Also, anytime a receiver (Troy Franklin) more than doubles the targets of every other receiver, we have to take notice.
Chiefs -- This past Saturday, the week before, and even over the summer I tried to articulate why Isiah Pacheco was overvalued. He hasn't scored in his last seven starts. He has an 8-35-0 receiving line in his last six starts. That's not an *average* of 8-35-0. That's all he's done through the air since last Week 14.
Eagles -- A concerning passing attack, though KC's defense deserves credit. Still, it wasn't much better last week against a weak Dallas D. I was high on this group during the preseason and expect them to turn things around. Most notably, AJ Dillon served as Saquon Barkley's handcuff. Whether that's because Tank Bigsby needs more time to acclimate, we should assume that Dillon is currently more valuable.
Vikings -- Aaron Jones vs. Jordan Mason, round 2. Mason out-touched his counterpart 11-5, though Jones's hamstring injury had something to do with that. The 30-year-old actually ran a little better than Mason. But that might not matter if Jones isn't healthy enough to play in Week 3.
Falcons -- Michael Penix attempted only half of the throws (21) that he racked up last weekend (42). Most gams, that'll mean the difference between feeding multiple receivers and feeding no more than one.
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