Fantasy Football Week 2 Wrap: Carson Steele needs to be added in wake of Isiah Pacheco injury
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
Joe Burrow bounced back and out-played Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs overcame major issues at left tackle to win 26-25 on a 51-yard field goal as time expired. Mahomes’ 151 passing yards were the fewest of his career in a game he didn’t leave injured. Two passing scores and 29 rushing yards helped save his fantasy day, but Mahomes rarely had time to look downfield; his average depth of target (3.8 yards) was in the second percentile. The addition of speedy Xavier Worthy hasn’t yet resulted in more deep shots as hoped, but Cincinnati’s defense has given Mahomes issues in the past as well.
Isiah Pacheco saw 24 opportunities but hobbled off the field with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter with what's being reported as a fractured fibula and is likely headed for injured reserve. Carson Steele lost a fumble Sunday, but he was active at the goal line and needs to be added in all fantasy leagues given Pacheco’s injury. Steele is available in 98% of Yahoo leagues. Samaje Perine will also see increased work, but he finished with zero carries. It looks like Kansas City might also add to its running back room.
Travis Kelce’s streak of recording three-plus catches ended at an NFL-record 114 games Sunday, dating back to Mahomes’ second career start. Meanwhile, Rashee Rice continued to act as Kansas City’s clear top pass catcher, and he should be considered a top 10 fantasy WR moving forward. Worthy had a quiet game in which Mahomes threw for only 151 yards, but his fantasy arrow is pointing up with news Marquise Brown is out for the season.
Burrow was a top 10 fantasy QB during a quiet week of quarterback production, also working mostly underneath (aDOT in the 23rd percentile). He entered 3-1 during his career versus Mahomes but fell to 1-9 during September starts after the tough loss. Still, fantasy managers will take it, as Burrow looked healthy and produced against a Kansas City defense that allowed just 4.5 yards per play at home last season. Burrow completed eight passes for 104 yards to tight ends by halftime — the most he’d thrown to the position in any game of his career.
Ja’Marr Chase’s slow start could be expected after missing so much practice, but it’s also occurred while Tee Higgins has been sidelined. Chase’s frustration came out with an unsportsmanlike penalty in the fourth quarter. Expect a monster game from Chase on Monday night against Washington.
• Cam Taylor-Britt had an early candidate for interception of the year, while Kansas City returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Carolina Panthers
• J.K. Dobbins saw one fewer carry than Gus Edwards but erupted and outproduced him yet again Sunday. His schedule stiffens over the next few weeks, but Dobbins has been one of the best fantasy backs to start the season. Let’s hope his health holds up.
• Justin Herbert is averaging just 23 pass attempts over his first two games under Jim Harbaugh, and both have been wins. Different future matchups will help, but Herbert’s fantasy value is limited as expected given his situation.
• Quentin Johnston had two touchdown catches by halftime, finishing with the same number of targets (six) as Ladd McConkey and Josh Palmer combined. While nice to see from QJ, I wouldn’t go crazy spending FAAB on him.
• Bryce Young completed 80% of his passes at halftime … for 22 yards. Tommy Tremble led Carolina with 23 receiving yards. You simply can’t start any fantasy player in this offense right now.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens
• Gardner Minshew’s CPOE (+15.9) was in the 96th percentile, helping Davante Adams and Brock Bowers both post big fantasy scoring weeks. Bowers looks like a top five fantasy tight end moving forward, at minimum. Adams was great, but he had a bad fourth-quarter drop that would’ve gone for a TD. He’d score later that same drive thanks to a highly questionable pass interference call.
• Zamir White lost a goal-line TD to Alexander Mattison but mostly led Las Vegas’ backfield. He’ll have easier future matchups.
• Lamar Jackson struggled behind a shaky offensive line, and Baltimore’s offense is a problem right now. The Ravens failed to score a TD in the first half for the first time in 24 games while at home with 10 days’ rest and as 8.5-point favorites. Baltimore somehow had 19 rushing yards at halftime, and a comedy of errors led to the upset, including multiple penalties and a 19-yard punt. Las Vegas was 1-7 over its last eight road games and was playing a 10 a.m. body clock game against a team with more rest and presumably focused coming off a loss.
• Henry had a slow first half in a smash spot as a heavy favorite, but he looked good afterward, showing off his signature stiff arm and taking a Wildcat carry into the end zone. Baltimore’s offense is a bigger issue than any major signs of decline with Henry.
• Zay Flowers has 21 targets over two games, while Mark Andrews didn’t record his first catch of Sunday’s game until 1:15 was left in the first half. Still, Andrews saw healthy usage, while Isaiah Likely appears more matchup and game-script dependent. It’s hard not to like Bowers more than both rest-of-season.
• Justin Tucker missed another long field-goal attempt. He’s just 1-of-7 from 50+ yards over the last two seasons.
New Orleans Saints @ Dallas
• Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns and put up what’s sure to be one of the biggest fantasy performances of the 2024 season. He required just three targets, as Kamara looked anything but washed while running all over Dallas’ defense.
• Derek Carr was fantasy’s No. 2 QB this week despite attempting just 16 passes against a Dallas team that had won 16 straight regular-season games at home. New Orleans’ pass protection held up, and Klint Kubiak’s new increase in motion has the Saints’ offense off to the best start in the league. New Orleans had scored on 15 straight Carr drives (dating back to last week) entering halftime!
• Rashid Shaheed pulled down a 70-yard score, while game script once again hurt Chris Olave’s production. Overall, it’s good news for Olave that New Orleans has scored 91 points over the first two weeks. Big fantasy games are ahead for Olave in this new Saints offense.
• Taysom Hill left injured and needs to be monitored.
• Dak Prescott didn’t deserve an interception on a play in which Jalen Brooks fell down, but it was his first multiple INT game in 14 starts. The Saints look terrific, but Dallas managed just 4.4 yards per play during the team’s 33-17 Week 1 win, so the Cowboys’ offense has questions.
• CeeDee Lamb hauled in a long score, but game script resulted in him sitting early.
• Dallas has allowed a whopping 92 points over its last two home games (counting the playoffs).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions
• Baker Mayfield didn’t have another big fantasy game but produced a nice TD run during a matchup that ended much lower-scoring than expected (the Lions had by far the highest implied team total of the week).
• Rachaad White departed in the first quarter with a groin injury but quickly returned. Expect him to continue splitting carries with rookie Bucky Irving, so one target won’t cut it.
• Chris Godwin had an 8-7-111-1 line over the first two quarters, and he finished as a top-10 WR this week despite not seeing a target after halftime.
• Jared Goff is usually money at home, but he was brutal Sunday. He was picked during his first pass attempt of the game and missed Jameson Williams on a potential 50-yard play later in the first quarter. Facing a banged-up Tampa Bay secondary and Vita Vea leaving injured, Goff finished with just 5.6 YPA and was lucky a third interception was dropped by Jordan Whitehead in the second quarter.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 19 targets but was hobbled after a late third-quarter catch. Initial reports indicate it’s not a long-term injury, but it's obviously one we'll be watching for this week.
• Sam LaPorta has just 8.8 fantasy points through two weeks, and he was completely ignored throughout most of Sunday’s game. The emergence of Jameson Williams is clearly bad news for LaPorta’s value, but he’ll see more targets should St. Brown end up missing any time.
• Aidan Hutchison recorded 4.5 sacks in the loss that also included a successful fake punt deep in Detroit’s own territory.
• The Lions blowing a sure field goal at the end of the first half (a 10-second runoff penalty that wasn’t needed) proved extra costly, losing by four while in field-goal range.
Indianapolis Colts @ Green Bay Packers
• Malik Willis didn’t need to attempt many passes downfield, as the Packers recorded their most rushing yards (164) in the first quarter since 1991. Green Bay finished with 53 carries for 261 rushing yards while dealing with a wild situation.
• Josh Jacobs continues to look rejuvenated, although he lost a fumble at the goal line. Jacobs had an NFL-high 151 rushing yards in Week 2 and will continue to be a workhorse while Jordan Love is sidelined (and Green Bay’s wideouts will remain bench-worthy).
• Anthony Richardson struggled badly, throwing three picks (although one was during a Hail Mary on the game’s final play). Alec Pierce fell down on a would-be long play, and the Colts committed some drops, but this is the type of erratic passing performance that comes with AR. Richardson’s four carries was the biggest fantasy disappointment.
• Panic is more than warranted for those who spent an early draft pick on Michael Pittman Jr., as he’s yet to eclipse 31 yards, and Josh Downs is returning soon.
Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars
• Amari Cooper has just 27 scoreless yards over the first two games, but he was close to having a much bigger Week 1 and saw a team-leading eight targets Sunday. Deshaun Watson’s inability to throw downfield remains a problem but keep Cooper in fantasy lineups at home versus the Giants in Week 3.
• D’Onta Foreman started the game and finished with twice as many carries as Jerome Ford despite fumbling. Browns' fantasy backs will be matchup-based moving forward, but it’s a committee without upside.
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• Cleveland’s defense traveled this week (after posting major splits last season), limiting all of Jacksonville’s fantasy players. Travis Etienne could be looking at increased carries with Tank Bigsby leaving injured.
• Christian Kirk recorded negative receiving yards and is clearly behind rookie Brian Thomas Jr. Kirk had massive historical splits with Evan Engram on/off the field, so Sunday’s dud was especially concerning considering the tight end didn’t play after suffering an injury in pregame warmups. Kirk belongs on fantasy benches — if not waiver wires at this point.
San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings
• Justin Jefferson caught a 97-yard touchdown Sunday, when he became the youngest player to record 6,000 receiving yards in NFL history. Unfortunately, Jefferson was helped off the field late in the third quarter (Nick Bosa was seemingly injured on the same play) with a quad injury. It’s a situation to obviously monitor, with Jalen Nailor and Jordan Addison the potential beneficiaries should Jefferson miss time.
JUSTIN JEFFERSON 97 YARD TUDDY!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/0PJs9mheCK
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
• Aaron Jones lost a fumble at the goal line (just his second lost fumble over the past two seasons) and saw one fewer carry than Ty Chandler. Still, he continues to look good and finished with 15 opportunities (which is enough in this system).
• Sam Darnold got 10.3 YPA and was a top three fantasy QB during his revenge game week. He looks like the answer for those who waited on their QB2 in Superflex leagues (assuming Jefferson is OK).
• Brock Purdy committed two turnovers but got 8.9 YPA while seeing a career-high in pressures. He took six sacks and continues to look out of sync with Brandon Aiyuk (who didn’t record his first catch until six minutes was left in the third quarter). San Francisco’s offense gets a pass while traveling during a short week against a Minnesota team that might be good.
• Jordan Mason got 100 rushing yards against a tough Brian Flores run defense while constantly playing from behind. He should be treated as a weekly top-five fantasy back until CMC eventually returns.
• George Kittle was carted to the locker room, but it was reportedly just cramping. He returned and finished as fantasy’s top tight end in Week 2.
Seattle Seahawks @ New England Patriots
• DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba combined for 30 targets, while Tyler Lockett saw two. Metcalf shook off a Patrick Surtain matchup with a big performance, while JSN’s official breakout game is huge news for his fantasy value moving forward.
• Zach Charbonnet got just 2.7 YPC but scored and saw 19 opportunities in a tough matchup. He’s a top-15 RB while Kenneth Walker is out.
• Antonio Gibson saw more touches now that he's healthier, but Rhamondre Stevenson still saw 26 opportunities and was a top-10 fantasy back.
• Hunter Henry led all tight ends in targets (12) and receiving yards (109) and finished as a top three fantasy tight end in Week 2. He’s available in 76% of Yahoo leagues and has potential to finish as a top 12 TE in 2024.
New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans
• Breece Hall had a sick touchdown catch and finished as a top-five fantasy back in Week 2. Hall saw a healthy 22 opportunities, but rookie Braelon Allen (11 opportunities) unexpectedly cut into his work. Allen scored two touchdowns, becoming the youngest player to score in the modern era. Hall’s touches may have been split more during a short week for New York, but Allen has an impressive college resume and would’ve been in the game for the play in which Hall caught his TD if not for a timeout. Allen is available in 91% of Yahoo leagues, but he needs to be added in all of them.
• Aaron Rodgers did enough against a stout Tennessee defense, avoiding the first 0-2 start of his career. But Garrett Wilson’s fantasy managers wanted to see more than six targets Sunday.
• Will Levis’ adjusted stats won’t look nearly as bad as his box score over the first two weeks, but he carelessly lost a fumble inside the 10-yard line Sunday after last week’s memorable pick-six.
• Calvin Ridley scored twice in an extremely difficult matchup and could’ve had an even bigger game; he dropped a ball deep downfield in the third quarter.
• Tennessee had a punt blocked for the second straight week.
New York Giants @ Washington Commanders
• Brian Robinson Jr. had a career-long 32-yard run in the first half and then followed that up with a 40-yard rush in the second. It was his first 100-yard rushing effort in 24 games. Touchdowns will come for Robinson.
• Jayden Daniels’ fantasy managers needed a TD run, and the rookie’s issues with sacks will likely continue to be a problem.
• Terry McLaurin belongs on fantasy benches, as Daniels’ average depth of target is the lowest in the league over the first two weeks.
• Malik Nabers cleared a first-quarter concussion test to become a top-three fantasy WR this week. The rookie scored his first touchdown while recording a whopping 64% target share. Nabers suffered a drop late, but he’s off to a historic start to his career. Nabers saw 18 targets Sunday, and the Giants only had the ball 22 minutes. Nabers looks like a top-15 fantasy WR moving forward, even with Daniel Jones as his QB.
• The Giants lost this game in no small part to not elevating a backup kicker after Graham Gano was added to Saturday’s injury report. New York left multiple points on the table (going for two from the 15-yard line, etc) with no kicker available. Meanwhile, Washington made seven field goals.
Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals
• Marvin Harrison Jr. bounced back after a rough NFL debut by erupting for 130 yards and two touchdowns over the first 12 minutes of Sunday’s game. Kyler Murray missed him wide open for another long gain late in the first half, and Harrison’s game would’ve been undoubtedly bigger if not for the lopsided score. Any concerns about Harrison’s speed or involvement in Arizona’s offense were certainly eased.
Marvin Harrison Jr. we love you pic.twitter.com/GE6a9vVabw
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024
• Murray was easily this week’s top fantasy QB — and he attempted just 21 passes. He capped a 99-yard TD drive with a fantastic play and is averaging 58 rushing yards over two games. Murray had been 1-7 versus the Rams during his career, but he finished with a perfect Passer Rating on Sunday.
• James Conner’s big game could’ve been bigger, but he fumbled at the goal line (recovered by Trey McBride). Conner should be locked into fantasy lineups as long as he’s healthy.
• Matthew Stafford couldn’t overcome all of L.A.’s injuries, as the team’s offensive line is decimated while Cooper Kupp joined Puka Nacua on the sidelines Sunday. Kupp was quieter than expected before suffering an injury on a second-quarter catch. He limped off the field and was spotted in a walking boot leaving the stadium, so Kupp’s fantasy season has been a roller coaster to start.
• Stafford spread targets Sunday, but Demarcus Robinson should take on a bigger role should Kupp miss time.
• Sean McVay had never lost in Arizona, but at least Blake Corum appears to have passed Ronnie Rivers on LA’s depth chart.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos
• Justin Fields will likely remain Pittsburgh’s starter after winning again Sunday, but he’s turned in back-to-back disappointing fantasy performances. At least he helped Pittsburgh score its first touchdown of the season.
• George Pickens deserved better Sunday, as he lost a bunch of yards as well as a touchdown catch thanks to penalties. Pickens also drew a 40-yard PI while shadowed by Patrick Surtain in a game the Steelers attempted just 20 passes. Stick with him.
• Neither team totaled 300 yards during a fantasy dud that included Bo Nix leading Denver with 25 rushing yards. No Broncos player should be started in fantasy leagues for the time being.
• Sean Payton made some highly questionable coaching decisions at the end of this game, including declining an onside kick with just one timeout remaining.
Chicago Bears @ Houston Texans
• Nico Collins is the clear alpha WR in Houston. He made a ridiculous catch Sunday night and should be treated as a top-10 WR moving forward.
• Joe Mixon’s slow night against a stout Chicago defense got worse when his right ankle was rolled up on early in the third quarter. Mixon briefly returned but wasn’t on the field when Cam Akers lost a goal-line fumble in the fourth quarter, nor when Houston was trying to run out the clock late. Mixon’s status needs to be monitored.
• Ka’imi Fairbairn became the first kicker in NFL history to record five 50+ yard field goals in a two-game span by halftime (he’d add a sixth afterward).
• Chicago’s defense looks legit, so C.J. Stroud will have bigger games. Tank Dell dropped a potential 73-yard touchdown in the third quarter that would’ve made Stroud’s line look very different.
• Caleb Williams took a bunch of hits and faced relentless blitzing, but he struggled once again. He’s gotten a lowly 4.0 YPA over his first two NFL games while still searching for his first touchdown. Williams was lucky a third interception was negated by a penalty. In fairness, he was missing Keenan Allen, has shaky coaching and continues to get no help from his running game. Williams also took multiple late shots in which no flags were curiously thrown, but he's a major work in progress.
• D’Andre Swift has 24 carries for 48 yards over two games and lost a short score to Khalil Herbert on Sunday night, when Chicago’s rookie QB led the team in rushing. A trip to Indianapolis next week could be what the Bears need to get their running game going.