Seahawks RB Ken Walker struggled to get much going vs. the Lions in Week 2, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry on 17 totes. But he turned in a nice fantasy day thanks to 1- and 3-yard TD runs. Walker's efficiency behind a struggling offensive line is a concern. But he continues to dominate work in Seattle's backfield. He handled 17 of 22 RB carries against Detroit and two of four RB targets. As long as that continues, Walker should stay in fantasy lineups as a RB2. He gets nice matchups the next two weeks vs. the Panthers and Giants, before a Week 5 bye.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield threw for 317 yards and 1 TD in Sunday's win over the Bears. He went 26 of 34 passing (76.5%) at 9.3 yards per attempt. A 70-yarder to WR Mike Evans certainly didn't hurt those numbers. Week 3 holds a home date with the Eagles, who have allowed each of their first two opponents to top 350 yards passing. That's probably not going to push Mayfield into our top 12 QBs for Week 3. But he'll carry upside at least for superflex leagues.
Packers RB A.J. Dillon posted 55 rushing yards on 15 carries in Week 2’s loss vs. the Falcons. He also added a single catch on his lone target for 8 yards. Green Bay was without starter Aaron Jones (hamstring) for this contest. Though Dillon didn’t have a massive scoring output, he seized 76.1% of the Packers’ RB touch opportunities on Sunday. Should Jones miss another game, fantasy managers can feel comfortable knowing that Dillon would likely be treated as a workhorse back again. Keep an eye on injury reports in the coming days to see if we’ll have Jones back for Week 3 vs. the Saints.
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans racked up 171 yards and caught the team's lone TD pass in Sunday's win over the Bears. Evans tied WR Chris Godwin for the target lead with eight, catching six of those. Godwin posted a 5-58 receiving line. TE Cade Otton added 6 receptions for 41 yards on 6 targets. The Bucs host Philly in Week 3, an opponent they're likely to trail and a defense with multiple injuries across the starting secondary. Expect Evans and Godwin to land well inside starter territory in our Week 3 rankings.
After an ugly opener, Seahawks QB Geno Smith bounced back with a strong showing in a Week 2 overtime win over the Lions. Smith completed 32 of 41 passes (78.0%) for 328 yards (8.0 YPA), two TDs, and 0 INTs. Both of the scores went to WR Tyler Lockett, including a 6-yard game-winner in overtime. This looked like the Geno Smith we saw last year, accurately distributing the ball to all levels of the field. The matchup and game environment certainly worked in his favor in this one. But Smith gets two more beatable defenses in the Panthers and Giants the next two weeks, before a Week 5 bye.
Bills RB James Cook looked explosive in Sunday’s win over Las Vegas, totaling 159 yards on 21 touches. Both figures marked career highs. The second-year back also led all early-game RBs in rush yards over expectation (+44), per ESPN’s Seth Walder. He continued to lose out on red zone work to both Damien Harris and Latavius Murray. Still, his receiving work (10 targets in two games) really helps Cook’s floor. He’ll remain an RB2 moving forward.
Packers QB Jordan Love completed 14 passes on 25 attempts for 151 yards with 3 TDs and no INTs in Sunday’s loss vs. the Falcons. He also added 23 yards rushing on a pair of carries in the contest. Without WR Christian Watson (hamstring) for the second week in a row, Love turned in another very efficient performance. Fantasy managers could be looking at a weekly streaming option in 1QB leagues if he continues to play at this pace. The likelihood of ranking Love as a top-12 option is relatively low, considering how little the Packers’ offense throws, but managers who roster him in superflex leagues ought to be thrilled. Love will be an intriguing name headed into Week 3 vs. the Saints.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White tallied 73 yards and a TD on 17 carries (4.3 per rush) in Sunday's win over the Bears. He added 5 receptions for 30 yards on 5 targets. White claimed 22 of 32 total RB opportunities for the Bucs (68.8%) and accounted for 84.4% of total RB yards in the game. Sean Tucker ranked second with 8 carries but managed just 7 yards. Chase Edmonds carried twice for 12 yards. White's role is the biggest thing going for him right now, but his Week 2 production was encouraging. Tampa Bay hosts Philly and then visits New Orleans before a Week 5 bye.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White tallied 73 yards and a TD on 17 carries (4.3 per rush) in Sunday's win over the Bears. He added 5 receptions for 30 yards on 5 targets. White claimed 22 of 32 total RB opportunities for the Bucs (68.8%) and accounted for 84.4% of total RB yards in the game. Sean Tucker ranked second with 8 carries but managed just 7 yards. Chase Edmonds carried twice for 12 yards. White's role is the biggest thing going for him right now, but his Week 2 production was encouraging. Tampa Bay hosts Philly and then visits New Orleans before a Week 5 bye.
Falcons WR Drake London led the team in receiving in Week 2, tallying 6 catches on 7 targets for 67 yards and a TD vs. the Packers. Fantasy managers who stuck with the second-year wideout in lineups were rewarded handsomely. But those who started TE Kyle Pitts? Well, they’re not so happy. Pitts only hauled in 2 of his 5 targets for 15 receiving yards in the victory. Fellow TE Jonnu Smith saw 6 targets and turned his opportunities into 4 catches for 47 yards. It’s starting to feel like both London and Pitts being viable fantasy assets in the same week might be a pipedream. Fortunately, we’re only a pair of games into the 2023 season, but early results aren’t encouraging. Pitts will have a chance to get right in Week 3 vs. the Lions.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon dominated backfield work in Sunday's win over the Ravens but managed just-OK fantasy production. He garnered 13 of the team's 14 RB carries, gaining 59 yards (4.5 per rush). Mixon also claimed 5 of the 7 RB targets, catching 4 for 36 yards (9.0 per catch). Mixon has yet to find the end zone for a Cincinnati offense that has underperformed in two straight games. But Mixon's role makes him a weekly starter for most fantasy lineups. He gets a winnable matchup with the Rams in Week 3 before a tough rushing spot at Tennessee in Week 4. The status of QB Joe Burrow's calf -- which he tweaked against Baltimore -- could affect the whole offense.
Bills QB Josh Allen completed 31 of 37 passes for 274 yards and 3 TDs in a win over Las Vegas. Call it a predictable bounce back in a favorable matchup. The Raiders’ pass rush struggled to get home, and Allen made them pay both inside the pocket and out. His scores went to Dawson Knox, Khalil Shakir, and Gabe Davis. Allen remains a locked-in top-3 fantasy QB.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins racked up an 8-89-2 receiving line on a team-high 12 targets in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. That marked a big rebound from his 0-catch opener. WRs Tyler Boyd and Ja'Marr Chase tied for second with 8 targets apiece. Boyd tallied 6 catches for 52 yards; Chase snagged 5 receptions for just 31 yards. The game marked significant improvement for the Cincinnati passing game over Week 1. But it'll need to rebound further to deliver on the draft positions of Burrow and his top WRs. Burrow's aggravation of his calf injury won't help. We'll see about his status heading into an upside Week 3 matchup with the Rams. After that comes non-scary spots against the Titans, Cardinals, and Seahawks -- ahead of a Week 7 bye.
Lions RB David Montgomery has a thigh bruise, HC Dan Campbell said after the loss to Seattle. Montgomery is scheduled for more testing on Monday. If that's the extent of the injury, Montgomery doesn't figure to be out for long. We should get another update on his status tomorrow.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson recorded 19 attempts for 124 rushing yards in Week 2’s win vs. the Packers. The rookie also added 4 catches on 5 targets for 48 yards as a receiver. Teammate RB Tyler Allgeier also had plenty of involvement, logging 16 carries for 48 rushing yards, but failed to see any involvement in the passing game. Similarly to Week 1, 49.1% of the Falcons’ total yards funneled through their RBs despite QB Desmond Ridder nearly doubling his pass attempts. It’s reasonable to expect Atlanta to continue their ground-and-pound approach again next week vs. the Lions. Both Robinson and Allgeier remain viable fantasy options as long as HC Arthur Smith keeps focuses this offense through the backfield at such a high rate.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow said after Sunday's loss to the Ravens that he aggravated his calf injury late, according to NFL Network's James Palmer. Burrow said he would have re-entered the game had Cincinnati gotten another possession. But he also called it "pretty sore" and said they'd see how he feels over the next few days. Burrow went a solid 27 of 41 passing (65.9%) but tallied just 222 yards (5.4 per attempt). Cincinnati appeared to limit the passing game to shorter throws more than usual. We'll see about Burrow's status heading into Week 3.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder completed 19 passes on 32 attempts for 237 passing yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in Sunday’s win vs. the Packers. He also ran the ball 10 times for 39 rushing yards with 1 TD on the ground. The second-year signal-caller's fantasy day looks better in the box score than his actual play reflects. Ridder struggled for much of the first half to push the ball downfield. To his credit, both he and the Falcons’ offense fared much better to end the game. 4 of their final 5 drives (excluding kneeling the ball to end the game) extended at least 44 yards and resulted in a scoring play. Ridder will look to continue progressing in Week 3 on the road against the Lions.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson threw for 237 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's win over the Bengals. He added 54 rushing yards on 12 attempts, leading Baltimore in carries in the first game since RB J.K. Dobbins' injury. Jackson didn't take any sacks and avoided turnovers. He gets a favorable matchup with the Colts in Week 3 before a potentially tougher spot against Cleveland in Week 4.
Ravens TE Mark Andrews drew a team-high 8 targets in his return Sunday from a one-week quad injury. He caught five of them for 45 yards and one of Lamar Jackson's 2 TD passes. Andrews accounted for a familiar 24.2% of Jackson's total pass attempts and should be in your lineup every week he's healthy going forward.
WR Nelson Agholor led the Ravens with 63 receiving yards in Sunday's win over the Bengals. His 5 catches tied TE Mark Andrews for the team lead and included a 17-yard TD. Agholor benefited from WR Odell Beckham Jr. leaving early with an ankle injury. WR Zay Flowers fell just 1 yard short of Agholor, with a 4-62 receiving line on 5 targets. WR Rashod Bateman drew just three looks, catching all three for 18 yards. We'll see about Beckham's status for a Week 3 home date with the Colts. Even if he's out, though, we wouldn't make Agholor a priority pickup on waivers this week.
Search
