Fantasy Football: Winners and losers, numbers to know, and more from Week 2

You may not have noticed it, but scoring is down so far this NFL season. Quite a bit, actually. In Week 1, there were 673 total points scored across all games, compared to 768 in Week 1 a year ago. It wasn’t quite as bad in Week 2, but all games averaged 43.6 points, down roughly 10% from Week 2 a year ago.

There are some ugly, ugly offenses out there right now. Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Carolina, New York (both teams!) … yeah, it’s been rough going in a lot of places through two weeks. And your Fantasy teams are probably feeling it.

Especially if you dealt with some of the injuries from Week 2. I wrote about those injuries in last night’s newsletter, headlined by Trey Lance’s season-ender, and we’ll have more in the coming days on those and whatever else comes -out before Week 3 so you’ll be ready to set your lineups. I gave my thoughts on the top waiver-wire targets, too, led by a couple of really exciting rookie wide receivers.

Before we move on to next week for good, let’s take a look back at Week 2 with my recaps for every game from Sunday and Monday. I’ve got the biggest winners and losers for each game from a Fantasy perspective, plus some notes you might have missed if you weren’t watching the game. You’ll learn a lot from these.

Here’s what you need to know from every game yesterday.

Week 2 recap

Here are all of the injuries you need to know about, plus one winner, one loser, and one more thing to know about every game.

Bills 41, Titans 7

Winner: Stefon Diggs. After his three-touchdown game Monday, Diggs is up to 71 PPR points through the first two games, the best start by any WR in the past 20 season, per Stealing Lines’ Dalton Kates. He was weirdly inefficient last season, but if he’s rediscovered his 2020 form with Josh Allen, Diggs could challenge for the WR1 spot. He’s that good.
Loser: Derrick Henry. Or maybe every offense that has to face the Bills this season. They made life hell for Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Week 1, and it was worse for Henry and the Titans Monday. Henry got into the end zone to sort of salvage his Fantasy game somewhat, but he was getting hit in the backfield so often on his carries that it was hard to know whether his struggles were because of a lack of burst or Buffalo’s dominance. For what it’s worth, Henry is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in three games since coming back from his broken foot during last year’s playoffs, and I am concerned that he might not be as physically dominant as he once was. For someone whose Fantasy appeal is almost entirely tied to their outlier physical dominance, that’s concerning.
One more thing: The Titans pulled the starters at the end of the third quarter, but Treylon Burks was making he kind of progress we were hoping to see before then. He ran a route on 68% of pass plays through three quarters, just behind Robert Woods for the team lead, and he continued to draw targets at a high rate, with a team-high six on just 17 routes. Burks’ role is only going to increase, and he looks every bit like the future No. 1 option on this offense based on what he’s done in a small sample size so far. He’s behind Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave if you’re looking to add a WR this week, but if you have space for him, he’s well worth adding.

Eagles 24, Vikings 7

Winner: Jalen Hurts. Hurts finished the game with 31 pass attempts, a total he reached just once in his final eight games last season — and that was while throwing just four passes in the fourth quarter. We hoped that the addition of A.J. Brown would make Hurts more of a passer, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen through two games. But it hasn’t come at the expense of his rushing, as Hurts had 57 yards on 11 carries with two more rushing touchdowns. He might not be the No. 1 QB in Fantasy — Josh Allen, hello — but Hurts might belong in the conversation for No. 2.
Loser: Dalvin Cook. The Vikings abandoned the run early in this one, something they never really did in the Mike Zimmer era. They won’t fall behind as early most weeks as they did in this one, but new coach Kevin O’Connell being willing to go away from Cook (who had six carries and six targets Monday) does at least put more game-script risk in his way. The hope is that this offense is improved enough that Cook overcomes whatever he might lose on the floor side of the equation, but that didn’t happen this week.
One more thing: We usually don’t talk much about defensive players here, but Darius Slay deserves major props for his performance Monday. He had two interceptions and allowed just one reception on six targets when matched up against Justin Jefferson. Jefferson looked unstoppable against a good Packers defense in Week 1, but Slay was able to keep him in check for at least one week. This was one of the better performances you’re going to see from a corner all season.

Dolphins 42, Ravens 38

Winner: Tua Tagovailoa. Most teams don’t have one guy who can do what Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle can do on any given play, and we saw what an edge that duo can give Tagovailoa Sunday. He matched Dan Marino’s franchise record with six passing touchdowns, four of which came in the fourth quarter, as the Dolphins overcame a three-touchdown deficit. Tagovailoa wasn’t even close to perfect – even one of his long touchdowns to Hill was underthrown a bit – but the margin for error is a lot wider when you have playmakers like that on your side. It makes sense to be skeptical of Tagovailoa, but he might just be a top-12 QB if this offense remains as pass-heavy as it has been and Waddle and Hill remain healthy.
Loser: Chase Edmonds. I didn’t expect Edmonds to disappear in a game where Miami threw the ball 50 times, but Raheem Mostert cut into his role in the passing game in addition to leading the team in rush attempts Sunday. Mostert ran 25 routes to Edmonds’ 24, a disappointment after Edmonds was third on the team in routes run total in Week 1. I’m not dropping Edmonds – Mostert’s injury history alone makes Edmonds must-roster – but I was pretty sure Edmonds was the lead back for Miami, and now I don’t know. I don’t think you can trust him for a tough matchup against the Bills in Week 3.
One more thing: The Dolphins held Lamar Jackson in check in their matchup last season with a blitz-heavy approach on defense, but Jackson absolutely destroyed them Sunday. And you saw the limitations of that blitz-heavy strategy in the Ravens’ two long touchdowns – there was no safety help overtop when Rashod Bateman got a step on Xavien Howard on a slant for his 75-yard score in the second quarter, and there was nobody in the second level of the defense on Jackson’s 79-yard score in the third. Be skeptical of any claims that a defense has “solved” Lamar Jackson. He’s too good for that.

Jets 31, Browns 30

Winner: Garrett Wilson was the big headline here, but I want to talk about Amari Cooper, who was nearly as productive as the intriguing rookie. Cooper garnered a massive 37% target share, and that’s more like what I expected to see in this offense. He turned his 10 targets into nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, and it’s just a reminder that, yeah, this guy is an awesome player. Jacoby Brissett is a pretty bad quarterback, and I think that’s going to make Cooper frustratingly unreliable, but it was good to see the Browns treat him like the No. 1 WR he is, and to see Cooper dominate like this. And, for what it’s worth, while Cooper had just three catches for 17 yards in Week 1, he also got wide open for what could have been a touchdown, drawing a pass interference in the end zone.
Loser: Michael Carter and Breece Hall. Hall finished with 13 points while Carter had 10 in PPR scoring, but after the duo combined for 19 targets in Week 1, they had just six between them this week – with only one going Hall’s way. They split carries, seven-seven, but this was a lot more worrisome for Hall, who played just 17 of 66 offensive snaps – including only eight pass routes, fewer than Ty Johnson’s 10. If Joe Flacco was going to keep dumping the ball off to these running backs as he did in Week 1, both could be Fantasy relevant, but Hall’s usage especially this week makes it almost impossible to trust him as a starter for Week 2.
One more thing: Wilson had his two touchdowns in a massive breakout game – one that makes him the obvious top waiver-wire target heading into Week 3 right now – but would you believe it could have been even better? He was targeted a whopping four times from inside the 10-yard line, including at least one where he was open and Flacco overthrew him. Wilson looks like the real deal, though I’m definitely not giving up on Elijah Moore, who still led the team in routes run despite a quiet game. But I’m not viewing him as a starter given his disappointing start to the season.

Lions 36, Commanders 27

Winner: Amon-Ra St. Brown. What a player. He has at least eight catches in eight straight games, including 17 on 24 targets through two games this season with three touchdowns. St. Brown finished with a 12-9-116-2 receiving line Sunday and added 68 yards on a couple of carries, too. Maybe when Jameson Williams is healthy enough to play, he’ll cut into St. Brown’s target share, but at some point, it’s also just pointless to keep doubting him. St. Brown is just a great football player, one who gets open constantly, and as long as that remains the case, he’s going to keep earning a ton of targets. I see no reason to believe that won’t be the case moving forward.
Loser: T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson has seven targets in each of the first two games, and he’s turned them into seven catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns. Hockenson plays nearly every passing snap and has little competition for targets, but he also doesn’t earn many downfield targets and doesn’t convert enough of his short-and-intermediate area targets into catches consistently enough. You’re probably going to keep starting Hockenson because he’s a tight end who gets seven targets a game and there probably aren’t many better options, but it might be time to consider that he just isn’t a particularly good receiver.
One more thing: You got a little bit lucky if you started D’Andre Swift despite his ankle injury. He ended up with just five carries and two catches (five targets), but he also showed why he’s such a great Fantasy player with a couple of big plays. He had another 50-yard run, his second of the season and also scored a receiving touchdown where he fell as he caught it and then got up to scamper 22 yards for the score. Swift has been pretty good for Fantasy through two games, and I’m not at all concerned about his limited workload in this one, given the injury. He’s an electric playmaker, and I think the 18-12 touch split from Week 1 is more indicative of what to expect moving forward.

Buccaneers 20, Saints 10

Winner: Chris Olave. In his second career game, Olave was second on the team in routes and first in targets, and he was the only player on the Saints to figure out a way to break loose against this tough Bucs defense, hitting on a 50-yarder late in the game. It’s less than ideal that he fumbled coming off that catch, but it still showed off his downfield skills, something he’ll need to do to separate himself from Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry. He had a whopping 334 air yards on his targets Sunday, the third-highest single-game total in TruMedia’s database, dating back to the 2000 season. With Jameis Winston as his QB, Olave is going to keep getting those opportunities, and I’d be trying to buy him before he really blows up.
Loser: Russell Gage. The Saints are a tough matchup, but this was still an incredibly disappointing showing from Gage. He led the team in routes run but had just five catches for 28 yards on six targets, a pretty miserable showing given the absence of Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and, for much of the game, Mike Evans. Gage surprised late last season with how well he performed as a go-to receiver for the Falcons, but he hasn’t been able to carry it over to his new home. If he can’t produce with all those big names missing, what’s he gonna do when he has to compete for targets with them?
One more thing: Marshon Lattimore is officially in Mike Evans’ head. Evans actually had a decent showing in this game before getting ejected. He had three catches for 61 yards on four targets on 23 routes, but got into it with Lattimore after a play that earned both of them an ejection. That continues Evans’ stretch of futility against Lattimore, as he has topped 13 PPR points just once in 10 career games against him now.

Giants 19, Panthers 16

Winner: Sterling Shepard. I suppose, if I set myself the task of picking one winner and one loser for every game, I have to follow through, but there really isn’t anyone here I feel significantly better about than I did coming in. Shepard did earn 10 targets while running a route on 39 pass plays, good for second on the team. He split time roughly evenly between the slot and out wide, and he’s had his most success as a slot receiver, so that’s a good sign. It was still a pretty unimpressive day overall, as he caught six of the 10 targets for 34 yards, with an average depth of target of just 8.50 yards. But, as long as Kadarius Toney remains a non-factor, Shepard has a chance to be the team’s top target.
Loser: Kenny Golladay. He’s done. Golladay might as well have been a healthy scratch, as he played just two snaps in this one. At least Toney shows some juice when he gets an opportunity. You have to go back to Golladay’s Detroit days to get anything worth the squeeze. 25% rostered is way too high for Golladay.
One more thing: This Panthers offense still looks pretty bad through two weeks. They ran just 54 plays on offense, one week after running 50, the second-fewest in the league. Baker Mayfield hasn’t been any kind of upgrade so far, and D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey have just 22 targets between them through two games. That’s inexcusable, and now they have the tough Saints defense on the way. I’m not giving up on Moore, but the Panthers have to find a way to get him more involved. Matt Rhule is the current favorite to be the first coach fired, and I can’t argue with that.

Patriots 17, Steelers 14

Injuries: Damien Harris grabbed at his knee after a late carry, but told reporters, “I’m fine, dog,” after the game. It’s something to watch this week, but I’m expecting him to play at this point.
Winner: Jakobi Meyers. Meyers is a hard player to get too excited about for Fantasy, but he does have 19 targets and 13 catches through two games. That despite the Patriots bringing in DeVante Parker, presumably with the hope he would help bring some playmaking to the passing game. Well, Meyer is still getting open and moving the chains, because that’s what he does. He isn’t an exciting player for Fantasy, but he’s a useful guy to have around on your bench in a pinch. Such are the meager joys from this ugly game.
Loser: The Steelers offense. Through two games, the Steelers have had 24 offensive drives, and they’ve come up with two offensive touchdowns. Mitchell Trubisky might be more mobile than Ben Roethlisberger, and he might be more willing to take a shot or two down the field, but the early returns suggest this offense is still going to be a slog. Diontae Johnson is good enough that it may not matter too much for him, but it’s fun to daydream about what he could do with a better QB. Similarly, Najee Harris remains a must-start option almost entirely due to volume, and it was great to see him get through a 71% snap share without incident. But I’m still viewing him as a sell-high candidate given his foot injury. And I’m definitely wary of what he’s going to look like on a short week this Thursday against the Browns.
One more thing: I’m not sure what to make of the Patriots RB split in this one. Rhamondre Stevenson played 41 snaps to just 26 for Harris, and only three of those snaps came after Harris’ injury. However, Harris had more carries (15 for 71 yards compared to nine for 47), while they both had two targets. Stevenson played 11 of 17 third downs, but the split was six to four in his favor on third downs with more than 5 yards to gain. All in all, Stevenson did run 23 routes to just 10 for Harris, so I do think it’s fair to say he’s the “passing downs” in Ty Montgomery’s absence, so it could be a situation where this duo is game script dependent – when the Patriots are playing from behind, maybe Stevenson has a better chance to start, while Harris should benefit in closer games or with the lead. Week 3 against the Ravens could be a Stevenson game, then.

Jaguars 24, Colts 0

Winner: James Robinson. Robinson might be the best story in the league through two weeks. Coming off a ruptured Achilles, he has re-established himself as the Jaguars No. 1 back, despite the presence of Travis Etienne. Robinson didn’t run the ball as efficiently this week, but that he was able to handle 23 carries and two targets is impressive in and of itself. Maybe if he continues to struggle with efficiency we’ll see more of Etienne moving forward – and the game flow obviously helped Robinson, who figures to be the lead rusher any way – but right now, Robinson looks like the better Fantasy back, especially since Etienne isn’t necessarily dominating as a pass-catcher yet.
Loser: Jonathan Taylor. With the Colts missing their top two wide receivers and playing from behind for much of the game, Taylor was a non-factor in the passing game, earning just one target. The good news is that he did run more routes than Nyheim Hines (21 to 14), but it was disappointing to see him not featured more. After he had seven targets in Week 1, I had hoped that maybe Matt Ryan might have helped unlock some more upside for Taylor. It’s harder to make that case today. This offense will be better than this moving forward, of course, but this was a disappointing showing from Taylor.
One more thing: Etienne actually ran fewer routes than Robinson in this one, and after he earned a downfield target in Week 1, all three of his Sunday came behind the line of scrimmage. If he’s going to be on the small side of a platoon at running back, he’s going to need to dominate passing situations and see some valuable targets to be a viable Fantasy option. I don’t think Etienne is right now.
Another note: I’m starting to think Christian Kirk is going to be one of my biggest misses this season. He scored two touchdowns this week, one of which was clearly schemed up for him, as he cleared across the line of scrimmage on a route that mirrored a bootleg from Trevor Lawrence on the goal line, leading to an easy touchdown. It’s hard to make a case against him as a top-20 Fantasy WR right now, and I don’t have him on any of my teams. FOMO.
Oh, and one more thing: This Colts game is a good example of why the idea of “next man up” doesn’t really apply at wide receiver. And why I tend to be skeptical of excitement over the likes of Allen Lazard and JuJu Smith-Schuster becoming must-start Fantasy options. You still have to be good enough to get open and earn targets – it’s not like running back, where being on the field means you’ll literally be handed the ball. Without their top two pass catchers, the Colts had one guy top 40 yards in a game they were trailing early on. I think we can go ahead and put whatever latent Parris Campbell hype existed to rest.

Rams 31, Falcons 27

Winner: Drake London. London hasn’t been the most productive rookie receiver so far, but he’s been very impressive through two very tough matchups. Having faced Marshon Lattimore and Jalen Ramsey, he has 13 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets. He might just be a top-30 WR moving forward.
Loser: Darrell Henderson. So much for the Rams never using a committee in the backfield. Henderson was the lead back Sunday, but he played 35 snaps to Cam Akers’ 27, with Akers taking on the bigger role in the running game and Henderson running more routes. That’s not the worst thing in the world if you have to be in a committee – especially since Henderson got a touchdown from inside the 10-yard line – but we were hoping after Week 1 that he wasn’t in a committee at all. That makes me think it might not take much for Akers to take over as the lead back outright.
One more thing: It was good to see Allen Robinson get into the end zone, and the Rams clearly made a point of getting him involved – he had another touchdown waived off due to a late whistle for an on-field medical timeout, and he was overthrown on at least one other end zone target. He might be pretty touchdown-dependent, but if you get enough of them, he could still be a low-end WR2. I think that’s probably the ceiling, at this point, though, so I don’t mind trying to sell high coming off this game.
And another thing: I want to spend some time watching this game more closely tomorrow because I just can’t make sense of Kyle Pitts’ usage. Maybe he just found himself lined up against Jalen Ramsey a bunch or something, but three targets for 25 air yards on (a team-high, still) 29 routes is just indefensible. I’m trying to buy low on Pitts, because my expectations haven’t changed much, and I have to just keep reminding myself that he’s younger than all but two of the first-round wide receivers from this year’s draft.

49ers 27, Seahawks 7

Injuries: Trey Lance. Lance suffered what is believed to be a season-ending ankle injury, which means it’s Jimmy Garoppolo time. Garoppolo kept the line moving, which is what he does. I wrote about trying to replace Lance yesterday, and why that seems surprisingly hard to do on the waiver wire right now.
Winner: Brandon Aiyuk. I do think Garoppolo taking over at QB is probably better news for Aiyuk’s Fantasy value. This will still be a run-first team, but Garoppolo isn’t going to tuck and run nearly as often as Lance would have, which makes it easier to project a merely below-average number of pass attempts, as opposed to one of the lowest in the league like I had them down for with Lance. Deebo Samuel should remain a high-end WR even if he’s the No. 2 option in the passing game, but Aiyuk’s path to being Fantasy relevant was incredibly narrow with Lance at QB. That path is a little wider today, and it was good to see him go for 8-5-63 Sunday.
Loser: DK Metcalf. One thing that might have gone under-discussed this offseason: 28% of Geno Smith’s passes went to Tyler Lockett last season, compared to 22% for Metcalf. The sample size we’re dealing with here is small, but if you add the first two games of this season, Lockett now has 42 targets from Smith compared to 34 for Metcalf. I think the likeliest outcome here is neither is consistent enough to be worth relying on, but Metcalf was being drafted as a starting caliber Fantasy WR while Lockett was more like a WR4, and I don’t think that gap is going to be there.
One more thing: It looks like these might be two committee backfields, and that’s bad news for Rashaad Penny especially. The Seahawks ran just 47 offensive plays, after running 49 in Week 1 – they were last in plays run last season at just 56.1 per game. This is why I was worried this might be the worst offense in the NFL, and if Penny is splitting carries with Kenneth Walker in Walker’s first game, it’s going to be hard for him to have much more than RB3 upside. And the worst thing of all might be that Travis Homer actually led the team running backs in snaps. Gross. On the other side, Wilson ran well, with 84 yards on 18 carries, while Tyrion Davis-Price leapfrogged Jordan Mason for 14 carries for just 33 yards. Wilson is in the RB2/3 discussion, while Davis-Price could be worth using if you’re in desperate need.

Cowboys 20, Bengals 17

Winner: Tee Higgins. Higgins left Week 1 with a concussion, but he was good to go Sunday and reminded us that, as good as Ja’Marr Chase is, Higgins is very much a 1B in this offense. Chase is the better player, but Higgins has been as good (possibly even slightly better) at earning targets when they’ve shared the field, and that was the case Sunday. I’ll probably just project them for similar target shares moving forward, and while Chase will be the better Fantasy option, Higgins is an exceptional player in his own right, one who benefits from the defensive attention Chase necessarily draws.
Loser: Joe Burrow. The Bengals invested in their offensive line yet again this offseason, but through two games, it looks as bad as ever. Burrow deserves some blame for that – quarterbacks always deserve blame for sacks. The case for Burrow taking a step forward this season was built, in part, around Burrow having a better line, but he’s been sacked 13 times through two games. He also just hasn’t played all that well through two games, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt with three touchdowns to four interceptions. The Bengals haven’t been able to hit on big plays with the frequency they did last season, and that was part of why I was concerned about Burrow as a top-five QB in ADP this year. Things will be better moving forward – the Steelers and Cowboys have especially tough defensive fronts – but what we’ve seen so far is an offense that isn’t as good as expected.
One more thing: Even in a game where Tony Pollard was clearly more effective than Ezekiel Elliott, Elliott played 15 more snaps. The Cowboys just trust Elliott, both as a runner and for his ability to do the dirty work in the passing game that doesn’t show up in the box score. You’ll take nine carries and seven targets from Pollard every week and be happy with it, but this usage is probably closer to the ceiling for Pollard as long as Elliott is healthy.

Broncos 16, Texans 9

Injuries: Jerry Jeudy exited the game with a shoulder or rib injury. X-rays came back negative, but he’ll go for more testing Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Courtland Sutton clearly benefited from Jeudy’s absence to put together a seven-catch, 122-yard game.
Winner: Dameon Pierce. The Texans said they wanted to get Pierce more involved, and they did exactly that. Rex Burkhead was a non-factor, as Pierce got every single one of the 15 carries by a Texnas running back, while Burkhead earned just three targets. This game still highlights why I wasn’t excited about Pierce coming into the season – he doesn’t have a big role in the passing game and this offense isn’t going to create many scoring opportunities. However, Pierce was the clear lead back, and that puts him in the RB3 discussion I expected him to be in. He wasn’t there last week.
Loser: Albert Okwuegbunam. Okwuegbunam was targeted just twice in this one, and while he ran the third-most routes on the team, that only came out to less than two-thirds of the team’s passing plays. He’s not getting the opportunity we hoped he would to be the team’s No. 3 option in the passing game, and the Broncos haven’t been particularly pass-heavy so far. Maybe if Jeudy misses time Okwuegbunam will be a bigger factor, but right now he looks like just another over-hyped also-ran tight end. And this time, I’m guilty of doing the hyping as much as anyone else. My teams are suffering for it.
One more thing: Javonte Williams looked more like the lead back we’d hoped he would be this week. He had 15 carries to 10 for Melvin Gordon, but most importantly, also ran 22 routes to eight for Gordon. If that kind of split remains in place moving forward, Williams could end up living up to our lofty expectations after all.

Cardinals 29, Raiders 23

Injuries: James Conner exited with an ankle injury, and Darrel Williams and Eno Benjamin pretty much split work after his absence. But Williams did get the goal-line touchdown, and that’s an important role in this Cardinals offense, so I might prefer him to Benjamin in Week 3 if Conner is out.
Winner: Marquise Brown. Brown was the No. 1 target for Kyler Murray in this one, and he would’ve had an even better game if a touchdown had been allowed to stand – it was overruled and he was called down at the 1-yard line on a play where he also drew a pass interference. Brown hasn’t had a truly massive game yet, but he’s been a big part of the Cardinals offensive plans, and he could be one big play away from a top-12 finish. I’m expecting it sooner or later.
Loser: Davante Adams. Well, I suppose if I’m going to celebrate Adams leading the league in targets in Week 1, I should acknowledge his much more limited usage in Week 2. Not that I’m concerned, or anything – they still made a point to feature him near the goal line, and Mack Hollins, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller contributing is going to make it harder for defenses to focus on Adams. But still, this was a disappointment after his massive Week 1.
One more thing: With Brandon Bolden out, Jacobs ran 19 routes to Ameer Abdullah’s 11. He’s the clear lead rusher here, with Zamir White getting the lone non-Jacobs carry among the team’s running backs, but the fact that he also saw more of a passing game role than Ameer Abdullah bodes well, though he was still below a 50% route participation share, which isn’t great. Jacobs isn’t a superstar for Fantasy, but he has a more secure role than I expected, and remains a solid RB2 moving forward.

Packers 27, Bears 10

Winner: Aaron Jones. Jones still split work with AJ Dillon – Dillon actually got a few more carries again this week – but Jones was a much bigger part of the game plan this week, as expected. And he was excellent, rushing for nearly 10 yards per carry, and he got two touchdowns, one each through the air and on the ground. With the Packers WR group looking pretty pedestrian, the offense is going to run through Dillon and Jones, and seeing a bounce back from Jones, with a bunch of high-value touches, was a welcome sight, even if it was expected.
Loser: Darnell Mooney. Look, it’s hard to take much from the Bears offense so far – they played in a lake in Week 1 and then threw the ball just 11 times in Week 2 despite trailing by three scores pretty much the entire time. Of course, that might be part of the problem – the Bears coaching staff just may not trust this passing game to lead them to wins. We thought Mooney was going to have a significant slice of a small pie, but the pass rate for the Bears so far would make him a non-entity for Fantasy. Hopefully, we’ll see better days ahead, and I’m still treating Mooney like a WR3 – though that is down from the WR2 I thought he would be.
One more thing: I made a joke on Twitter Sunday night that if you got points for Allen Lazard’s blocking, he’d be a WR3 for Fantasy. He really is quite a good blocker. However, I’m not sure he’s a good enough receiver to be much more than a pretty frustrating, touchdown-or-bust guy. Whether that makes him a WR3 or WR4 or something else remains to be seen, but I don’t think he’s going to be a clear No. 1 option for this offense. He’ll make his share of plays, and his well-rounded skill set will keep him on the field – he led the Packers WRs in snaps and routes – but I don’t expect him to be someone you feel good about starting most weeks.
One last thing (for real, this time): Cole Kmet has yet to catch a pass this season. The same caveats for Mooney apply here, except that all Kmet really has going for him is implied volume – Mooney was actually good last season, something we can’t say for Kmet. I’m not saying Kmet is a must-cut, but this looks like a bad offense to be invested in, and he isn’t elevating himself by any means.

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