That was a WILD Week 2 of the NFL. Major fantasy performances. Unreal comebacks. Upsets galore. Hopefully the players covered in this week’s Behind the Box Score post helped you to victory. If not, there’s always next week! Let’s get down to it.
Surprising Usage Players
James Robinson & Travis Etienne (RBs, JAX)
Robinson followed up his solid Week 1 effort with an RB1 performance in Week 2 in the Jaguars upset win over the Colts. He was on the field for 63% of the offensive snaps to Etienne’s 37%. This was a change of pace from the near 50/50 snap split we saw in Week 1. The Jaguars did see a more positive game script this week, which will usually favor the veteran back. Jacksonville doesn’t project to have too many more of these games where they are leading early, but maybe they’re for real?
Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker III… and Travis Homer? (RBs, SEA)
Despite officially getting the start, Penny was out snapped by Travis Homer. Mainly because of a negative game script, being down to the 49ers all afternoon long. What’s most concerning is Penny didn’t see a single target, while Homer saw 4 and Walker saw 3. The carries were 6 for Penny, 4 for Walker, and 2 for Homer. Even DeeJay Dallas got in for a hilariously bad interception at the goal line. What in the world was that!? On a team projected to be behind a lot this season, the non-pass catching RB role, which is what Penny looks to have, is not something desirable for fantasy.
Cordarelle Patterson & Tyler Allgier (RBs, ATL)
Yes, Patterson played almost 60% of the offensive snaps to the rookie’s 31%, but the two had the exact same number of carries, with 10 a piece. I think that as the season goes on, Patterson may cede more of the work to the rookie.
Chase Edmonds & Raheem Mostert (RBs, MIA)
These two flip flopped in usage from Week 1 to Week 2. Edmonds had zero points for a good portion of Sunday, which had me wondering if he was even on the field. The snap share was a near split, with Edmonds in on just three fewer than Mostert. But Edmonds received only 5 carries while Mostert had 11. They each received three targets, but Mostert was able to do more with them. This backfield may be more frustrating than anything for fantasy managers.
The Annoying Truth Of The Week
This one is personal to me because of my belief in him during the late rounds of drafts, but it’s time to move on from Cole Kmet. He has been targeted just twice in two games and doesn’t have a single reception. In a game the Bears were trailing most of the time, Justin Fields attempted just 11 passes. The Week 1 monsoon game could have been thrown out, but it seems my view of this Bears offense was way off. I viewed them as a Ravens “light” with a mobile QB, a tight end as one of their top two targets with the other being a speedy receiver. It might also be time to worry about Darnell Mooney for similar reasons. Maybe Matt Nagy wasn’t all that bad?
The “I Think It Might Be Time to Panic” Player Of The Week
Kyle Pitts. What is going on out there? There are currently 35 TEs, 27 D/STs, and 29 Kickers (including Rodrigo Blaneknship, who was cut after Week 1) with more fantasy points than him on the season. The draft capital invested in Pitts far outweighs his fantasy production so far.
Target Hogs Of The Week
Jalyen Waddle (WR, MIA) led the week with 19 targets (38% target share) in a massive Week 2 performance. Cooper Kupp (14 targets, 39% target share), Stefon Diggs (14, 37%), and rookie Garrett Wilson (14, “just” 32% since Joe Flacco throws the ball 50 times a game) all had the second-most targets on the week. Of note, Tyreek Hill had another 13 targets, rookie Chris Olave had 13 (and about 5,000 air yards), and PPR maven Jakobi Meyers had 13 targets as well.
Austin Ekeler (RB, LAC) gave managers a slight sigh of relief with his 10 targets on Thursday night. 4 of those targets did come after Justin Herbert’s injury, where it looked like throwing downfield hurt him a great deal. They were also at the end of the game with the Chargers in catchup mode, but still a good sign for Ekeler.
Mark Andres (TE, BAL) & Zac Ertz (TE, ARZ) were tops at the tight end position with 11 targets each in Week 2. Some surprising names near the top of the target list through two weeks are Tyler Higbee (20 targets, leading the position), Tyler Conklin (16 targets) and Hayden Hurst (15 targets).
The “Nice” Box Score statline Of The Week
Josh Jacobs (RB, LVR) had 19 carries for 69 yards on the ground. Very nice.
Perfect Attendance Awards
Tyler Conklin and Jahan Dotson are the only two non-QB players to make the list this week! Both players logged 100% of offensive snaps in Week 2. Both were also good options for their position, logging impressive box score numbers.
Dameon Pierce registered 100% (read, all) of the Texans’ running back rushes in Week 2. He is the only running back this season to accomplish this feat.
Cardio Player Of The Week
Finally, this one is dedicated to a player who did a whole lot of nothin’. This week, Shi Smith of the Panthers record just 1 catch on 6 targets. This despite playing 71% of team snaps. Just out there running laps without much of an impact on the box score!