Stars of Week 2

QB: Tom Brady, NE: 30-39, 447 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

RB: CJ Anderson, DEN: 25 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD (3 catches, 36 yards, 1 TD)

WR: Michael Crabtree, OAK: 6 catches, 80 yards, 3 TDs

TE: Rob Gronkowski, NE: 6 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD

The defending champions rebounded nicely from their Week 1 loss – nothing like facing the Saints’ defense to get you back on track. The gold standard QB to TE combo, Tom Brady – Rob Gronkowski, finds its way onto the leaderboard for the first, but certainly not last, time this year. Both players are easy future Hall of Famers, so not much more to discuss here regarding them. CJ Anderson, on the other hand, does qualify as a surprise. Anderson missed most of the 2016 season with an injury, and while the clear starting RB for the Broncos, he wasn’t a hot commodity come draft day this year. He faced an injury riddled Cowboys defense this past week and took full advantage. Anderson remains an RB2 – which is solid, but don’t overrate him based on one very favorable matchup. Lastly, Michael Crabtree feasted on the tanking Jets, hooking up with Derek Carr for three TDs. Crabtree remains a firm WR2 as well going forward.

Week 1 Takeaways – A Closer Look 

Each week we take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward.

- Carson Wentz, QB – PHI: 25-46, 333 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT 

Analysis: Carson Wentz started off his rookie campaign in 2016 with a bang, only to fall off substantially on the back nine. Still, Wentz flashed the traits that you look for in young QBs who ultimately end up successful – great leadership, ability to make tight throws in narrow windows and skill of processing defensive formations and going through his progressions. No surprise, Wentz has taken a leap in his sophomore season. The Eagles QB has surpassed 300 yards both weeks this season, while also connecting on 2 TD passes each game – especially impressive on the road this past week against the tough Chiefs defense. The net result is that Wentz ascends to a mid level QB2, with room to move up further this year. For those of you in deeper leagues or otherwise needing a QB, take a look at Wentz.

- Chris Carson, RB - SEA: 20 carries, 93 yards, 0 TDs 

Analysis: We begin our RB analysis with one of my favorite deep sleepers from draft season, the Seahawks’ 7th round pick from Oklahoma State. Going into the preseason, the Seahawks had Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls atop the RB depth chart, with CJ Prosise designated as the third down back. Well, a funny thing happened in August – Chris Carson flashed, then flashed again, and we saw a recurring pattern. Could Carson just be the best Seahawks RB? I watched every preseason game, and my conclusion was unequivocally yes. Now only two weeks into the regular season, it appears that Mr. Carson has wrestled the lead chair role away from the pack. Carson had 20 carries against the 49ers, while Rawls was limited to 5 carries. In addition, via PFF the snap count went 51 to 16 in favor of Carson over Rawls. As for Eddie Lacy, he was inactive. So, you can view Carson as an RB2 starting now. If the Seahawks had any semblance of a competent offensive line, he would be an RB1. But hey, securing an RB2 from a late draft pick or the wire is always a win! For those of you with Rawls, I’d recommend holding tight for now, but placing him on your bench. Eddie Lacy can be dropped. The Chris Carson era is officially underway!

- Buck Allen, RB – BAL: 14 carries, 66 yards, 0 TDs (5 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD)  

Analysis: Danny Woodhead’s unfortunate, but unsurprising, Week 1 injury opened the door for Buck Allen to step up as the Ravens’ third down back. I recommended Allen as a waiver pickup last week, and he had more in mind than just the third down role. It was Allen leading the team in carries this past week against the Browns, beating Terrance West and his 8 carries, along with Alex Collins and his 7 totes. Even more telling, PFF tells us that Allen saw 43 snaps, compared to 16 for West and 8 for Collins. I don’t see the situation changing anytime soon, so Buck Allen is clearly the guy you want from the Ravens’ backfield. In case he’s still available in your league, scoop him up. Allen also falls into the RB2 category, and you should feel comfortable starting him in all but the toughest of matchups, especially in PPR leagues.

- Chris Thompson, RB – WAS: 3 carries, 77 yards, 2 TDs (3 catches, 29 yards, 0 TDs)

Analysis: Washington's RB situation was not highly sought after in fantasy drafts, with Rob Kelley selected in the middle rounds and third down back Chris Thompson towards the back end. Unfortunately Rob Kelley got injured early in the game against the Rams, after having gained 78 yards on only 6 carries. Into the game as the lead ball carrier was Samaje Perine, who did fine but not great. While we’ve established who the primary ball carriers are Washington, we’re going to take a closer look at the third down back – the perennially underrated Chris Thompson. Thompson rushed for 77 yards and 2 TDs on only three carries! That being said, Thompson’s weekly value comes from his receiving prowess. While only having three catches, Cousins targeted Thompson seven times against the Rams, and five times the prior week against the Eagles. For those of you in PPR leagues, Thompson serves as a fine flex option. He’s a notch below in standard leagues, but certainly startable in a pinch and capable as a bye week fill-in for 10 and 12 team leagues, and flex worthy in larger standard leagues.   

- Paul Perkins, RB – NYG: 7 carries, 10 yards, 0 TDs 

Analysis: It’s fun to see your preseason sleepers emerge, but it’s just as important to acknowledge when one of your guys goes bust. While we’ve only had two weeks, I’m declaring a whiff on my end with Paul Perkins. Going into the season I thought he could be a solid RB2 who you could draft in the mid rounds. Well, it’s time to move in another direction. The Giants’ o-line is a complete mess, and I see little hope for a meaningful turnaround here. With respect to Perkins, he won’t be able to produce meaningful numbers with somewhat competent blocking. Normally I preach patience before making rash decisions, but I believe Perkins is droppable in smaller leagues. If you’re in a 12 team league or greater, feel free to give him another week to perform, but if you decide to drop him, that’s fine too.

- JJ Nelson, WR – ARZ: 5 catches, 120 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: For those of you who watched the Cardinals play the Colts, my condolences. Focusing on the Cardinals’ side, Carson Palmer played like a hot mess. That being said, he did land a beauty of a throw into the arms of JJ Nelson, slipping the pass in the money spot with two defenders closely trailing Nelson. Palmer targeted Nelson seven times in the passing game, with only Jarron Brown receiving more targets (eleven). It was an uncharacteristically quiet game for lead WR Larry Fitzgerald. Circling back to Nelson, he’ll undoubtedly be a sought after waiver target for folks, but I would recommend that you pass. As I alluded to above, the Cardinals offense looked somewhat dysfunctional for most of the game. With David Johnson out indefinitely, I don’t see much of a recovery on the way for the offense. Nelson has a nice matchup this coming week against the Cowboys, so I like him as a one week play. But bigger picture, I expect Nelson will mix in a few big games with more on the quieter side, and as such I’d look elsewhere for long-term WR help unless you’re in deeper leagues (14 plus teams).

Rapid Fire Pickups 

Each week we’ll throw out potential free agent pickups from each position for deeper leagues, in each case 1) someone who has NOT been referenced above, and 2) a player available in most leagues.

QB: Trevor Siemian, DEN

RB: Darren Sproles, PHI

RB: Alvin Kamara, NO

WR: Marqise Lee, JAX

WR: Mohamed Sanu, ATL

TE: Jesse James, PIT 

Week 3 Rankings

Quarterbacks:

1. Aaron Rodgers, GB (vs. CIN)
2. Tom Brady, NE (vs. HOU)
3. Matt Ryan, ATL (at DET)
4. Derek Carr, OAK (at WAS)
5. Drew Brees, NO (at CAR)
6. Cam Newton, CAR (vs. NO)
7. Matthew Stafford, DET (vs. ATL)
8. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (at CHI)
9. Kirk Cousins, WAS (vs. OAK)
10. Philip Rivers, LAC (vs. KC)
11. Jameis Winston, TB (at MIN)
12. Russell Wilson, SEA (at TEN)
13. Marcus Mariota, TEN (vs. SEA)
14. Dak Prescott, DAL (at ARZ)
15. Carson Palmer, ARZ (vs. DAL)
16. Jay Cutler, MIA (at NYJ)
17. Carson Wentz, PHI (vs. NYG)
18. Trevor Siemian, DEN (at BUF)
19. DeShone Kizer, CLE (at IND)
20. Alex Smith, KC (at LAC) 

Running Backs:

1. Le'Veon Bell, PIT (at CHI)
2. Kareem Hunt, KC (at LAC)
3. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (at ARZ)
4. Jay Ajayi, MIA (at NYJ)
5. Devonta Freeman, ATL (at DET)
6. Todd Gurley, LAR (at SF)
7. Ty Montgomery, GB (vs. CIN)
8. Melvin Gordon, LAC (vs. KC)
9. Carlos Hyde, SF (vs. LAR)
10. C.J. Anderson, DEN (at BUF)
11. Dalvin Cook, MIN (vs. TB)
12. LeSean McCoy, BUF (vs. DEN)
13. Marshawn Lynch, OAK (at WAS)
14. Isaiah Crowell, CLE (at IND)
15. Leonard Fournette, JAX (vs. BAL)
16. Mike Gillislee, NE (vs. HOU)
17. Christian McCaffrey, CAR (vs. NO)
18. Javorius Allen, BAL (at JAX)
19. Tarik Cohen, CHI (vs. PIT)
20. Jacquizz Rodgers, TB (at MIN)
21. Jonathan Stewart, CAR (vs. NO)
22. Chris Carson, SEA (at TEN)
23. Ameer Abdullah, DET (vs. ATL)
24. DeMarco Murray, TEN (vs. SEA)
25. Lamar Miller, HOU (at NE)
26. Jordan Howard, CHI (vs. PIT)
27. Frank Gore, IND (vs. CLE)
28. Tevin Coleman, ATL (at DET)
29. Mark Ingram, NO (at CAR)
30. James White, NE (vs. HOU)
31. Chris Thompson, WAS (vs. OAK)
32. Joe Mixon, CIN (at GB)
33. Theo Riddick, DET (vs. ATL)
34. Samaje Perine, WAS (vs. OAK)
35. Derrick Henry, TEN (vs. SEA)
36. Darren Sproles, PHI (vs. NYG)
37. Chris Johnson, ARZ (vs. DAL)
38. Terrance West, BAL (at JAX)
39. Duke Johnson, CLE (at IND)
40. Bilal Powell, NYJ (vs. MIA) 

Wide Receivers:

1. Antonio Brown, PIT (at CHI)
2. Julio Jones, ATL (at DET)
3. A.J. Green, CIN (at GB)
4. Mike Evans, TB (at MIN)
5. Michael Thomas, NO (at CAR)
6. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. KC)
7. Brandin Cooks, NE (vs. HOU)
8. Amari Cooper, OAK (at WAS)
9. Michael Crabtree, OAK (at WAS)
10. Dez Bryant, DAL (at ARZ)
11. Tyreek Hill, KC (at LAC)
12. Odell Beckham Jr., NYG (at PHI)
13. Davante Adams, GB (vs. CIN)
14. Demaryius Thomas, DEN (at BUF)
15. Golden Tate, DET (vs. ATL)
16. Alshon Jeffery, PHI (vs. NYG)
17. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (at NE)
18. Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. CIN)
19. Doug Baldwin, SEA (at TEN)
20. Terrelle Pryor, WAS (vs. OAK)
21. Devante Parker, MIA (at NYJ)
22. Martavis Bryant, PIT (at CHI)
23. Kelvin Benjamin, CAR (vs. NO)
24. Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (at BUF)
25. Stefon Diggs, MIN (vs. TB)
26. Jarvis Landry, MIA (at NYJ)
27. Larry Fitzgerald, ARZ (vs. DAL)
28. Chris Hogan, NE (vs. HOU)
29. T.Y. Hilton, IND (vs. CLE)
30. J.J. Nelson, ARZ (vs. DAL)
31. Sammy Watkins, LAR (at SF)
32. Pierre Garcon, SF (vs. LAR)
33. Adam Thielen, MIN (vs. TB)
34. Randall Cobb, GB (vs. CIN)
35. DeSean Jackson, TB (at MIN)
36. Jermaine Kearse, NYJ (vs. MIA)
37. Jeremy Maclin, BAL (at JAX)
38. Jamison Crowder, WAS (vs. OAK)
39. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at SF)
40. Tyrell Williams, LAC (vs. KC)

Tight End: 

1. Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. HOU)
2. Travis Kelce, KC (at LAC)
3. Jordan Reed, WAS (vs. OAK)
4. Zach Ertz, PHI (vs. NYG)
5. Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. SEA)
6. Kyle Rudolph, MIN (vs. TB)
7. Martellus Bennett, GB (vs. CIN)
8. Jason Witten, DAL (at ARZ)
9. Hunter Henry, LAC (vs. KC)
10. Eric Ebron, DET (vs. ATL)
11. Jack Doyle, IND (vs. CLE)
12. Jimmy Graham, SEA (at TEN)
13. Coby Fleener NO (at CAR)
14. Charles Clay, BUF (vs. DEN)
15. Austin Hooper, ATL (at DET)
16. Benjamin Watson, BAL (at JAX)
17. Jared Cook, OAK (at WAS)
18. Evan Engram, NYG (at PHI)
19. Tyler Eifert, CIN (at GB)
20. Cameron Brate, TB (at MIN)

Defense/Special Teams:

1. Baltimore Ravens (at JAX)
2. Denver Broncos (at BUF)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (at CHI)
4. Miami Dolphins (at NYJ)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. NYG)
6. New England Patriots (vs. HOU)
7. Los Angeles Rams (at SF)
8. Seattle Seahawks (at TEN)
9. Green Bay Packers (vs. CIN)
10. Kansas City Chiefs (at LAC)
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. BAL)
12. Tennessee Titans (vs. SEA)
13. Minnesota Vikings (vs. TB)
14. Cleveland Browns (at IND)
15. Arizona Cardinals (vs.DAL)