Fantasy Football Week 2 Reactions and Takeaways

Fantasy football week 2: Reactions and takeaways

With a lot happening in Week 2, good and bad, I take a look at the outcomes and what we can take away from fantasy football week 2.

We are only through fantasy football week 2, but there was a lot that happened, both good and bad. There were some great performances, team debuts and injuries. A ton of injuries, especially to some impactful players. While all three will have a big impact on fantasy football, the latter will have the biggest.

Having a star player miss any amount of time will force the real team to adjust their strategy, which will affect the fantasy value of their teammates. For some, the injuries will be just a week or two while others could be a minimum of a month.

Not to dwell on the negatives too much, some players continued their hot starts to the 2019 season. Seeing it in Week 1 is a good start but seeing it happen in Week 2 and even Week 3 instills more confidence it that’s players fantasy outlook.

More from Fantasy Football

In this piece, I look at three of the bigger stories from the week and then make a few quick hits about some other topics.

Ben Roethlisberger

In the early set of games, Big Ben hurt his elbow on a throw in the first half of the game and did not return. He finished 8-for-15 with 75 yards.

Mason Rudolph took over the play-calling in the second half. He went 12-for-19 for 112 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Looking at the splits, Vance McDonald was Rudolph’s go-to target. JuJu Smith-Schuster was targeted a few times but had just one big play on the flea-flicker.

Roethlisberger is scheduled for an MRI to reveal to extend of the damage, if surgery is needed and how long he’ll be out. If he’s out for a long period of time (more than two weeks), Smith-Schuster’s value drops a bit but McDonald’s goes up.

Drew Brees

Another top quarterback with a significant injury, Brees hit the hand of defensive tackle Aaron Donald and then had his digits pressed against his own helmet. Brees was taken out of the game and couldn’t even grip a football.

As a result, Teddy Bridgewater entered the game. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards and was sacked twice, leading the Saints to just three field-goal drives. The Saints offense looked completely different with Bridgewater under center.

It is believed that Brees suffered a ligament issue in the thumb on his throwing hand and will miss “significant time.” To me, that sounds like at least a month. With Bridgewater at quarterback, Michael Thomas should be okay along with Alvin Kamara. Outside of those two, the Saints offense will be very one-dimensional. Invest in Will Lutz.

Patriots Offense

This was the week. We saw the Patriots debut of Antonio Brown. While the NFL is still investigating his off-the-field issues, Brown was able to suit up for New England. Tom Brady targeted his new weapon early, going 3-for-3 with 36 yards on the first drive.

Brown finished with four catches, 56 yards and a touchdown. With his addition to the team, fantasy experts were interested to see how the target share would play out. Julian Edelman had four catches for 54 yards. Josh Gordon recorded just two catches for 19 yards.

Brady only threw the ball 28 times. With the score out of hand, Sony Michel carried the ball 21 times for 85 yards and a score.

The Patriots face the Jets, Bills, Redskins and Giants in their next four games. We could see a similar game plan if those games get out of hand. Brown’s value should be a mid-tier WR2.

Other Notes

Mark Andrews looks like a top-five TE. Lamar Jackson, who’s been a top player at his position, is targeting his tight end throughout the game. Both have exceeded their fantasy values already.

Without DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor stepped up and caught (almost) everything thrown at him. Depending on how long his teammates are out, Agholor should see a small boost in fantasy value.

Dalvin Cook looks like an RB1. he finished with 154 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He has two straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. If the Vikings are serious about limiting Kirk Cousins‘ throwing attempts, Cook is going to benefit greatly.

Deebo Samuel is on the rise. Dante Pettis didn’t record a single target in Week 2 while Samuel caught five of seven passes for 87 yards and a score. The 49ers offense looks good and Samuel is a part of the success.

Damien Williams has not been the same running back we saw at the end of 2018. He has just 34 yards rushing and a score on 22 carries. While he does have 97 yards on nine catches but the partnership between Andy Reid and LeSean McCoy could hurt Williams’ value.

Next. Fantasy Impact of Brees and Big Ben Injuries. dark

Week 2 brought upon some interesting performances, good and bad. With 12 weeks left of the fantasy football regular season, a lot could change in that time. Keep your head on straight and don’t make any rash decisions. Most of your team is still intact so one player missing time shouldn’t hurt your team.

Home/Fantasy Football