Trending: Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of Trending in the 2026 NFL season!

Our goal as a staff with Trending is to provide our subscribers with all the main talking points, topics, and player trends from EVERY team in every Thursday and Sunday game for ALL 18 weeks of the NFL regular season. Beyond me (Russell Clay) – Tyler Buecher, Armando Marsal, and Rich Maletto will be pitching in to provide analysis on all fantasy-relevant topics for the week that was.

The format is simple. 

There are four sections:

• TRENDING UP
• TRENDING DOWN
• HOLDING STEADY
• WATCH LIST

These are straightforward and signify how we view these players, so you’ll have a general idea of where we’re headed with the write-up. The wild world of the NFL is tough to keep up with, and we thank you for sticking with us to provide this assistance.

Teams Covered

Russell Clay: 

• Detroit Lions
• Buffalo Bills
• New Orleans Saints
• Baltimore Ravens
• Minnesota Vikings
• Chicago Bears
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Houston Texans
• Green Bay Packers
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Tennessee Titans
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Denver Broncos
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Los Angeles Chargers
• Seattle Seahawks
• Arizona Cardinals
• Washington Commanders
• Dallas Cowboys

Armando Marsal: 

• Miami Dolphins
• San Francisco 49ers

Rich Maletto: 

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Cleveland Browns
• New England Patriots
• Pittsburgh Steelers

Tyler Buecher: 

• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Indianapolis Colts
• Kansas City Chiefs

TRENDING UP

Recent news and/or performance has made us more optimistic about these particular players for fantasy purposes.

QUARTERBACKS

BRYCE YOUNG (CAROLINA) – Don’t look now, but Bryce Young has quietly led the Panthers to back-to-back games putting up 30+ points. Young looked sharp against an Atlanta defense that largely sat back in Cover-3 zone. He peppered this defense at all levels, finishing with a 10.1-yard aDOT and 19.4% deep pass rate. He challenged the defense vertically along the perimeter and when those opportunities weren’t there, he hit underneath mesh concepts to keep the chains moving. DC Jeff Ulbrich has opted out of the blitz this season (4.9%) relative to 2025 (33.4%) leaving Young with plenty of time to make his reads and deliver. I want to circle back to an offseason talking point we discussed on various livestreams and that it was the elevation of OC Brad Idzik to playcaller (over HC Dave Canales) could unlock more explosiveness for this offense. That’s exactly how it’s played out to date. Opponents certainly need to be taken into account (CHI/ATL) but upcoming matchups against Cleveland and Detroit point toward the trend continuing. Young will be a popular add off waivers this week after several early-round QB performances have yielded disappointing fantasy results.

PATRICK MAHOMES (KANSAS CITY) – After a quiet debut, we saw Mahomes crank it up a gear in Week 2 facing the Colts. Mahomes completed 32-of-47 attempts (68.1%) for 382 yards (8.1 YPA), 3 TDs, and 0 INTs. Mahomes spent most of this matchup attacking the Colts underneath with only 3-of-32 completions going for 15+ Air Yards. 59% of his total yardage came after the catch with his weapons doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this one. What stood out the most to me was Mahomes’ mobility behind the line, evading the rush and buying enough time to let his receivers create separation. His knee looks to be in good form. Paired with an electric run game, this Chiefs offense is starting to look downright scary after the first two weeks.

BRIAN FLORES (MINNESOTA) – For the first time in the history of my Trending Career, a defensive coordinator gets listed in Trending. At least through two weeks, Flores has absolutely destroyed opposing coaching staffs. His gameplan. The personnel on the field. The pressure on the QB. He is absolutely destroying opposing offenses and I think this is something that will be very important for us moving forward. Yes, the Bears didn’t play well this week offensively, but after a few blips early against the Packers last week, this is exactly how the Vikings defense looked then as well. No excuses for the fantasy results, the Bears offense should be able to do well against anyone, but I will be factoring in Flores from here on out for my fantasy matchups.

BROCK PURDY (SAN FRANCISCO) – Yes, I know the 49ers had a cupcake matchup this week. That said, Purdy has now topped 20 fantasy points in his first two games of the season, with two strong outings. After throwing three touchdown passes in Week 1, Purdy followed it up with another three-touchdown day. He threw for two touchdowns and ran one in. He completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, adding 30 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on three attempts. It was an incredibly efficient game for Purdy, who can be viewed as an every-week starter for fantasy managers. Next up for the 49ers is the Cardinals, a team Purdy has had a lot of success against. 

TYLER SHOUGH (NEW ORLEANS) – Shough didn’t have the biggest fantasy game, but for the second straight week he came through in the second half. The most important factor to notice in these first two games is that Shough and Kellen Moore never gave up even when things looked bleak. Also, it’s clear their halftime adjustments will help us fantasy football players throughout the year. Shough was incredible in the second half, and finished the game completing 27 of 34 passing attempts as the Saints played ball control and led long scoring drives. The fact that he’s doing this without Jordyn Tyson makes it even more incredible. Shough is trending towards Low-end QB1 status.

ATLANTA FALCONS ENTIRE OFFENSE – Michael Penix practiced in full to close out Week 2 and is trending towards starting on the short week playing TNF in Week 3. The Cooper Rush nightmare era is mercifully over.

Falcons today

First drive: Cooper Rush lost fumble

Second drive: Cooper Rush INTpic.twitter.com/gh4te5n7LN

— PFF (@PFF) September 20, 2026

KIRK COUSINS (LAS VEGAS) – Cousins is what he is at this point in his career. He’s very limited in the pocket, but much like many of the veteran QBs that stick around, can find the open man and still has enough arm strength to threaten the defense. Cousins linked up with Raiders wide receivers three times for touchdowns in Week 2, all of which were high degree of difficulty plays. While the stacking options are limited until Brock Bowers returns, Cousins himself is directly on the QB2 radar and a real option in Superflex leagues moving forward.

RUNNING BACKS

TREVEYON HENDERSON (NEW ENGLAND) – In his first game since closing out the season last year with mixed results, Henderson made a statement. He kicked things off with an early 39-yard touchdown run. More importantly, he outplayed Rhamondre Stevenson in the snaps, departing leading the way with 33 offensive snaps to Stevenson’s 20. Henderson also carried the rock far more with 16 carries, ten more than Stevenson. The route running was comparable, and nothing stood out in the passing game. But the bottom line: if Henderson gets this workload, he will pay off for fantasy owners who took the shot. 

CHUBA HUBBARD (CAROLINA) – Despite his offensive line committing a litany of penalties, I came away impressed with Hubbard’s performance in this game. He totaled 12-53-0 on the ground and caught 2-of-2 targets for a 2-11-1 stat line. Hubbard was hitting his marks and consistently making quality runs. Among all backs with 10+ carries in Week 2, Hubbard finished top-10 in rush success rate, explosive run rate, YBCO/Att, YACO/Att, and EPA/Att. There could have been more volume for Hubbard had his line not committed so many false starts and holding penalties, leading to the Panthers working behind the down-and-distance numbers. Jonathon Brooks also left this game early reaggravating a training camp groin injury. Brooks missing any time could elevate Hubbard from backend RB2 into a top-15 threat in the fantasy space. The Panthers draw a pair of beatable defenses the next two weeks (@CLE, vs DET) before their early Week 5 bye. 

KENNETH WALKER (KANSAS CITY) – We’re going to eventually run out of superlatives for Walker should he keep playing like this in his new offense. After tearing up the Broncos to the tune of 191 YFS and 2 TDs on 29 opportunities, we saw another touch-heavy performance from Walker in Week 2. Walker picked up 34 total opportunities ending the day with 178 YFS. The lone blemish was Walker’s inability to get into the paint (four total attempts inside the 5-yard line), but he made up for that for fantasy owners hauling in six receptions for 61 yards. Among all backs with 10+ carries in Week 2, Walker ranked top-10 in rush success rate, explosive run rate, YBCO/Att, MTF/Att, and EPA/Att. Next up is a Dolphins defense that has allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing backfields to begin the year (31.7 FPPG). 

Most total yards through two weeks of an NFL season, since 2000 (RBs)

1. Arian Foster, HOU — 376 (2010)
2. KENNETH WALKER III, KC — 369 (2026)
3. Jamal Lewis, BAL — 368 (2003)
4. C.J. Spiller, BUF — 364 (2012)
5. LeSean McCoy, PHI — 356 (2013)
6. Kareem Hunt, KC — 355 (2017)
7.…

— Russell Clay (@RussellJClay) September 21, 2026

BUCKY IRVING, RB (TAMPA BAY) – In my eyes, Irving is the clear RB1 in this offense. If he gets injured, I am not sure it’s Kenneth Gainwell’s backfield, or if Sean Tucker would get a shot, but until something happens, you use Bucky weekly. He played 2x the snaps Gainwell did, and had 17 carries to Gainwell’s two. Even in the passing game, Irving saw as many targets. He finished with only 90 scrimmage yards, but he had a double-digit day, and the offense relies on him more than anyone else. 

WIDE RECEIVER

CHRIS OLAVE (NEW ORLEANS) – Olave was excellent once again, catching eight passes and accumulating 86 yards and a touchdown. Olave showed he was able to take a tough matchup and thrive. Olave will always carry risk, but with Tyler Shough at QB and Kellen Moore leading this team, it’s clear the offense will be humming all season and Olave has a real chance to finish as a WR1 if he can stay healthy. Those that took the risk are cashing in big time right now.

TED HURST (TAMPA BAY) – The Buccaneers look awful right now, but with Jalen McMillan out of the lineup, Hurst has been playing quite a few snaps. Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka led the team with 56 offensive plays, but Hurst wasn’t far behind with 48. He also ran about ten fewer routes than those two, but he did lead the team in targets with seven. Sadly, he caught only two for 27 yards. The biggest takeaway isn’t his fantasy production; it’s the fact he was counted on at the end of the game. I am not sure that Hurst hasn’t played his way into the third receiver role in Tampa. At this rate, there’s not a lot to love with that role because the offense has looked putrid overall, but regardless, Hurst is worth rostering, and the situation is one to monitor closely. 

PARKER WASHINGTON (JACKSONVILLE) – Even in a game where most of the Jaguars offense struggled, Washington found a way. Washington was behind most of the big plays from this offense against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, accumulating 98 yards on seven receptions. There are other weapons on this offense are are potentially looking at a shift down in usage *cough* Brian Thomas *cough*, but Washington certainly isn’t one of them. Washington has successfully fought off Jakobi Meyers for the main slot role, which has always been valuable in Trevor Lawrence offenses since the Christian Kirk days.

JAYLEN WADDLE (DENVER BRONCOS) – Everyone who drafted Waddle was absolutely sick and terrified after Week 1. Waddle didn’t look like himself and the Broncos offense looked horrible. However, they rebounded in a huge way against a very good Jacksonville Jaguars team. Waddle finished the game with 138 yards on eight receptions, and truly showed what type of upside he could provide when the play-calling is consistent. Waddle is at the will of Davis Webb, and we aren’t out of the woods yet, but this was a great game and if you have Waddle you should be back to starting him every week.

JOSH DOWNS (INDIANAPOLIS) – Downs’ peripheral numbers look strong – 9 targets, 7 receptions, 72 receiving yards – but the numbers don’t quite do it justice. Downs was routing up the Chiefs’ defensive backs with ease on SNF. He has expanded into a full-time role this year, pacing the team in both snap share and route share. Those rates could continue to be elite with Alec Pierce exiting this week’s game early and Keenan Allen facing a projected three-game suspension. We could be looking at just the beginning of a legitimate breakout for Downs.

Through two weeks, Josh Downs leads the Colts WR room with a significant gap in both snap share (86%) and route participation (93%). Had never cleared 69% or 76% in any prior season.

He's run a route on 71% of the dropbacks with two or fewer WRs on the field. He averaged 8% in… pic.twitter.com/xY41CdIl9m

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) September 21, 2026

DENZEL BOSTON, WR (CLEVELAND) – I wouldn’t get too excited about back-to-back weeks with touchdown receptions, but Boston leading the team in targets matters a lot to me. He played 54 snaps compared to Concepcion’s 38. He saw one more target, and Boston is being used downfield where Concepcion isn’t. I wouldn’t get too excited about the Browns’ offense in general, but beggars can’t be choosers. Right now the only player I would be willing to use from the Browns is Denzel Boston. He’s a red-zone target, and he’s playing the most on a team that’s likely to be playing from behind most weeks.

TIGHT ENDS

GEORGE KITTLE (SAN FRANCISCO) – Kittle led the 49ers in receiving yards on Sunday, finishing with 80. He hauled in all four of his targets and scored a touchdown. Kittle is not yet playing his regular allotment of snaps, but his route participation jumped significantly from Week 1. The four targets were also tied for the most on the team in Sunday’s win. Kittle is not yet playing his normal snap rate, but he is trending in the right direction. We can expect the 49ers to continue ramping up Kittle’s usage on a weekly basis until the veteran tight end is at full speed. 

DALTON KINCAID (BUFFALO) – Kincaid was excellent in Week 2, accumulating seven receptions and 95 yards on eight targets. Kincaid was open all over the field and has clearly earned the trust of Josh Allen. While we don’t know the status of DJ Moore right now, Kincaid has shown that he can be a featured weapon in the passing game, and I’d bet that continues. Allen is once again creating one of the best fantasy offenses in the NFL in terms of potential, and he finally has someone to walk through that door at the TE position.

DALTON SCHULTZ (HOUSTON) – One positive from the Houston offense in Week 2 was Schultz. Schultz was a nice late round pick that a few of our staff spotlighted this offseason, and he’s already paying off nicely. Without Jayden Higgins and Nico Collins, C.J. Stroud only has a few options he trusts and one of them is clearly Schultz. Even when Collins plays Schultz should continue as a top option in this passing game, and has officially locked himself into low-end TE1 status for the rest of the 2026 season.

TRENDING DOWN

Recent news and/or performance have made us less optimistic about these particular players for fantasy purposes. 

QUARTERBACKS

C.J. STROUD (HOUSTON) – As someone who was high on Stroud coming out of Ohio State, My usually first reflex is to defend him. However, he’s been pretty bad to begin the year. He played well enough to win in Week 1, but this past Weekend was a different story. Yes, Stroud accumulated 353 passing yards and had some nice plays, but it took him 55 passing attempts to do it and they only scored six points. Stroud looks like a completely different guy out there without Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins. And to be fair, what QB looks the same without their top two weapons? Stroud and the Texans started last year in a very similar fashion, so I imagine they’ll rally at some point, but this is getting ugly, and Stroud is really low on the fantasy totem pole without his top guys.

JUSTIN HERBERT (LOS ANGELES CHARGERS) – I am speechless. Herbert looked absolutely horrible from start to finish in this game. You know, when Herbert was coming out of Oregon he was known for having games like this all the time in college despite his amazing naturual skillset. After his early seasons I just accpeted that part of my prospect profile research on him had been wrong. But, here we are in year seven, and the last three years have gone EXACTLY how his Oregon career went. Immense natural ability and talent, followed by truly confusing performances. We can blame Mike McDaniel and the weapons all we want, but I’m sick of defending Herbert. This was horrible. It may get better, and I’m sure there will be games this year where he shows up and has those games that make us all lose our minds, but the floor is devestatingly low for what his talent is, and It doesn’t look like that’s changing.

RUNNING BACKS

QUINSHON JUDKINS (CLEVELAND) – I am going to have to eat some crow on Judkins and the Browns. I stated they were the worst team in football; clearly I was wrong there. They already have a win. And I truly believed that the workload would get scaled back for Judkins. Maybe if Dylan Sampson hadn’t gotten hurt, but reality is, he is injured, and the Browns are leaning on Judkins, who played about 67% of the total snaps, but his 39 offensive plays were far above the next guy with 11. Next Guy? Yeah, it’s not even worth knowing who the next guy is because the guy after him had 10 snaps played. If Judkins goes down, Raheim Sanders would get the most work, but it would be a bit of a committee. Overall, Cleveland’s rushing attack is terrible. Judkins had 12 carries for 21 yards. He caught five passes for 27 yards, but that doesn’t help much. Judkins is getting volume, but it’s rough. 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS RUNNING BACKS – Of Course Travis Etienne is the main culprit here, but through two games I have not loved what has gone on here. The Saints are rotating multiple RBs and leaning on the passing game as their engine. The snaps are so split between RBs and WRs (beyond Chris Olave) that it’s hard to find the fantasy upside despite the team putting up 54 points through two games. The teams that score a ton of points yet don’t find us fantasy relevance are the most frustrating, and beyond Olave and Juwan Johnson (who has played excellent by the way), it’s just about impossible to suggest any of these guys in a standard fantasy football league.

DAVID MONTGOMERY (HOUSTON) – Week 1 we saw the ceiling, Week 2 we saw the floor. Montgomery was game-flowed out of this quickly, and with the Texans racing to comeback in the entire second half, there was almost no hope for him like there was in Week 1. Montgomery will have better days, and there will be more touchdowns in his future, but this floor has always existed and it’s a good reminder. Woody Marks is a factor that won’t go away, and we need game-flows that will allow for Montgomery to be in the red-zone.
RHAMONDRE STEVENSON (NEW ENGLAND) – It wasn’t good for Stevenson owners this weekend. TreVeyon Henderson outplayed Stevenson at a three-to-two rate. Which, let’s be clear, is not horrible. But Stevenson owners rely on the heavier volume and short-yardage opportunities; if Henderson gets a heavier workload, that makes it hard to rely on Stevenson even as a flex. This could put Stevenson closer to Tony Pollard territory, where your mind tells you there’s enough volume and touchdown opportunities. Still, in reality, you have no desire to put that name in your starting lineup. 

MARSHAWN LLOYD (GREEN BAY) – Lloyd got into the end-zone and had an ok fantasy day, however, I feel like I was sold a false bill of goods. Lloyd was a hyper explosive weapon in college, and when the Packers drafted him you assumed it would be the lightning for Josh Jacobs’ thunder. However, through two games at least, he looks really, really slow and unathletic. Lloyd was worth a shot as an upside play when the Jacobs suspension happened, but even as someone who was interested, he hasn’t shown me anything to get excited about and now Kaleb Johnson is getting involved. Maybe it’s just inexperience and the athleticism will come, but there’s a real chance all the injuries have robbed him of his traits that made him so interesting.

WIDE RECEIVERS

EMEKA EGBUKA & CHRIS GODWIN (TAMPA BAY) – The biggest problem in Tampa is Baker Mayfield. Egbuka and Chris Godwin were both letdowns on Sunday. While they both played 56 snaps and ran 37 routes or more, neither wideout eclipsed 50 yards. Godwin had the better day, catching three passes for 46 yards on three targets, but that’s nothing to get excited about. Egbuka had three receptions for 16 yards on five targets. He almost had a touchdown when he was open, but it was a poorly thrown ball to close out the game. It’s tough to suggest playing Tez Johnson, who only played 19 snaps, but for fantasy was the better performer. 

ROME ODUNZE AND LUTHER BURDEN – Being very genuine, I’m terribly confused as to the usage of the Chicago Bears skill players in the first two weeks of the NFL season. Of course it was a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, which is totally fine, I have no problem with that. I also understand the logic behind using your secondary players so teams can’t hone in on your game-plan. But, why are you using Sam Roush and Kalif Raymond so much? You have real difference-makers on offense and at a certain point continuously going to the 5th, 6th and 7th options has diminishing returns. Ben Johnson knows much, much more about football than I do, but at a certain point shouldn’t you feature your best players? This will turn, but it’s frustrating.

JAMESON WILLIAMS (DETROIT) – Now, I’m not putting Williams in here to say he’s bad or there won’t be big games in the future, but how reliable is he week-to-week? It’s pretty clear he’s the third option in the passing game, and even a game with 72 total points he only mustered 33 yards. Goff threw the ball 38 times in a game they were trailing and needed to push the ball and Williams only saw four go his way. He was out-targeted by Isaac TeSlaa (5). There will be better games, but through two weeks Williams hasn’t made the leap into an every week starter and remains a WR3/Flex.

MAKAI LEMON (PHILADELPHIA) – Lemon was a favorite of mine in the NFL draft, and I still believe strongly in his long term potential. Lemon has been on the field a ton in the first two weeks of the Eagles season, but he’s mostly been running cardio and watching Dontavion Wicks make great plays. The role Wicks is playing is the role I penciled in for Lemon before the year. Wicks did get banged up in this game but I think he’s going to be fine. We have to call a spade a spade, and for me (Russell Clay), I was too high on Lemon pre-season and will be adjusting him down from here. There’s injury upside, but he should be nowhere near a starting fantasy football lineup right now.

CARNELL TATE/WANDALE ROBINSON (TENNESSEE) – Talent is clear with both, and the offense overall looked fine in Week 2. But wow, the fantasy results do not look like they’re going to fire at the clip any of us expected. Many weren’t high on Cam Ward before the season began, but at least the thought was some of his weapons would have a chance to produce. Unfortunately through two weeks the Titans have spent a bunch of time mixing and matching, and praying things will work out. While this may change, the Titans are currently rotating three running backs, in the rushing and receiving game. They’re also rotating five WRs and giving them all targets. They’re also rotating two tight ends. This may and probably will change, but right now this is a complete stay-away situation fantasy-wise.

BRIAN THOMAS (JACKSONVILLE) – It was just one game, but Week 2 felt very similar to how Thomas performed in 2025. Thomas showed his ability to be athletic in this game, but the drop issues have followed and he missed some very big opportunities that could’ve led to the Jaguars winning. I’m sure Thomas will have better games this year, but if he’s not careful he could see his role diminish. Very tough to start him in fantasy football right now.

QUENTIN JOHNSTON/LADD MCCONKEY/TRE HARRIS (LOS ANGELES CHARGERS) – You’re all on thin Ice, fellas.

Mike McDaniel has thrived in his NFL career as an offensive mind, and I’d still like to believe he’ll figure out this mess at some point soon. However, the players that are currently getting snaps don’t look like the guys he found so much success with. You know who does? Their fourth round pick this year Brenan Thompson, who got snaps this week. Thompson only saw three targets go his way, but he is a highly explosive weapon who McDaniels picked himself. Johnston and Harris in particular have been horrible (I still think McConkey will be ok). It’s unclear what this is going to look like in a few weeks, but if they keep losing I’m certain big changes to personnel will happen.

EVERYONE BUT JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA (SEATTLE) – This is the biggest one man show I’ve seen in a long time. The Seahawks offense is flourishing using one weapon and giving scraps to a few others. I’m sure this will change at some point in the season where teams eventually throw their full force at stopping Smith-Njigba, but none of these WRs or TEs are worthy of our lineups beyond him right now. Drew Lock is playing well, but he can’t support multiple fantasy relevant weapons.

TIGHT END

COLSTON LOVELAND (CHICAGO) – Watching the games the last two weeks, and I cannot understand what the Bears are doing with their second and third tight ends. I still believe Loveland is in their long-term plans and should come around at some point this year, but the start of this season couldn’t really be worse. Loveland was an afterthought in this game-plan in Week 2, catching just one pass. Yes, Caleb Williams got hurt, but things were ugly before he left in the fourth quarter. Adding to the problems, if Williams misses games this will certainly negatively effect the fantasy outputs of the passing game, even if you like Tyson Bagent.

TYLER WARREN (INDIANAPOLIS) – Warren is a very talented player, but it is fair to question the deployment in 2026. Through the first two weeks, Warren has posted stat lines of 3-13-1 and 6-21-1 with touchdowns bailing out otherwise massive disappointing showings. Sporting a 1.4-yard aDOT (5.8 in 2025), Warren is being used extremely close to the line of scrimmage. He’s sporting a similar route participation mark as he was last season, but the downfield routes just aren’t drawing targets and he’s become far less of a first-read target in 2026. Perhaps he gets a usage bump with Alec Pierce’s recent injury sustained in Week 2, but the results from the first two games have Warren’s arrow pointing down.

HOLDING STEADY

These players have been in the news in one way or another, but we think their fantasy stock remains largely unchanged. 

QUARTERBACKS

LAMAR JACKSON AND DERRICK HENRY – For the second straight week the New Orleans Saints got down huge, sat down huge for multiple quarters, and pulled out an incredibly comeback in the final minutes. Jackson and Henry were dominant early, but as with these types of game-flows, didn’t see the ball much in the second half as they were trying to protect a lead. The Saints dominated time of possession in the second half, so if you’re wondering why Henry only saw 16 rushing attempts that’s why. The first half went well, but when your opponent is putting 15+ play drives on you, the clock disappears incredibly quickly. This will probably happen a few more times this year, but the overall message for these two is still positive for fantasy purposes.

TREVOR LAWRENCE (JACKSONVILLE) – Lawrence looked great in the first half, and even had moments in the second. But, the Denver Broncos came to play in Week 2 and the offensive line was unable to hold up, especially when they were trailing. Lawrence had one of his patented horrible interceptions, but he did play well overall. Week 1 he looked like an MVP, and Week 2 he played very mediocre. It’s going to be somewhere inbetween for most of the year, and I’d suggest you start him every week and take the ups and downs. This was a really tough matchup and the Jaguars will learn from this.

DRAKE MAYE (NEW ENGLAND) – With back-to-back tough routings, the “Patriots were lucky with their schedule” folks are feeling their oats. The Steelers can be tough on quarterbacks, and it’s only week two, but this week wasn’t much better for Maye, who went 14-for-22 for 208 yards and an interception. The Patriots won; the sky isn’t falling, but the efficiency we saw from the Patriots last year has not shown up this year. Personnel changes could be playing into this, but right now, if I drafted Maye, I am using him and riding the wave. Better days are ahead. 

DETROIT LIONS OFFENSE – Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta all had great games in Week 2 for fantasy football, and I’d expect this group to continue to thrive. The Lions defense is abominable (did I use that word right), and it won’t be getting better anytime soon. The ONLY worry I have right now is if this season gets completely away from the Lions… what does the final month look like? When teams lose faith they can make a playoff run, they aren’t factoring in our fantasy football playoffs. If the Lions are not in playoff contention in the final month I would expect all their stars to play it out, but we’ve seen time and again the skeleton crew offenses run out there when the stakes (for them) are gone. If you have Lions you don’t need them to be a juggernaut, but you need them to stay alive until the final weeks.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS OFFENSE – It was an ugly, disgusting fantasy game in Chicago. A defensive battle where the main goal for the Vikings offense was to control the ball and make sure they didn’t create any huge errors. They succeeded and got a huge victory on the road. Carson Wentz did what he had to do, but the fantasy points were far and few between. The running game was stuffed beyond one 20 yard run by Aaron Jones, and the passing game was non-existent. Kyler Murray should be back next week and while we all have our thoughts on him, the offense certainly has a higher ceiling with him starting. Wentz performed admirably and if Murray goes down it’s very clear they will start Wentz and lean on their defense. Not good for us, but respect to them for finding a way to win.

ARIZONA CARDINALS OFFENSE OTHER THAN MARVIN HARRISON IM SICK OF HIM – We all knew the Seattle Seahawks defense was amazing, and after what they did to the New England Patriots in Week 1 it was clear the Cardinals were in for a rough day. They not only had a rough day, but they probbaly had the worst offensive day they’re going to have all year beyond the next time they play them. You’re still starting Trey McBride every week. Brissett showed last week he can do well in favorable matchups and that is still the read fantasy-wise. Jeremiyah Love is still vey explosive and will break big plays against weaker run defenses. Michael Wilson will have his moments as well. Marvin Harrison? I’m good with being done with him, but he could turn it around as well… I suppose.

RUNNING BACKS

JAYLEN WARREN (PITTSBURGH) – The snap share this week with Rico Dowdle looks lopsided because Dowdle left the game injured and did not return. Warren looked good with the additional work, for what it’s worth. The Steelers were down, and Warren did his best to keep them in it. He led the team with 11 carries for 43 yards rushing and was second in receiving yards. The problem: the Steelers’ offense is so slow and inefficient. Warren finished with 13 touches and 77 scrimmage yards. Dowdle was seeing work early; he had seven carries on his 18 snaps. Warren played 50 snaps with 11 carries and four targets. The Steelers were playing catch-up for the fourth quarter. If Dowdle misses time, I have a lot more faith in starting Warren weekly. 

DE’VON ACHANE (MIAMI) – Achane didn’t have as bad a week as he did in the season opener, but I’m sure this isn’t the kind of production fantasy managers envisioned when they drafted him in the first round. Achane rushed for 74 yards on 20 attempts and caught three of six targets for 19 yards, finishing the day with 12.3 PPR points. The bright side is the opportunities, as he finished with 26 in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. However, the lack of high-end production and inefficiency is concerning, as it could be an ongoing issue throughout the season given the status of this offense. Those who drafted Achane will have to continue to roll with the punches and temper expectations. Achane will have big performances this season, but they will likely come less often than in previous seasons.  

KAELON BLACK (SAN FRANCISCO) – Black didn’t match the 14 touches he had in Week 1, but he remains the clear-cut handcuff to Christian McCaffrey. Do not cut Black if you have him on your roster. If you don’t, I’d keep an eye out to see if he gets cut in your leagues and add him if he does.. 

WIDE RECEIVERS

ROMEO DOUBS (NEW ENGLAND) – Doubs may have paid off for fantasy purposes with his three-catch, 96-yard performance, but he’s still tough to trust. Mack Hollins played a few more snaps, and while Doubs did tie Hunter Henry for the most targets, they only had four balls thrown their way. The Steelers defense is tough, but this was still a disappointing performance from the Patriots’ passing attack. I don’t know if you can trust Doubs, but he will be one of the top two or three targets in New England’s passing attack each week. He may be the top target, but I don’t know what that really means for fantasy purposes because nine different players had a reception and none had more than three. 

MIKE EVANS (SAN FRANCISCO) – Evans hauled in all three of his targets for 54 yards in Sunday’s blowout victory over Miami. He left in the third quarter with an apparent hip injury, though it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury, as he was held out for the remainder of the game because the 49ers had a comfortable lead. Evans ran the second most routes on the team on Sunday and remains a key part of the team’s aerial attack. This week’s lackluster performance was simply dictated by the game script. There will be far more productive days from Evans in the weeks ahead. 

GEORGE PICKENS (DALLAS) – It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks for Pickens owners and I don’t blame anyone for beginning to question if he is set for a big role again this year. I’m really confident he will get back to his old self soon enough, and we’re getting the low end of the variance (that he’s always had) out of the way early. Pickens is a good player and someone to value as a WR2 despite the ugly box scores. The Cowboys offense looked great in Week 2 after getting trounced by the New York Giants in Week 1, I’d expect more of the games against the Commanders to happen the remainder of the season, and while it wasn’t his time today, the ceiling will show itself soon.
DK METCALF (PITTSBURGH) – As long as Metcalf continues to see this type of target volume, I will continue to list Metcalf where I do in Start-Sit. I have to believe he can remember how to catch the football. This is back-to-back weeks with nine targets. That’s incredible volume, especially in the Steelers’ offense. I get it, four receptions for 27 yards was not what we had hoped for, but as long as the target volume remains so high, I am going to use Metcalf as I have. 

RASHOD BATEMAN (BALTIMORE) – Bateman has always had talent, all the way back to his Minnesota days. There was a reason he was a first round pick. He played excellent in this game, hauling in seven of eight targets, accumulating 88 yards on seven catches, and scoring a touchdown. Bateman is an excellent third or fourth option in an NFL offense, and without Zay Flowers can be a WR2/WR3 in fantasy football. However, we know what this will look like when Flowers gets back, so enjoy it for now but know what you’re getting into. This is not a full-season play.

TIGHT ENDS

HAROLD FANNIN, TE (CLEVELAND) – Harold Fannin is back! Maybe…He had five receptions for 54 yards; sadly, the touchdown we hoped for went to fellow tight end Blake Whiteheart. It’s hard to trust any part of the Browns’ offense, but Fannin didn’t forget how to play football, and while I doubt we’ll get the volume we saw last year, he should still see most weeks like this one. So rolling him out weekly is as good an option as most other low TE1 candidates. 

TUCKER KRAFT (GREEN BAY) – Kraft saw just three targets go his direction in Week 2 as the New York Jets not so quietly shut down the Packers offense. While the final score says the Packers won, 90% of this game was a pure disaster. Love looked terrible, and so did the offensive line. Things will get better, and perhaps the Jets are a solid team. Overall, a painful result that we can’t let bias us in the future.

WATCH LIST

Keep an eye on these players and situations. It may be too early to make a call one way or the other on them, but they are situations worth watching.

QUARTERBACKS

CALEB WILLIAMS (CHICAGO) – Williams had a rough game against what appears to be an elite Minnesota Vikings defense. But, the reason he’s here is the hamstring injury he suffered. When it happened I thought he’d blown an Achilles or was out for the year. Thankfully reports today suggest he could be back within the next couple of weeks. For fantasy purposes if he does return I’d expect a limited version, especially as a runner. Hamstring’s are notorious for being stubborn in healing. But, if we can get him back in a couple of weeks a limited version of him is still better than many QBs.

JAYDEN DANIELS (WASHINGTON) – Daniels was one of the most exceptional rookie QBs in NFL history, if not the most. And in the first half of the game against the Cowboys, he was showing exactly the type of qualities we saw that year. However, late in the second quarter Daniels went down hard and tried to brace his fall with his previously hurt elbow. I’m not going to post the video in here but you get the deal. Based on the reporting today it sounds like Daniels is going to be ok, but who knows if those reports were coming from him or the team. The NFL would be worse off if Daniels can’t stay healthy this year, and I really, really hope he can get back and be a full-go for the rest of 2026.

 RUNNING BACKS

SAQUON BARKLEY (PHILADELPHIA) – I couldn’t even sit down with my cheeseburger to enjoy the start of football Sunday before I got an update Barkley had left the game. Barkley left the Eagles 24-20 victory in the first quarter with a stinger. He did return in the second half and looked alright, but considering his injury history we’ll keep a close eye on how this develops. He should be fine, but if you missed the game and are wondering why Tank Bigsby had 13 rushing attempts and a rushing touchdown, that’s your answer.

JONAH COLEMAN (DENVER) – Coleman looked great in the second half of the Denver Broncos win, and they trusted him enough to give him all the touches down the stretch to salt away a victory. Coleman was a fourth round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, after a long and successful college career at Washington and Arizona. It was unclear how he was going to fit into this years plans with J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey around, but with Harvey out this week and Dobbins banged up mid-game, we got to see a glimpse of the future. Coleman looked like the most explosive RB the Broncos have put out there through two games, and I’m excited to see how this works out.

KALEB JOHNSON (GREEN BAY) – It was only eight rushing attempts, but Johnson looked better than Marshawn Lloyd in every facet of being a running back. Lloyd is probably still a better receiver, but the Packers offense is based on rushing volume and Johnson may be the guy to fill in until Josh Jacobs returns. Johnson was a solid prospect at Iowa and it wouldn’t be shocking at all if he instantly became the starter when competing with Lloyd for between-the-tackles running plays. This offense looked bad last week, but Johnson was one bright spot to keep an eye on.

NICHOLAS SINGLETON (TENNESSEE) – It has begun. The Titans have quietly started to give Singleton some touches, and while this isn’t an early season play, this is someone to classically have on your “watch” list. Singleton is not going to make a fantasy impact while the Titans have still have hope left in their season. But, as things go along and the franchise loses hope, the veteran RBs like Tony Pollard could get phased out. Keep Singleton on your waiver wire for now, but put this in the back of your mind.

ASHTON JEANTY (LAS VEGAS) – Jeanty is an essential part of what the Raiders do offensively, and his 25 touches this weekend are a great signal even if he didn’t have a huge day. However, I’d like to point out he left for a short period of this time and was seen on the sideline getting his ankle looked at. He came back in and looked ok, but keep an eye on this as he’s going to be a very important fantasy weapon as the season goes along.

EMMANUEL WILSON (SEATTLE) – The former packer played really well in the second half of the Seahawks blowout of the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson handled 21 rushing attempts as the Seahawks tried to run out the clock, accumulating 92 yards. Wilson will become worthless when Zach Charbonnet comes back into the rotation, but this is a good name to know if Jadarian Price goes down… which he did in this game. Price has a shoulder injury and while all indications are this isn’t serious, if he misses time Wilson would be a spot-start candidate.

WIDE RECEIVERS

KC CONCEPCION, WR (CLEVELAND) – DeShaun Watson wasn’t terrible on Sunday, and the Browns’ passing attack led the Browns to an upset victory. Concepcion didn’t lead the team in any categories, but he was active. He was tied for second on the team with six targets, which he converted into six receptions (leading the team) for 28 yards. Concepcion is exciting to watch, but I am starting to worry that he’s a better version of Elijah Moore. We get all this short ADOT volume that doesn’t help us much. If he can get as much volume as Wan’Dale Robinson did last year, he will pay off, but right now it looks like the Browns receiver to roster is Denzel Boston. 

CALEB DOUGLAS (MIAMI) – Monitor Douglas’ health, as he was seen in a walking boot following Sunday’s game after an apparent ankle injury. Douglas wasn’t targeted as often as he was in Week 1, but he led the Dolphins wideouts in snaps and tied for the most routes run. Miami will almost always be playing from behind this season, which means they will have to lean on the passing game, and that should lead to plenty of opportunities for Douglas on a regular basis. Despite the lackluster performance, Douglas remains a wideout I’m holding.

CHRIS BELL (MIAMI) – Bell’s role remains limited at this time. He played in just under 50 percent of the offensive snaps, ran 11 routes, and was targeted once. I view Bell as a luxury hold for those who can afford to stash him, as I expect his role to increase as the season progresses, and I do expect Bell to have a bigger impact on this offense later in the season. However, at this time, he offers little fantasy value. 

DJ MOORE (CHICAGO) – On just his second opportunity of the night, Moore went up for a target and landed horribly on his shoulder. When it first happened I thought he for sure broke his collarbone. Moore left the game and didn’t return. It sounds like Moore is “ok”, but I’m very curious to see his practice schedule this week. If you have Moore I’d be looking for different options, because even if he does play in the next couple weeks I don’t think he’ll be fully healthy.

ISAIAH WILLIAMS (NEW YORK JETS) – Williams played a big role in the Jets Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. While he isn’t overcoming Garrett Wilson on this depth chart, there’s a real potential role here for him going forward. Williams was used mostly around the line of scrimmage and hauled in all six of the targets that went his direction. He showed explosivness, and was someone Geno Smith trusted at multiple points in the game. If an injury hits, this is someone to keep an eye on.

TIGHT ENDS

PAT FREIERMUTH (PITTSBURGH) – Muth did Muth things. He’s a decent streaming option weekly, but you can expect a typical four- to six-point stat line. The Steelers’ offense isn’t explosive enough to suggest counting on Freiermuth weekly because there aren’t enough touchdown opportunities, which is what you need from most tight ends, but especially Freiermuth. If you need a guy, he probably won’t leave you with a zero, but a ten-point performance would be unlikely. 

DAVID NJOKU (LOS ANGELES CHARGERS) – The Chargers put both Njoku and Charlie Kolar on IR today, which means the next month we’re back to square one with Oronde Gadsden. Gadsden was a great surprise as a middle round pick in the 2025 draft last year, and I thought it was weird they worked so hard to replace him this offseason. Sure, Njoku and Kolar are blockers, but those snaps are still being taken. Now they arent, so whatever bias or disregard that was there before… is now forced to be gone.