Red Zone Report: Week 2 (Fantasy Football)
Welcome to the second Red Zone Report of 2024, where I dive into the important stats and information you need to know from 20 yards and in. Week 2 has had much more to unpack in terms of offensive output, so let’s dive on into this week’s report!
Check out the Red Zone Report tool as part of the Ultimate Draft Kit to look at every player’s usage in the red zone, 10-zone, and five-zone.
Let us again take a look at each team’s efficiency in and out of the red zone.
Once again, as everyone predicted, the New Orleans Saints are the most efficient offense in football. The Commanders had nearly an incredible 0.5 EPA per play out of the red zone, but could not get things going in the red zone, which resulted in seven field goals and zero touchdowns.
Rushers
Once again, the rusher efficiency graph below will use data from both in and out of the red zone due to a lack of sample size of red zone plays.
Ty Chandler was much more efficient than his counterpart, Aaron Jones. Especially with Aaron Jones’ recent injury history, Chandler may find himself getting many more touches soon, and I’d consider him to be a priority add in waivers if he is available. Jordan Mason continues to impress, filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey very nicely.
Let’s take a deeper look at a few of the more intriguing backfields from this week.
Alvin Kamara
The New Orleans offense is firing on all cylinders. Many called last week against the Panthers a fluke, but in Week 2 against a high-powered Dallas defense, the Saints never broke stride in a 44-19 beatdown. Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns, three of which were on the ground in the red zone. Though Derek Carr did steal a rushing TD on the goal line, Kamara is clearly the man in close, even as an older, lighter back.
James Cook
No one could stop James Cook on Thursday night when he took over against the Dolphins. While the exciting young rookie, Ray Davis, may be starting to get more carries, Cook’s efficiency was unmatched, making him a week-winner. In last week’s report, I noted that Josh Allen will steal some red zone touchdowns from Cook, however, this week was a great example of James Cook finally getting his well-earned red zone work. James Cook took in the Bills’ only rush inside 10 yards for a touchdown from the one-yard line. If he’s able to command more red zone work going forward, James Cook could move from a borderline RB1 to a league winner.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Though Washington was unsuccessful in the red zone, we can still take a look at the rush distribution from Sunday to potentially give us insight into the future. Of the 10 rushes in the red zone, Brian Robinson Jr. got four carries, Austin Ekeler got four carries, and Jayden Daniels took the ball two times himself. None of these rushes came from any closer than the eight-yard line, so there are no goal-line insights available to us from Week 2. However, in Week 1, the Commanders had four rushes from the one-yard line, three of which were taken by Jayden Daniels (two for touchdowns) and one by Brian Robinson Jr. It is important to note that Robinson Jr. lined up at RB for all four goal-line rushes.
Overall, Brian Robinson Jr. was the star running back on Sunday, taking the overwhelming majority of Washington’s carries (17 of 29) for 133 yards. Combined with last week’s knowledge that he may be the primary guy in close and this week’s heavy usage in all parts of the field, it can be safe to say that he can expect to have elevated scoring upside moving forward, despite the offseason addition of Austin Ekeler.
James Conner
The Arizona Cardinals crushed Matthew Stafford and the Rams in an offensive masterpiece. While Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. stole the show early, the Cardinals played a complete game to the finish, never giving an inch. James Conner was the recipient of more than half of the Cardinals’ red zone rushing attempts. These four attempts included both of the Cardinals’ only rushes from inside the 10. The first of these two rushes was brought in from the five for a touchdown, while the other was fumbled on the goal line and miraculously recovered by Trey McBride in the end zone for a touchdown. Despite the goal-line fumble, James Conner (and the entire Cardinals roster) had a great day. Rookie running back Trey Benson has failed to do much in his first two games, while James Conner continues to thrive. Though many believed Benson would eat into Conner’s opportunities (and fantasy potential), it seems as if his role will remain as the dominant RB1 in the Arizona offense.
Receivers
Same as the previous graph, this receiving efficiency graph is made up of all plays — not just those from the red zone — due to a lack of red zone plays.
Brock Bowers once again finds himself as one of the most efficient receivers in the top-right of the graph. Working out of the slot, Chris Godwin also had an incredibly efficient week.
Andrei Iosivas
Without Tee Higgins for a second consecutive week, Joe Burrow and the Bengals were desperate for a receiver to step up following a bad Week 1 loss to the Patriots. Although Trenton Irwin was targeted five times in the red zone, it was the second-year Princeton alum, Andrei Iosivas, who answered the call, catching both of his red zone targets for touchdowns. Iosivas was already expected to fill in as the WR3 for Cincinnati following the departure of Tyler Boyd, though this game showcased his fantasy potential as a reliable option for Burrow and the Bengals. Especially in a receiver room that often has plenty of injuries to both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Iosivas will likely find himself as the WR2 in this offense many more times this year.
Conclusion
As injuries (and soon bye weeks) begin to plague our lineups, finding players with enhanced ceilings due to red zone opportunity is a key to success. Make sure to check back next week for the Week 3 Red Zone Report!
For more insights and a full breakdown of red zone rush and target data, try using the Red Zone Report tool as part of the Ultimate Draft Kit