Ten Things We Learned In Week 2 (Fantasy Football)
Week 2 is wrapping up, and it was a big week for wide receivers. So many wide receivers had big games while several big-name running backs struggled to score many fantasy points. Wide receivers will dominate the storylines for this article, and there were multiple breakouts to talk about, including a couple of highly drafted rookies. Without further ado, let’s dive into ten of the major storylines in Week 2.
1. JuJu Is Going To Disappoint Fantasy Managers
Patrick Mahomes has talked about how fantasy managers will be disappointed because “every week will be a different guy,” and that has been true. JuJu seemed like he might be “the guy” in Week 1, catching 6-of-8 targets for 79 yards. However, in Week 2, JuJu caught 3-of-3 targets for only 10 yards. Travis Kelce is likely the only player who will be targeted consistently in the offense. JuJu was the highest drafted wide receiver and is set to give fantasy managers headaches when trying to set their lineups. From now on, he will be a shaky flex player for fantasy purposes who has upside solely because of his quarterback.
2. Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle Can Both Dominate
The Miami Dolphins offense had a breakout game in Week 2, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for a career-high 469 yards and six touchdowns. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ended up with week-winning type performances, catching 11 passes each. Waddle was having the better day at first and finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns on 19 targets, and Hill Had 190 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets. Per the tweet below by Dalton Kates, Hill and Waddle are the first teammates ever to have 10+ receptions for 170+ yards and two touchdowns. While it is unlikely that this dynamic duo will have these kinds of weeks often, we should have confidence that Hill and Waddle can coexist just fine and that both receivers should be considered great fantasy assets.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle became the first pair of teammates in NFL history to each have:
10+ receptions
170+ receiving yards
2 receiving TDs
Unreal.
— Dalton Kates (@Dalton_Kates) September 18, 2022
3. Garrett Wilson Is Going To Be Special
Garrett Wilson broke out in Week 2, catching 8-of-14 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson had a 32.6% target share in Week 2 and is emerging as the clear WR1 on the Jets. Elijah Moore was considered a sneaky value in fantasy drafts this year, but he has taken a back seat to Wilson, posting just an 11.6% target share this week. Wilson is living up to the hype he had during the NFL Draft and may be a future superstar in the NFL. Although we have not seen him play with Zach Wilson, Garrett Wilson should be a safe play from now on with Flacco or Zach Wilson at quarterback.
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown Is Legit
There has been a debate all off-season on whether Amon Ra St. Brown was a great wide receiver or if he was just a product of opportunity with T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift missing time at the end of last season. That debate can be laid to rest, as St. Brown has proven he earns targets regardless of who is in the lineup. Good players earn targets, and St. Brown is just really talented. With Swift and Hockenson in the lineup, St. Brown has a 33.8% target share through the season’s first two weeks, whereas Swift is at 11.3% and Hockenson is at 19.7%. St. Brown finished Week 2 with nine receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Fantasy managers that drafted St. Brown in the middle rounds will reap the benefits this season.
5. Christian McCaffrey Isn’t Back To Old Workload
The debate for the 1.01 in fantasy drafts was mostly between Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey. The case for McCaffrey was his utilization in the passing game, but he has yet to have McCaffrey-Esque production through the air in 2022. He has caught 4-of-5 targets for just over 20 yards each week. He did have a solid day on the ground in Week 2, rushing 15 times for 102 yards, but he did not score. His total touches did go up from Week 1 (14 touches) to Week 2 (19 touches). To live up to a top-2 draft pick, he needs to start seeing more work in the passing game. Hopefully, the opportunities will increase as the season progresses.
6. Christian Kirk Is Thriving In Jacksonville
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a splash in free agency and made Christian Kirk one of the higher-paid receivers in the league. So far, Kirk has taken the opportunity and produced. In Week 2, Kirk caught 6-of-6 targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He posted a solid season in Arizona last season and is thriving in a WR1 role even on a new team. Kirk has a 26% target share through the first two weeks and should remain a great play in fantasy lineups due to volume alone.
7. Curtis Samuel Has A Solid Role In Commanders Offense
The Washington Commanders have involved Curtis Samuel much more than expected in the 2022 season. Samuel may end up as one of the best free agent pickups for fantasy managers in 2022 if he can stay healthy. In Week 2, Samuel caught 7-of-9 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Samuel now leads the team in targets and also has five rushing attempts. Carson Wentz has been good enough to support several receiving options, so Samuel should be a solid flex option as we advance through the season.
8. Pitts Is Struggling While London Breaks Out
Before drafts, Kyle Pitts was one of the most debated topics in fantasy football. So far in 2022, Pitts has been a major disappointment and has not offered fantasy managers the positional advantage they had hoped when drafting him. In Week 2, Pitts caught 2-of-3 targets for 19 yards (Pitts also had two receptions for 19 yards in Week 1). On the other hand, Drake London has emerged and led the team in targets in Week 2 and tied for first in Week 1. London caught 8-of-12 targets for 86 yards and caught a touchdown. Pitts is one of those players that will be hard for fantasy managers to bench. Pitts has to stay in your lineup unless you have another solid option, and you will have to hope he can get more involved. Unfortunately, head coach Arthur Smith does not care about our fantasy teams. He was asked about Kyle Pitts‘ lack of targets, and the coach responded, “It’s not fantasy football. We’re just trying to win.” London may be working his way into a flex play going forward as he has already seen plenty of volume early in his rookie season.
Arthur Smith when asked about Kyle Pitts lack of targets: "It's not fantasy football. We're just trying to win."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) September 18, 2022
9. Sell Allen Robinson If You Still Can
We all know that Week 1 was a dud for Allen Robinson, and Week 2 didn’t show that he will be a major part of this offense either. Robinson caught 4-of-5 targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in a close game against the Falcons. Cooper Kupp had 14 targets, and the offense will continue to go through him. Robinson is an afterthought, and if you can sell Robinson off of this game, I think you should. He only had a 14.3% target share and was again out-targeted by Tyler Higbee. Some fantasy managers out there may be willing to take a chance on Robinson, but it may also be too late. It’s worth looking into, though, as Robinson will be hard to trust in your lineup and will likely end up as a roster clogger.
10. Russell Wilson Hasn’t Been What We Expected
In one of the off-season’s most significant moves, Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, but it hasn’t gone exactly how everyone thought it would for Denver. The Broncos are now 1-1 on the season, and it hasn’t been pretty. In Week 2, Russ completed 14-of-31 passes for 219 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Struggling this early in the season on a new team may not mean hitting the panic button yet, but it is concerning. Courtland Sutton ended up having a good game in Week 2, and Jerry Jeudy had a good game in Week 1 (primarily due to a 67-yard touchdown), but right now, it won’t feel great to start either until Russ starts heating up. Russ was also one of the sneaky values at quarterback, but he may be benched for better options with better matchups until we see something more.