Week 2 Fantasy Football Studs and Duds
Fantasy Football is a unique game in which the players have no stake in the results. This leaves fantasy football team managers with nothing to do but lament the decision to start the duds or sit the studs. On occasion, we find that perfect mixture where the duds are on your bench and the studs are shining in your lineup. It is in these glorious weeks that we get to celebrate our W in the face of our foes and they wallow in their woes. Here are the aforementioned studs and duds from Week 2. This week the cream will rise to the top of the list.
Studs
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes @ PIT
326 passing yards, 6 TDs, 18 rushing yards
Someone accidentally left the Madden difficulty setting on ‘rookie’. This is absurd video game numbers. Also, very good news for Hill, Watkins, Kelce, and Hunt.
Ben Roethlisberger vs KC
452 passing yards, 3 TDs, 9 rushing yards, rushing TD, 2 pt conv
Roethlisberger on the road last week was a Dud. This week he’s at home and he’s a Stud. Anyone else picking up on the pattern?
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs PHI
402 passing yards, 4 TDs, INT
Everyone’s favorite QB did it again in Week 2. If you somehow missed it, make sure you go back and watch Fitzpatrick’s postgame interview.
Kirk Cousins @ GB
425 passing yards, 4 TDs, 5 rushing yards
You can’t always rely on games lasting a full 5 quarters, but fantasy owners will gladly accept the padded stats.
Blake Bortles vs NE
377 passing yards, 4 TDs, INT, 35 rushing yards
I’ve got a snake, man.
Matt Ryan vs CAR
272 passing yards, 2 TDs, INT, 18 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
The Falcons have had their struggles in the red zone recently, so Matt Ryan took matters into his own hands.
Cam Newton @ ATL
335 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT, 42 rushing yards
Superman did super things on Sunday. Cam is good.
Andy Dalton vs BAL
265 passing yards, 4 TDs
If you started Dalton against the Baltimore Ravens, it just goes to show that it’s better to be lucky than good. Even in fantasy football.
Running Backs
Todd Gurley vs ARZ
19 carries, 42 rushing yards, 3 TDs, 3 receptions, 31 receiving yards
Todd Gurley left this game with muscle cramps, but the damage was done.
Melvin Gordon @ BUF
9 carries, 28 rushing yards, TD, 6 receptions, 38 receiving yards, 2 TDs
9 carries. Yikes. 28 rushing yards. Oh no! 6 receptions. Ok, now we are talking. 2 TDs. Woohoo!
Matt Breida vs DET
11 carries, 138 rushing yards, TD, 3 receptions, 21 receiving yards
14 touches are nothing to write home about but it is encouraging that Breida is distancing himself from the uninspiring Alfred Morris.
Christian McCaffrey @ ATL
8 carries, 37 rushing yards, 14 receptions, 102 receiving yards
The boost McCaffrey gets in PPR formats is unreal. The Panthers are utilizing this electric weapon perfectly.
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs @ GB
9 receptions, 128 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 2 pt conv, 13 targets
Adam Thielen @ GB
12 receptions, 131 receiving yards, TD, 13 targets
When Thielen and Diggs try to outperform each other for 5 full quarters, everybody wins. Except for the Vikings and Packers, I suppose.
A.J. Green vs BAL
5 receptions, 69 receiving yards, 3 TDs, 9 targets
Personal tilt: In Week 1, I used a Dalton-Green stack in all of my DFS lineups. In Week 2, I didn’t. No, you’re crying.
Michael Thomas vs CLE
12 receptions, 89 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 13 targets, fumble
Michael Thomas looks uncoverable. He’s a top 5 option at the position until further notice.
Juju Smith-Schuster vs KC
13 receptions, 121 receiving yards, TD, 19 targets
I have never been so happy to be wrong about a player. How much fun is Juju Smith-Schuster to say and to watch on the field?
DeSean Jackson vs PHI
4 receptions, 129 receiving yards, TD, 4 targets
A concussion and shoulder injuries probably scared off many owners from starting D-Jax this week. Unfortunately, his future only gets cloudier. Will Fitzpatrick remain the starter? Will D-Jax be as efficient with Winston behind center? Time will tell.
Will Fuller @ TEN
8 receptions, 113 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
2 weeks worth of production in one game makes up for missing Week 1.
Keelan Cole vs NE
7 receptions, 116 receiving yards, TD, 8 targets
It’s obvious that this is why the Jaguars let Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns walk in the offseason. They don’t even miss Marqise Lee at this point. Cole is the real deal. Did you see that catch?!
DeAndre Hopkins @ TEN
6 receptions, 110 receiving yards, TD, 11 targets
Nuk!
Brandin Cooks vs ARZ
7 receptions, 159 receiving yards, 9 targets
Cooks and Goff are going to terrorize the West for years to come.
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce @ PIT
7 receptions, 109 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 10 targets
Is Kelce one of those TEs that used to play basketball? Because he sure rebounded nicely in Week 2.
Jesse James vs KC
5 receptions, 138 receiving yards, TD, 5 targets
With Le’Veon Bell and Vance McDonald out of the lineup, Roethlisberger’s 452 passing yards had to go somewhere. Quite a few of those yards landed here.
O.J. Howard vs PHI
3 receptions, 96 receiving yards, TD, 4 targets
The key takeaway from the Buccaneers passing game isn’t how good O.J. Howard looks, but rather that Cameron Brate has been a complete nonfactor with Fitzpatrick running the show.
Zach Ertz @ TB
11 receptions, 94 receiving yards, 13 targets
Ertz showing why he belongs in the discussion as a top-3 TE. Keep in mind that this isn’t even his final form. Wait until Carson Wentz returns.
Duds
Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford @ LAR
90 passing yards, INT
It’s Josh Rosen szn.
Alex Smith vs IND
292 passing yards, 14 rushing yards
With 12 fantasy points, it’s almost unfair to list Smith here alongside Bradford, but the bottom line is that fantasy owners were expecting more in a juicy matchup with the Colts.
Running Backs
David Johnson @ LAR
13 carries, 48 rushing yards, 1 reception, 3 receiving yards
I don’t think Johson is going to achieve his goal of 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. Just a hunch.
Dion Lewis vs HOU
14 carries, 42 rushing yards, 1 reception, 1 receiving yard
Derrick Henry vs HOU
18 carries, 56 rushing yards
The Titans need Marcus Mariota from 2016 back as soon as possible or we are going to see more dud performances from these two backs, especially against tough opponents like the Texans.
Isaiah Crowell vs MIA
12 carries, 35 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 4 receiving yards
When Crowell made the move to New York, many hoped he had escaped the Hue Jackson shenanigans where he would have a solid performance and then follow it up with 12 carries the next week. Nope. Same old Crow.
Wide Receivers
Odell Beckham Jr. @ DAL
4 receptions, 51 receiving yards, 9 targets
In his last 4 matchups with the Cowboys, Beckham has averaged 4 receptions for 61 receiving yards. I know that owners expected much more from Beckham in this matchup, but maybe they shouldn’t have.
Demaryius Thomas vs OAK
5 receptions, 18 receiving yards, 11 targets
11 targets? And he only managed 18 receiving yards? Thomas has lost a step and it shows. He also had an ugly drop that almost cost the Broncos the game.
Jamison Crowder vs IND
2 receptions, 29 receiving yards, 4 targets, 8 rushing yards
We are learning what we already knew about Alex Smith prior to 2017. He doesn’t throw to his WRs. You need to bench Crowder and crew until further notice. Not only do they have a low ceiling, but they also don’t even have a safe floor, as evidenced by this stinker.
Robby Anderson vs MIA
3 receptions, 27 receiving yards, 5 targets, fumble
Anderson is not startable. 4 receptions in 2 weeks are not going to get it done. I don’t care how fast he is.
Kenny Stills @ NYJ
2 receptions, 17 receiving yards, 3 targets
I feel bad for all of the owners that inevitably chased the points from Stills’ strong Week 1 performance. This situation is only going to get worse with the imminent return of DeVante Parker.
Randall Cobb vs MIN
4 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 6 targets
Cobb will have his games this season, but this was a tough matchup and his QB was hobbled. Move along.
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski @ JAX
2 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 4 targets
On the road at Jacksonville is the toughest test Gronk will face this season. He failed. But it’s not like you’re ever going to bench him, so there’s really nothing to see here.
George Kittle vs DET
2 receptions, 22 receiving yards, 4 targets
…and a TD! Oh, wait, nevermind. That was Garrett Celek.