NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirms that there's "cautious optimism" that Giants RB Saquon Barkley avoided a major ankle injury. Barkley is scheduled for additional testing on Monday, so we should have a better idea of his status by the end of the day. Fantasy owners shouldn't count on him playing vs. the 49ers on Thursday night, but it's possible that he doesn't miss much time beyond that.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle exited late in Sunday night's game vs. the Patriots to get checked for a concussion. HC Mike McDaniel didn't have an update afterward. But Waddle was interacting with teammates in the post-game locker room, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. We'll look for more information on Waddle's status and track his practice participation this week.
Returning from a hamstring injury, Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy caught 3 balls for 25 yards in Week 2. His 85.7% route rate was fine, but it produced only 5 targets (a 15.6% team share). Courtland Sutton led the team in targets (7) and catches (5). Escaping this one without a setback, Jeudy should creep closer to 100% for Sunday’s showdown in Miami.
Patriots WR DeVante Parker led the team in receiving with 57 yards in Sunday night’s loss vs. the Dolphins. The veteran recorded 6 catches on 8 targets in his season debut after missing Week 1 with a knee injury. Teammate Kendrick Bourne saw a team-high 9 targets and logged 4 catches for 29 yards. TE Hunter Henry is perhaps the most fantasy-relevant story from the game. He turned 7 targets into 6 catches for 52 yards and a TD en route to logging the most PPR points (17.2) of any TE in the Sunday slate. If Henry is still hanging around on the waiver wire, go ahead and scoop him up ahead of Week 3 vs. the Jets.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson bounced back in Week 2, recording 15 carries for 50 yards and a TD on the ground vs. the Dolphins. He also added 3 catches on as many targets for 10 yards as a receiver. Fantasy managers are assuredly glad to see this resurgent performance. Still, teammate Ezekiel Elliott is on the field and used an annoying amount of the time. The veteran logged 5 attempts for 13 yards and accounted for 33.3% of the backfield carries. We still like Stevenson in a tough matchup vs. the Jets in Week 3 regardless.
Patriots QB Mac Jones completed 31 of 42 passes for 231 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Sunday night’s divisional loss vs. the Dolphins. He also added 25 rushing yards on 3 carries in Week 2. Though this performance didn’t do much for fantasy managers, it’s been a revelation to see how much New England is throwing the ball through two weeks of the OC Bill O’Brien era. It’s wise to keep expectations low for Jones looking forward to the Patriots’ next couple of games (Week 3 @ Jets, Week 4 @ Cowboys).
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was held to 5 catches on 9 targets for 40 receiving yards in Sunday night’s win over the Patriots. Teammate Jaylen Waddle led the team in receiving with 86 yards on 4 catches in the divisional bout. It’s a familiar anecdote that Patriots HC Bill Belichick is good at tailoring a game plan around attempting to shut down an opponent’s most effective playmaker, so fantasy managers should have no reason to go away from Hill looking forward. Both he and Waddle are prime plays in Week 3 vs. the Broncos. This Miami offense has started the year firing on all cylinders.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert racked up 121 rushing yards, including a 43-yard TD, on 18 carries in Week 2 vs. the Patriots. The ageless wonder also added 6 receiving yards on his lone target in the victory. Teammate Salvon Ahmed contributed 6 touches of his own before a groin injury took him out of the contest, though this backfield was more or less the Mostert Show for the second game in a row. It’s worth mentioning that rookie De’Von Achane made his debut on Sunday night, though he only received a couple of touches. Mostert will look to continue his success in Week 3 vs. the Broncos.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson hogged backfield work in Sunday's win over Denver. The second-year man compiled 87 yards and 2 TDs on 18 attempts (4.8 YPC). Robinson added 2-42 receiving, while backup Antonio Gibson mixed in for only 5 total touches. Robinson believes this is just the beginning of a breakout season. “I know I got a lot more in the tank that I can show,” he said after the win. “I’m taking those strides week in and week out. Eventually, it’ll be all out on display.” Robinson will face a pair of tough matchups (Bills and Eagles) over the next two weeks. He remains an RB2.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Sunday night’s win vs. the Patriots. His Week 2 stats aren’t as eye-popping as last week’s 466-yard aerial assault, though Miami had significant contributions from RB Raheem Mostert on the ground in this divisional contest. Fantasy managers can confidently start Tagovailoa again next week vs. the Broncos.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams earned 15 of 21 team RB opportunities in Sunday’s loss to Washington. Nice usage in general, although he lost out on a goal line TD to reserve RB Jaleel McLaughlin. Williams watched Samaje Perine take passing down snaps, too (23 routes run vs. 12). Denver draws a tough Dolphins D in Week 3. They just limited New England RBs to 63 yards on 20 attempts.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne handled 15 of 17 team RB opportunities in a Week 2 loss to Kansas City. Rookie Tank Bigbsy didn't see a carry or a target, as D'Ernest Johnson filled in as the RB2. Etienne tallied just 42 total yards, but the usage signals future RB1 lines. Next up is a home date with a Houston squad that allowed Zack Moss to post 18-88-1 rushing.
The Jags mustered only 9 points in Sunday's loss to Kansas City. That meant a big-time dud from QB Trevor Lawrence, who tallied just 216 passing yards on a 53.6% completion rate. He managed only 5.3 yards per attempt. “We’re better than that. We’re a better team than that … it’s kind of embarrassing,” Lawrence said afterward. Calvin Ridley (2 catches) and Zay Jones (0 catches) played through minor knee injuries in this one, but we’re not expecting any missed time. Expect a Lawrence bounce back in Week 3 vs. Houston.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb went off for 11 catches and 143 yards against the Jets. The 11 catches tied a career high. Top CB Sauce Gardner didn’t shadow him, and Dallas was wise to switch up Lamb’s alignment. We’ll see if Brandin Cooks (knee) misses another week, but regardless, Lamb will retain a top-5 ceiling for the road ahead. Next up is a matchup with Arizona.
Jets RB Breece Hall totaled only 9 yards on 6 touches against Dallas. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind in the postgame presser. “I mean, I only got four touches. That’s why we struggled," Hall said. "It is what it is. We just got down early today and just abandoned the run. That type of stuff happens. You feel like you have to get back in the game and it just slips away.” Dalvin Cook, meanwhile, handled only 5 touches for 11 yards. Look for Hall to creep closer to 12+ touches next Sunday against New England.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson delivered 2 catches, 83 yards, and 1 TD in Week 2. Wilson did most of his damage on a 68-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. He added a 29.6% target share – tops on the team. Wilson gets another tough draw this week vs. New England, but on talent alone, he's tough to keep out of fantasy lineups.
Jets LB Quincy Williams left Sunday's loss to the Cowboys with a knee injury. HC Robert Saleh after the game would only say that Williams is being evaluated. We'll see about his status for Week 3 against the Patriots.
Jaguars Edge Josh Allen left Sunday's game with a shoulder injury. We'll see about his status heading into a Week 3 home date with the Texans.
On Sunday night, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted that Giants RB Saquon Barkley is believed to have suffered a sprained ankle vs. the Cardinals. Schultz adds that the injury “could have been much worse,” and Barkley seems to have dodged significant damage. This news is excellent for fantasy managers who feared a prolonged absence for the workhorse back. Still, Week 3's contest vs. the 49ers is set to kick off on Thursday night. It'll be tough for Barkley to work his way back on a short week to play, but he may be available again sooner rather than later. We'll keep fantasy managers in the loop as more information becomes available.
Giants TE Darren Waller logged 6 catches on a team-leading 8 targets for 76 yards in Week 2’s win vs. the Cardinals. Veteran wideouts Darius Slayton and Parris Campbell received 6 targets in this contest, marking the second week in a row where the pair saw more involvement than their positional counterparts. The concentration of targets in New York is becoming more apparent as fantasy managers look ahead to Thursday night’s Week 3 game vs. the 49ers. Starting a Giants pass-catcher besides Waller in lineups would be bold outside of deeper leagues, though both Slayton and Campbell warrant further monitoring.
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