I tried to re-watch every game from Week 2 prior to tonight’s game, bu I will have to watch the rest after tonight. For now, I wanted to review as much from week 2 as I can before we get ready to start Week 3 tonight. Will also drop a quick preview of the Titans @ Jags tonight.
Bucs @ Panthers
We all saw Cam struggle last Thursday night and miss open WR’s left and right. Knowing he was hurting and struggling with accuracy, Bucs DC Todd Bowles put the pressure on Cam all night while doing a great job containing CMC.
Looks like Kyle Allen may roll this week and it could help the prospects of Samuel and Moore, although along with Greg Olsen they put together some nice performances even with a restricted Cam. But maybe we some TD’s from Moore and/or Samuel this week. The verdict is still out on Allen, I have to review him closer before I have a full opinion on him. Follow me on Twitter @FantasySavvy for an update.
The Bucs ran Peyton Barber a bunch, as Ronald Jones and Double Dare were non factors. Who knows if that continues, but Peyton is the back to own in this backfield for now. Godwin looks like he’s living up to the ridiculous preseason hype he was receiving, but still a long way to go. Mike Evans will have some big games soon stay patient. I’d still rather own him over Godwin, although Godwin has played the part of top Buc thus far. Jameis is going to be up and down all year and Howard the Buc looks like he won’t live up to the hype, but that’s not to say he might not have some big games, he will most likely just remain inconsistent.
49ers @ Bengals
Jimmy G played much better in this one, but Kyle Shanahan’s play calling and the 49ers Run D and Defense certainly helped. I still am hesitant to say Jimmy G is safe bet, but last week was a big improvement from week 1. Raheem Mostert is the real deal, Brieda also ran very well. Shanahan really knows how to run the football and it’s fun to watch. Jeff Wilson ran for two TD’s, word is now he could be the Goal Line back, but Mostert could easily serve this role and both Brieda and Mostert are the more talented backs.
Dante Pettis played as many snaps as anyone besides Marquis Goodwin, but was not targeted once. He threw a nice pass though. He’s too talented for the 49ers not to get him involved soon, so I am staying patient with him. The presence of Deebo Samuel is certainly a problem for Pettis, as Samuel looks like the #1 WR on this team. The 49ers are using him very creatively and he’s a very nice weapon for them. He’s legit, grab him if he’s still available in your league somehow. Kittle’s time will come.
The Bengals are chucking it around and this is great news for Tyler Boyd and John Ross. Boyd continues his success from last season as Ross seems to finally be breaking out. I think Ross stays relevant the rest of the year in this new air it out offense. Mixon needs to get healthy and the TD’s will come.
Chargers @ Lions
Matt Stafford looks much better this year, Galladay is emerging as one of the best WR’s in the league and he still has Marvin Jones along with Amendola and Hockenson even though both of them had quiet games after a strong week 1. Kerryon had a fair game, made some nice cuts and moves and should produce at a higher rate going forward. The Lions O should be vastly improved from last seasons debacle.
Not sure why Rivers forced that throw to Allen in double coverage at the end of the game, especially since it was 3rd down, but I guess he felt good about it. It looked like he had Mike Williams in the middle of the field. Williams rebounded from his slow week 1 with some great catches, probably had the 2nd best catch of the week behind ODB’s one handed grab Monday night. Justin Jackson had a long TD run called back and he is running very well, but Austin Ekeler is running and playing even better. Hold Jackson, he should have some nice games, they will just be tough to predict. Keenan Allen is running routes like a wizard right now and could be in for a career season.
Vikings @ Packers
Didn’t get to review this game, but the Vikings are running a ton and Gary Kubiak has it going once again. Guy knows how to run and Dalvin Cook looks ridiculous right now. Alexander Mattison looks like he could take over and not miss a beat. He’s an excellent handcuff, although Mike Boone would probably be in the mix as well. But both are solid to own as Cook’s handcuff. Captain Kirk is his usual inconsistent self and they aren’t throwing as much so you’re going to have to level expectations for Diggs and Theilen. They are not likely to come near last year’s numbers. Kyle Rudolph is very slow, should give rookie Irv Smith some more burn.
Colts
Going to talk about the Titans in my preview for tonight’s game, so will just quickly review the Colts. This is another team that is going to be able to run and pass with success all season because of their excellent offensive line. Marlon Mack looks great, but is questionable this week and didn’t practice today. Jordan Wilkins broke a big run last week and he could have a nice game if Mack is out. Good pickup. Hines would prob maintain a small role.
T.Y. Hilton hasn’t missed a beat thus far with Brissett at the helm and Jacoby looks very solid. Deon Cain could emerge, Brissett took some shots to him, they just couldn’t connect. Eric Ebron stock also doesn’t look so bad anymore, and he should have a decent year.
Pats @ Phins
It’s one thing to use Kallen Ballage to run the ball over Kenyan Drake, but to use him in the pass game over Drake is just plain wrong. Ballage had multiple drops including ducking one ball and dropping another that led to a Jamie Collins pick 6. They are going to struggle to do anything run or pass because their offensive line looks terrible. Josh Rosen is in for it this week against Dallas, although I agree they should at least see what he can do at this point. Rosen came in at the end of the game and made a few nice throws, but looked terrible against pressure. The Pats blitzed him on the last play of the game and Rosens pass got tipped and picked. FitzMagic is done and gone forever, we probably will never ever see it again, it was a good run. The only WR I would roster on this team right now would be Preston Williams.
The Pats didn’t really play that great offensively in this game. Brady missed a few throws and was being pressured a bit. They ran it a bunch once again. I did notice that passes that would normally go to the backs, ended up going to Antonio Brown. Brady really was looking his way a lot and obviously for good reason. Michel ran OK, James White didn’t get much burn and actually scored when the Pats were up 36-0 with like 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Pats were still passing with Brady in. Rex Burkhead looked like their best runner and looked sharp running routes out of the backfield. Some good weeks are in store for him.
Bills @ Giants
Didn’t get to re watch this game, but watched a decent amount live. John Brown looks great, Josh Allen continues to impress and prove the doubters wrong. Devin Singletary could be in for a productive rookie season, but he’s hurt right now with a hammy issue and that could be a week or two, maybe more. Frank Gore is a good add right now, playing with Allen is going to help him.
Good move by the Giants going with Jones who looks like the real deal. Eli just can’t move anymore and he does hold back this offense a bit. He still can make a lot of good throws, but his lack of mobility kills them in big spots, Jones will provide that and could boost this entire offense. T.J. Jones is a deep sleeper.
Seattle @ Pittsburgh
Chris Carson fumbled twice in this game, but picked up a 1st down to end the game, so that’s a good sign. Rashad Penny did make the most of his opportunities however and had a nice game. It is possible we could see more of a timeshare. D.K. Metcalf basically runs streak routes every play, he is doing what David Moore did last year. His route running is still very raw. David Moore could return this week, so I wonder if Seattle will move D.K. around a bit more and try be a little more creative with him. Tyler Lockett and Russ are in full sync. Will Dissly out there? Guy has 4 TD’s now in 6 games with Seattle and could be a very nice redzone target for Russ all season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish with double digit TD’s.
I didn’t really get a great feel for Mason Rudolph, but he did make some good throws. Not sure why people still were buying into Donte Moncrief, guy is on his 4th team in like 6 years. He dropped another 19 passes this week. James Washington has taken the 2nd WR spot and him and Rudolph looked great together in the preseason. Vance continued to produce with Rudolph. Schuster should be fine, but overall the whole offense takes a downgrade with Ben out. Jaylen Samuels came in for an injured Connor and looked good once again, even rookie Benny Snell had a nice run. Connor practiced in full today and is expected back for Week 3.
Cowboys @ Skins
Dak looks really really sharp right now. OC Kellen Moore’s offense is doing him good. Gallup has matured and developed, and Jason Witten is helping this offense. Pollard came in on a series for Zeke and looked really good, he had a TD called back. He’s one of the best handcuffs in fantasy.
Case Keenum stinks, AP can still churn for yards, but he’s old and slow. This offense is a mess. Terry McClaurin is the one bright spot, kid looks like the real deal.
Cards @ Ravens
Another week another strong performance from Lamar Jackson. The Ravens look like a serious force in the AFC right now. Marquise Brown appears to be the #1 target along with Mark Andrews and both guys look like they will be fantasy studs this season. Ingram will remain solid and if he goes down, Gus and Justice would likely split reps. Both are worth owning if you are an Ingram owner. One guy to be patient with is Miles Boykin, a full on breakout may not happen this year, but I would scratch my head if he didn’t have some big games this year.
Kyler Murray looks great. The Cardinals are lining up like 97 WR’s every play and just chucking it all over the field. Christian Kirk is in for a solid year, Larry Fitz is back and will finish great and even Damiere Byrd who is supposedly their 5th WR looks good. He has 14 targets in two weeks! Keesean Johnson looks good as well. I wouldn’t mind owning either of those guys. I could see Charles Clay and Max Williams putting up some nice games this year too, not sure at this point who I would rather own, but one of them could emerge. David Johnson, I thought looked a bit slow footed and doesn’t seem as explosive as he was three years ago during that breakout campaign, but he could easily finish with 10 TD’s.
Texans
Will talk about the Jags in tonight’s preview.
Carlos Hyde had over 20 carries for 93 yards, as the Texans pounded him for much of the day. Hyde looks decent at this point and is worth rolling out there as a RB2/Flex every week. Duke J was quiet in this game, but Watson did miss him on a deep pass near the goal line. Duke J’s breakout campaign is going to be fizzled by Hyde’s presence.
Kenny Stills could become the 2nd best target in this passing offense behind Will Fuller, I think he has already passed Keke Coutee who I think is droppable. Still and Watson’s rapport should only improve. No need to discuss Hopkins, quiet week but went against a very sound secondary and defense.
KC @ Raiders
Big story this week was DeMarcus Robinson who had a huge game. Robinson has burners and also was going up and catching contested balls. The talent is there, but his production will be tough to predict. He is def worth rostering though, along with Hardman, but Tyreek does return soon, hurting both of their values. But maybe Mahomes will throw 65 TD’s this year and everybody will produce. Damien Will was playing banged up a bit last week, so slow game for him. He is probably out this week.
The Raiders took a step back offensively after a great debut in Week 1. Josh Jacobs had a “eh” game but did pop up on the injury report this week, so he could have been hurting. Tyrell looked good again and him and Darren Waller should be consistent every week, just don’t expect any big time production with Derek Carr at the helm.
Bears @ Broncos
David Montgomery got the majority of the carries and one glaring sign was him getting 5 GL carries in a row before finally punching it in for a TD. Looks like the Bears view him as a workhorse, which is great news for his owners. Allen Robinson is a very good WR, but Mitch will continue to hold him back with his inconsistent throwing. Trey Burton returned from injury, but it was more of the same from last year as he didn’t do much. No other WR really is worth starting at this point for the Bears. Tarik Cohen at this point is still a good flex play, but last week’s usage was concerning.
I always knew Emmanuel Sanders was a quality WR, but he looks like he is just getting better and better each year. He made some outstanding catches in this game, including the TD at the end of the game to put the Broncos in position to win. His route running and hands are impeccable and with a capable QB in Flacco he could be in for a really big year. I am going to try to acquire him where I can, I am really mad I don’t own him anywhere. Cortland Sutton is another guy who should have a nice season. Philip Lindsay still looks like the best back on Denver, although Royce Freeman finished the game strong with some quality runs and and also caught a few passes. I think Lindsay is the guy to own and is the better start. Rookie TE Noah Fant could be a decent contributor in this offense, as Flacco historically has favored his Tight Ends. The Broncos are a good football team.
Saints @ Rams
Teddy Bridgewater isn’t good. He just doesn’t have a great sense in the pocket and his arm isn’t impressive. The Saints should try to see what Taysom Hill can do, but I can understand if they roll out Teddy this week. Michael Thomas, Kamara, and the rest of the Saints offense is going to take a decent hit with Brees out. Thomas should still catch a decent amount of balls, but the yards and TD’s will probably be lacking. Latavius Murray needs to be on your bench as he loses his flex value with Brees out.
The Rams really missed Cooper Kupp last year and he showed again how important he is to this offense. Hopefully you have a few shares. Cooks, Woods should continue their normal production. Malcolm Brown had a quiet week 2, although he ran fairly well. Gurley looked good in the carries he got, but still Brown is taking burn from him and he hasn’t been in the workhorse role he was used to. Darrell Henderson is buried on the bench right now, but still a good stash, Brown is questionable this week with an ankle injury.
Eagles @ Falcons
This game was like watching an sloppy NBA regular season game early, but the ending was excellent. Carson Wentz is getting back to his old self, making some big plays and did the best he could with a depleted WR corps. Nelson Agholor was the biggest beneficiary, but I still don’t buy into him in the long term. Mack Hollins came in and played well, while JJ Arcega-Whiteside was silent. Whiteside could be the guy this week with Jackson and Alshon still out. Miles Sanders was contained all game and didn’t look as good as he did in Week 1. He still is the best back on this team, Howard and Sproles aren’t real factors.
Calvin Ridley continued his success from last year with a very nice game. It should only continue, he’s just too talented. Julio had two TD’s and that TD drought he had is long gone. Gotta be a bit worried about Devonta Freeman, but the production should come, I just don’t think he is all the way back yet.
Browns @ Jets
The Jets are a disaster no other way to put it. The Browns don’t look much better, they just played against a team with a 3rd string QB who was very banged up. Baker is missing a lot of throws, but he should settle down. They will have trouble with the Rams this Sunday night. ODB is unreal, Landry is a non factor. Chubb looked pretty good, but thought he would have fared better at this point.
Thursday Night
Titans @ Jags (Titans -1.5, O/U 38.5)
Gardner Minshew was contained pretty much all game last week vs the Titans, but came up big when they needed him to at the end of the game with a few nice scrambles and throws to get the Jags back in the game. Fournette was then stopped just at the GL as they went for the two point conversion and the W. I did think Fournette was in, but since they called him short, their wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it. D.J Chark’s hands are incredible, I don’t know what this kid did in the off-season, but he def worked his ass off and the beat writers were spot on with their talk of him looking great in camp. He looks like the Jags #1. Leonard Fournette doesn’t look very explosive, but the Jags did use him a bit in the pass game and they should continue to try get him in open space with a head full of steam.
Marcus Mariota will continue to hold this team back and hurt the prospects of Corey Davis and A.J. Brown. A.J Brown does need to work on his hands though as he dropped some big passes last week. Mariota is still decent however, just inconsistent. Derrick Henry should remain safe as this defense is solid and will keep them in games. The Titans are also using Henry more in the passing game and calling more toss plays to him in motion and in space. Delanie Walker is the only safe receiving option to use. Dion Lewis is droppable.
Roll Henry, Walker and that’s it. For the Jags, Fournette hoping he scores and D.J. Chark. Not big on Westbrook right now with Chark emerging as the #1, but not a terrible flex play. Both defenses are good starts.
Tough game to call, very even. Titans vs a very good Jags D, and Minshew vs a tough Titans D. I’ll roll with the Titans and say 20-17.
Fantasy Savvy 