Fantasy Football: Week 2 Sunday Superlatives
The second Sunday of the NFL season is behind us, and fantasy owners are now starting to see the 2019 landscape begin to take shape. We witnessed a day that was unfortunately highlighted by two star quarterbacks going down early with injuries, impacting several offensive stars on their respective teams. Many owners woke up on Monday lamenting how Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger doomed their fantasy week. Meanwhile, others are now openly expressing concern about how the fantasy value of Saints and Steelers skill players will be adversely affected going forward should either QB be forced to miss significant time.
Nevertheless, let's take a look back at the weekend that was.
Biggest Touchdown Vulture
Jeff Wilson, RB, 49ers
Wilson was activated from the practice squad this week mainly because San Francisco needed depth at the running position after losing starter Tevin Coleman to an ankle injury in Week 1. Many owners were pumped to start Matt Brieda as a low RB1/high RB2 for Week 2 against Cincinnati. Wilson comes along and not only vultures Brieda owners once, but how about twice! Brieda finished with a solid 14.2 points in PPR formats, but can you imagine his stat line with two touchdowns to his credit? Breida owners were not happy on Sunday.
Surprise of the Week
Demarcus Robinson, WR, Chiefs
The fourth-year wideout out of Florida had just 44 career receptions and four touchdowns in his previous three years in the league, heading into Sunday. With Tyreek Hill sidelined with a shoulder injury, Robinson became Patrick Mahomes’s favorite target against the Oakland secondary. Robinson caught all six of his targets for 172 yards and two touchdowns good for a whopping 35.2 points in PPR formats. Let's say Robinson will easily be the top waiver target heading into Week 3.
Kicker of the Week
Justin Tucker, K, Ravens
There’s a reason why Justin Tucker is drafted among the first two kickers in fantasy every year. Tucker connected on all three of his field-goal attempts and was a perfect 2-for-2 in extra points. In rewarding his owners with a league-high 13 fantasy points in Week 2, he outscored RBs Duke Johnson (3.1), Tarek Cohen (4.5), WRs Dede Westbrook (1.3), Donte Moncrief (0), Dante Pettis (0.8) and Alshon Jeffery (0) combined.
Biggest Bust
Duke Johnson, RB, Texans
Fantasy owners expected the pass-catching Johnson to have a big year for the Texans once Lamar Miller went down. In Week 1, Johnson put up a respectable 13 points in PPR formats, but owners saw their biggest fears come to fruition in Week 2. Johnson took a backseat to newly-acquired Carlos Hyde and failed to make a reception en route to a mere 5.6 points in PPR formats. Hyde seems to now have cemented early-down duties knocking Johnson down to RB3/flex discussion in Week 3 versus the Chargers.
Top Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
Mahomes earns top QB honors, narrowly edging out Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Dallas QB Dak Prescott. Mahomes, who was the top QB selected in every draft this summer, has started 2019 the way he ended his memorable 2018 MVP season. Mahomes passed for 443 yards and four touchdowns against the Raiders, en route to the most fantasy points by any quarterback in the SI Fantasy Football World Championships with 38.05. Fantasy owners are salivating about Week 3 when Mahomes faces off against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Get your popcorn ready.
Top Running Back
Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings
Cook continued his hot start to this season going for a league-best 154 yards and a touchdown (31.1 points in PPR) against the Packers in Week 2. Cook is a true RB1 in fantasy on a Vikings team determined to predicate their offense upon the run game in 2019. Through two games, Cook has amassed 311 yards from scrimmage with three touchdowns good for 59.1 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Owners will be happy to roll Cook out in Week 3 with a plus match-up at home against the Raiders.
Top Wide Receiver
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos
Through two weeks, Sanders is easily among the leaders in Comeback Player of the Year honors. At age 32, many thought the wideout would struggle to regain his top form after suffering a season-ending Achilles' injury last season. Sanders, who many had down in the rankings this week vs. the Bears, rewarded owners who stuck with him in their line-ups in Week 2. Sanders hauled in 11 of his 13 targets for 98 yards and a score, plus a two-point conversion good for 28.8 points in PPR. Sanders has 16 receptions for 284 yards and two touchdowns through two games and will be a WR3/flex in Week 3 going into Lambeau to face the Packers.
The New Sheriff In Town
Raheem Mostert, RB, 49ers
Mostert stepped into a significant role in the San Francisco backfield in Week 2 with Tevin Coleman out with an ankle injury. Mostert gained 83 yards on the ground to go along with three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown versus the Bengals. His 24.1 PPR fantasy points were a pleasant surprise for those who ventured to flex Mostert in Week 2. If he was not added off the waiver wire last week, he will be among the top waiver adds this week with a plus match-up against the Steelers.
Best D/ST Performance
You heard it here. The Patriots will be the top scoring defense in fantasy football in 2019. If you don't believe me, take a look at their upcoming schedule. Go ahead, and I'll wait. They will be double-digit favorites out here in Vegas in every game through the next five weeks. In Week 2 down in Miami, the Patriots rewarded owners with seven sacks and four interceptions, two of which they returned for scores. Oh yeah, they also helped owners get the ‘oh-so-sweet' shut-out bonus en route to 32 fantasy points in the SI Fantasy Football World Championships in Week 2. If the Patriots defense is still sitting on your waiver wire, then run and grab them now.
Burned By Injury
Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Brees (0.9 points) left the game against the Rams early in the contest after suffering an injury to his right throwing hand. The impact of Brees missing significant time will adversely affect Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and the rest of the Saints offense. Playing without Brees impacted Kamara the most dramatically in Week 2. The top-four player off the board in every fantasy draft this summer only finished with one catch for 15 yards and 7 PPR fantasy points in Week 2. The Saints go on the road to play in the hostile confines of CenturyLink Field in Seattle in Week 3, and owners with a major stake in any of the Saints’ stars will be holding their breath.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
Roethlisberger (3.75 points) was forced from the game against Seattle right before halftime after suffering an elbow injury. A Steelers offense that is devoid of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown this season could also be looking at time without its star quarterback as well. The 37-year-old Roethlisberger had been rumored to be considering retirement in the offseason and should this be a serious injury those rumors will heat up once again. Owners of Juju Smith-Schuster are hoping Big Ben does not miss any time and will be back calling the signals next week versus the 49ers.
Stop and Take Notice
Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens
The rookie out of Oklahoma appears to be the real deal in Baltimore. Brown has emerged as one of Lamar Jackson's top weapons. In Week 2, Brown was targeted a team-high 13 times, hauling in eight of them for 86 yards (16.6 PPR points). As a featured part of the Ravens offense, Brown has now risen to into WR2 rankings going forward. Congrats to all those who have this exciting rookie on their roster this season.
DJ Chark, WR, Jaguars
Chark was one of the biggest sleepers this summer, and he has rewarded owners who invested late-round draft capital. Chark was the leading wideout for the Jaguars in Week 2 grabbing seven of his nine targets for 55 yards and a touchdown (18.5 PPR points). Chark is a flex consideration in Week 3 for Thursday's divisional tilt with Tennessee.
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
I wrote here last week that Andrews could easily lead the Ravens in receptions in 2019. Well, Andrews’s play continues to back up that prediction. In his first two games, he has gone over the 100-yard receiving mark with eight receptions and a touchdown in each contest. Andrews has put up back-to-back 20-plus point efforts and looks destined for fantasy stardom working with the emerging Jackson. In Week 3, the Ravens face off with the Chiefs in the game the boys out here in the desert have as the highest total on the board (55). In the words of the great Bart Scott, "Can't wait."
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