What You Need to Know From Week 2

Photo: Junfu Han, USA Today Sports

MIN-PHI

• The Eagles pass defense is banged up and vulnerable. Baker Mayfield will try to stay hot against them this week.
• The Vikings can't run the ball. Kirk Cousins is shouldering most of the offense and is the #1 fantasy quarterback through two weeks. He won't keep up that pace, but Cousins is one of the biggest early value picks, and this passing game has the potential to feed 3-4 mouths a week while still fueling Justin Jefferson to a season that makes you feel good that you took him #1.
• Alexander Mattison is a plodder and on the fringe of lineups now, but Ty Chandler hasn't shown much behind him. The team could still give Chandler a longer look eventually just to shake things up, but chances are there is nothing consistent for us here.
• T.J. Hockenson had two scores as the Eagles defense might be one we want to target with tight end plays. Cade Otton gets them this week if you need a spot start.
• Jordan Addison had his second straight game with a long score. K.J. Osborn scored two and is rosterable as long as bench size allows as the #2 receiver on this team in snaps, but if Addison can flip that, he could become an every-week start.
• Jalen Hurts still doesn't look as good of a passer as he did last year, and A.J. Brown is getting frustrated. But Hurts scored twice in a reminder of why we felt good taking him early in drafts. Brown is a buy-low, but no one is likely to back off of him after two so-so weeks.
• The Vikings run defense was gashed (what happened last week, Buccaneers?), and we should expect a bounceback week from Joshua Kelley if Austin Ekeler has to sit again. D'Andre Swift was the beneficiary of the massive holes, and he's at least a what-the-heck flex going forward, including against the tough Buccaneers run defense this week - even if Kenneth Gainwell is back. We'll see if Swift thriving on a career-high workload changes the Eagles' approach to backfield management.

BAL-CIN

• Justice Hill got more snaps and touches than Gus Edwards, but Edwards was the better and converted his goal-line carry. Melvin Gordon hasn't made this into a three-headed RBBC yet. Edwards and Hill are flex plays against the Colts with an edge to Edwards.
• Odell Beckham left with an ankle injury. He could return in Week 3, but Nelson Agholor was very good with Lamar Jackson, including a score, and he should remain a larger part of the game plan going forward. File Agholor away as a waiver add if his opportunity grows.
• Rashod Bateman isn't looking like a big part of this passing game right now. He's not an essential hold.
• Zay Flowers caught a beautiful deep ball from Jackson, and the team gave him two chances to score right after. Otherwise, he was quiet. Mark Andrews' return cut down on the number of plays designed to get the ball in Flowers' hands.
• Jackson stuck to short passing again this week but looked crisper against a solid Bengals defense. He could go off against the Colts defense that just gave up almost 400 passing yards to C.J. Stroud.
• Joe Burrow aggravated his calf injury and can't drive the ball down the field. Either Burrow sits for a bit to heal, or this could be a long season for the Bengals offense.
• Joe Mixon is running well, but Burrow's struggles have killed his chances of hitting big this year.
• Ja'Marr Chase has been ordinary in the Bengals' limited passing attack and is looking like he'll come in way under expectations this year. He's not an automatic start if Burrow can't go Monday night.
• Tee Higgins got two scores because he can box out in the short passing game, but Burrow's issues are still bad for him on the whole. He's a sell-high in redraft.
• The Irv Smith experiment in Cincinnati is not going the way either party would have hoped.

SEA-DET

• Geno Smith found himself in this game, but we also have to consider that the Lions pass defense is still one to pick on at lineup-setting time. Smith is still a marginal QB1 start against a Panthers pass defense that hasn't been that generous so far.
• Kenneth Walker Jr. was bottled up by the Lions run defense but scored twice as the clear lead back to come through for fantasy teams. He is looking like a strong value pick as long as he can avoid injuries.
• Tyler Lockett was quiet in Week 1. But he's still the receiver Smith trusts the most, and he caught the walk-off touchdown in overtime. Lockett is a better weekly start than DK Metcalf, who got banged up in this one. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still just a bench stash, but this game had to make you feel better about rostering him.
• The Seahawks tight ends combined for 9-132 on only 10 targets! The three-headed group makes it difficult to trust any of them going forward, but we should target the Lions defense with tight end plays and pray Kyle Pitts does something against them this week.
• Jared Goff had a costly pick-six, but is still executing very well in Ben Johnson's terrific offense. He's a low QB1 going forward with a winnable matchup against the Falcons up this week.
• David Montgomery went down with a thigh bruise that might cost him a game or two. Craig Reynolds replaced him in the early down offense, but Jahmyr Gibbs should see a big enough uptick in touches if Montgomery sits to make him a must-start against Atlanta. Keep an eye on practice squad back Zonovan Knight who was called up this week. He could overtake Reynolds.
• Josh Reynolds has surpassed Marvin Jones after Jones was a liability in Week 1. He had a huge game and should be in lineups as a WR3/Flex going forward, leveraging years of experience with Goff that go back to their time together with the Rams. Jameson Williams is no sure thing to take away a big part of Reynolds' role when he returns from a suspension in Week 7.
• Sam LaPorta had his first big gain of the year and remains a solid TE1 going into his third game as a pro.

IND-HOU

• Anthony Richardson scored twice on the ground in the first six minutes of the game but had to leave with a concussion. He is looking like a fantasy hit if he can actually finish a game, and the Texans defense is one to target at lineup-setting time with the Jaguars up next.
• Gardner Minshew was outstanding in piloting Shane Steichen's scheme, as when the two were together in Philadelphia. The Colts offense is in good hands if Richardson is still in concussion protocol when the game kicks off vs. Baltimore this week.
• Michael Pittman Jr is an every-week start, but it doesn't look like this passing game is going to give us a second consistent option in fantasy.
• Zack Moss handled every running back touch and had the best game of his career. He should be in lineups for the next two weeks as we await Jonathan Taylor's return from the PUP list. Moss could come back to earth this week, as we know we should start running backs against the Texans after the Ravens backs scored three times in Week 1.
• C.J. Stroud wasn't shy about throwing the ball down big basically from the outset, even though four of his offensive line starters are out. He could be a garbage time king with a bad Texans defense fueling blowout losses.
• Stroud's aggressive passing has made Nico Collins an every-week start and Tank Dell a priority pickup this week. Stroud and Dell have a strong rookie bond, and Dell could level off as an every-week WR3/Flex. Robert Woods is even viable bench depth if Stroud keeps passing this much.
• It just isn't happening for Dameon Pierce, at least not until this line and the team start playing better. He at least got a lot more work than Devin Singletary this week, but the Jaguars are not an easy draw this week. It's reasonable to sit Pierce and hope he goes off on your bench.

CHI-TB

• Justin Fields still looks uncomfortable as a passer, and the Bears have abandoned running him by design for some reason. He's not an automatic start against the Chiefs this week.
• D'Onta Foreman was inactive, but a two-headed backfield still didn't produce a viable play against a stout Bucs run defense. Roschon Johnson is looking like the better hold right now, but both he and Khalil Herbert are just bench depth.
• D.J. Moore caught two passes for 65 yards on the opening drive and then mostly fizzled like the rest of the offense. He's not an automatic start against the Chiefs, either.
• Tampa Bay's defense is not in rebuilding mode. They will be a good test for Jalen Hurts this week.
• Baker Mayfield and this Bucs offense are fitting together well, and he is actually a viable QB2/Superflex. Maybe even a spot start over a gimpy Joe Burrow or slumping Deshaun Watson. More importantly, he's making Mike Evans one of the best picks in fantasy drafts so far with their surprising downfield chemistry.
• Rachaad White had a strong game, including a touchdown on third-and-goal from the five. He's a viable RB2 with Mayfield playing well.
• Cade Otton is firmly in the passing game plan and worth a look as a spot start against the Eagles defense that has already given up three tight end scores this year.