Fantasy Football: Week 2
One week into the NFL season and we were able to capture the rollercoaster of emotions that the season has to offer.
Aaron Rodgers, a top 10 fantasy quarterback in 2020, finished as QB34 in standard leagues only in front of the Washington Football Team’s Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was injured in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. A quarterback who only threw 11 passes in 2020, that being Jameis Winston, finished as QB3 on the day. A Tennessee Titans offense that had scored 30 or more points in six of its final seven games in 2020 mustered up 13 points against the weak secondary of the Arizona Cardinals.
Now that the first week is finished, it is time to react to the action.
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Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings vs. Arizona Cardinals
If you are looking to stream a QB, Cousins had a good week against the Bengals throwing for 351 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Cousins was robbed of a third touchdown after Justin Jefferson’s 34-yard reception was called a yard short of a goal line, which running back Dalvin Cook vultured punching it in the one-yard score. The Vikings underrated offense with the Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen wide receiver duo should make Cousins a good start as long as the offensive line holds up.
Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team vs. New York Giants
Gibson’s performance last week did not wow; however he took the vast majority of rushing attempts and all receptions out of the Washington backfield.
In a tough game script, Gibson still showed he could handle the workload and the Giants showed a generous game script giving up 165 yards to the Broncos’ backfield. Former second-string quarterback turned starter Taylor Heinicke did not get first team reps in the weeks leading up to the start of the season, but has proved he can manage a game to sustain the fantasy value for those around him.
Devonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers
Smith is the No.1 option in Philadelphia as its quarterback Jalen Hurts’ stock is on the rise as well. Many analysts rank Smith outside the top 30, but Smith will crack inside the top 30 with his target share against a tough 49ers defense that has not shown their full capabilities.
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Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ridley has proven to be a top-tier wide receiver in today’s game and Atlanta’s WR1, but his ranking is just too high for this matchup. Quarterback Matt Ryan produced a mere 164 passing yards against the Eagles and Ridley’s only glimmer of hope was the eight targets. The Bucs’ strong defensive line will disrupt the tempo of the Atlanta offense, as Ridley still may lead the team in receptions, but don’t expect top three numbers this week.
Mark Ingram, RB, Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns
The thing that sticks out about Ingram’s Week 1 performance is the 26 carries he received and overall satisfactory fantasy production for his matchup against the Jaguars. He only totaled 86 yards in those many attempts averaging 3.3 yards per attempt against a poor defense.
This game looks like a negative game script for the Texans and will have to keep up with Cleveland’s tough defense through the air. Waiver candidates like Elijah Mitchell and Ty’Son Williams are better options.
Matthew Gelhard is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at mgg5264@psu.edu.
