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Lineup Prep: Week 2

Wed Sep 14 9:05am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Cousins setup for big Week 2

Well, that was an interesting first week of action. Just remember, please don’t overreact to a week of play. It was good to see coaches unveil their game plans and player usage, though, which is something that you should pay close attention. That is what gives you a good indication of what some fantasy players are capable. You need to see how players are used and how much they play. This isn’t known until real games are being played. Put that information to good use when setting your lineups going forward.

Now for my random thoughts of the week. . . . .

It was good to see it isn’t just the fantasy community that sees Javonte Williams should be a much bigger part of the Broncos offense. The Manningcast was all over the lack of usage of Williams. It just doesn’t make sense. If so many people see it, why doesn’t the Broncos brass? I do think Melvin Gordon is still a decent back, but Williams is on just a different level right now. This guy is special and should be getting 75 percent of the playing time at running back. He can be a difference maker in the offense. I really thought it was going to be different this year, but not so sure after Week 1. And even with that said, Williams was still ninth in running back scoring. Imagine what he can do with just a few more touches. Please let it happen!

I feel the same way about Josh Jacobs as I do Williams. The only reason Jacobs was on the field more in the second half was because Brandon Bolden got hurt. Bolden was dominating the work at one point until he got hurt. Bolden is a good special teams player and can help occasionally offensively. But he should not be on the field getting a ton of work when a player as talented as Jacobs is on the roster. He really should be getting most of the work at running back for the Raiders and could produce very well in that role. Again, not sure that is going to happen as long as Josh McDaniels keeps playing favorites with players from his past.

It was just a game but Saquon Barkley sure looked like the Saquon of old. He was explosive and made big play after big play. I would expect Brian Daboll to continue to optimize Barkley’s talents throughout the season. Barkley is first overall in fantasy running back scoring after a game and could keep that title all season long.

I am concerned about the Packers offense. I know something similar happened last year in Week 1 and they were just fine, but not having Davante Adams in the offense is a monster hole to fill. The options in the passing game for Green Bay right now are not very impressive. The rookies are a work in progress and the veterans seems about done. Maybe Aaron Rodgers will prove me wrong, but I just don’t see this offense and Rodgers producing near his numbers of past seasons.

Most of the experts picked Buffalo as the heavy Super Bowl favorite and they didn’t disappoint in the opener. This team was so impressive against the Rams on the road. Josh Allen looked unbelievable, making plays all over the field. This guy seems to get better every season. He seems to have elevated his game once again. And the running game even looked better with Devin Singletary and Zack Moss running hard. If those guys can improve as well, watch out. This offense is going to be near impossible to stop.

I was really high on the Eagles before the season and feel pretty good about that take after a week. Jalen Hurts really had that offense clicking. The running game was dominant and A.J. Brown already has a great rapport with Hurts. It also was great to see Miles Sanders running well, rushing 13 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. Sanders never seems to be in good graces with the coaching staff, but his fast start might change that. The Eagles offense has a chance to be one of the best in football all season long.

I’m heavily invested in D’Andre Swift, so there was a lot of cussing at my household over the weekend. Swift looked tremendous and carried the offense down the field often, only to see Jamaal Williams score to goal-line touchdowns. C’mon! Swift has a super high ceiling, but if he keeps losing out on goal-line chances to Williams, that is going to hurt his chances to reach his potential. Let’s hope last week isn’t a sign of things to come.

News and Notes: The Colts have waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on Tuesday. He missed a game-winning field goal in the team's season-opening tie with the Texans. The Colts signed kickers Chase McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik to their practice squad on Tuesday. . . . .The 49ers signed running back Marlon Mack to their practice squad on Tuesday. He gives the team some depth at the position after the injury to Elijah Mitchell. Mack could be elevated to the active roster once he learns the offense.

HOT PLAYS

Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings. Cousins looked great in his debut in the Vikings new offense, an offense that is a lot more creative than the past few seasons. Cousins was 23-of-32 for 277 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He topped 20 fantasy points in the game. Expect more success this week against the Eagles. Philadelphia put up a ton of points and yards last week, but also allowed the Lions to do the same. The Eagles allowed 386 total yards of offense. Cousins is a top-10 fantasy quarterback in this matchup.

Michael Pittman, WR, Colts. Pittman seems to already have a great rapport with new quarterback Matt Ryan. He had nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets in Week 1. Pittman is going to get a ton of weekly work in this offense. He has a chance to be a top-five fantasy receiver in this offense. Look for another really big game in Week 2, playing the Jaguars. Jacksonville has issues stopping the pass and allowed the second most fantasy points to receivers in Week 1.

Nick Chubb, RB, Browns. Chubb didn’t find the end zone but still had a great showing in Week 1. He ran 22 times for 141 yards and caught pass for two yards. Chubb posted his usual big rushing numbers and should be able to do that again this week against the Jets. Sure, the Jets did a good job of limited the Commanders rushing attack last week, but the Browns rushing game is much, much better. Chubb should be able to find plenty of rushing lanes against this defense.

Allen Robinson, WR, Rams. Robinson had a terrible opener, catching just a pass for 12 yards on two targets. The good news is he was on the field for 97 percent of the snaps. It wasn’t like he wasn’t out there. He just didn’t get the looks. Expect that to change after last week. The Rams will make an effort to get him a lot more involved. Plus, the Rams have a good matchup against the Falcons, a team that allowed the third most fantasy points to receivers in Week 1.

Javonte Williams, RB, Broncos. Williams ran just seven times but still was eighth overall in fantasy running back scoring Week 1. He was heavily involved in the passing game, catching 11 passes for 65 yards on 12 targets. He also ran seven times for 43 yards, making plays on the ground as well. Melvin Gordon was still involved, but Williams was the better back and deserves more touches. Look for that to happen in Week 2 against the Texans. Houston allowed the third most fantasy points to running backs last week.

COLD PLAYS

Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans. Pierce had an opener to forget. He played 29 percent of the snaps compared to 71 percent for Rex Burkhead. Pierce had 11 carries for just 33 yards and caught a pass for six yards. We still think Pierce can get it going, but he needs to be on the field more for that to happen. Until he starts getting more playing time, Pierce is a risky play for fantasy teams, especially this week against the Broncos. Denver allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs last week and this was against a very good back, Rashaad Penny.

Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants. Shepard was on the field a lot Week 1, playing the second most snaps at receiver for the Giants (72 percent). He also caught two passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. He was on the field a lot but got just four targets. We wouldn’t get too excited about him just yet. Shepard is still just a spot play and Week 2 is not a spot to play him. He gets the Panthers, a team that allowed the second fewest fantasy points to receivers last week.

Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints. Kamara was a bust in Week 1, getting just 12 touches. He didn’t even top 50 total yards. Kamara is apparently battling a rib injury, which is likely the reason for his lack of touches. It is a little troubling, though, to see his reception totals low once again. Kamara just doesn’t get the looks in the passing game with Jameis Winston as his starting quarterback. This limits the ceiling of Kamara. It is tough to sit Kamara but if you have good options on your bench, you might want to think about doing that this week. He is battling an injury and gets a tough matchup against a great Bucs defense. Tampa allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points to running backs last week and just 71-rushing yards.

Treylon Burks, WR, Titans. Burks had a decent first NFL game, catching three passes for 55 yards on five targets. He made some plays with his chances. The one concern was his playing time, though. He was fourth in terms of playing time at receiver for the Titans, playing 37 percent of the snaps. He could be boom or bust with that amount of playing time. And he plays this week against the Bills, one of the best defenses in all of football. The Titans offense could really have struggles moving the ball in this offense. It is probably best to steer clear of Burks in Week 2.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars. Lawrence had some accuracy issues again last week, going 24-of-42. He did throw for 275 yards but had just a score and failed to top 20 fantasy points. He remains a hard player for fantasy players to trust. He needs to start showing more on a consistent basis. Look for more of the same against a good Colts defense this week. Lawrence had some struggles against the Colts last season. He had two touchdowns in two games and failed to throw for 200 yards in one of those games.

SLEEPERS

Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders. Jacobs didn’t get a ton of work last week but looked good with his touches. He had 10 carries for 57 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He also caught a pass for 16 yards, giving him 73 total yards on just 11 touches. It just makes sense to get him more involved in the offense. And we think that will happen this week against the Cardinals, a team that couldn’t stop the Chiefs rushing attack last week. Arizona allowed the second most fantasy points to running backs in Week 1.

Evan Engram, TE, Jaguars. Engram had a decent first week, catching four passes for 28 yards on four targets. He got some work but not a huge workload. That might change this week against the Colts, a team that struggled to stop the Texans tight ends in Week 1. And the Texans tight ends don’t have the talent of Engram. He can build on last week and find the end zone in this matchup.

Carson Wentz, QB, Commanders. It is always tough to trust Wentz, but he always has that potential for the big game. He showed that in the opener, throwing for 313 yards and four touchdown passes in the Commanders comeback victory. He moved the offense and had a good rapport with the talented receivers on the team. Wentz is going to be worth some spot starts this season. And you might want to consider using him against the Lions this week. Detroit had all sorts of issues defensively last week and allowed the fifth most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Corey Davis, WR, Jets. Davis got overlooked this offseason, but he remains the starter for the Jets. He played the second most snaps for the team last week (68 percent) and caught six passes for 77 yards on nine targets. He got plenty of looks from Joe Flacco, who is expected to get the start again this week. Davis could be a sneaky play, having a good floor with his current role in this offense.

Devin Singletary, RB, Bills. The Bills continue to rotate backs but Singletary is the guy on the field most often. He played 59 percent of the snaps in Week 1. He had 10 touches for 62 total yards in the game. He looked good with his chances. We would expect him to get a bigger workload this week against the Titans. Tennessee allowed a league high 394-rushing yards in the opener. Singletary could really have a big showing in this one.

High/Low Scoring Games

Each week we will take a look at some of the high and low scoring games for the coming week. In high scoring affairs, get your marginal players on those teams in your lineup to take advantage of the possible points barrage. And in the low scoring games, keep those marginal players on the bench and make sure to have your defenses involved in those contests.

High Scoring Games: Chargers/Chiefs, Commanders/Lions, Cardinals/Raiders, Vikings/Eagles.

Low Scoring Games: Jets/Browns, Patriots/Steelers.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Lineup Prep: Week 2

The Paur Report