NFL coverage is built around weekly overreactions; that's the nature of a league where 6 percent of the schedule goes down at once. Week 1 of the NFL season set up dozens of storylines to start the season, and Week 2 dutifully knocked those storylines down.
Fantasy football is no different, and looking back at our Week 1 takeaways piece, Scott White and I may have overreacted on Keenan Allen and Percy Harvin's bounceback campaigns, among other things. On the other hand, it's possible the production those two showed in Week 1 was more indicative of their true value, and a down Week 2 was just that; one bad week.
At this point in the season, it's nearly impossible to say what we know for sure about the 2015 NFL season, and Week 2 really drove that point home. Preseason expectations should still matter, which is why I'm not giving up on the Eagles running game, Lamar Miller or Marshawn Lynch. However, that doesn't mean we have to or should ignore what we've seen so far. He's what we saw in Week 2:
1. Get excited about the young quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota looked like the big winner after Week 1's dismantling of the Buccaneers, and he was still fine in Week 2 against the Browns. He was asked to do a lot more this week and acquitted himself well enough, passing for two touchdowns and 257 yards, finishing with 23 Fantasy points in the loss. He might never catch lightning in a bottle like he did in Week 1 again, but Mariota gave more reason for optimism.
But the real standout was Jameis Winston, who frankly embarrassed himself in that loss to the Titans in Week 1. He went into New Orleans and handled the Saints rather easily, completing 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, and he added one more on the ground. Winston made some tremendous throws Sunday, looking more like the 2013 Heisman winner than the erratic, error-prone passer we saw last season at FSU. Winston was always going to be an up-and-down player; his college career told us that. However, Sunday was a good reminder that he can be Dr. Jekyll than Mr. Hyde.
You don't want to rely on either player as your No. 1 quarterback, but they both look like they can be helpful against the right matchup. That's a very good sign.
2. Tight end still looks good
Last week, 13 tight ends recorded double digits in Fantasy points in standard scoring, leading to speculation that this might be the Year of the Tight End. After Week 2, things don't look nearly as rosy, with only six reaching the 10-point mark heading into MNF. However, a lot of the breakout tight ends from last week still put together solid performances, which still has me feeling good about the position. I'll still take any of these players as my TE1 if I missed out on Gronkowski, Kelce or Olsen:
Tyler Eifert: 22 Week 1 Fantasy points; 10 in Week 2
Jordan Reed: 11 Week 1 Fantasy points; 8 in Week 2
Eric Ebron: 11 Week 1 Fantasy points; 10 in Week 2
Heath Miller: 8 Week 1 Fantasy points; 7 in Week 2
Now, if we can just get Jimmy Graham going, there might be enough useful options for everyone.
3. Jeremy Hill, C.J. Anderson and DeMarco Murray owners should be concerned
Coming into the season, all three had at least some concerns surrounding them, though not enough to keep them out of the first round of most Fantasy drafts in most cases. Murray and Anderson had offensive line concerns, and Hill just didn't have a huge track record of success after a very good rookie season. Both Anderson and Murray's offensive lines have been abject disasters so far, and the Eagles in particular look kind of hopeless. You shouldn't be giving up on either, but it's not too early to downgrade expectations a bit for both.
Hill doesn't have anybody to blame for his issues, as he has fumbled twice on just 30 touches; he fumbled five times on 254 last year. It's just two games, but with a more than serviceable Giovani Bernard working in the same backfield, it might not take much to cost Hill some playing time. Bernard has badly outshined Hill so far, and has seven more touches through two games as well.
4. Vikings passing game isn't ready for primetime
As solid as Teddy Bridgewater was last season, you still shouldn't have drafted him as your projected starting quarterback this season. His potential is clear, but drafting him late should have always meant pairing him with a Matthew Stafford or Sam Bradford type you could play matchups with. The issue for Bridgewater right now was on full display in Week 2, as the Vikings asked him to throw just 18 times, instead leaning heavily on Adrian Peterson to carry the load. With breakout candidate Charles Johnson nearly invisible and Mike Wallace targeted just 10 times in two games, you probably don't want to start anyone in this passing game right now.
5. Sell-high on Larry Fitzgerald
With Carson Palmer healthy, the Cardinals are a well-oiled passing offense, and one Fantasy players should be very excited to have a piece of. Fitzgerald in particular looks rejuvenated by Palmer's presence under center, just like he did last season when he had 38 receptions for 483 yards in six games Palmer started. Still, if I get the chance, I'm looking to trade Fitzgerald, who is five years removed from his last 1,000-yard season. Fitzgerald should fare much better this season than last, but between his age and Palmer's always-shaky health, his value probably won't ever be higher than it is right now.
6. Matt Jones, David Johnson, James Starks are the RB to add
With Eddie Lacy suffering an ankle injury in Week 2, Starks is going to be the top target for anyone who owns Lacy -- and whoever is playing that owner in Week 3. If you're looking for a longer-term potential pick up, Johnson has shown he is a threat to score everytime he touches the ball, and might force his way into a bigger role in Arizona. Kind of like Jones did in Week 2 for Washington. Neither has even a 50-50 chances of earning a starting job right now, but they both have the upside to make it count if they do. You can find room on your bench for that, right?
7. Ameer Abdullah isn't your savior yet
Abdullah is a home-run hitter, but he's not exactly Bryce Harper; he's more like Adam Dunn, and the strikeouts came in Week 2. Abdullah needs to be extremely efficient when his touches come, and he wasn't Sunday, picking up just 18 yards on his seven paltry touches in a loss to the Vikings. We can say we want his role to increase all we want, but until it happens, he's going to be a very touchdown-dependent Flex option for most Fantasy owners. He is absolutely a must-own player, because he has stud potential, but there's also a chance he is stuck in this timeshare all season long.
8. Bill Belichick doesn't care about your Fantasy team
With LeGarrette Blount back from suspension, Dion Lewis' role was expected to decrease in Week 2 after a very nice season-opener. Blount touched the ball just twice in the game, while Lewis had seven carries and six receptions for 138 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Lewis has 258 total yards in two games and looks like a potential Fantasy stud, but we also know how Belichek rolls, which makes it impossible to believe in him. He's a must-own player who is owned in 43 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, but you can't exactly call him a must-start player; Belichek has pulled the rug out from under more talented backs in the past. Good luck dealing with the stress of owning a Patriots back, especially since Lewis has fumbled in consecutive games.
9. Saints don't have a WR 1
Brandin Cooks was the sexy breakout pick from this offense this season, after an up-and-down rookie season that saw him score four times in 10 games, with 55 receiving yards per game. Cooks' big-play ability is hard to doubt, but Drew Brees might be spreading the ball around a bit too much to make Cooks a reliable option. 15 of Brees' 86 pass attempts have gone to Cooks, making him one of six players with at least nine targets through two games. Cooks has still been solid, and a touchdown here or there would have changed the outlook quite a bit, but we're still waiting for the big breakout performance.
10. Martavis Bryant is going to be a star in Pittsburgh
Ben Roethlisberger's late-career reinvention as a big-play quarterback has pushed him right near the top of the pile of Fantasy quarterbacks, and he's taking his receivers with him. Antonio Brown is peerless, but Roethlisberger has done pretty incredible work with a shorthanded receiving corps otherwise. Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey have both found room in Pittsburgh's offense for big plays, and neither player is on Bryant's level as a deep threat or overall player. I wasn't terribly high on Bryant coming into the season, but seeing Heyward-Bey score 18 Fantasy points in his first two games of the season makes me think Bryant is in for huge things as soon as his suspension ends. If he gets dropped in your league before Week 5, make adding him a priority.
