It's time for Pete's Pick 6–my Week 2 Fantasy Football Takeaways column where I round up six things that caught my eye on the Sunday main slate.
Let's dig in …
Takeaway #1: The Elite rookies are who we thought they were
A week ago at this time, we were clowning "Mazda" Marvin Harrison (4th overall pick) for running like a 45-year-old dad in New Balances, cursing Daniel Jones for submarining Malik Nabers' (6th overall pick) value, and lamenting a low ceiling for Brock Bowers (13th overall pick) in a sluggish Raiders offense.
How quickly things change.
Maserati Marv went nuclear against the Rams on Sunday. He put up 130 yards and 2 TDs against an overwhelmed Rams secondary … in the first quarter. Oh, and if you were worried about his speed, MHJ reached 20.03 mph on his 60-yard TD.
Nabers put the entire Giants offense on his back with a laugh-out-loud-worthy target share (62%). He finished the game with 10-127-1 and a gaudy 18 targets. He is a straight-up alpha.
Bowers didn't find the end zone yesterday, but posted 9 catches for 98 yards. His stats through two career games (17 targets, 15 receptions, 156 receiving yards) put him in rarefied air. He's an auto-start the rest of the way.
A lot of people balked at the ADPs for these guys in 2024 drafts. Yesterday was a good reminder that the transition to the NFL isn't difficult for superstars.
Takeaway #2: The Saints are a legit wagon. What the hell?
Last week the Saints looked like world beaters, but then the whispers started:
Sure, but it was against the Panthers …
Let's see how their O-line holds up against a real defense …
Derek Carr always turns into a pumpkin the second you start believing in him …
Well, I'm here to tell you that the Saints are an absolute unit. They bulldozed the Cowboys and have now opened the season with back-to-back 40-point outings.
They've literally scored on every possession this year (15/15).
This offense under Klint Kubiak is unrecognizable compared to what we saw last year and guys like Rashid Shaheed are reaping the benefits. Play action, pre-snap motion … everything you want to see from an elite offense.
Not to mention, Alvin Kamara broke the fantasy slate with 180 scrimmage yards and 4 total TDs. He now has 6 TDs in two games and is shaping up as one of the best cost-adjusted picks in all of fantasy.
Takeaway #3: The first round is cursed
Feast your eyes on this …
- Christian McCaffrey - On IR and out for at least 4 weeks.
- Tyreek Hill - Now has Skylar Thompson as his QB.
- CeeDee Lamb - Only 9 receptions through two games.
- Ja'Marr Chase - 97 scoreless yards through two games.
- Bijan Robinson - TBD tonight. Clutch your rosary beads.
- Breece Hall - OK, he's not cursed. The 1.01 if we redraft today.
- Justin Jefferson - Week 2 explosion followed by an injury scare.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown - Week 1 dud and a Week 2 injury.
- A.J. Brown - Already ruled out for Week 2 with a hamstring injury.
- Garrett Wilson - 117 scoreless yards through 2 games.
- Puka Nacua - On IR and out indefinitely.
- Jahmyr Gibbs - Still in a 50-50 timeshare with David Montgomery.
There are varying levels of panic deserved for each of these situations. The CMC and Puka stuff is downright scary. The injuries to AJB, Jefferson, and ARSB aren't ideal, but shouldn't be a big issue.
Lamb and Chase should get going soon enough. Reek and Wilson will still get funneled targets. It'll mostly be fine for this cohort, but that doesn't mean we can't complain about our first-round pick not delivering on their lofty price tags.
Takeaway #4: The second-year WR bounceback
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Quentin Johnston were both first-round WR selections in the 2023 draft and both flopped in their rookie campaigns.
Yesterday, however, brought redemption for both:
- JSN vs. the Patriots: 16 targets (37% target share), 12 receptions, 117 yards
- QJ vs. the Panthers: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 51 yards, and 2 TDs
I bought in big-time to a JSN second-year breakout so this was a relief to see, but I had very little hope for QJ. Considering Johnston was free in drafts, he's looking like a nice W for drafters who stayed the course.
Takeaway #5: Ride or Die? Nah, we just ride …
Matthew's pretty good at this ride-or-die thing, eh? His 2024 poster boy, Kyler Murray, was off the charts yesterday. No, seriously, it almost broke PFF's passing grades.
The Cardinals routed the Rams and Kyler became the 2nd player in NFL history with:
- 250+ passing yards
- 50+ rushing yards
- 158.3 passer rating
This TD throw in the second quarter was an absurd display of athleticism and poise. I can't wait to watch this offense cook all year.
Takeaway #6: It's Joever for Bryce Young
I really try to avoid knee-jerk overreactions, but it's impossible not to call it early for Bryce Young.
He threw an INT and completed 18 of 26 passes for 84 yards. Eighty-four yards. I need to spell it out for dramatic effect. That is an NFL single-game record for most completions under 100 passing yards.
His confidence is completely shot and he looks completely overwhelmed on every single play.
The Panthers are now 2-17 in the Bryce Young era. The team really needs to put him out of his misery and turn to Andy Dalton before he loses the locker room (and fantasy nation).
Diontae Johnson deserves better. And we need a vaguely competent offense for when Jonathan Brooks returns.
How about this, Carolina? We'll stop making jokes about passing on C.J. Stroud if you start Dalton*. Deal?
* I can't actually promise this, sorry. But you do need to start Dalton ASAP.
