And just like that: Week 3 is upon us. Let's break down some ball!

Every week I will be going through 10 key fantasy football storylines ahead of all the NFL action, focusing on key fantasy-related trends, the week's biggest mismatches, my personal rankings of every game, bold predictions, and much more.

As always: It's a great day to be great.

1. Are Derek Carr and Sam Darnold ACTUALLY good now?

Passing production might generally be down across the league to start the season, but don't tell that to Derek Carr or Sam Darnold, who have both arguably played the best football of their respective careers through two weeks of 2024.

In Carr's case: We're literally talking about the league's most efficient signal-caller at the moment based on pretty much any meaningful advanced metric out there:

Carr among 32 QBs with 30-plus dropbacks this season:

  • EPA per dropback: +0.556 (No. 1)
  • Completion percentage over expected: +9.5% (No. 1)
  • PFF pass grade: 92.0 (No. 1)
  • Passer rating: 142.4 (No. 1)
  • Yards per attempt: 11.4 (No. 1)

Hell, the artist formerly known as Captain Checkdown has even become one of the most downfield-oriented gunslingers in the league. Not only does Carr's 9.2-yard average target depth rank sixth, but his 2.3% check-down rate is the lowest mark in the NFL and a far cry from his annual top-eight numbers.

And yet, the fantasy QB2 hasn't even reached his true ceiling considering the Saints' 30-3 and 35-16 halftime leads haven't forced the offense to keep their collective foot on the gas.

Overall, the Saints' league-low 37.3% pass-play rate is a full 5.6% lower than the next-most run-heavy offense (Chargers) and reflects the reality that things could really get grooving inside this New Orleans passing game should a worthy opponent emerge—something that certainly seems to be on the table for next Sunday's matchup against the Eagles' middling secondary.

And then there's Darnold, who continues to make a few throws per week that remind everyone why he was the 2018 NFL Draft's No. 3 overall pick once upon a time. Sure, the 97-yard BOMB to Justin Jefferson was cool and all, but how about this clutch back shoulder dime down the seam to Jalen Nailor without any of the Vikings' top-three pass-catchers on the field?

HC Kevin O'Connell deserves a lot of credit for getting so much production out of yet another QB who was largely left for dead by the rest of the league. Clearly having the best WR alive also helps; just realize Darnold has really cooked when the play has unfolded as the Vikings planned.

Overall, 56% of Darnold's dropbacks have resulted in a pass attempt to his first read (13th), and he's responded with a league-best 11 yards per attempt on those throws. On throws that have involved getting to his 2nd read or check down? Darnold ranks just 14th in yards per attempt (7.55) and his 3.45-yard dropoff relative to first-read pass attempts is the fifth-highest mark in the league.

Up next for Darnold and company is a date with Will Anderson and the Texans, who made life absolutely miserable for Caleb Williams last Sunday night. It'll be tough to raise the 27-year-old veteran too far up the ranks should Jefferson (quad) wind up sitting out; just realize the early returns on the 2024 Darnold experience have been far better than anything else we've seen out of him during the previous six seasons.

Wouldn't it be funny if ANOTHER veteran QB largely considered to be a goner suddenly turned the tides of their entire organization?

2. The Red Rocket Rifle is back under center for the Panthers

The Bryce Young experience is officially over, as Andy Dalton will start in Week 3 and seemingly beyond for the 0-2 Panthers.

It's hard to overstate how much of an upgrade this could wind up being for the likes of Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Xavier Legette. Young was objectively the NFL's worst QB over the past 20 weeks of regular season action.

Young among 31 QBs with 300-plus dropbacks in 2023-24 seasons:

  • EPA per dropback: -0.211 (No. 30)
  • Completion percentage over expected: -2.4% (No. 28)
  • PFF pass grade: 48.2 (No. 31)
  • Passer rating: 70.9 (No. 31)
  • Yards per attempt: 5.4 (No. 31)

Nobody should be expecting Dalton to flirt with elite-level efficiency against a Bengals defense that has allowed the second-fewest passing yards (272) this season, but the 36-year-old veteran did manage to rack up 361 yards and a pair of scores on the back of a whopping 58 pass attempts during his lone start in 2023.

Reminder: Johnson has worked as ESPN's No. 1 separator in terms of "Open Score" since entering the league, Thielen is just one season removed from catching 103 passes for 1,014 yards, and Legette is literally one of the freakier athletes to ever play the position. Throw in a defense that looks incapable of stopping just about anyone, and you have the recipe for some fantasy-friendly trailing game scripts for the league's 31st-ranked scoring offense.

What a time to be a Panthers fan. Let's keep rolling with some way-too-early takeaways after just 120 minutes of football.

3. Booms, busts and … yeah. Booms and busts. That's it

Yes, it's been two weeks.

Also yes, it's been two weeks!

Plenty more will change throughout the rest of the long and winding NFL season, but let's take a moment to check our priors and see who has been booming and busting relative to their preseason ESPN ADP this season. Note that I didn't include players who have been underperforming due to injuries because that's not cool, man.

Players who have been BOOMING thus far:

It's reasonable to consider selling high on most of these guys; just don't give the dudes away. FantasyCalc.com is a cool website that gives actual recent trades involving some of these players that you can lean on for starting points.

On the other side of things, these players have unfortunately been BUSTING through two weeks of action:

Some of these guys like Kelce and Olave have still had pretty great underlying utilization and qualify as quality buy-low candidates, while others like White, Cooper, and LaPorta simply haven't made the most out of their opportunities and are facing more touch competition than expected to start the season.

This isn't to suggest they can't turn things around, but at a minimum expectations should probably be lowered at this point just based on the usage we've seen through two weeks.

Speaking of changing usage …

4. Can these backfields chill out, please?

Last week we took the time to look at every backfield across the NFL in terms of their snap rate, carries, and targets. You can once again find that whole chart right here, but we'll just focus on a handful of situations that changed considerably from Week 1 to Week 2.

Was it something Jerome Ford said?: It looked like Ford was the clear lead back in Cleveland after Week 1, but Week 2 saw him finish with half as many carries as D'Onta Foreman (14 vs. 7) on a dismal 42% snap rate. The expected absence of Pierre Strong (hamstring) should shrink this committee down to two for the time being; either way, it's tough to be overly optimistic about any RB behind the Browns' banged-up offensive line—especially ahead of a matchup with Dexter Lawrence and company.

Zack Moss, running back, THE running back, y'all: Moss has topped Chase Brown in snap rate (74% vs. 25%), carries (21 vs. 7), and targets (5 vs. 3) this season, yet hasn't enjoyed elite RB production due to the Bengals offense not quite catching its collective stride against the Patriots and Chiefs. Well, better times should be on the way in a pair of back-to-back appetizing matchups against the Commanders and Panthers—the time to buy low on Moss is MEOW in fantasy leagues of all shapes and sizes.

Um, what the hell, Colts?: Alleged workhorse RB Jonathan Taylor played a robust 95% of the offense's snaps in Week 1 … and 49% in Week 2. The man had 16 combined carries and targets on just 26 total snaps and didn't play a single snap in the 4th quarter because "we were throwing the football" per head coach Shane Steichen. Note that Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson each have caught just seven passes during their respective careers; it's not like either is even a Nyheim Hines-level receiver. Taylor should still push for 20 combined carries and targets more weeks than not; just realize this sort of game-script-dependent usage presents a troubling floor in full-PPR formats considering how meh the Colts have looked overall on offense this season.

Jaylen Warren is BACK (kinda): Warren had as many combined carries and targets as Cordarrelle Patterson (4) in Week 1 and worked well behind bell-cow Najee Harris. However, that seemed to be more so due to Warren's return from a preseason hamstring injury than anything, as his Week 2 snaps (48% vs. 45%) and opportunities (19 vs. 11) were far closer to Harris this time around. It might take a negative game script for Warren to actually see more usage than Harris, but at worst the talented third-year remains one of the better handcuffs in fantasy football. Speaking of …

Babe, get the handcuffs out: The likes of Trey Benson, Braelon Allen, and Ray Davis each further solidified their standing as the next man up inside their respective backfields. While there could be an additional party splitting things up just a bit more than fantasy managers might prefer, each of these rookies is theoretically one injury away from immediately slotting in as an upside RB2 in fantasy land.

Of course, some RBs are simply better than others at making the most out of their opportunities.

5. Who have been the NFL's best and worst RBs so far?

This chart provides the average yards after contact and missed tackles forced from every RB through two weeks of action (min. 10 carries).

Some ballers who deserve some praise:

  • Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins: Third in both missed tackles forced (0.33) and yards after contact per carry (4.8), Dobbins has been one of the single-best stories of the 2024 season and stands today as the RB position's all-time leader in yards per carry (6.2) with a minimum of 250 rush attempts. Pretty, pretty, pretty good, but we'll find out just how real some of that efficiency is this Sunday against T.J. Watt and company.
     
  • Giants RB Devin Singletary: Currently No. 1 in missed tackles forced per carry (0.46) after putting more than a few Commanders in a blender last Sunday. While the scoring upside inside this Daniel Jones-led attack will always be meh, the ex-Bills/Texans veteran deserves credit for largely making the most out of his opportunities through two weeks of action. Fun fact: Singletary (5.1) is averaging more yards per carry than Saquon Barkley (4.5) this season. He's a volume-based low-end RB2 ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Browns.
     
  • Commanders RB Antonio Gibson: Yes, Gibson's numbers are a bit skewed by one chunk run against the Seahawks. Also yes, it was a freaking sweet run! The former Commanders RB certainly appears healthy after dealing with a hip injury in August and remains one of the better low-key handcuffs available.

And some veterans who perhaps deserve some slander:

  • Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott: His opening-touch hurdle was awesome, but sadly got called back by a hold, leaving Zeke as the NFL's only RB without a single missed tackle forced or explosive run (10-plus yards) this season (min. 10 carries). Not great, but then again Rico Dowdle (3.7 yards per carry) hasn't been much better.
     
  • Chargers RB Gus Edwards: Joins Zeke as the only two RBs without a single forced missed tackle. While Gus Bus is continuing to split work with Dobbins, it seems like a matter of when, not if, their current 50/50 split starts to lean more heavily to the latter back.
     
  • Bears RB D'Andre Swift: Leads the league in percentage of carries stuffed for no gain or a loss (38%) this season, and only has one rush attempt that gained 10-plus yards. Not a great combo for the high-priced free agent, although the Bears' 28th-ranked offensive line in yards before contact per carry certainly hasn't helped matters.

Gotta love some good old-fashioned RB discourse, but hey, just because someone wasn't great in Weeks 1 and 2 doesn't mean the tide couldn't turn in Week 3. Right? RIGHT? Looking for a friend …

6. Is the whole "Kyle Pitts being good at football" thing ever going to happen?

Week 1's 3-26-1 stat line was only passable because the rest of the position achieved historical levels of nothing, while Monday night's 3-20-0 receiving line (again) featured Pitts as little more than an afterthought in Kirk Cousins' pecking order.

Fantasy managers probably expected Pitts to finish behind Drake London in targets. Maybe Darnell Mooney, too. But fifth? On his own team? In this economy?

Falcons targets and air yards in Weeks 1-2:

Pitts' 6.3-yard average target depth is easily a career-low mark this season; his previous low was 11.2 as a rookie. Give him credit for already forcing three missed tackles—more than he had in all of 2023 (2)—but we're currently looking at the TE24 in targets per route run (11.8%) among 28 qualified players.

Now, Lions TE Sam LaPorta (9.6%) actually ranks dead last in that latter stat; Pitts is not the only "elite" TE to start slow, and it's hardly a given that the Falcons will continue to ignore the 23-year-old former No. 4 overall pick. Next week sure would be a good time to start against a Chiefs defense that has surrendered back-to-back big games to Isaiah Likely (9-111-1) and Mike Gesicki (7-91-0). I'm not throwing the towel in on Pitts as a top-six TE YET, but man, it's not looking good.

Of course, sometimes bad performances from skill-position players aren't exactly their fault. It could be more so because of coaching, the QB, or hell, even the offensive line …

7. What does the NFL's offensive line hierarchy look like?

Four offensive lines rank inside the top 10 in both pressure rate allowed and yards before contact per carry this season. There's a pretty good chance that we're looking at #good units here, or at a minimum they should be applauded for their performance through two weeks:

  • Chargers: Sixth in pressure rate allowed (27.4%) and first in yards before contact per carry (2.39). Sure, playing the Panthers helps matters, but No. 5 overall pick Joe Alt and the new coaching staff sure look to be plenty comfortable playing bully ball.
     
  • Saints: Third in pressure rate allowed (20.4%) and second in yards before contact per carry (2.18). Not too shabby for a group widely considered to be among the league's worst units to start the season. In Klint Kubiak we trust.
     
  • Ravens: Fourth in pressure rate (22.7%) and yards before contact per carry (2) despite losing three starters from a season ago. That Lamar Jackson guy sure helps matters, huh?
     
  • Colts: Eighth in pressure rate (27.9%) and sixth in yards before contact per carry (1.88), but they'll be tested on Sunday against a Bears front seven that has probably been the bright spot of the team this season.

On the other side of things, four offensive lines rank among the league's bottom-10 units in both pressure rate and yards before contact per carry:

  • Patriots: 31st in pressure rate allowed (44.3%) and 29th in yards before contact per carry (0.57). Kudos to Rhamondre Stevenson for making the most out of his touches this season, but he's a screaming sell-high candidate inside an offense that still very much looks like a train wreck more snaps than not.
     
  • Bears: 23rd in pressure rate allowed (36%) and 28th in yards before contact per carry (0.66). Remember all the way back in August when everyone assumed this was going to be one of the best situations for any No. 1 overall QB? Good times.
     
  • Broncos: 29th in pressure rate allowed (43%) and 27th in yards before contact per carry (0.68). Like last week, Denver boasts the league's worst "Supporting Cast Rating" which measures every offense's average rushing, receiving, pass, and run-blocking PFF grades (everything except passing).
     
  • Steelers: 25th in pressure rate allowed (38%) and 23rd in yards before contact per carry (0.71). Good thing they have a mobile enough QB to help alleviate some of this pressure off the big uglies (for now).

Perhaps these groups will regress one way or another as the season goes on, but for now, their performance plays a large part in determining which offenses will really be able to put together some boom performances. After all, major mismatches at the line of scrimmage are a helluva drug in fantasy football land.

8. What are the biggest on-paper mismatches in Week 3?

Every week I put together a group of charts meant to provide easy-to-decipher matchup advantages on both sides of the ball in a handful of categories. This includes combined explosive pass/run-play rates, pressure, yards before contact, pass yards per dropback, and EPA per play. The idea is to have one metric to show a mismatch instead of always going, “Offense ranks x, defense ranks y.”

The data only includes Week 1-2 numbers, so take some of the analysis with a bit of a grain of salt. Things will get clearer as we get more and more 2024 info.

Without further adieu: The week's biggest mismatches in these ever-important categories. Feel free to click on any of the below categories for a full chart.

  • Explosive passing offense: The 49ers, Saints, Raiders, and Cardinals passing games appear to be set up quite well. However, the Bears, Broncos, Dolphins, Panthers, and Steelers aren't looking too hot at the moment ahead of their tough respective matchups.
     
  • Explosive running offense: The Colts, Titans, Saints, and Jaguars all look poised to do good things on the ground this week. Meanwhile, the Eagles, Jets, and Cowboys in particular look to have their work cut out for them.
     
  • Pressure: The Panthers, Raiders, and Jets look ready to provide plenty of clean pockets this week, while the Patriots, Browns, and Buccaneers could be facing more pressure than they'd prefer.
     
  • Yards before contact per carry: RBs from the Saints, Ravens, and Chargers might have more clear runways than usual in Week 3, but the opposite is true for the Jets, Cardinals, Eagles, and Broncos.
     
  • Pass yards per dropback: The best setup passing attacks look like the Saints, 49ers, Rams, and Vikings this week, while the worst look like the Broncos, Bears, Dolphins, and Panthers.
     
  • EPA per play: Lions-Cardinals and Commanders-Bengals look like the shootouts of the week. Chargers-Steelers, Bears-Colts, and Panthers-Raiders look like the defensive slugfests of the week.

9. Ranking every game of the week from a biased entertainment perspective

I remain steadfast in the idea that no NFL game is inherently "bad." Complaining about specific matchups ignores the reality that relatively *bad* football is so much better than *no* football; we should NEVER dismiss any given 60 minutes of professional action on the gridiron.

With that said: Some matchups are indeed more awesome than others, so let's take a quick second to rank every matchup of the week in terms of what I'm looking forward to most through my own biased lenses:

  1. HOU-MIN: One of the week's two battles of undefeated squads. C.J. Stroud vs. Brian Flores' blitz-happy Vikings defense should be a treat. And can Sam Darnold keep on keeping on? Please suit up, Justin Jefferson.
     
  2. DET-ARZ: The only game total of the week north of 50 features Kyler Murray coming off maybe the best game of his life against a Lions offense that remains among the league's most lethal units when everything is clicking.
     
  3. PHI-NO: Another beatdown of an NFC East power would cement the Saints as very much for real, while the Eagles could certainly use a bounce-back performance following maybe the single-most disappointing loss of the early 2024 season.
     
  4. BAL-DAL: The 0-2 Ravens already have their backs against the wall, while the Cowboys can't REALLY drop three straight at home after capturing 16 straight at Jerry World previously? Right? RIGHT?
     
  5. KC-ATL: This happened the last time Patrick Mahomes visited Atlanta.
     
  6. JAX-BUF: Josh Allen is always must-watch television, while a third-straight loss for Trevor Lawrence and company could result in head coach Doug Pederson's hot seat bursting into flames.
     
  7. LAC-PIT: The other 2-0 vs. 2-0 matchup of the week figures to be a defensive slugfest if the week-low 35.5-point game total is any indication.
     
  8. CHI-IND: Depending on how Caleb Williams and Anthony Richardson play, I could see this matchup ultimately finishing first or last. So for now we'll settle right in the middle.
     
  9. WSH-CIN: Week 2 was a nice step forward for Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense despite the loss, and now they get quite possibly the NFL's worst defense to really find their groove against. Oh yeah, and Jayden Daniels is cool too.
     
  10. SF-LAR: Healthier versions of both offenses could have had this perennial NFC West slugfest as the best matchup of the week. Instead, the 49ers are tied as the biggest favorite of the week (-7.5) against the walking graveyard that is the Los Angeles Rams.
     
  11. GB-TEN: Only this high because the Will Levis experience is a helluva drug for better and (mostly) worse.
     
  12. MIA-SEA: The Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins just make me sad, but at least Geno Smith and the Seahawks passing game have done some fun things. This matchup could be a lot cooler if Kenneth Walker (oblique) manages to suit up.
     
  13. CAR-LV: Kudos to the Raiders on pulling the upset in Baltimore last week, but I still struggle to get too excited about Andy Dalton vs. Gardner Minshew. Sue me.
     
  14. DEN-TB: The early returns on Bo Nix and the Broncos, in general, have been quite horrendous, while Buccaneers country is baking with fire coming off a win in Detroit. Still, this is one of just five matchups with a game total south of 40. 
     
  15. NE-NYJ: Thursday night football was made for a bad, low-scoring matchup that pretty much nobody other than sickos are overly excited for—and that's exactly what we have here!
     
  16. NYG-CLE: I'm excited to watch Malik Nabers and that's literally it.

10. Three bold predictions for Week 3

Every week I'll put my reputation on the line regarding a handful of players I believe could out-perform their general fantasy-related expectations. The majority will NOT work out–they wouldn't be bold otherwise–but will that stop me? Hell no!

Without further adieu: Let's get weird.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard

Most are assuming the newfound presence of Andy Dalton under center will immediately result in relatively higher-end returns for the involved WRs, but remember, Dalton fed Panthers RBs a whopping 12 targets during his 60 minutes under center last season.

While Hubbard's touch lead over Miles Sanders is "just" 20 to 15 on the season, it's a more respectable 17 to 9 when looking at the first three quarters AKA before the Panthers were completely getting blown out.

Give me 100-plus total yards and a trip to the end zone for Hubbard against a Raiders defense that has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards to opposing RBs this season.

49ers QB Brock Purdy

One of the biggest early-season takeaways is the predictable reality that the post-Aaron Donald Rams defense sucks balls, for lack of a better term.

The league's 31st-ranked scoring defense has looked lost for a better portion of the first two weeks, ranking among the league's bottom-three defenses in both EPA allowed per dropback (+0.337, 30th) and per rush (+0.124, 30th).

I like Purdy's chances of rebounding from last week's down performance in a major way—300-plus yards and not one, not two, not three, but four scores through the air for Mr. Relevant.

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers

It's been the Brock Bowers and Davante Adams show so far for Las Vegas, but don't forget about the second WR in town. Meyers remains a gifted route-runner due for a quality performance—so why not one against a Panthers secondary that ranks a lowly 27th in EPA allowed per dropback this season?

I'll take Meyers going for 8-105-1 as a contrarian pick inside a matchup that most expect the Raiders to flourish in.

Players highlighted last week and results: Keenan Allen (DNP), Gus Edwards (59-scoreless yards), Jalen McMillan (21-scoreless yards). "The process was right," the man cried out as his wife and kids packed their final belongings into the car and drove off into the night.

Other Cool Sh*t for Week 3

  • Buccaneers Chris Godwin: Back to playing a full-time role in the slot and accordingly is the WR1 in all of fantasy football. Overall, Godwin has caught 15 of 16 targets this season for 200 yards and a pair of receiving TDs—already as many as he had in all of 2023.
     
  • Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Posted career-high marks in receptions (12) and yards (117) last week with a Next-Gen Stats route tree that will take any lonely fantasy analyst from six to midnight in a hurry.

 

  • Saints are cooking: With play-action especially: This offense ranked dead last in play-action rate (14.4%) last season, but is all the way up in first at 52.3% through two weeks of 2024. For the second time in one column: In Klint Kubiak we trust.
     
  • Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: Leads the NFL in … lowest average target depth? That's right: Mahomes (5.1) joins Malik Willis (5.6), Gardner Minshew (5.6), and Jayden Daniels (5.2) as the only QBs throwing the ball less than six yards downfield on average this season. Hopefully, whoever wins the election this November does what's necessary and bans two-high safeties.
     
  • The Will Levis experience: Mostly bad, but sometimes good!
     
  • Browns pass-catchers: PFF has only changed two players with three drops this season: Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore.
     
  • Commanders RB Austin Ekeler: Returned the opening kick to the house during the Commanders' eventual win over the Giants. It was cool, but unfortunately called back. Either way, the long-time Chargers stud has looked clean (get it, not washed?!) through two weeks of action.
     
  • Titans WR Calvin Ridley: Kudos to the ex-Falcons/Jaguars veteran for his two-TD performance against the Jets. And yet, nobody has more unrealized air yards this season, meaning there's still quite a bit of meat left on the bone here.
     
  • Rams RB Kyren Williams: Nobody has more carries (30) without a rush of 10-plus yards. Obviously, the Rams' banged-up offensive line hasn't helped matters, but man, not great!
     
  • Bears QB Caleb Williams: The NFL's only starting QB without a completion thrown at least 15 yards downfield. Yikes. Williams has also allowed the highest percentage of pressures to be converted into sacks (31.6%). Not exactly the start Bears fans and fantasy managers were hoping for.
     
  • Steelers WR George Pickens: Coulda, shoulda, woulda had a HUGE day right in the grill of Broncos CB Patrick Surtain Jr. last week, but sheesh.
     
  • Top-three NFL defenses: The Chargers rank first in EPA allowed per dropback and rush, while the Steelers and Saints fill out the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in both categories. Playing the Panthers offense is a helluva drug.
     
  • Buccaneers run game: This season Baker Mayfield has eight carries for 55 yards. Rachaad White has 25 carries … for 49 yards. Not great, although the Buccaneers' still-dismal bottom-two offensive line in yards before contact per carry hasn't helped matters.
     
  • HAVOC, baby: The Texans are the league's best defense in "Havoc" after two weeks, while the Panthers are the worst BY FAR.
     
  • Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt: The reunion! What joy! Wait, why was Hunt released by the Chiefs back in the day again? Nevermind—anyways, Hunt doesn't figure to be an overly fantasy-relevant fixture in a backfield that *should* still be led by Carson Steele and Samaje Perine. Note that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is eligible to return in Week 5; the most likely answer to which Chiefs RB emerges as a fantasy stud during Isiah Pacheco's absence is most likely, "No."
     
  • Falcons QB Kirk Cousins: Didn't attempt a play-action pass in Week 1 … and then utilized the real-life cheat code on 25.8% of his passes in Week 2—the ninth-highest mark in the NFL. Kudos to Kirko Chainz for completing six of nine passes thrown 10-plus yards downfield for 138 yards and a TD against the Eagles; Week 1 concerns over his Achilles are at least somewhat mitigated for now.
     
  • Jaguars WR Brian Thomas: This is a LOADED rookie WR class, but it's Thomas who currently leads the way in yards per route run (2.82). It turns out that big and fast athletes with solid ball skills are tough to cover. Who knew?
     
  • Bills RB James Cook: The Bills boast the NFL's third-most run-heavy offense since Joe Brady took control of the offense in Week 11 of last season. This philosophy shift has accordingly proved to be quite fruitful for James Cook, who has the 12th-most touches of any RB during this span—and just two fewer than Mr. Derrick Henry.
     
  • Commanders QB Jayden Daniels: Please start sliding, man. No QB has taken off and scrambled more than Daniels (11) this season, and he's also tied for second regardless of position in carries inside the five-yard line (3). This is all great for fantasy and everything—just PLEASE be careful. Signed, a concerned fantasy manager.
     
  • Bills TE Dalton Kincaid: Has *negative* three air yards this season. That means his average target depth has literally been behind the line of scrimmage. Sigh.