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We previously looked at target risers and fallers based on the first two weeks of XFL data. The XFL has made it past Week 2 and now we have eight games of data to analyze. No small feat, as nobody knew where this league was going just a few weeks ago. But here we are, just mere days from Week 3 matchups!
With two dates already in the rearview mirror and plenty of numbers stored from players showcasing their talent all around the country, it makes sense to crunch some of the data we have at hand to see how things have developed during the couple of games each team has already played.
In this column, I'll be taking a look at some risers and fallers in the receiving and rushing stats departments, more precisely at how different running backs did in terms of opportunities garnered in Week 1 and Week 2 to see how those varied, how different teams around the league are using their backfield assets, and what those men are making of their chances. Let's get to it!
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Week 1 - 2 Opportunities: Overall View
Although not the biggest sample size, eight games are enough to start building an image of this new XFL. We have watched 30 different running backs rack up 306 combined rushing attempts (average of 10.2 per player through two weeks of playing time) for 1,201 yards and 30 touchdowns. On top of that, those 30 rushers have accrued 2.9 targets each on average (87 combined) with Lance Dunbar as the clear no. 1 pass-catching player at the position as he's the only player with 10+ targets and receptions already.
We define an "opportunity" as either a rushing attempt or a receiving target. Here is how those opportunities (ruAtt+reTgt) have been shared among players in Week 1 (horizontal axis) and Week 2 (vertical axis), with the color diverging from red (more opportunities in Week 1) to green (indicating a higher number of opportunities in Week 2).
click image for full-screen view
With a few exceptions, every rusher falls between zero-to-10 opportunities per game through two weeks of XFL games. That is nothing weird, as not many running backs will log more than 10 rushing attempts weekly other than the workhorses; targets are also not the most common of stats to find in higher counts next to running back names. Two players clearly separated themselves from the field this past weekend, One for the good (Cameron Artis-Payne) and one for the bad (Matt Jones).
Let's take a look at the real risers and fallers from Week 1 to Week 2 next.
Week 1 - 2 Opportunities: Risers and Fallers
I have calculated the difference in opportunities from Week 1 to Week 2 (positive numbers favor Week 2), and here is how things looked after this last weekend's slate of games was over.
One clear riser this weekend in the aforementioned Artis-Payne, while at the other end, Darius Victor experienced a massive decrease in chances that left him trembling with just three opportunities to give New York an edge on offense.
RISER - Cameron Artis-Payne, DAL (+13, from 6 opportunities to 19)
If there is someone Dallas relied on this past weekend that was Artis-Payne. The six opportunities back in Week 1 weren't low but the Renegades used CAP mostly through the air (four targets compared to two carries). Move on to Week 2, though, and find a completely opposite story: CAP carried the ball 14 times for a monster 99 yards (league-best on the season) and two scores, and he also added 32 yards on a perfect five-for-five night receiving the ball. While he lacked the receiving touchdown, Artis-Payne converted an extra-point and finished with the best fantasy performance of an RB this season getting to 31.1 FP.
RISER - Jhurell Pressley, DC (+10, from 3 opportunities to 13)
While Pressley was a virtual afterthought in Week 1, the DC Defenders used him extensively in their Week 2 outing. Even with 13 opportunities to get his team some goodies, Pressley couldn't do much and finished the day with just 6.1 FP to the tune of 32 yards on 11 rushing attempts and nine yards through the air on two receptions. A riser this week, but he better improve his efficiency or he'll be down the pecking order again before he realizes.
RISER - Christine Michael, STL (+9, from 8 opportunities to 17)
Not a very surprising uptick this one. Michel entered the season as one of the most famous players to be part of an XFL roster given his NFL pedigree, and he was used in eight plays already in Week 1. Back then, though, he did nothing for his team and even returned negative fantasy points (-0.1) after rushing for no yards on seven attempts and losing a yard on his lone reception... He was much better this past weekend, although not a lot. Michael rushed the ball 15 times for 38 yards and was better pass-catching as he landed the two targets he saw and racked up 22 yards through the air.
FALLER - Darius Victor, NY (-9, from 12 opportunities to 3)
From white to black did Victor go. Ugh. After logging 12 opportunities (nine rushing attempts, three targets) in Week 1, Victor could only muster three rushing attempts in Week 2 as he ran for 15 yards and that was all he did for New York. After giving him a heavy use during the first game of the season and not getting much return (8.7 FP), it looks like the Guardians opted to look away from Victor this time around, mostly negating him the ball.
FALLER - Matt Jones, STL (-5, from 22 opportunities to 17)
While Jones' opportunities decreased by the second-highest number, the truth is that he kept being utilized more than a healthy number of times. Jones finished the weekend with 17 opportunities but his profile didn't change a lot: 16 of those 17 were rushing attempts while in Week 1 21 of his 22 opportunities came also on the ground. Jones is an all-ground rusher with no upside on the passing game (sure, he caught his lone target this past weekend and scored a touchdown, but that's not his true, long-term self and the score came after a jumbled play and on a screen pass). We'll see how St. Louis does and how different game scripts affect Jones' chances through the season.
FALLER - De’Veon Smith, TB (-3, from 17 opportunities to 14)
Not a large fall in opportunities for Smith, but still the third-largest. On fewer chances Smith did pretty much the same as in Week 1, rushing the ball 11 times for 46 yards and no scores in Week 2 while he rushed it 16 times for 79 yards during the first weekend of the season. Smith was targeted three more times this weekend but he ended with the same receptions (one) which he turned into 12 yards in Week 2 (he caught a pass in Week 1 for eight yards). Pretty similar fantasy tallies of 9.7 and 6.8 FP in the couple of games he's played so far.
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