September 15, 2025
While
Kenneth Gainwell outsnapped teammate
Jaylen Warren in Week 1 (30-25), the roles reversed in Week 2 with the latter leading the duo 36-26. Despite less time on the field, the 26-year-old picked up five targets -- again besting his backfield mate in that category. Warren still out-gained him in totality -- and handily, 134-36 -- but there's still a lot to like about his usage. For starters, the Steelers are throwing the ball at one of the league's highest rates (63.7%), and Gainwell still holds the edge over rookie
Kaleb Johnson in the pecking order. Johnson should take over in due time, but while he's still adjusting to the pros, Gainwell carries value as the handcuff to own.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
Despite a lack of gaudy numbers in the box score, Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Romeo Doubs continues to lead the team's wideouts in participation and production. Quarterback
Jordan Love's MO is spreading the ball around, but Doubs leads his fellow WRs in yards (96) and targets (nine). Moreover, he holds the edge in snaps, beating out his next closest teammate by over 20 (
Matthew Golden). With
Jayden Reed's (clavicle) collarbone fracture set to hold him out for a few months, Doubs' path to an elevated number of looks becomes clearer. Green Bay is calling a run an even 50% of the time, so the 25-year-old's target floor is lower than most teams' No. 1 wideouts. Nonetheless, Love still has a gunslinger mentality and is one of the league's more renowned signal-callers.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
Following a humbling loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
Justin Jefferson said the team is being patient with their new starting quarterback,
J.J. McCarthy. The superstar receiver still managed 81 yards on three catches, but the Vikings' offense has been mostly awful through two games. The second-year quarterback played in just his second NFL game on Sunday, which Jefferson noted after the loss, saying, "We're not expecting him to be perfect." McCarthy has struggled, though so have the rest of the Vikings, who allowed a whopping 16 pressures on Sunday and ran for only 78 yards. They'll look for a better showing in Week 3 against Cincinnati.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: KTSP
September 15, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars running back
Bhayshul Tuten assumed the team's RB2 role entirely in their 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. After ex-teammate
Tank Bigsby was traded to Philadelphia following Week 1, Tuten figured to operate as
Travis Etienne Jr.'s primary backup.
LeQuint Allen Jr. still worked in some (11 snaps), but did so behind the former Virginia Tech Hokie (18). While both took the field far fewer than Etienne Jr. (47), Tuten out-touched his rookie counterpart 8-2 on the ground. Furthermore, he pulled in both of his targets, matching Etienne Jr.'s receptions total, and outgaining him 32-18. There's no question that Etienne Jr. owns the backfield in Jacksonville. Tuten's role should grow as the season continues, though, and the Jags' offense won't always be in its own way.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
The Minnesota Vikings' injury issues at running back could see former undrafted rookie
Zavier Scott thrust into Minnesota's RB2 role for the team's Week 3 game against Cincinnati. Starting running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) left the Vikings' loss to Atlanta on Sunday, and reserve running back
Ty Chandler (knee) is on injured reserve after being hurt on a kickoff in Week 1. That would leave Scott as the next man up to get carries behind
Jordan Mason, who figures to be the clear lead back in the event Jones misses any time. Even so, Scott would be a desperation play in deeper leagues for the Vikings, who have been a mess for most of this season.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
With Minnesota Vikings starting running back
Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) facing an injury, fellow running back
Jordan Mason could be in line for more work with Minnesota set to face Cincinnati in Week 3. Already operating with a committee, the Vikings have seen significantly more rushing success with their new acquisition, whom the team extended after the trade that brought him from San Francisco to Minnesota. Even with a mostly awful offensive showing so far this season by the Vikings, Mason has 98 yards on 22 carries and three catches in two games. Should Jones miss any time, Mason is likely to get a feature-back workload for a team that desperately needs its running game to get going.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
Things may be going from bad to worse for Minnesota Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy, whose struggling offensive line is now facing additional injuries headed into Week 3. Already playing without star left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), who is working his way back from ACL surgery last year, backup left tackle Justin Skule (concussion) departed Sunday's game against Atlanta, as did starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion). The Vikings' offense has been brutal for most of the season, and McCarthy was pressured a whopping 16 times in the humbling defeat to the Falcons. Starting running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) also left the game, so Minnesota's injury report will be worth watching prior to their Week 3 game against Cincinnati.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: Minnesota Star-Tribune
September 15, 2025
Washington Commanders tight end
Zach Ertz hauled in six of eight targets for 64 yards and a touchdown in his team's Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The 34-year-old now has nine catches on 13 targets for 90 yards and two scores across his first two games of the season. Dating back to Week 11 of 2024, Ertz has caught eight touchdown passes in his last nine regular-season games, establishing himself as a favorite end-zone target of Commanders quarterback
Jayden Daniels. The veteran tight end lacks big-play ability, but he's a fairly consistent target-earner and should have a chance to score most weeks while playing with Daniels. Ertz is worth adding in fantasy leagues where he's available as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
Jake Browning could see an extended run as his team's starting quarterback with the news that
Joe Burrow (toe) will require surgery on his injured toe and may miss three months. Browning replaced Burrow in the second quarter of Cincinnati's Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game by completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 241 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also logged a one-yard rushing touchdown. Browning had an extended run as the injury replacement for Burrow in 2023 and performed adequately from a fantasy perspective. In seven starts, Browning completed 70.4% of his 243 pass attempts for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also showed a little bit of juice with his legs, rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Browning has an explosive supporting cast of pass-catchers to work with in Cincinnati and could be a startable fantasy quarterback going forward as a streamer or injury replacement, particularly in Superflex formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Michael Mayer could be worth adding ahead of his team's Week 2 Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, particularly for fantasy managers with
Brock Bowers (knee) on their roster. Bowers is officially questionable to play on Monday after leaving Week 1 early due to a knee injury, although Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has said he expects his star tight end to suit up. Mayer logged four catches for 38 yards in Week 1 while sharing the field with Bowers for most of the game. If Bowers is unable to play in Week 2, Mayer could be in line for a significant target increase in a Raiders' offense that logged 34 pass attempts in its first game of the season.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
September 15, 2025
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III bounced back from a disappointing Week 1 performance by leading his team in rushing in Seattle's 31-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Walker III recorded 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, adding one catch for 13 yards as a receiver. On a negative note, Walker III earned fewer carries than Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet for the second straight game, although Charbonnet recorded just 10 rushing yards on his 15 attempts in Week 2. It appears Seattle intends to heavily feature both backs, which may make the Seattle backfield tough to evaluate on a week-to-week basis. Walker III profiles as a low-end RB2/high-end flex with explosive upside due to his big-play ability going into a Week 3 matchup with the New Orleans Saints.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
Atlanta Falcons running back
Bijan Robinson dominated the Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 2, rushing for 143 yards on 22 carries in his team's 22-6 victory. Robinson also added three catches for 25 yards on five targets. If there was a negative from Robinson's performance, it was that Falcons RB2
Tyler Allgeier scored the game's only touchdown in a goal-to-go situation. Still, Robinson has now logged 292 yards from scrimmage over the first two games of the season on 43 total touches. He's a must-start fantasy running back with overall RB1 upside.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Jauan Jennings looked like his team's clear-cut WR1 in Week 2, hauling in five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in a win over the New Orleans Saints. Jennings was targeted 10 times by 49ers quarterback
Mac Jones, four more targets than any other San Francisco wideout. The 28-year-old has now logged seven catches for 105 yards and a score on the season, and that's with leaving Week 1 early due to a shoulder injury. As long as Jennings can stay on the field, he profiles as a solid fantasy WR3.
--Will BradySource: ESPN.com
September 15, 2025
Zack Rosenblatt, senior writer at The Athletic, reports that New York Jets quarterback
Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Fields exited the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion, and the Jets ended up losing to the Buffalo Bills 30-10 on Sunday. Fields struggled mightily before his departure, completing an abysmal three of 11 passes for 27 yards. He provided fantasy managers with a boost on the ground, rushing for 49 yards on five attempts, but the Jets' offense struggled against a Bills defense that had just allowed 40 points to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Fields will have to progress through the NFL's protocol for head injuries to play in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Fields isn't cleared for Week 3 action,
Tyrod Taylor would be in line to start in his place and would be a QB2. If Fields can suit up, he will remain a low-end QB1 due to his rushing upside.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Zack Rosenblatt
September 15, 2025
Detroit Lions star running back
Jahmyr Gibbs had no problem carving through the Chicago Bears' defense on Sunday, as he rushed 12 times for 94 yards (7.85 YPC) and hauled in all three of his targets for an additional 10 yards through the air. His touchdown run came from six yards out in the first quarter to put the Lions up 7-0. The Lions never looked back and ended up winning 52-21 on the afternoon. Most importantly, the Lions offense looked the part on Sunday, proving that their Week 1 stinker was an outlier in what is still an offense with an extremely high ceiling. Gibbs remains the X-factor in this offense and remains a must-start at the running back position moving forward. Next up for Gibbs and the Lions is a tough matchup at Baltimore in Week 3.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: ESPN
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