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Monday Morning NFL Recap - Week 2 Surprises, Busts & Laughers

Welcome to the second installment of my Monday morning NFL recap, the column I like to consider "speedballing for your fantasy team."  We'll bring you up with stars (Stefon Diggs! I played against him!), and bring you crashing right back down to the ground with busts (Antonio Brown! I started him!)

So make sure all your sharp objects are put away, start playing some Mötley Crüe songs, and let's take a hard look at the decisions we made to bring us to this point in our lives.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests for Week 3. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

It's Monday Morning... What Just Happened

The Stars:

  • The New York Jets - who'da thunk it, huh?  The Jets, travelling to Buffalo on a Thursday night, to play a Ryan Bros. defense seemed like a recipe for disaster.  (Incidentally, Ryan Bros. is a new game I'm designing - it's like Super Smash Bros, only instead of controlling a diverse cast of beloved Nintendo characters, you control two obnoxious blowhards, one of whom is fat and the other of whom is skinny, as they perform a series of disconnected actions free of any perceivable context. Wait - I just described the Wario games. Sh*t.)  Anyway, pretty much every Jet came up big this week for any fantasy team they were on.  Matt Forté put up 100 yards and 3 TDs, Ryan Fitzpatrick put up a respectable 347 yards and 1 TD, Eric Decker found the endzone again, and Brandon Marshall caught 6 passes for 100+ yards...as I was giddily informed by the guy who has Forté in my league.  It went downhill from there, so buckle up.
  • DeAngelo Williams - aka "That Guy Who's Putting Up Annoyingly Great Scores But Le'Veon Bell Will Be Back In Two Weeks And Then He'll Be Back On The Waiver Wire So Yeah Be Smug About That Seventh-Round Pick Buddy."  Admittedly, it's a bit of a mouthful.  It's a work in progress. Williams put up another big game in relief of Bell, with 138 combined yards and a touchdown.  Don't worry though - Le'Veon Bell returns from Burning Man or wherever he goes to fail drug tests in two weeks, so Williams' reign of mild inconvenience will soon be brought to a close.
  • The Lions and the Titans - hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha no just kidding this one was a cesspit, forget it ever happened and move on with your life.  You know, just like every other game the Titans have played.
  • Rookie wide receivers - Corey Coleman, Will Fuller and Sterling Shepard all put up big yardage this week.  Fuller and Coleman went for 104, although Coleman added two touchdowns to his score.  Shepard had eight receptions and 117 yards, prompting Odell Beckham Jr. owners to laugh nervously and start looking around in mild trepidation.  This was Fuller's second hundred-yard game on the season playing opposite DeAndre Hopkins, making Houston's WR group one of the more enticing fantasy options early in the season.  With 6 games against the Colts (who are fielding 11 injured defensive starters, which astute fans will recognize as all of the defensive starters), the Titans (see above entry), and the Jaguars (oh, we'll get to them), Fuller should see time in your lineup, especially if you've been thin at WR.  Shepard should also carve himself out a spot in your lineup, but Coleman plays for a team that's one play away from finding out who Josh McCown's backup is.  Should be exciting!
  • Cam Newton to Kelvin Benjamin - remember that Forté guy from earlier?  There's nothing quite like losing and then being sent giddy text messages about how the Newton-to-Benjamin connection is blowing up.  Newton and Benjamin blew up the 49ers, but I'm still salty about it, so yeah.  Enjoy, I guess.
  •  The Arizona Cardinals - Carson Palmer topped 300 yards and put up 3 touchdowns, Larry Fitzgerald scored, David Johnson put up over 140 combined yards, and Chris Johnson continued to exist in the NFL during the Cardinals' 40-7 rout of the Buccaneers.  It was a big rebound from the Cardinals after their anemic showing against the Patriots, and it established them as the class of the NFC West.  Which has suddenly become a much less prestigious position.
  • Melvin Gordon - You know, I had a really nice "Gordon found a great ________, since his allergy to touchdowns has apparently been cured" crack all lined up, but it turns out the word for doctor specializing in allergies is just "allergist" and it ruined the meter of the joke.  Screw you, allergists.  Those people who steal your blood for the Red Cross are called phlebotomists, and that's the best you could manage?
  • Stefon Diggs - I don't have a joke here.   He just shredded the Packers tonight.  Damn.

 
The Busts:

  • Allen Robinson - remember when this guy was gonna be a top-5 receiver?  Because, you know, that was a thing we all thought was going to happen.  I guess we just conveniently forgot he plays for Jacksonville.
  • Every Single Person Associated With The Rams vs. Seahawks Game - We finally got NFL football back in L.A. after more than 20 years, and THIS is the product they chose to bring it back with?  It's like finding a man dying of thirst in the desert and promising him pure, crystal-clear water to drink, but switching it out with vinegar at the last second.  Or worse, Bud Light.
  • Andrew Luck - I can only assume that the Broncos' players have mithril chain vests since that was the only thing successful at stopping Luck in his first job.  Luck laid an egg, but it's the Broncos, and you can't expect much more than that.  Plus, mithril is crazy hard to find and I'm sure the NFL can't afford to kit out all their opponents with it.
  • All of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers except Mike Evans - Yikes.  The Cardinals took that game away from the Buccaneers like the Bucs were fresh Publix seafood.  As always, the jokes in this column are 100% cutting-edge and relevant.
  • Blaine Gabbert - I don't even know how many points Gabbert scored.  I'm just contractually obligated to include him in any and all NFL "bust lists."  Oh and the rest of the Niners too.  The Panthers burst that "maybe they're good?" bubble at mach speed.
  • The Concepts Of Karma, Justice, Etc. - yeah, the Patriots are gonna be 4-0 to start, aren't they?  F*ck.

 
Seems like a good place as any to leave off. Can't think of anyone else who underperformed and lost their owners a fantasy game. Most definitely no one else worth mentioning... not a single Steelers receiver who was drafted first overall.  

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go weep bitterly into this Antonio Brown bodypillow (it twerks!). At least Carson "We're Just Purer Folk In North Dakota" Wentz coming up against the weaponized apathy Jay Cutler brings to the table could be amusing.

 




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Omarion Hampton

Ruled Out for Week 13
Baker Mayfield

Practices in Full Friday, Listed as Questionable for Week 13
Kirill Marchenko

Misses Third Straight Game
Drake London

Officially Ruled Out for Week 13
Jaden Schwartz

to Miss Six Weeks
Chris Olave

Officially Questionable to Play in Week 13 Due to Back Injury
Andre Burakovsky

Set to End Three-Game Absence
Alvin Kamara

Will Not Play in Week 13
William Nylander

Out Friday With Illness
J.J. McCarthy

Officially Ruled Out for Week 13
Ryan Hartman

Returns to Action Friday
Brady Tkachuk

Officially Available Friday
Ja'Marr Chase

Helps Bengals Snap Four-Game Skid on Thanksgiving
Mike Matheson

Signs Five-Year Extension
C.J. Stroud

Will Play on Sunday
Anthony Davis

Reportedly Set to Return on Friday Night
DK Metcalf

Good to Go for Week 13
Aaron Rodgers

Will Play in Week 13
Daniel Jones

Will be Ready to Go on Sunday
Terry McLaurin

Will be Active Against Broncos
Jayden Daniels

Officially Out for Week 13
Jaxson Dart

Will Start on Monday Night
Bucky Irving

Will Return in Week 13
Baker Mayfield

Trending Towards Starting Against Cardinals
Dalton Kincaid

Questionable to Play in Week 13
Darren Waller

"in Play" to Return in Week 13
Trey Benson

Won't Return From Injured Reserve in Week 13
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Not Expected to Go on Injured Reserve
Jarrett Allen

Nearing Return From Finger Injury
Andrew Nembhard

Questionable Entering Friday's Contest
Jaden Ivey

Status Uncertain for Friday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Could Miss Fifth Consecutive Game
Coby White

Questionable for Friday's Matchup
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Questionable With Knee Issue Ahead Of Friday
Jameson Williams

Explodes for 144 Yards, Touchdown on Thanksgiving
Stephen Curry

Expected To Miss About A Week With Quad Injury
Michael Porter Jr.

Won't Play Friday Versus 76ers
Paul George

Faces Game-Time Call Against Nets
VJ Edgecombe

Sidelined Again Against Nets
Joel Embiid

Out Again Friday vs. Nets
Paolo Banchero

Ruled Out Again Friday With Groin Injury
Jalen Williams

Set to Make Season Debut Friday
Jonathan Kuminga

Hoping to Return on Saturday Versus Pelicans
Stephen Curry

to Undergo an MRI
Brady Tkachuk

Aims to Return Friday
Matthew Tkachuk

Resumes Skating
Jakob Chychrun

Stretches Point Streak to Nine Games
Matej Blumel

Expected to Miss Some Time
Marcus Foligno

Exits With Injury Wednesday
Jaden Schwartz

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Wednesday
Trendon Watford

to Sit Out at Least Two Weeks
Gradey Dick

Injured on Wednesday
RJ Barrett

to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week
Anthony Davis

on the Cusp of Returning
Gary Payton II

Hurt in Wednesday's Loss
Lukas Dostal

Out Wednesday Night
Sean Durzi

Available Against Canadiens
Thomas Chabot

to Remain Out Wednesday
Jared McCann

Expected to Rejoin Kraken Lineup Wednesday
Andre Burakovsky

a Game-Time Decision Wednesday
Mikko Rantanen

Returns to Stars Lineup Wednesday
Mark Stone

Ready to Return Wednesday
Dylan Cease

Agrees With Blue Jays on Seven-Year, $210 Million Deal
Anthony Rendon

Angels Could Buy Out Final Year of Anthony Rendon's Contract
Josh Hader

Says his Shoulder is "Back to Normal"
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks "Actively Listening" on Ketel Marte
Josh Norris

Nearing Return
J.T. Realmuto

Red Sox Showing Interest in J.T. Realmuto
Sonny Gray

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return

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