For the second straight week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick topped the 400-yard passing mark. And this time it was against the Philadelphia Eagles defense, a proven unit under coordinator Jim Schwartz. With a positive upcoming Week 3 matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, is it time to bump Fitzpatrick into the QB1 range?
Let's discuss the Buccaneers' red-hot quarterback, hit on Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller as a must-start and get into Patrick Mahomes' big day, Brandin Cooks, Chris Thompson and more.
Here are the Week 2 fantasy takeaways ...
Ryan Fitzpatrick a QB1 in Week 3 vs. Steelers' suspect secondary?
Fitzpatrick is slinging the ball right now. And that's the best way to say it after he posted another four-touchdown passing game in the win over the Eagles. Fitzpatrick has now thrown for 819 yards and eight touchdowns in his first two starts of the season, and on deck is a Steelers secondary that just gave up six touchdown passes to Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes. And the blueprint is there versus the Steelers -- attack the seams in the red zone/strike zone area of the field.
Sure, there are real concerns here that Fitzpatrick cools off considerably given his track record in the league. But we also have to look at the matchup versus Pittsburgh, along with the pass catchers the Bucs are using to create matchups and pepper the top of the secondary. Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard at the tight end position. That's why I see Fitzpatrick, who has completed 78.7 percent of his passes this season, as a QB1 in the ranks for this week.
Texans WR Will Fuller should be started in all leagues
In his first game of the season, Fuller posted 113 yards and a score on eight grabs, with his nine targets second to only DeAndre Hopkins' 11. A fluid route runner with blazing speed, Fuller can stretch the top of any secondary, and he also has the juice to make plays off underneath throws. Catch and run. He can go, now.
Plus, we have to talk about the on-the-field chemistry at play here with Texans' quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Houston signal-caller will give Fuller opportunities down the field, as he did on Sunday with the deep-ball throw for a 35-yard score. And the Houston offense under Bill O'Brien will facilitate big-play opportunities for Fuller given the amount of play-action, movement and post-snap misdirection we see in the game plan. If healthy, Fuller is a must start in all scoring formats as a WR2/Flex.
Lock Michael Thomas in as a top-five WR
Thomas put up monster volume for the second straight week, and I can't see any reason why the New Orleans Saints wide receiver isn't considered a top-five play moving forward. Thomas caught 12 of 13 targets in the win over the Browns for 89 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores coming in the tight red zone. Pair that with his Week 1 numbers -- 16 of 17 targets for 180 yards, one touchdown -- and Thomas has now racked up 28 receptions in the first two weeks of the season. It's the footwork at the top of the route, the body control and the ball placement with quarterback Drew Brees pulling the strings in the Saints' offense. Money.
Patrick Mahomes is a rising star
After throwing for 326 yards and six touchdowns -- on 23-of-28 passing -- versus Pittsburgh in Week 2, Mahomes has now racked up 10 touchdown throws this season. As I wrote last week, pairing Mahomes with an Andy Reid game plan leads to production. That's the ability of Reid to script matchups and open window throws for the quarterback with a loaded offensive roster in K.C.
However, we need to focus on Mahomes' skill set, too. The arm talent is ridiculous, but Mahomes is also winning with ball placement, pocket vision and mobility. The upside here is real, and Mahomes should be targeted as a high-end QB1 in Week 3 versus the 49ers.
How should managers handle the Broncos' backfield?
For the first two weeks of the season, I had Royce Freeman as a solid RB2 in my ranks. But with fellow Denver Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay producing two straight games of 100-plus total yards in the Denver system, on 32 touches, this backfield is a bit cloudy for fantasy managers.
Yeah, I really like Lindsay's running style. He's light on his feet, too. We could see that on his 53-yard run in the win over the Oakland Raiders. The Colorado product just glides. Big-play ability. However, can Lindsay consistently pound the ball inside at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds? And how do we handle the goal-line carries with Freeman?
Looking ahead to a Week 3 matchup with the Ravens, I'm probably going to slide Freeman out of the RB2 ranks. Even with goal-line touches, it's the volume I'm looking at here. And that's the same reason I'll bump Lindsay up into that Flex range. Lot of season left in Denver for this to truly shake out.
Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper back in the mix
With just one reception for 9 yards in the Week 1 loss to the Rams, there were a lot questions about Cooper's usage in Jon Gruden's system. But after the Raiders' wide receiver caught 10 of 10 targets versus the Broncos, I think we can put that stuff to bed for a while.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was ultra-efficient throwing the ball on Sunday -- 29-of-32 passing for 281 yards -- and the Raiders aligned Copper both inside and outside of the numbers. The route running was crisp, as expected, and Cooper finished with 116 yards receiving. He should be a pretty solid WR2 heading into the Week 3 matchup versus the Dolphins.
Play DeSean Jackson as a WR3 in Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh
It's the deep-ball speed with Jackson. We know that. And Fitzpatrick is going to take those shots down the field. We saw it at the start of the game on Sunday in the Bucs' win over Philadelphia. Play-action with the dig route backside -- to hold the safety -- and Jackson over the top on the post route. No help there. Seventy-five yards. House call.
Going back to Week 1 when Jackson tore up the New Orleans secondary for two touchdowns, the wide receiver has now has caught 9 of 9 targets for 275 yards and three scores to start the year. And Jackson gets a sweet matchup in Week 3 versus the Steelers. Given the matchup, and Fitzpatrick's willingness to push the ball over the top, Jackson will be high-ceiling WR3 in my rankings.
Brandin Cooks has the highest ceiling of the Rams' wide receivers
Playing that same role as Sammy Watkins in 2017, Cooks has started the season with both high-end volume and production. On Sunday, Cooks caught 7 of 9 targets for 159 yards in the Los Angeles Rams' win over the Arizona Cardinals, which followed up his 87 yards and five grabs in Week 1.
Yes, Cooks, in my opinion, runs cleaner routes than Watkins and plays a more complete game at the position. However, don't forget about Jared Goff's continued development here. The third-year quarterback has been working later into the down so far this season. And that will continue to create more opportunity for Cooks in an offense that leans on three-wide-receiver personnel.
With Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp seeing consistent week-to-week target volume, both wide receivers are in that flex range in my ranks. But it's Cooks that I look at in terms of the most upside with this unit. He's seeing the ball, and the big-play ability sells with a maturing QB. Give me Cooks as a solid WR2 moving forward.
Redskins RB Chris Thompson is a consistent flex option
Game flow impacted the rushing numbers for the Washington Redskins' Chris Thompson on the ground in the loss to the Indianapolis Colts, as he posted just 1 yard on four carries. However, Thompson saw 14 targets from quarterback Alex Smith, finishing with 13 receptions for 92 yards. Now, Thompson won't see that passing-game volume on a consistent basis, but if we go back to the Week 1 tape, it's clear that the running back has recovered from the 2017 leg injury. And that was my concern this summer.
The speed up the field is there, so are the lateral quicks. Washington used Thompson multiple times on edge runs out of the shotgun in that Week 1 win over the Cardinals, and his receiving skill set pops in this system with Smith running the offense. PPR managers should bank of Thompson producing pretty consistent numbers in the Flex spot moving forward.
Where is the run game volume for Christian McCaffrey?
PPR managers have to love the production from McCaffrey in the passing game. On Sunday, in the loss to Atlanta, McCaffrey caught a career-high 14 passes -- on 15 targets -- for 102 yards. That gives the running back 20 receptions for 147 yards to start the season. With McCaffrey's route skills, and Norv Turner's offensive system, the second-year pro will continue to feast as a target for quarterback Cam Newton.
However, what I'm waiting on here is the uptick in carries the Panthers' coaching staff talked about throughout the preseason. On Sunday, McCaffrey finished with just eight carries for 37 yards, with only one run in a tight red zone situation. That puts McCaffrey at 87 yards rushing -- on 18 carries -- through the first two weeks of the season. Average stuff. And he hasn't found the end zone yet. Let's keep an eye on this for Non-PPR managers with a Week 3 matchup against a salty Bengals defensive front.
Need streaming options? Target the passing game matchups versus the Chiefs' defense
In Week 1, Philip Rivers threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns. Week 2? It was Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers quarterback racked up 452 yards passing and three scores. And, really, it's a combination of poor secondary play in Kansas City with a pass rush that isn't getting home. Through two weeks, the Chiefs have recorded only two sacks. That's not going to cut it. Until this defense can make some serious adjustments, and get safety Eric Berry back on the field, fantasy managers in need of streaming options should take the passing game matchups here. For me, that's San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle in Week 3.
Keep Falcons rookie WR Calvin Ridley on the fantasy radar
Ridley saw only two targets in the Week 1 loss to the Eagles, and he didn't record a catch. However, on Sunday, the rookie out of Alabama caught 4 of 5 targets for 64 yards with his first career score. And that touchdown grab on the slant route meshes with everything I saw on Ridley's college tape. He is silky smooth off the line, which allows him to shake and separate almost immediately. Yeah, Ridley isn't going to crack your fantasy lineup yet. But with the advanced route running and short-area quickness I see here, Ridley is a guy I would want to stash on my bench as the season progresses. His role could increase.