Nobody has a more stacked lineup of fantasy analysts and NFL team reporters than ESPN. It's the rare backfield-by-committee that's actually a good thing for fantasy managers. Every Tuesday, we'll ask our NFL Nation reporters a series of burning questions to help inform your waiver-wire pickups and roster decisions.
Ouch.
Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game. But this week was particularly brutal, with the top two draft picks from most fantasy leagues both being sidelined. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss "multiple weeks" with a high ankle sprain, while New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
Another running back who was off to a sizzling start -- the San Francisco 49ers' Raheem Mostert -- is also expected to miss at least one week with a knee sprain.
Here is how the Giants, Panthers and 49ers plan to replace their backs in real life:
New York Giants
No one player will take on the Barkley role in New York (and probably no two players put together, to be honest). But veteran Dion Lewis could have some season-long fantasy value in deeper PPR leagues as the pass-catching part of the equation.
Giants reporter Jordan Raanan expects coach Joe Judge to follow the backfield blueprint from his days as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots.
"The Giants will thrust Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman into bigger roles," Raanan said. "The likelihood is that Gallman gets used similar to what the Patriots do with Sony Michel. That means when he's on the field, most of the time it is to run the football. Lewis will be the Giants' James White as the passing-down option. He caught four passes on five targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears and has Judge's complete trust as a pass-blocker.
Raanan added the Giants might add a veteran like Devonta Freeman to the mix. In that scenario, he said Freeman would likely bump Gallman and split time with Lewis.
Carolina Panthers
Mike Davis should be the featured back in Carolina while McCaffrey is sidelined, which means he could be a serviceable alternative for desperate fantasy GMs. Just don't expect a McCaffrey-like 25 touches per game, said Panthers reporter David Newton.
"Davis showed he's more than capable as a receiver out of the backfield with eight catches for 74 yards against Tampa Bay. But he's not the runner McCaffrey is," Newton said. "So look for offensive coordinator Joe Brady to blend in more reverses with receiver Curtis Samuel or even put Samuel in the backfield at times. Remember, Samuel played running back and receiver at Ohio State similar to the way McCaffrey is featured. Also, look for the Panthers to call Reggie Bonnafon up from the practice squad. He was effective in spurts last year."
San Francisco 49ers
Mostert and backup Tevin Coleman are both dealing with knee sprains that figure to keep them out for at least the next week or two, according to 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner.
"Neither injury looks to be long term -- but it's certainly enough to make Jerick McKinnon an intriguing fantasy option in the meantime," Wagoner said of the former breakout candidate who missed the past two seasons with knee injuries. "McKinnon has looked good, scoring a touchdown in each of the first two weeks. But don't expect the Niners to ask him to carry too much of a load so soon. Jeff Wilson Jr. is the next option, and fantasy players probably remember his penchant for being used as the goal-line back when he filled in for injured backs early last season. One more name to keep an eye on: rookie Jamycal Hasty. He's on the practice squad but impressed in camp and has some big-play ability that could make him an intriguing practice squad call-up for a couple weeks."
Need more insight on some potential Week 2 waiver claims? As always, our NFL Nation reporters have you covered:
Baltimore Ravens
Good luck trying to solve Baltimore's backfield puzzle. Rookie J.K. Dobbins went from seven carries and two rushing touchdowns in Week 1 to two carries on Sunday (though he gained 44 yards on one of them). Meanwhile, backup Gus Edwards went from four carries in Week 1 to a team-high 10 carries in Week 2 -- one more than starter Mark Ingram.
But Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley offered some encouragement for Dobbins' fantasy investors.
"After two games, it looks like a boom-or-bust situation is developing with Dobbins," Hensley said. "Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said after the season opener that he likes to keep everyone guessing when it comes to the division of running back touches, and he wasn't being coy. This is the most interesting stat for Dobbins: He was on the field for just one of Baltimore's 10 red-zone snaps in Houston after scoring two TDs against Cleveland in the opener.
"But no one should be surprised if Dobbins then comes back and gets a heavier workload in Week 3 against Kansas City. With the Ravens going against an equally explosive offense, they could be giving the ball a lot more to their most explosive back."
Dallas Cowboys
Third-year tight end Dalton Schultz had a total of 14 catches for 133 yards and zero touchdowns before he busted loose for 9-88-1 on Sunday. So was this just a one-week fluke? Or is it possible that he'll become a steady contributor now that Blake Jarwin is hurt and Jason Witten is in Vegas?
"Since he entered the game with 14 catches for his career and had two drops in the season opener against the Rams, I want to call it a one-off. But it's not like the Cowboys have proven commodities as pass-catching tight ends," Cowboys reporter Todd Archer said. "Can he keep up this pace? I'd highly doubt that. But teams will focus on Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb, so Schultz will get some chances in the middle of the field. Dak Prescott is going to need some easy throws, and Schultz provided a fine outlet. He can't stretch the field like Jarwin, but he had a solid training camp and can help."
Denver Broncos
Rookie WR Jerry Jeudy and second-year TE Noah Fant are obvious fantasy pickups in the wake of receiver Courtland Sutton's season-ending knee injury. But will anyone else play a big enough role on offense to be a fantasy asset in deeper leagues?
"Rookie receiver KJ Hamler will see the biggest increase in playing time with Sutton's injury," Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold said. "Sunday was his first game of the season after he missed the opener with a hamstring injury. And he played 48 snaps against the Steelers, was tied for the team lead with seven targets, finished with 48 yards on three catches and ran the ball once for nine yards.
"Tight end Jake Butt might also be worth a look. His snap count will likely rise since the Broncos' troubles in pass protection against the Steelers will move them toward more two-TE looks."
Houston Texans
Let me guess: I'm not the only one who had receiver Will Fuller on my bench when he caught eight passes for 112 yards in Week 1 -- then in my flex spot when he had zero targets on 37 snaps Sunday while reportedly battling a hamstring issue?
"The one thing you can count on with Fuller is, weirdly, inconsistency, whether it's due to injury or odd performances like he had against the Ravens," Texans reporter Sarah Barshop said. "But Fuller is definitely in the Texans' plans when healthy and must be started because of his massive week-to-week upside. Just be ready for the occasional letdown like Week 2.
"Texans coach Bill O'Brien refrained from giving an update about Fuller's health on Monday and said the fifth-year wideout 'was involved in the passing game,' but 'we have to do a better job of getting him the ball. It just didn't happen yesterday.' The way Fuller was being attended to by trainers during the game and the fact he was not targeted indicates he was not at full health despite playing 63% of the snaps compared to 80% in Week 1. After the game, quarterback Deshaun Watson said Fuller has 'just got to continue to do the right treatment and get on the field, and he's going to do that. And every time he's on the field, he's a big factor. He's a big part of this offense, so just making sure that he is staying healthy and just keep pushing forward.'"
Jacksonville Jaguars
You might be too late to pick up RB James Robinson, who went from 15.4% rostered in Week 1 to 61.7% in Week 2. But Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco said he "absolutely" expects the undrafted rookie from Illinois State to remain the RB1 in Jacksonville, barring injury, after another big performance (16 carries for 102 yards and a TD, three catches for 18 yards).
"Coach Doug Marrone said in the days after Leonard Fournette's release that the plan was to go with a committee approach. But that fell apart after Ryquell Armstead landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list for the second time (he also battled a groin injury and another illness in camp) and Devine Ozigbo went on IR with a hamstring injury," DiRocco said. "That left Robinson to carry the load, and he has gained 164 yards -- the most by a player in franchise history through his first two games."
Miami Dolphins
RB Jordan Howard and WR Preston Williams might both end up on the most-dropped list after another disappointing week. Howard had five carries for just four yards, while Williams had one catch for 26 yards and a costly drop on fourth-and-goal.
Dolphins reporter Cameron Wolfe said folks should feel free to drop Howard but that, "I'd argue for them to hold on just a bit longer for Williams," who earned some breakout buzz this summer heading into his second season.
"Over his first two weeks, Williams has been largely shadowed by Stephon Gilmore and Tre'Davious White -- probably the NFL's two best cornerbacks," Wolfe pointed out. "He's had 12 targets over two games, but efficiency has been the issue [three catches, 67 yards]. I'd give him two more weeks, Thursday against Jacksonville and next Sunday against Seattle, to prove he's worthy of sticking on your roster."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It seems like TE Rob Gronkowski is still in semi-retirement with just two catches for 11 yards and four targets on 33 routes run this season. But when Bucs reporter Jenna Laine asked coach Bruce Arians about Gronk's lack of involvement, it didn't sound like Arians was about to start force feeding him.
"We're not throwing it 50 times to the tight ends. That's what we have receivers for," said Arians, who said opposing defenses have not really been doing anything specific to take Gronkowski out.
Tennessee Titans
If you're looking for a Gronk replacement -- and if you're in one of the 60% of ESPN leagues in which Jonnu Smith is still available -- you should probably pounce now. Smith is the second-highest scoring TE in fantasy behind Travis Kelce after he caught four passes for 84 yards and two TDs Sunday. Maybe he won't stay No. 2 all year, but Titans reporter Turron Davenport believes the breakout is legit enough to make Smith a weekly starting option.
"The big thing with Smith is that he is becoming Ryan Tannehill's favorite pass catcher, especially in the red zone," Davenport said. "The Titans have six red zone TDs this season, and Smith has three of them. He's also caught eight of the 12 targets that have gone his way. Tannehill and Smith had two or three throwing sessions per week in South Beach during the offseason, which is clearly boosting their chemistry."