- Ja’Marr Chase bounces back in week 2: Chase erupted for 14 catches, 165 yards and a touchdown (36.5 PPR points). Even with Joe Burrow sidelined for three months, Jake Browning is poised to keep feeding him.
- Matthew Golden’s quiet start hides big upside: Golden has just two catches for 16 yards through two weeks, but Week 2 could have looked very different, as he was missed on potential 20- and 90-yard touchdowns.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4minutes
BOOMS
Last year’s WR1 bounced back in a big way, as we all expected, in Week 2. Chase finished with 14 receptions, 165 yards, a touchdown and 36.5 PPR points against the Jaguars, which was somehow good for just WR3 on the week.
The bigger story in Cincinnati is the status of Joe Burrow, who is expected to miss at least three months with a toe injury, leaving Jake Browning as the starter for the foreseeable future. Chase’s managers shouldn’t panic, though. In Chase’s limited time catching passes from Browning as QB1 in 2023, he logged:
- 53 targets
- 40 receptions
- 513 receiving yards
- Two touchdowns
- 2.15 yards per route run
- 102.2 passer rating when targeted
So, while Burrow’s injury is a massive hit to the Bengals‘ offense, Chase should be just fine.
Temperature Check: High-end WR1
Taylor, a true bell-cow running back each week, handled 27 touches in Week 2. He turned that into 215 total yards, one touchdown and 29.5 PPR points, making him the week’s RB1.
Taylor continues to dominate snaps out of Indianapolis’ backfield, taking 62 snaps in Week 2. The only other Colts running back to see time was DJ Giddens, who finished with five snaps. If you drafted Taylor, you have a running back who should continue to handle 20 or more touches each week.
Taylor also forced eight missed tackles, at a 29.6% rate, against the stout Broncos defense. He racked up 135 of his 165 rushing yards after contact, too. As long as Taylor stays healthy, he is a high-end RB1 based on usage alone.
Temperature Check: High-end RB1
The Sun God put together a three-touchdown Week 2, showing why he was well worth a first-round pick in fantasy this season. Along with the scores, he recorded nine receptions and 115 yards, including two receptions of 20-plus yards, en route to a 39.5-PPR-point performance.
On top of the box score stats, St. Brown logged an 87.5 PFF overall grade (eighth among wide receivers), a 40.7% adjusted target rate (third) and 4.11 yards per route run (first).
St. Brown enjoyed the biggest boom week of the season thus far, and if his target rate holds, he will continue to be a top-five wideout the rest of the way.
Temperature Check: High-end WR1; top-five potential for rest of season
BUSTS
Golden has just two catches for 16 yards through two weeks.
However, there are plenty of encouraging signs. Packers quarterback Jordan Love underthrew what would have been a 20-yard touchdown to Golden in Week 2, and then he overthrew him on what would have been a roughly 90-yard touchdown. The rookie ended with just 1.5 PPR points, all from rushing. It could have easily been a two-reception, 110-yard, two-touchdown outing.
On top of the missed opportunities, fellow wide receiver Jayden Reed exited in Week 2 with a shoulder injury. If Reed were to miss any extended time, Golden would get a huge boost in target share.
Don’t hit the panic button quite yet on the first-rounder.
Temperature Check: Ascending player to keep an eye on
Hockenson’s managers have endured a frustrating two weeks. The veteran tight end is averaging just 3.4 PPR points per game thus far.
Hockenson owns a 17.6% adjusted target share, which is tied for 22nd at the position. While there are growing pains to be expected with a new quarterback at the helm, the lack of targets is an ever-growing red flag.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle sprain in the team’s Week 2 loss to the Falcons, so Carson Wentz will be under center in Week 3, a contest for which I will likely bench Hockenson and look for a streamer.
Temperature Check: Very worried; benched until further notice and droppable in small leagues
Engram has been just as frustrating as Hockenson, if not more, averaging only 3.7 PPR points per game through two weeks.
In Week 2, Engram played only 42% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps, which was higher than his 34% clip in Week 1 but still discouraging. Tight end Adam Trautman has been in the rotation and caught a touchdown in Week 2. That rotation likely makes neither of them playable in fantasy for the foreseeable future, until someone pulls ahead.
Engram also owns a 13% opportunity rate through two weeks, which places him outside the top 15 tight ends. There is not much of a bright side thus far with Engram’s deployment.
Temperature Check: Droppable due to rotation
