Week 2 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some random thoughts and observations about Week 2 as I wonder why we can never have nice things.

Saquon Barkley
Christian McCaffrey
Raheem Mostert
Davante Adams
Courtland Sutton
Parris Campbell
Sam Watkins
Drew Lock
Jimmy Garoppolo
Nick Bosa
Cam Akers
Breshad Perriman

Looks like a pretty damn good fantasy lineup, doesn’t it? Nope. That’s the list of players who suffered injuries ranging from hopefully minor (Akers) to major (Barkley). We weren’t 15 minutes into Sunday’s action when players started dropping. First Akers, then Campbell, then Barkley.

And on and on it went. Easily one of the most brutal Sundays I’ve ever seen and one that is a virtual certainty to impact fantasy races the rest of the way. Is your season over if you got hammered by one or more of these injuries? Definitely not. But trying to win big when your first-round pick is out for the season or uncertain for the upcoming week is certainly problematic.

To all those who got hammered I feel your pain and I join you in the mourning. I got hit too in all of my money leagues. To all those who avoided the Week 2 injury landmines congrats on making it through the week unscatched.

Oh, we also all hate you.

No seriously. Legit hate you.

Now onto the games:

I know the Bengals are 0-2 but Joe Burrow is gonna be good. Like really good and probably great. That’s not something Bengals’ fans have seen much of lately. Genuine reason for optimism in Cincinnati.

Just fix that O Line so you don't kill Burrow first.

Who’s been the bigger non-injury disappointment of the first two weeks – Joe Mixon or Allen Robinson? After watching Sunday’s game I’m leaning toward ARob.

On Saturday, the Bears gave Tarik Cohen a $17 million contract extension. On Sunday, they gave him six touches. I’m not saying Cohen isn’t valuable and I have zero Cohen shares so I’m not coming at this from a fantasy perspective, but if you’re gonna pay a guy maybe you wanna use him?

I’m not saying the Atlanta Falcons are the best we’ve ever seen at choking but … well … they’re easily the best I’ve ever seen.

Cal Ridley – Top 20 pick in 2021. Book it.

Dak Prescott. Dude’s gonna get paid bigtime. And he deserves it.

I’m not saying every wide receiver-needy team that let CeeDee Lamb fall to the Cowboys should fire its GM but none of them should get a raise anytime soon. That was a failure of epic proportions.

Aaron Jones is on pace for 32 touchdowns. Can someone explain to me again how touchdown regression works because Aaron and I don’t get it.

Oh, and speaking of getting paid – Aaron Jones is gonna get paid.

Like REALLY REALLY REALLY paid.

If you watched Jones and Jamaal Williams (and Tyler Ervin too) on Sunday and wondered why the Packers reached in the draft to take A.J. Dillon two rounds earlier than he was projected to go get in line.

Dear Detroit Lions fans: I don’t know how to break this to you, but your season is over. I know it’s only been two weeks but time to prepare for 2021.

Gardner Minshew and Ryan Tannehill balling out is probably the strongest evidence you’ll ever see of why you should wait on drafting quarterbacks.

Remember when the entire fantasy industry said Aaron Jones’ TDs were going to regress and I was the lone voice asking why Derrick Henry’s wouldn’t? Just wanna say hi.

Jonathan Taylor – first-round pick in 2021.

To everyone who loaded up on Parris Campbell everywhere you could this week like I did – we’ll always have Wednesday through Saturday of Week 2. Those were magical times.

The Vikings have nothing going for them but at least Dalvin Cook is absolutely owning 2-point conversions this year. So there’s that.

Yay.

Speaking of Cook is there a reason why the Vikings refuse to use one of the game’s best receiving backs more thoroughly in the passing game? You have a struggling offense and a scattershot quarterback. Maybe help both with easy completions to Cook and get the ball to him in space where he can do damage.

Just a crazy thought.

Dear Vikings fans: I’m not gonna tell you again that Kirk Cousins never should’ve gotten the contract your team bestowed up on him but … well … you guys all know.

I wasn’t convinced Stefon Diggs could be a high-impact fantasy wide receiver in what I assumed would be a run-heavy Buffalo offense this year with a quarterback who had legitimate accuracy issues. Whoops.

Who do you think is happier right now – Diggs or DeAndre Hopkins?

Oh and Josh Allen spits at the run-heavy Bills’ offense narrative and his accuracy issues (which were real by the way).

We all know who Ryan Fitzpatrick is but he sure can be fun to watch when he's got it goin on.

Dear Barkley owners: If Myles Gaskin or Mike Davis is sitting on your Waiver Wire, how much of your FAAB are you going to spend on them? 60%? 70% 80?

The 49ers won on Sunday because it would’ve been physically impossible not to beat the Jets but losing Bosa, Mostert and Garoppolo is a Mike Tyson-sized punch to the gut. Even if Mostert and Garoppolo aren’t out long this is gonna be a tough road back to the Super Bowl.

In what was easily the week’s most predictable outcome Adam Gase went Full Gase and gave 623-year-old Frank Gore 20+ touches vs. San Francisco. We all love Frank Gore. Helluva guy. Fine career. But holy crap that’s just so incredibly dumb. And so incredibly predictable.

This is also a weekly reminder that you should never ever go Full Gase.

On a related note – Why do the Jets hate Sam Darnold so much?

One last Jets comment: Third-and-31 and Jerick McKinnon drops a 55-yard run on you? Seriously?

Oh and welcome back Jerick McKinnon. Terrific story.

I don’t know what to make of the Rams right now, but they are 2-0 and in this season that’s a great place to be.

I’m a big Carson Wentz guy but my God he’s made some truly putrid throws the first two weeks.

Welcome back, Miles Sanders. You were definitely missed in Week 1.

The Ben Snell Experience was fun while it lasted, huh?

If you sat Conner on Sunday yeah it sucked watching him go off but given the situation, I think that was the prudent move to make. There was way too much uncertainty in the Pittsburgh backfield so sitting Conner made sense this week. On the bright side, now you can safely start him knowing there’s no threat of a committee. This is clearly Conner’s backfield.

Until he gets hurt again.

Dionte Johnson - Third-round pick in 2021, right?

Right?

The only late-round pick/Waiver Wire pickup who generated more hype than Parris Campbell last week was Scottie Miller. Ummmm … well at least he didn’t get hurt.

So there’s that.

Dear Ronald Jones Fans: You’ll always have August.

Terry McLaurin is the truth.

I hope the Cardinals will be good at some point in the near future because I really wanna see Kyler Murray vs. Pat Mahomes or Lamar Jackson in the Super Bowl.

Speaking of Mahomes, you can bottle him up for nearly an entire game but he’ll still find a way to rip your heart out with the type of throw he made on his touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. What a player.

Dear Anthony Lynn – you go for it on fourth-down in overtime vs. Mahomes. Shouldn't even be up for debate.

Oh and if you start Tyrod Taylor next week you’re an idiot. Justin Herbert showed he’s ready and that he’s your future. And your present.

Harrison Butker FTW.
Harrison Butker FTW.
Harrison Butker FTW.

Yup, that happened.

Week 2 was a boatload of crazy but how easy was it to predict Sam Watkins and Will Fuller doing nothing after their big Week 1s? Sometimes this game ain’t all that difficult.

I would pay real money to watch a kicking battle between Butker and Justin Tucker.

Oh look, I guess Mark Ingram isn’t dead after all.

Neither is Brandin Cooks.

It’s very possible Seattle and New England have poor defenses. It’s also very likely that no matter how good your defense is this season you’re not stopping Russ Wilson or Cam Newton. Russ is playing like he really wants an MVP award and Cam is looking like Cam again.

Russ Wilson never receiving a single MVP vote in his career is beyond insane. I know he’s won a Super Bowl and he’s married to Ciara so life’s pretty darn good but c’mon. How is this even possible?

There was so much depth at wide receiver this year I couldn’t get everyone I wanted. Watching Tyler Lockett and Julian Edelman last night reminded me how badly I wanted both since they were such ridiculous values the entire drafting season.

And finally, my thoughts go out to my fellow Badgers alum James White during a most difficult time. Having my lost both of my parents in the last two years I know how difficult this can be.

[BigBlueNation]

Good stuff as always, Tom. I believe we all new this was going to be a crazy year, but WOW, I didn't expect such catastrophic injuries so early. So much for KDS, we're all in survival mode, now.

[ChiTwn]

Enjoy these T&Os!

The Will fuller and Watkins doing nothing in week 2 was like clock work.