The Jaguars moved quickly to claim jettisoned Houston receiver, Jaelen Strong
In a move that should be anything but surprising, Strong was claimed by the Jaguars off of waivers from Houston. At only 23 years of age, Strong has flashed only occasionally and not nearly consistently enough to earn more playing time. He's yet to be targeted in 2017, even on a depleted Texan receiver corps. He lands in a great situation with the Jaguars who are injury riddled themselves. He's young, has good size and should see the field on occasion in four-receiver sets in time. Until then, he's a dynasty long-shot worth a stash on deep-roster leagues.
Abdullah put up 86 yards on 17 carries against the New York Giants
The Lions leading rusher last year was Theo Riddick with 357 yards, so Abdullah hitting 86 in one game is substantial news. He received 17 carries, resulting in a 5.1 YPC, which compares favorably to Riddick and Dwayne Washington. Late in the game it appeared Abdullah was limping a little bit and he didn't re-enter the game, so keep a close eye on his availability for next week.
In dynasty, Abullah owners have been waiting a long time to see him used as the feature back and likely aren't interested in trading him away. If you don't already own him, it's likely too late.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports that the March incident is still under review by Broward Police as well as the NFL
This could be what was holding up him getting the contract he wanted in the offseason. If Devante Parker continues to progress and showcase why he was such an early draft pick, Landry's time could be up in Miami. Whether thats a good thing for his value, will depend on how this incident is resolved.
An unproductive Week 1 gave way to a seven reception, 69 yard Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Somebody in the Bears' wide receiver corps is going to have to step up in the abscence of Kevin White and Cameron Meredith, and that somebody could be Wright. Fresh off a non-descript first game of the year, Wright came out and proved to be Mike Glennon's favorite target, absorbing seven recptions in ten tries. Two of the three misses were bad drops, but it was an otherwise vintage Wright performance. If he can get back to the form he showed early in his Titans' career, Wright should top rookie Tarik Cohen for the team lead in receptions. I'd consider him a no-frills WR4 going forward.
Despite completing 69% of his passes for 301 yards, Glennon had a rough day, turning the ball over three times.
Counting stats are great and all, but Glennon threw two ugly interceptions and put the ball on the carpet once, singlehandedly taking Chicago out of the game in the first half. When he wasn't giving the ball to the defense, Glennon was doing his best to manage the game despite a WR corps that wouldn't be out of place in the SWAC. A low-ceiling, low-floor, Alex Smith wannabe, Glennon is perhaps a bad performance or two away from getting supplanted by hopeful Bears' savior, Mitchell Trubisky.
Howard had an abysmal Week 2 with only seven yards on nine touches and was seen in a sling after the game.
If Week 1 wasn't great for Howard, Week 2 was an abject disaster. With Chicago falling behind early due to four turnovers, Howard saw a very light workload. When he did touch it, he was completely ineffective, due at least in part to Tampa Bay's ability to fill holes before they formed. To compound issues, he was was spotted in a sling after the game.
Chicago is going to be behind a lot this year, which could continue to limit Howard's opportunities. The presence of rookie sensation Tarik Cohen further complicates matters. Despite this, if Howard is healthy, he should rebound to be a solid high-end RB2 type player who sees around 15 touches per game.
Cohen posted eight receptions on nine targets, only one off the team lead for the week.
We are now weeks into the season and it is getting hard to look past the big role for the little back. A week after hanging eight receptions on 12 targets and totally 113 yards over 13 touches, Cohen finished second on the team in targets and first in receptions. Only Kendall Wright seems like a serious threat to Cohen's ability to lead the team in both categories in 2017.
I am a buyer and if I was re-drafting the 2017 class today, Cohen would absolutely be a late-first round pick.
Perine ended up getting 21 carries for 67 yards in relief of Rob Kelley.
It's feared that Rob Kelley suffered a broken rib in the Redskins' win over the Rams. Perine took over early-down rushing duties afterwards, finishing with more than 20 carries. If Kelley is out for a while, Perine should get an extended look. Dynasty owners who were low on Kelley at the start of the season should be thrilled at the early season opportunity for Perine.
Bryant finished with three catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in his second game back from suspension.
Martavis Bryant looked as explosive as ever, taking a 51 yard pass to the end zone on a crossing pattern. Dynasty owners who either held onto him or acquired him while on suspension are likley going to see dividends as long as Bryant can stay on the field.
Henry tallied seven receptions for 80 yards on seven targets in the loss to the Dolphins.
Those worried about Henry's lack of involvement in the game plan during last week's matchup can breathe a sigh of relief. He was featured early and often, despite Gates setting the all-time TD record for TEs. This was good to see and should continue throughout the season.
Hurns had a big day, with six catches for 82 yards and a score in the loss to the Titans.
Just a week ago Hurns was sitting fourth on the Jaguars' depth chart and almost an afterthought for dynasty owners. Now just a week later he's not only starting but is leading the team in yards (second to Marquise Lee in catches and targets). If you have Hurns on your dynasty roster you can expect him to continue to get a lot of action as long as he can stay healthy.
Higgins was targeted 11 times int he Browns loss to the Ravens. This was four more targets than the next closest receiver (Corey Coleman).
This will be an interesting situation to watch, as Higgins has come out of nowhere to post a big week two, finishing with seven catches for 95 yards. It seems to be at the expense of newly-acquired Kenny Britt, who only finished with two targets after being reprimanded last week by Coach Hue Jackson. Higgins should be a hot name on dynasty waiver wires this week if he isn't already rostered.
Update: With the news that Corey Coleman has a broken hand that will land him on IR for at least the next eight weeks, Higgins has an even better chance to turn the opportunity into dynasty relevance.
Maclin was targeted five times against the Browns, resulting in four receptions for 31 yards and a TD. This is his second week in a row to score a TD.
There were some questions about Maclin's health and athleticism going back to late last year, followed by his release from the Chiefs in the summer. He's proving doubters wrong to this point, scoring in both of his first two games as a Raven. If you bought him anytime since last November, it appears you got a steal.
Corey Davis injured his hamstring early on against Jacksonville on Sunday. He was seen visibly limping on the sideline.
It's been a frustrating start to Corey's young career. He flashed in week one with six receptions and 69 yards. The talent is obviously there. He just needs to stay healthy. If Corey ends up missing significant time this season a decent buy-low window may emerge. It was clear early in camp and in week one that the two lead wide receivers for the Titans are Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis when everyone is healthy. Decker will play an important role while Corey is out, but expect great things when he returns (as soon as next week, until we know more).
Derrick Henry put up a career high in rushing yards today in Jacksonville with 92. He also capped off a drive with a 17-yard scamper for a score.
Derrick Henry fans have been "pounding the table" for more touches for what seems like a lifetime. Entering training camp this backfield was clearly still DeMarco Murray's, but that might be changing. Murray struggled with hamstring issues throughout training camp and the preseason. Coach Mularkey expressed his concern with DeMarco's hamstring even leading into week one. Derrick Henry's 14 carries for 92 yards and a score may just be due to the Titans playing it safe with DeMarco. However, it's also possible that Derrick Henry's time to shine might be just around the corner.
It was announced Friday that Kenneth Dixon was suspended two additional games for violating the league's substance abuse program.
Dixon is currently on IR because of season-ending knee surgery and had already been suspended four games for substance abuse. These additional two games won't affect owners since all the games will be applied while he's on IR, but it's another strike against him.
Chances are the Ravens move on from Dixon after the season and even if they don't, it would be a shock if they didn't draft a RB fairly high in next year's draft or bring in someon via free agency. Dynasty owners would be better off moving on from Dixon now unless they have an open IR spot hey can fill. His chances of being relevant continue to dwindle.
Williams won't play in week 2, but returned to practice this week in a limited fashion.
Post-draft Williams was generally regarded as a top 6 rookie pick in dynasty drafts, but kept sliding as we progressed through the off-season and news of him possibly missing the entire season came out. Luckily, that wasn't the case and Williams wasn't even placed on the PUP list to start the season. Now just one week in, we're seeing him back at practice with a possible week three return.
Regardless of when Williams first plays, this is very good news for dynasty owners. The Chargers have a solid receiving corp with Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, Dontrelle Inman, and a couple of TEs in Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry. Mike Williams can be brought along slowly without rushing him back onto the field, yet can benefit from practicing with the team and even getting a few snaps here and there when cleared to play. If you were able to get him in rookie drafts at the 1.08 or lower, consider yourself lucky.
John Ross fumbled on his first touch and did not re-enter the game again.
Marvin Lewis must not have watched Kareem Hunt respond with a record-breaking performance after fumbling on his first touch in week one. The Bengals offense is a train wreck, scoring just nine points through two games. Ross's speed would be a differentiating factor. Hopefully he can find his way out of the dog house quickly, or this could become a frustrating season for the first-round talent.
With Allen Robinson out for the year, keep an eye on this rookie who had a decent pre-season
The 6'1"/194 lb. rookie is a young receiver to keep an eye on in the absence of Robinson (ACL). Cole had five receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown in the three games in which he saw targets during the preseason and he'll now run behind Marqise Lee on the outside and could see time in three and four receiver sets. He's only received two targets thus far but expect that to rise. Watching Cole, there is some "it" factor there and we don't mean the clown. Put him on your watch list and add early if you have the space.
Watson was 15/24 for 125 yards through the air and 5/67/1 on the ground in the Thursday night victory over the Bengals.
It was an up and down performance, but a win is a win. Watson took some silly sacks and at times didn't appear to know which coverage the defense was playing. He did have a 49 yard rushing TD. There will be growing pains, but this looks like it's safely Watson's job moving forward.
