Injury Update:
** Redskins QB Robert Griffin III dislocated his left ankle against the Jaguars, the team has announced. No timetable has been offered up for his expected return, so we’ll have to wait and see if surgery is needed and how long Griffin will be out. QB Kirk Cousins will step in as Washington’s starter while RG3 is sidelined. More on Cousins below.
** Chargers RB Ryan Mathews injured his right knee in the 4th quarter of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. He had to be carted off the field. The team believes it might be a sprained MCL, which would be relatively good news. Mathews will undergo an MRI, and hopefully we’ll learn moretomorrow.
** Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno suffered a dislocated elbow in Sunday’s loss to the Bills, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That’s the same injury that landed Bengals TE Tyler Eifert on the short-term IR. We’ll see what Miami does with Moreno, but he’s looking at a multi-week absence. Lamar Miller will step in as the Dolphins’ lead back and be at least a RB3 or flex option. Damien Williams will be the #2 RB.
** Redskins RB Roy Helu left Sunday’s game early with a left knee injury. He said afterward that he suffered the injury early in the game and was able to play through it. He doesn’t believe an MRI is necessary, but the Redskins might feel differently. We should get an update on his status tomorrow.
** Bengals WR A.J. Green left early in Sunday’s game with a foot issue. He’s believed to be dealing with turf toe, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That’s an injury that can linger and debilitate a player’s speed and explosion. Consider Green questionable for Week 3 for now. We’ll continue to monitor his status.
** Redskins WR DeSean Jackson left in the 1st quarter of Sunday’s win over the Jaguars with a shoulder injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that it’s a bruise to the AC joint in his left shoulder, which Jackson had previously sprained. Other reports have called it a sprain. Either way, Jackson’s status seems to be in question for Week 3.
** Jets WR Eric Decker suffered a hamstring injury in the 2nd half of Sunday’s game against the Packers and did not return. We’ll keep an eye on his practice participation throughout the coming week.
** Jaguars WR Allen Hurns hobbled off the field with about 20 seconds left in Sunday’s loss to Washington. He hurt his left foot/ankle, exited on a cart and was reportedly on crutches after the game. Any missed time would help fellow rookie Allen Robinson stay on the field after Robinson caught 4 passes in Week 2.
** Raiders WR Rod Streater suffered a hip injury in Sunday’s game against the Texans and did not return. We should get an update on his status on Monday afternoon.
** Jaguars TE Marcedes Lewis left Sunday’s loss to Washington with an apparent left ankle sprain. The veteran was reluctant to put weight on it as trainers helped him off the field. We’ll keep an eye on his Week 3 status.
Waiver Wire Targets:
Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins
Cousins stepped in after Robert Griffin’s ankle injury and looked sharp. He finished the 1st half 14-of-15 and the game 22-of-33 passing for 250 yards and 2 TDs. Matchups with the Eagles and Giants the next 2 weeks make Cousins an immediate starting option in 2-QB leagues and a cheap target worth considering for daily fantasy lineups.
Bobby Rainey, RB, Bucs
Rainey looked better on Sunday than Doug Martin has in a while. He ripped off 144 yards on 22 carries, plus another 30 yards on 3 grabs. Martin’s status remains unclear with that knee injury, but we have to believe Rainey has earned himself a significant role even when Martin returns. Tampa Bay gets a weak Atlanta defense this coming Thursday night.
Knile Davis, RB, Chiefs
Davis was drafted in most leagues as a Jamaal Charles handcuff, but check your waiver wire just in case. He’s unowned in 43% of ESPN leagues. Davis was a workhorse after Charles left Sunday’sgame, racking up 28 touches for 105 yards and 2 TDs. This is a talented RB who will see big workloads if Charles misses time.
Matt Asiata, RB, Vikings
Asiata posted an ugly yet effective line for fantasy owners. He managed just 36 yards on 13 carries (2.8 YPC) but found the end zone on a 25-yard TD catch. The New England defense simply left Asiata unguarded, so the play wasn’t particularly impressive. The Utah product still looks like a sub-par NFL runner whose value relies upon volume. He tallied 18 touches this week and could see that amount going forward if Adrian Peterson remains sidelined.
Donald Brown, RB, Chargers
We’re still waiting to hear how long RB Ryan Mathews will be sidelined with his knee injury. But the fact that he had to be carted off suggests a multi-week absence. Brown figures to pick up the slack while Mathews is out, with RB Danny Woodhead staying in his change-of-pace role. San Diego gets a tough Bills defense in Week 3 before an easier Week 4 draw against the Jaguars.
Markus Wheaton, WR, Steelers
Wheaton’s surprisingly still owned in just 34% of ESPN leagues. That shouldn’t be the case after he has opened the year with 11 catches through 2 games. His 2 carries (for 22 yards) in the Thursdaynight loss to Baltimore also shows the team’s desire to get him the ball. If Ben Roethlisberger can improve his uneven play through 2 weeks, it would only further help the fantasy outlook for his young #2 WR.
Kenny Stills, WR, Saints
Stills made his 2014 debut on Sunday, hauling in 3 of 4 targets for 25 yards. We’ll be curious to see how many snaps he played. We remain high on Stills’ upside. He’s worth stashing in all leagues.
James Jones, WR, Raiders
A week after coming off the bench, Jones was Oakland’s clear #1 WR in Sunday’s loss to the Texans. The former Packer led the team with 14 targets, 9 catches and 112 yards. A large chunk of his production came in garbage time, including a 9-yard TD with 13 seconds left. But Jones’ performance should solidify him as the top dog in the Raiders passing game going forward.
Brian Quick, WR, Rams
Quick was St. Louis’ clear-cut #1 WR for the 2nd straight game. He led the team with 9 targets, 7 catches and 74 yards against the Bucs on Sunday. The Rams’ QB situation will surely lead to a few clunkers for Quick, but he’s looking like at least a matchup play.
Andrew Hawkins, WR, Browns
After leading the Browns in targets (10), catches (8) and receiving yards (87) in the opener, Hawkins did the same in Week 2. He hauled in 6 of 12 targets for 70 yards against the Saints. Hawkins is starting to look like a weekly WR3 in PPR leagues.
Aaron Dobson, WR, Patriots
Dobson was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and caught just 1 of 2 targets for 13 yards this Sunday. That’s fine – it’ll make it easier for you to land him on the waiver wire. Dobson is easily New England’s most talented outside WR. With the offseason’s foot issues behind him, his role will only grow from here. He’s worth stashing in leagues of 10+ teams.
Harry Douglas, WR, Falcons
Douglas caught just 4 balls for 38 yards on a day when the Falcons passing game struggled. But he again played most of the snaps and finished tied for 2nd on the team with 8 targets. Douglas saw 7 looks in Week 1. He’ll be a nice guy to have around when the byes start hitting in a couple weeks.
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Bengals
He could find himself as Cincinnati’s #1 WR for the foreseeable future. WR A.J. Green is dealing with turf toe, and WR Marvin Jones is expected to miss at least another game or 2 with his broken foot. Sanu put his multi-faceted skill set on display this week, hauling in a 76-yard score and throwing a perfectly placed 50-yard bomb to WR Brandon Tate. You obviously shouldn’t be expecting passing yards out of Sanu going forward, but his role as a receiver could make him a spot-start option against the Titans in Week 3.
Delanie Walker, TE, Titans
Walker is still available in over 30% of ESPN leagues. That won’t be the case for long. Walker exploded for 10 catches, 142 yards and a score in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. His 14 targets were easily a team high. Walker also scored in the opener as part of a 3-catch, 37-yard effort.
Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs
He continues to play behind Anthony Fasano but was busy on Sunday. Kelce was targeted 6 times, hauling in 4 for a team-high 81 yards. His role should only grow from here. Kelce is still a risky fantasy starter at this point but could emerge as a top-10 option over the 2nd half of the season.
Larry Donnell, TE, Giants
Donnell followed up his 5-56-1 Week 1 line with a 7-81 against the Cardinals on Sunday. The catches and yards were both team highs. Donnell finished 2nd on the team with 9 targets. QB Eli Manning has clearly taken a liking to Donnell. There’s not a ton of upside here, but Donnell is worth rostering as a matchup play.
Deep League Options:
Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns
Even though he only saw half of the touches that Terrance West did, Crowell again had the better yards per carry. He’s a stash for now, but he has serious upside if Cleveland expands his role.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings
McKinnon handled a light load against the Pats, rushing twice for 7 yards and adding 2 catches for 5 yards. The raw rookie is loaded with talent, but it’s clear that the coaching staff doesn’t fully trust him. Starting RB Matt Asiata looked predictably slow en route to 13 rushes for 36 yards. That gives McKinnon a chance to emerge in this backfield at some point this season. With Adrian Peterson potentially set to miss multiple games, McKinnon is worth stashing on fantasy benches.
Davante Adams, WR, Packers
If Adams hasn’t passed WR Jarrett Boykin in the pecking order yet, he’s certainly made up ground. InSunday’s win over the Jets, Adams hauled in 5 of 7 targets. Boykin finished with just 1 catch on 3 looks. The rookie is worth stashing as we continue to monitor his role.
Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars
Robinson led the Jags with 4 catches and 75 yards on Sunday while tying Allen Hurns for a team-high 6 targets. With Hurns, TE Marcedes Lewis and WR Cecil Shorts all fighting off injuries, Robinson could be forced into some near-term PPR value at least.
Niles Paul, TE, Redskins
Paul led the team in targets (11), catches (8) and yards (99) against Jacksonville, including a TD catch. And Paul nearly took another reception into the end zone and dropped another pass that would have turned into a long gain. Paul has put up consecutive strong fantasy outings with Jordan Reed injured. That probably bodes well for Reed’s usage once he returns, but it’s also reason to like Paul while Reed’s unhealthy.
Owen Daniels, TE, Ravens
Daniels has caught 9 passes through 2 games, including 2 TDs against the Steelers in Week 2. He was wide open in the end zone for each but ran featured routes in both cases even with Dennis Pitta healthy. And Joe Flacco didn’t throw a wacky 62 pass attempts in the Thursday night game. Daniels will be inconsistent but also brings some handcuff value given Pitta’s injury history.
IDP Waiver Targets:
Jason Hatcher, DE, Washington
A week after logging his team’s only sack in the opener, Hatcher spent plenty more time around the QB. He tallied 1.5 sacks and 4 tackles against a bad Jacksonville offense. Matchups with Philly and the Giants the next 2 weeks present more sack opportunities.
Dont’a Hightower, LB, Patriots
Hightower has seen expanded playing time each of the 1st 2 weeks and turned it into 2 sacks, a pass breakup and a team-high-tying 8 tackles against the Vikings in Week 2. He fits best in big-play heavy IDP leagues.
Leodis McKelvin, CB, Bills
McKelvin followed up a 13-tackle opener with an INT (plus 3 tackles) against Miami in Week 2. He retains big-play upside on top of those numbers with his return prowess.
