Welcome back for the 2nd installment of Beard’s Boys as we lock away Week 2 of the NFL season, and what a week it was.
Injuries, plenty of close games and some wild finishes made for an exciting time for both real NFL and Fantasy NFL.
We saw so many great fantasy performances with some unlikely names putting up good numbers.
On the flipside we saw some really poor weeks from guys that we expect a whole lot more out of. These scores hurt fantasy managers and would’ve caused quite a few losing weeks.
Trends are starting to form as we get a better idea of how players are being used so we can start to make more informed decisions with our rosters.
Let’s take a look at who I deemed the best fantasy performer at each position and who disappointed the most also.
Studs:
QB: Lamar Jackson
What can you say about Lamar Jackson other than when he’s rushing the ball like he did this week he’s one of the most electrifying QBs in all of Fantasy.
He doesn’t always give you the best passing performance and that was the case again this week as he went 18-26 239 yards and 1 TD but he also had 2 INTs in the 1st half, one of which was returned for a pick 6.
He exploded in the 2nd half and his legs (16 rushes 107 yards and 2 TDs) were a huge part in Baltimore being able to force a much needed win against KC.
This is the type of performance that has made him a Fantasy MVP in the past and Fantasy managers will be hoping they can get similar upside scores moving forward.
RB: Derrick Henry
After a tough showing in Week 1, The King returned emphatically. Henry rushed the ball an amazing 35 times and amassed 182 yards while rumbling in for 3 TDs.
The most surprising aspect of Henry’s game on the weekend, and the part that Fantasy managers will be the most excited over is Henry was targeted 6 times in the passing game, bringing in all 6 catches for 55 yards.
If Henry suddenly becomes a regular target in the passing game then Fantasy managers will all be hailing The King once again.
WR: Cooper Kupp
QB Matthew Stafford has found his new favourite WR and has been looking for him on a massive amount of his passes.
Kupp has been targeted double digits both games so far putting up a massive stat line of 11 targets 9 catches 163 yards and 2 TDs.
That’s now Kupp’s 3rd TD of the season showing he’s quickly become the must have WR in this offense. Expect big numbers to continue in this explosive offense moving forward.
TE: Rob Gronkowski
Wait, what year is it? We’ve got prime Rob Gronkowski appearing in 2021.
While his reception totals won’t be able to match what he produced in his prime, he’s certainly on course to put up similar TD numbers.
While there were performances from guys with more receptions than Gronk, it’s the 2 TDs for a 2nd week in a row that lands him on my stud list. He’s a matchup nightmare all over the field and with the weapons TB has at WR, Gronk is going to find himself with plenty of space, especially down in the Redzone.
Could we see Gronk continue on this pace and finish as a top 5 TE on the season….I, for one, certainly think so.
With the exciting performances spoken about we obviously have the other end of the spectrum. There were also quite a few poor fantasy performances from some big names, but I’ve picked my biggest duds for each position.
Duds:
QB: Dak Prescott
After being on my stud list last week it was certainly not the case this week for Prescott.
While a large reason he didn’t repeat last week’s score comes down to a gameplan revolving around the run game, Dak was unable to get the ball to his receiving core for any TDs.
He put up a very efficient performance going 23-27 237 yards and throwing an INT
This is a perfect example of real life performance not netting any fantasy points.
Through 2 games Dak isn’t giving fantasy managers any rushing upside so his ceiling isn’t as high as others, meaning he’ll be required to have good TD numbers moving forward to stay in the upper elite for fantasy purposes.
RB: Alvin Kamara
What a difference a week makes for the Saints. Was a poor performance team wide as they were blown out by the Panthers.
Trailing all game meant they weren’t able to get Kamara going in the ground game which resulted in the poor stat line of 8 rushes for 5 yards. That yardage on 8 carries isn’t something that is expected of Kamara so expect better things moving forward.
What was concerning this week is that in such a negative game script he only hauled in 4 catches. Managers would’ve been hoping for more receiving volume to boost his score but it wasn’t to be this week.
WR: Tyreek Hill
After exploding out of the blocks last week, Hill put up an unusual stat line of only 4 targets for 3 receptions and 14 yards. This type of output can definitely be described as an outlier and managers will be expecting a big return from him next week. KC have plenty of ways they can attack their opponents but having Hill as their explosive option should return to normal next week and provide a return to form for all fantasy managers.
TE: George Kittle
While Kittle has been a consensus top 3 TE for a number of years now he certainly hasn’t lived up to that billing so far this year.
Concerning signs for Kittle managers is that he only received 4 targets. Putting up a stat line of 4 catches for a lowly 17 yards is very worrisome for managers.
Kittle has been used as a blocker on a lot of plays this year, which makes sense as he’s one of the best blockers in the game.
Managers will be hoping Kittle becomes a target monster again moving forward.
That brings to an end the 2nd installment of Beard’s Boys. Trends are forming and Fantasy managers will be either riding high or scrambling to play catch up early.
Good luck heading into week 3 and hopefully your players can avoid the duds list and we’re all posting wins.
You can find me on Twitter under the handle @Beard82 for all questions
Take care
Amateurs Fantasy Sports 