Week 2 saw some new faces getting their first catches and carries of their career. Puka Nacua is leading the league in catches and targets. CJ Stroud almost eclipsed 400 yards. Bijan Robinson looks like one of the league’s best. And Sam LaPorta is as steady as they come.
QUARTERBACKS
Stroud showed out in a loss to Anthony Richardson’s Colts despite Richardson leaving with a concussion. Bryce Young came up short against the Saints, while no other rookie threw a pass in week two.
CJ Stroud, Texans
Week 2: 30-47, 384 yards, 2 TDS | 3 carries, 1 yard
2023: 58-91, 626 yards | 7 carries, 21 yards
Stroud had another great week, with nearly 400 yards passing to eight different pass catchers. Nico Collins (7-146-1), Tank Dell (7-72-1), and Robert Woods (6-74-0) all had very solid games. The Texans are collecting the pieces to assemble a very good offense.
Anthony Richardson, Colts
Week 2: 6-10, 56 yards | 3 carries, 35 yards, 2 TDs
2023: 30-47, 247 yards | 13 carries, 75 yards, 3 TDs
Richardson self-reported a concussion after rushing for two TDs on just three carries. That makes two games, two injuries, and lots of great plays. He is a bit of a buyer-beware player, knowing that you might get burned with his injuries. Gardner Minshew was solid as his replacement and a great hedge in case of a long-term Richardson injury.
Bryce Young, Panthers
Week 2: 22-33, 153 yards, 1 TD | 2 carries, 34 yards
2023: 42-71, 299 yards, 2 TDS, 2INTs| 5 carries, 51 yards
Young was up and down in the loss to the Saints. He looked fantastic on a late touchdown and 2-point conversion but didn’t do much otherwise.
RUNNING BACKS
Bijan ran away with it this week, but more and more backs are getting carries. No real surprises in week two unless you include an uptick in production from Tyjae Spears on fewer carries.
Bijan Robinson, Falcons
Week 2: 19 carries, 124 yards | 4 catches, 48 yards
2023: 29 carries, 180 yards | 10 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD
This is still a timeshare, but it doesn’t matter when there are 45 carries to go around. Tyler Allgeier will get his carries, but, in some sense, it might be just to keep Robinson healthy. Expect more of the same. The Falcons are 2-0, and the system is working.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
Week 2: 7 carries, 17 yards | 7 catches, 39 yards
2023: 14 carries, 59 yards | 9 catches, 57 yards
Gibbs is in a more role-defined timeshare, getting seven touches on the ground and seven through the air against David Montgomery’s 16 rushes. He didn’t break a big one in this game and doesn’t have a touchdown yet, but he should put up better fantasy numbers when both of those come.
Tyjae Spears, Titans
Week 2: 8 carries, 49 yards | 2 catches, 6 yards
2023: 11 carries, 76 yards | 3 catches, 7 yards
Spears saw fewer snaps but more touches and did far more with his touches. He is averaging 6.9 yards per carry on the season. With Henry’s contract up after this season, he will likely see an increased role next year. At his size, it may not ever be as the primary back.
Roschon Johnson, Bears
Week 2: 4 carries, 32 yards | 2 catches, 10 yards
2023: 9 carries, 52 yards, 1 td| 8 catches, 45 yards
Johnson has carved out the primary backup role in Chicago, with D’Onta Foreman a healthy scratch in week two. The Bears might be very bad, and Foreman might end up somewhere else. Johnson hasn’t had many big plays, but he has been consistent. That’s worth something in a league with so many rotating running backs.
The Rest of Week 2
- Deuce Vaughn, Cowboys – 3 carries, 16 yards | 3 catches, 16 yards
- Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks – 4 carries, 16 yards | 2 catches, 14 yards
- Elijah Dotson, Chargers – 4 carries, 6 yards | 2 catches, 13 yards
- Sean Tucker, Buccaneers – 8 carries, 7 yards
- Devon Achane, Dolphins – 1 carry, 5 yards | 1 catch, 4 yards
- Emari Demercado, Cardinals – 1 carry, -2 yards | 2 catches, 7 yards
- Emanuel Wilson, Packers – 3 carries, 5 yards
- Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos – 1 carry, 5 yards, 1 TD
- Chase Brown, Bengals – 1 carry, 2 yards
WIDE RECEIVERS
Nacua is no fluke, and an undersized WR group showed up big time in week two. The Packers’ rookies put up good numbers with Christian Watson still out. Tank Dell, Jalin Hyatt, and Marvin Mims jumped into the top five with big plays.
Puka Nacua, Rams
Week 2: 15 catches, 147 yards
2023: 25 catches, 266 yards
Nacua is here to stay. Through week two, he has ten more targets than any other receiver and five more catches. He has at least two more weeks without Cooper Kupp and a Bengals defense that was being picked apart last week up next.
Marvin Mims, Broncos
Week 2: 2 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD
2023: 4 catches, 122 yards, 1 TD
“Big play” would be an understatement in week two for Mims. Two catches, one for 60 yards and a TD, and the other for 53 yards. Mims played just 16 snaps, the fifth-most amongst Broncos WRs. He is sure to see that number increase.
Jalin Hyatt, Giants
Week 2: 2 catches, 89 yards
2023: 2 catches, 89 yards
The Giants are a bit of a mess, but Hyatt helped to spark the comeback with the first two catches of his career in the second half against the Cardinals. He had just 14 snaps, fourth among Giants WRs, but he led the team in receiving yards.
Tank Dell, Texans
Week 2: 7 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD
2023: 10 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD
Dell jumped to the top five with seven catches on ten targets. Those ten targets led all Texans receivers. Stroud passed the ball around with Robert Woods and Nico Collins each targeted nine times and Dalton Schultz seven. It remains to be seen what Dell’s long-term role is.
Jordan Addison, Vikings
Week 2: 3 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD
2023: 7 catches, 133 yards, 2 TDs
Cousins has thrown the ball 44 times in each of the first two games, and that’s unlikely to change next week against the Chargers. Addison has solidified his role as the WR2 in a pass-heavy offense.
The Rest of Week 2
- Zay Flowers, Ravens – 2 catches, 89 yards
- Michael Wilson, Cardinals – 3 catches, 56 yards
- Dontayvion Wicks, Packers – 2 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD (50% of snaps week 2)
- Jayden Reed, Packers – 4 catches, 37 yards, 2 TDs (56% of snaps week 2)
- Josh Downs, Colts – 4 catches, 37 yards
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks – 5 catches, 34 yards
- Jonathan Mingo, Panthers – 3 catches, 26 yards
- Rashee Rice, Chiefs – 2 catches, 20 yards
- Trey Palmer, Bucs – 1 catch, 20 yards
- Demario Douglas, Patriots – 2 catches, 19 yards
- Quentin Johnston, Chargers – 1 catch, 7 yards
- Rakim Jarrett, Bucs – 1 catch, 7 yards
- Jake Bobo, Seahawks – 1 catch, 3 yards
- Antoine Green, Lions – 1 catch, 2 yards
TIGHT ENDS
Three new tight ends caught passes in week two, led by 49 yards on two balls by Will Mallory. Luke Schoonmaker caught the first pass of his career for a short touchdown.
Sam LaPorta, Lions
Week 2: 5 catches, 63 yards
2023: 10 catches, 102 yards
LaPorta is as steady as they come, with five more catches in week two, playing 82% of snaps. The rookie has the fifth-most catches and fourth-most yards of all TE’s on the year.
Will Mallory, Colts
Week 2: 2 catches, 49 yards
2023: 2 catches, 49 yards
Mallory caught the first two balls of his career in week two, including one for 43 yards. He played just 11 snaps, the third most of Colts TEs, replacing Drew Ogletree (coming off a concussion) as the Colts’ third TE. The Colts TE room is messy and will get messier with Jelani Woods returning at some point.
Dalton Kincaid, Bills
Week 2: 5 catches, 43 yards
2023: 9 catches, 69 yards
Kincaid and Dawson Knox are forming quite the pair. Knox out-snapped Kincaid 55-47 and scored a touchdown, but Kincaid had more targets, catches, and yards.
The Rest of Week 2
- Luke Musgrave, Packers – 2 catches, 25 yards
- Michael Mayer, Raiders – 1 catch, 2 yards
- Luke Schoonmaker, Cowboys – 1 catch, 1 yard, 1 TD
Week 3 could lead to some new faces. If Saquan Barkley is out, Eric Gray might see his first carries. If Jamaal Williams is out and Kendre Miller is in, he could dominate carries. Chase Edmonds will miss extended time in Tampa, opening the door for more carries for Sean Tucker.
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