Offenses for fantasy football decided to show back up after a lackluster first week, where most games hit the under in their totals. In Week 2, nine teams scored at least 30 points, and another five had at least 27 going into Monday Night Football.
After just two weeks’ worth of games, can we know that what we saw on the field this weekend is the same thing we will see for 18 weeks? That’s unlikely, but interesting trends are already emerging after just one game per team.
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This weekly piece will look at those trends and make recommendations for players who might be worth rostering or starting in our fantasy lineups. For Week 2, we will look primarily in how roles changed over the first two games of the season for a player on each team and if that is signal or noise this early in the year.
If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 2 usage!
NFL Week 2 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Trey Benson and James Conner
ATLANTA FALCONS
Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney came back from injury and assumed the WR2 role for the Falcons. Casey Washington, who played 95% of snaps in Week 1, didn’t see the field. Ray-Ray McCould III dropped from 72% to 23%.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Devontez Walker
While Zay Flowers was still the clear number one option, Devontez Walker went from zero snaps to 23% in Week 2. As a result, DeAndre Hopkins and Rashad Bateman saw their snaps significantly decrease. Walker used this to catch two touchdowns
BUFFALO BILLS
Snaps Deceiving Against the Jets
The Buffalo Bills were up by multiple scores for most of this game, so all of the snaps in this contest are deceiving. James Cook saw his snaps decrease. Keon Coleman saw a massive drop. And all the backup players saw their numbers spike. Even with just 47% of snaps, James Cook smashed with two touchdowns,
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Wide Receiver Usage Goes to Hunter Renfrow
Hunter Renfrow saw his snaps increase from 66% to 81%. This increased usage allowed him to score two touchdowns on Sunday. Tetairoa McMillan still led the way with 85% of snaps.
CHICAGO BEARS
Rome Odunze Assumes WR1 Role
Rome Odunze played every single snap for the Bears’ offense on Sunday. He is quickly emerging as the top wide receiver on this team and scored two touchdowns in Week 2. For the tight ends, Colston Loveland only played 53% of snaps and appears not to be a part of the offensive game plan right now.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Waiting Game on Bengals Players Moving Forward
It was mostly status quo for the Cincinnati Bengals after quarterback Joe Burrow went down with an injury. Chase Brown, Jamar Chase, and Tee Higgins still led the way. One interesting note was with the tight ends, as Mike Gesicki led the way with 52%.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Running Back Committee
There was a pretty even distribution of running back snaps in Week 2. Jerome Ford was in the game on 48% of snaps, Dylan Samson dropped almost in half from 43% to 23%, while Quinshon Judkins debuted with 27% of snaps for Cleveland.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Javonte Williams Cements Role
The Dallas Cowboys’ distribution of snaps, playing time, and usage was the same as it was in Week 1. The only noticeable change is that the Cowboys ran more three-wide receiver sets, which allowed Jalen Tolbert to bump up to 65% of steps. Stop vacation
DENVER BRONCOS
Troy Franklin
The big winner for the Denver Broncos on Sunday was Troy Franklin. He jumped up from 59% of snaps to 83% this week, and that helped him secure eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Some of those snaps came at the expense of Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton.
DETROIT LIONS
Jahmyr Gibbs’ Remains on Top
Even though it was a blowout win against the Chicago Bears, Jahmyr Gibbs remains the top running back for the Detroit Lions. He finished the day with 56% of snaps, while David Montgomery only had 39%. These lower numbers are also the product of how lopsided the score was at the end.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Tucker Kraft
In addition to a 57-yard catch and a touchdown, Tucker Kraft led the Packers’ skill-position players in snaps again this week, and this time he also had the highest route share (79%), the highest target number (seven), and the best production.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Woody Arrives
Running back Woody Marks saw a healthy increase in his usage from week one to week two. In Week 2 against Tampa Bay, he played on 13 snaps, ran eight routes, and had three carries. He had some shifty moves in the Monday Night Football game and might get more playing time.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Tyler Warren is Already a Must-Start
In just his second NFL game, Tyler Warren jumped from 73% of snaps to 93% the snaps played. He has become the team’s focal point and is near the top in targets for this team through two weeks.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Running Back Committee
Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten both scored touchdowns in this first game without Tank Bigsby. Etienne took 66% of snaps, which is close to his role from Week 1. Bhayshul Tuten was in on 25% of snaps, up from 6% in Week 1.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Wide Receiver Next Man Up
Interestingly, the snap share for Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster went down in this tight game against Philadelphia. However, the snap shares for Tyquan Thornton and Noah Gray both went up, as Kansas City was clearly trying to do something to kickstart their anemic offense through two games.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Ashton Jeanty Workload Decreases
The Las Vegas Raiders were trailing for much of this game, but Ashton Jeanty’s usage seems to be following. He only carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards with no scores, and caught three passes for only one total yard. Jeanty needs a positive game script and a defense that is vulnerable against the run, so we can see what he does.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
No Running Back Clarity
Here’s how the rushing attempts for the Los Angeles Chargers broke down a week ago. Justin Herbert ran nine times for 31 yards. Najee Harris rushed eight times for 28 yards. And Omarion Hampton rushed eight times for 24 yards. This is a messy situation where I want to stay away from it until I know more.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Running Back Problems?
For the first time in several games, Kyren Williams played only 70% of the Los Angeles Rams’ snaps. This coincided with Blake Coram jumping up from 17% of snaps in Week 1 to 30% of snaps in Week 2, and vulturing a touchdown from Kyren Williams right at the goal line.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
De’Von Achane Now a True Workhorse
De’Von Achane jumped up from 73% of snaps in Week 1 to 93% of snaps in Week 2. He played 53 snaps in total, handling a massive workload all game. It’s now clear that the Miami Dolphins want Achane to be a full-time, workhorse running back, and it seems like he has plenty of support.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Jordan Mason Time
Aaron Jones Sr. went down with an injury in this one, and so Jordan Mason took over and played 60% of the snaps in this game. Moving forward, if Jones misses time, Ty Chandler would step up to fill some of the void.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Not Good News For TreVeyon Henderson
Many people thought that TreVeyon Henderson should have received more work after a fairly productive week 1 game. However, in Week 2, his snap count actually went down, and his touches decreased from 11 to just five. This rookie still has a long way to go to prove himself, apparently.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Juwan Johnson is a Must-Start
Tight end Juwan Johnson saw another nine Targets in Week 2. That is now 20 targets in two games, and he leads all tight ends in that category. In Week 2, Johnson was second to only Chris Olave in targets. Even if they are coming from Spencer Rattler, that amount of volume will surely be valuable.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Running Back Change
After Tyrone Tracy Jr had some not-so-flattering things to say about the New York Giants’ offense after Week 1, the team made a change. Tracy dropped from 74% of snaps to 42%. Cam Skattebo spiked from just 12% and went all the way up to 52% in Week 2. Skattebo may be the favorite moving forward and is a waiver add this week.
NEW YORK JETS
Braelon Allen Falling Out of Favor
One week after playing 31% of snaps, Braelon Allen saw his usage drop to just 19% and nine total snaps. In return, Isaiah Davis saw his usage jump up to 21% and he handled a lot of the backfield duty when Breece Hall needed a breather or was on the sidelines.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Passing Volume Problems
Even though the team tried to get him more involved early, wide receiver AJ Brown ended with just five receptions for 27 yards. He received eight targets, which led the team, but the lack of passing efficiency from the Eagles, plus the lack of any downfield throws to Brown, is limiting his upside.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Jaylen Warren Back on Top
Whatever compelled the Pittsburgh Steelers to give Kenneth Gainwell more snaps than Jalen Warren in Week 1, they were brought back to their senses for Week 2. Warren saw his snaps rise to 58% while Gainwell went down to 42% for the Steelers. Kaleb Johnson is still nowhere to be found and is likely to be benched after his endzone kickoff error on Sunday.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Who Gets the Targets Now?
With no Brock Purdy and no George Kittle, the snaps for the San Francisco 49ers went about as expected. The only surprise was Russell Gage Jr. going down to zero after 37% in Week 1, which allowed for Kendrick Bourne to go from nothing to 49%.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Running Back Problems
This week, it was Kenneth Walker III with a much more efficient running game than Zach Charbonnet had last week. Even with that being the case, Chardonnay played 55% of snaps to just 35% for Kenneth Walker. But Kenneth Walker shouldn’t be left on the scrap heap just yet.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Emeka Egbuka Already Looking Like a Star
Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuca played more snaps than Mike Evans and Sterling Shepard on Monday night when Tampa Bay defeated the Houston Texans. Evans still led the way with 11 targets, and Egbuka got seven targets of his own plus another touchdown.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Same As It Ever Was
Everything with the Tennessee Titans is essentially a carbon copy of Week 1. No major shifts and usage, no major changes, and no major players introduced in the last minute.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite
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