32 Fantasy Stats, Week 2: Sam Darnold has lastly arrived

Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride completed second amongst tight ends in targets (9).

He additionally completed second in:

• First-read targets (six)
• Goal share (30 %)
• Air yards share (39 %)

McBride performed an elite position in Week 1 however PFF deemed simply 56 % of his targets as catchable. Higher days are forward for him so long as Kyler Murray begins enjoying higher.

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Atlanta Falcons

Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts all ran 100% of the Falcons’ routes.

Right here’s the kicker: Ray-Ray McCloud noticed twice as many targets as any of them on 9 fewer routes. Kirk Cousins struggled in his Atlanta debut, struggling to place any velocity behind the soccer on far too many throws. The route charges for Atlanta’s high pass-catchers had been all promising, however we have to see extra from Cousins or Michael Penix could find yourself making an early debut.

Baltimore Ravens

Justice Hill led all working backs in targets (eight)

Hill out-snapped Derrick Henry 43-37 and ran 28 routes in comparison with Henry’s 14. We noticed this identical dynamic play out between Henry and Tyjae Spears in Tennessee final yr. Alternatively, even in a down yr for his lofty requirements, Henry nonetheless dominated within the Titans’ six wins.

In the event you had been on the lookout for Isaiah Possible stats, try my Week 2 Waiver Wire column.

Buffalo Payments

Keon Coleman led the Payments with 27 routes

He ran a route on 90 % of Josh Allen’s dropbacks. No Buffalo receiver, together with Coleman, separated themselves because the clear high goal in Week 1. Nevertheless, if the unknown rookie is working essentially the most routes and his quarterback is Josh Allen, he strikes me as a transparent purchase.

Carolina Panthers

Bryce Younger ranks final within the NFL in yards per cross try (min. 300 makes an attempt) since coming into the league

Younger’s 5.5 YPA is sort of half a yard decrease than the subsequent worst quarterback, Josh Dobbs, at 5.9. Solely Zach Wilson has a worse EPA per play. Younger turned 30 makes an attempt into 161 yards and two interceptions versus the Saints in Week 1. He didn’t seem to have made any enhancements since his rookie season.

Chicago Bears

Keenan Allen led the Bears with a 33 % goal share and 50 % of their air yards

This shouldn’t come as a lot of a shock. Allen led the NFL in receptions per sport and completed fourth in yards per sport in 2023. Rome Odunze suffered an MCL harm and his standing for Week 2 is up within the air. Narrowing the goal tree to DJ Moore and Allen ought to lock each in as top-end quantity earners. Now Caleb Williams simply must determine issues out.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals led the NFL in cross charge over anticipated (+9.4 %)

Per Kevin Cole, that was 4.5 % greater than another group. Joe Burrow was solely pressured on 22.9 % of his dropbacks and Zac Taylor let him sling it. So he scored a whole lot of fantasy factors…proper? Not precisely. In no way, in actual fact. He threw for 164 scoreless yards. The excellent news is that each one the items had been in place for Burrow and all the passing assault to have an important day. A rocky offseason for Ja’Marr Chase and no Tee Higgins are the simple causes to level to when explaining Cincinnati’s Week 1 flop. I’ll be extra involved if this continues past their Week 2 matchup with Kansas Metropolis.

Cleveland Browns

It’s been 1,347 days since Deshaun Watson threw for 300 yards in a sport

Very like Bryce Younger and the Panthers, Cleveland was determined to see any form of progress from Watson. As a substitute, Watson threw for 169 yards on 45 makes an attempt. He scored as soon as however was intercepted twice and took six sacks. Since becoming a member of the Browns in 2022, Watson ranks forty third out of 48 quarterbacks with 300 dropbacks in EPA per play. We’ll be seeing Jameis Winston sooner or later this yr.

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott noticed two extra carries and another goal than Rico Dowdle

Zeke was on the sphere for half of the Cowboys’ snaps whereas Dowdle earned 45 % of the reps. He additionally ran only one extra route than his backfield mate. Elliott has a minor edge over Dowdle for now, although each backs are viable RB3 choices.

Denver Broncos

Bo Nix turned the sixth quarterback in NFL historical past to throw greater than 40 instances and acquire fewer than 140 yards.

Practically each criticism of Nix as a prospect was on full show in his debut. He went 1-of-3 on his deep makes an attempt with an interception and 1-of-8 on intermediate makes an attempt with one other decide. The Broncos had been billed as a PPR rip-off machine within the offseason due to Nix. They had been definitely some form of rip-off.

Detroit Lions

Jameson Williams ran a route on 94 % of Jared Goff’s dropbacks.

Williams posted a receiving line of 5/121/1 and added a carry for 13 yards. Extra importantly, he was a featured weapon within the passing assault as a substitute of an occasional deep risk. He was the recipient of 5 first-read targets and accounted for 30 % of the group’s complete targets. Jamo additionally logged a comical 65 % air yards share. That is breakout ranges of utilization.

Inexperienced Bay Packers

Malik Willis has a 14.1 % profession sack charge and a 33 % pressure-to-sack charge.

These marks are each the second-worst within the NFL over the previous three seasons on admittedly low pattern thresholds. Although, there’s a cause the pattern on him is so low. Willis, who is predicted to begin for the Packers this week whereas Jordan Love recovers from an MCL sprain, will not be a purposeful NFL quarterback. The Packers may problem Arthur Smith for the league’s most run-heavy method till Love returns.

Houston Texans

Tank Dell ran a route on 87 % of the Texans’ dropbacks

Dell ran another route than Nico Collins and one fewer than Stefon Diggs. He earned a 23 % goal share and a 44 % air yards share. Within the phrases (phrase) of Aaron Rodgers, “Chill out.”

Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson had the best single-game aDOT (18.6) since 2021.

Richardson accomplished three passes of fifty+ yards, two of which went to Alec Pierce. His 23.6 yards per completion is the best single-game mark (min. 15 makes an attempt) since 2014. Whereas Pierce and Ashton Dulin had been on the receiving finish of his missiles in Week 1, Adonai Mitchell’s time is coming.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tank Bigsby set a career-high in carries (12)

He noticed precisely as many carries as Travis Etienne. Doug Pederson instructed us all summer time about his need to lighten Etienne’s workload.

Whereas a real carry cut up seemingly wasn’t what Pederson was referring to, we shouldn’t anticipate Etienne to dominate the touches anymore. We can also’t anticipate him to be extra environment friendly than Bigsby, who buried him in yards after contact, missed tackles compelled, and rush yards over anticipated in Week 1.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

Rashee Rice noticed 39 % of the Chiefs’ first-read targets.

Rice was on the receiving finish of seven first-read appears to be like. That tied his career-high in first-read targets. Rice caught seven passes in complete for 103 yards in Week 1. He was focused on 38 % of his routes. These are all elite, WR1 numbers.

Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers ran 62.5 % of his routes from the slot

Bowers was Gardner Minshew’s first learn on 4 targets, tying Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams. He led the group with seven targets in complete and ran a route on 78 % of the group’s passing performs. For reference, Sam LaPorta had a route charge of 72 % in his debut sport. Given the dismal state of the tight finish place, Bowers is a transparent TE1.

Los Angeles Chargers

Ladd McConkey earned a 28 % goal share

McConkey’s route charge of 76 % is stable and even higher when contemplating it was his first NFL sport. He additionally took the sphere for a handful of snaps in 12-personnel appears to be like. Most significantly, Justin Herbert peppered him with targets when he was on the market. He was focused on 32 % of his routes. That was the eighth-highest charge amongst receivers with no less than 20 routes.

Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp turned the eleventh participant in NFL historical past to see 20+ in targets in a number of video games.

Puka Nacua went down early with a knee harm and is now on injured reserve. He’ll miss no less than 4 video games. Kupp was focused 21 instances in a slim loss to the Lions. Of his 21 appears to be like, 19 had been of the first-read selection. As quickly as Nacua acquired harm Matthew Stafford selected to make the entire plan out of Kupp.

Miami Dolphins

De’Von Achane ran 10 routes from the slot

He’s one among slightly below 50 working backs over the previous decade to get 10 or extra slot routes in a sport. Achane, in fact, made essentially the most of his distinctive position with seven receptions for 76 yards. He additionally noticed the Dolphins’ solely aim line carry. Achane is questionable for Week 2 whereas Raheem Mostert has already been dominated out. If Achane can keep “wholesome”, his Swiss Military Knife position will lock him in as an RB1.

Minnesota Vikings

Sam Darnold posted his greatest PFF passing grade (86.2) since 2018.

Darnold had the best CPOE of any quarterback in Week 1 and completed top-five in EPA per play. As anticipated, Kevin O’Connell wasn’t afraid to dial up the cross, registering one of many eight optimistic PROEs of Week 1.

With Jordan Addison banged up, Justin Jefferson is an effective wager to steer the NFL in goal share for the foreseeable future. Jalen Nailor can also be on the FLEX radar because the group’s WR2.

New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson earned extra touches in Week 1 (28) than he did in any sport final yr

Stevenson’s 2023 high-water mark was 26 touches. He rushed 25 instances for 120 yards and a landing whereas including three brief receptions on Sunday. He was on the sphere for 80 % of the Patriots’ snaps together with 77 % of their lengthy down and distance reps. Antonio Gibson seems to be strictly a backup whereas Stevenson is a real workhorse.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints led the NFL in pre-snap movement on passing performs

Klint Kubiak moved somebody earlier than the snap on 85 % of Derek Carr’s dropbacks. He additionally dialed up play-action on the third-highest charge. Carr, in flip, completed top-five in EPA per play and CPOE. Chris Olave inexplicably went for 11 yards on two grabs regardless of the Saints placing up 47 factors. Given the Saints’ emergence as a forward-thinking offense, I’m shopping for low on Olave.

New York Giants

Theo Johnson ran the second-most routes (38) amongst tight ends

Johnson’s routes had been inflated due to how usually the Giants handed, however he nonetheless managed a 76 % route charge whereas splitting his time between an inline position and the slot. Johnson could be a transparent breakout candidate if he performed on a group that might throw the soccer. That, sadly, doesn’t look like the case.

New York Jets

Allen Lazard ran each route for the Jets and noticed 48 % of the group’s air yards

I’ve no additional evaluation so as to add. Lazard was introduced in as a part of the Aaron Rodgers entourage final yr. He was so ineffective that the group made him a wholesome scratch on the finish of the season. Now, together with his buddy again underneath middle, he seems to be a funcional receiver as soon as once more. Lazard posted a 6/89/2 line. His second landing got here from Tyrod Taylor in rubbish time, however the first was on a basic Rodgers free play.

Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith ran 71 % of his routes from the slot

That was simply a career-high for the fourth-year receiver. Smith has averaged an elite 2.4 yards per route run from the slot all through his profession in comparison with 1.6 from out vast. His targets per route run goes from .18 to .25 when shifting into the slot. A.J. Brown nonetheless noticed extra targets and held an absurd air yards benefit over Smith, however the change might take some quantity away from Dallas Goedert and transfer it towards Smith within the slot.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers posted a -11.5 % cross charge over anticipated.

There’s additionally this:

Arthur Smith is in his bag.

San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Mason had the second-most carries (28) and yards (147) in Week 1

Mason dominated the 49ers’ working again alternatives, seeing 78 % of the group’s carries whereas working a route on 65 % of Brock Purdy’s dropbacks. He’s getting RB1 utilization till Christian McCaffrey returns, which doesn’t look like Week 2.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks had been in 11-personnel on 83 % of their passing performs

That quantity was 73 % final yr. Jaxon Smith-Njigba additionally acquired some routes when the group moved into 12-personnel. The expanded position boosted his route charge to 89 % which is a career-high for the younger receiver.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield led all quarterbacks in EPA per dropback (.69)

The No. 2 quarterback in EPA per dropback was Josh Allen at .49. Evidently, this was an outstanding outing from Mayfield. It’s a one-game pattern, however Mayfield’s first sport with out quarterback guru Dave Canales on the headset went swimmingly. The Bucs additionally had a transparent three-receiver set of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and rookie Jalen McMillan. McMillan ran a route on 88 % of the Bucs’ passing performs and accounted for a 3rd of the group’s air yards. He’s a sneaky add in deeper leagues.

Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard earned 70 % of the Titans’ carries

Titans coach Brian Callahan instructed us all summer time that Pollard and Tyjae Spears had been interchangeable. That largely wasn’t the case in Week 1. Pollard out-carried Spears 16-4. On the intense aspect, each backs noticed 4 targets, Spears ran extra routes, and he was on the sphere for 44 % of Tennessee’s snaps. Callahan additionally talked about getting Spears extra concerned going ahead.

Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels’ 28.2 fantasy factors had been the second-most all-time for a quarterback debut

Daniels’ passing numbers had been…underwhelming. He threw for 184 scoreless yards. Nevertheless, that doesn’t matter once you run 16 instances for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, Daniels was a scrambling savant. Seven of his rushes had been on scrambles and so they accounted for 77 yards. He additionally acquired work on the aim line, taking three inside-the-five carries, two of which resulted in touchdowns. Daniels doesn’t have to be even a superb passer so long as he runs that always, particularly close to the tip zone.