Fantasy football Week 2 was a great one for the “Zero RB” draft strategy crowd. Amidst some explosive performances from a large number of wide receivers were top-tier, early-drafted running backs who were just not able to get anything going.
Running back value has ebbed and flowed over the existence of fantasy football, but coming into this season they once again seemed to be on the rise. Through two weeks, receivers have proven themselves to once again be the dominant breed and the better options on your roster.
The following article looks at some of the biggest disappointments from fantasy football Week 2 of the NFL season across each position. This week’s notable fantasy disappointments include Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor, Kyle Pitts, Davante Adams, and Ryan Tannehill.
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Week 2 Fantasy Football Disappointments | QB
Ryan Tannehill Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 11/20 passing, 117 yards, 0 PTD, 2 INT; 1 carry, 2 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 2.9 (QB32)
Long-time fantasy football players know Ryan Tannehill has never been the guy to win you a week with an outrageous performance, but during his time in Tennessee, he morphed into a guy who was suitable as a starter in deeper leagues. He never has many passing attempts, and the Titans rely heavily on the running game in the red zone, but 2.9 points in a primetime game is shameful. The Titans are currently a mess, as Tannehill will not be the last to make this list.
Matt Ryan Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 16/3 passing, 195 yards, 3 INT
PPR Fantasy Points: 4.8 (QB31)
This Matt Ryan fantasy football Week 2 performance is actually not that disappointing given the quality of fantasy football QB he has been since Week 8 of last season. Excluding a single 28.5-point outlier, Ryan has averaged 9.67 (116.1 total) points over his last 12 games. At some point, your performance becomes who you are, despite who you once were. Take this as your warning to stay away from Matt Ryan in the future.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Disappointments | RBs
Ezekiel Elliott Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 15 carries, 53 yards; 1 reception, -4 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 5.9 (RB46)
Finding Ezekiel Elliott in this article just two weeks into the season is far from what Cowboys fans envisioned during what was touted as a “comeback/reestablishing” year for the former Ohio State product. Through two weeks, it once again seems like Zeke was drafted much too high, as he continues to be outplayed by his backup and disappoint fantasy football owners everywhere. He just simply is not the football player he once was, and his fantasy performance always seems to suffer further without Dak Prescott.
For a man who was once oozing fantasy value, he has fallen off a cliff in every statistical category. His one reception for negative four yards brings his season total to two receptions for negative seven yards. He has also found the end zone at an alarmingly low rate, with just four total touchdowns since Week 10 last season.
Derrick Henry Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 13 carries, 25 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 8.5 (RB30)
Derrick Henry finds himself on this list for the second time in just as many weeks. It’s not a great start for the man who was drafted as a top-three running back across almost every fantasy football league in existence. Nothing is working for the Titans right now. Their offense has run through Henry for years, leaning heavily on the touchdown production he was able to provide. A touchdown was the only thing that saved him on Monday night, as without it he would have finished in RB66 territory.
Before being injured last season, Henry topped his current two-week total (16.7) in six of eight games, averaging 135 yards, three receptions and nearly two touchdowns. He has not looked like the same player coming off that injury and is clearly being affected by the departure of A.J Brown. He remains a must-start but is far from worthy of his ADP right now.
Jonathan Taylor Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 9 carries, 54 yards; 1 reception, 9 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 7.3 (RB38)
Everyone has got to struggle sometimes. Jonathan Taylor was the consensus first pick in almost every fantasy draft and played like it in Week 1. He, and likely your fantasy matchup, fell victim to circumstance as the Colts could get nothing going against Jacksonville, and decided to keep Taylor off the field for the most part. Getting only 10 total touches is very atypical for Taylor. Chances are low he comes up with a dud again in Week 3.
Dalvin Cook Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 6 carries, 17 yards; 4 receptions, 19 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 7.6 (RB37)
Drafting Dalvin Cook in fantasy football has always carried heavy risk due to his injury history. It’s not that often we see a healthy Cook completely stifled, but that is exactly what the Eagles were able to do. Much like Taylor, 10 total touches is atypical for Cook, but it should have been enough to convert more than 36 total yards. His four receptions mustered enough production to keep him out of the complete bottom of this week’s RB list, but he finds himself on a five-game streak without a touchdown.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Disappointments | WRs
Davante Adams Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 2 receptions, 12 yards, 1 TD
PPR Fantasy Points: 9.2 (WR52)
The follow-up to Davante Adams’ 30-point “welcome to Vegas” performance was certainly a letdown for fantasy owners. An early touchdown salvaged his day, but after scoring, Adams completely disappeared. Chances are Derek Carr will go back to force-feeding the ball to Adams in Week 3 after trying to spread it around the field, which resulted in two Hunter Renfrow fumbles, one of which ultimately cost the Raiders the game. Adams will be just fine, but seeing two receptions next to his name is a bit jarring.
Ja’Marr Chase Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 5 receptions, 54 yards; 1 carry, 4 yards.
PPR Fantasy Points: 10.8 (WR44)
The Cincinnati Bengals offense is in shambles right now. Their offensive line is maybe the worst in the NFL for the second season in a row. Last year, Zach Taylor and Joe Burrow decided they were going to make the most of the situation and throw the ball deep as often as they could, despite the risk Burrow was taking with every drop back. For some reason, they have not been able to approach the first two games with that same mindset, which has eliminated the chunk yardage Ja’Marr Chase became so known for so quickly.
Ja’Marr Chase fantasy football owners or the receiver himself can do nothing to change this right now, as it all falls on the offensive line. Joe Burrow has been sacked twice as many times in the last two seasons as the next-most-sacked quarterback. Until they do something about that, Chase is not likely to churn out the same kind of fantasy numbers we saw in his explosive rookie season.
Justin Jefferson Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 6 receptions, 48 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 10.8 (WR44)
Justin Jefferson fell victim to Kirk Cousins on primetime. He was targeted 12 times, but was only able to reel in half of them and did not find the end zone. Not every week can be a monster, and the chances were there for Jefferson. Minnesota just did not have it, as the Eagles had all the answers to stop both Jefferson and Cook.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Disappointments | TEs
Kyle Pitts Fantasy Stats
Stat Line: 2 receptions, 19 yards
PPR Fantasy Points: 3.9 (TE28)
Rounding out our list is another two-time disappointment honoree in Kyle Pitts whose fantasy value seems to be hopeless with Marcus Mariota under center. He somehow ended up with an identical stat line as Week 1 and has now played 19 NFL games with a total of just one touchdown. There were 27 other tight ends who outscored him this week, which just should not be possible.
Tight end is probably the offensive position with the least depth in fantasy football. There is just no way this talented of a guy should be at the bottom of the league for two straight weeks to start the season. Whether it’s on Mariota or the coaching staff, something needs to change, as Pitts was taken incredibly high in both the real NFL and fantasy football drafts. For fantasy owners’ sake, we hope to avoid the three-peat.
