NFL Week 2 fantasy football winners and losers, injuries, grades

6. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

Cook played lights-out in the Thursday night win over the Dolphins, scoring three total touchdowns on his way to 28.5 points. Cook had two touchdowns on the ground, one from near the goal line and another on a 49-yard rush. Plus, he added a 17-yard touchdown reception on a schemed throw to get him loose versus man coverage. Game flow contributed to Cook seeing only 13 touches, but he should be counted on as a volume runner for the Week 3 matchup versus the Jags. You can keep Cook locked in as a fringe RB1. -- Bowen

7. DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WRs, Seattle Seahawks

Metcalf and Smith-Njigba dominated the target share for the Seahawks in the Week 3 win over the Patriots, with both receivers scoring over 20 points. Metcalf, who finished with 28.9 points, caught 10 of 14 targets in this one, showing his explosive play ability on 56-yard touchdown. Smith-Njigba (23.7 points) saw a team-high 16 targets, catching 12 for 117 yards. He can uncover and is more than willing to work the dirty areas of the field. While Metcalf will remain a high-end WR2 for the Week 3 game at Miami, you can move Smith-Njigba up in the ranks, as it's clear he is emerging as Geno Smith's No. 2 target in the pass game. -- Bowen

8. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Now that was the kind of target hound, clear WR1-caliber performance fantasy managers want to see from their wide receiver. Though the rest of the Ravens' offense disappointed in a 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at home, Flowers saw 11 of 31 possible targets and turned them into 22.1 PPR fantasy points. It's the second straight week he has seen double-digit targets and scored in double digits for our purposes, setting himself up for a viable top-15 positional season. Flowers doesn't have the easiest of upcoming matchups for a team WR1, facing the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills the next two weeks, which is why it's encouraging to see him enjoying such a hefty workload. -- Cockcroft

Ranking fantasy losers of Week 2

1. Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts

A week after tossing two touchdown throws of 50-plus yards, while totaling 26.08 points, Richardson scored just 9.86 in Sunday's loss to the Packers. Richardson lacked efficiency here as a thrower, completing just 50% of his passes, and he finished with three interceptions, the final one on a Hail Mary attempt to end the game. Without the ability to create explosive plays down the field, and with a game script that limited Richardson to only four carries, he was a major disappointment in Week 2 for fantasy managers. Richardson will look to rebound in Week 3 versus Chicago, where he'll remain a midtier QB1 due to his high-end dual-threat skills. -- Bowen

2. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Expect comments that his preseason practice absences while he sought a new contract are having an adverse impact upon his production to ramp up starting ... now ... as his 7.5 PPR fantasy points and five targets in Week 2 simply aren't going to cut it. That Andrei Iosivas (14.7 points) had a successful game against the Kansas City Chiefs reflects that the matchup shouldn't entirely be to blame. Fortunately for Chase and the now 0-2 Bengals, they get an extremely soft matchup against the Commanders in Week 3, followed by another great matchup for the passing game in the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. Chase will still need to step up for these games if he's to earn back his fantasy managers' faith. -- Cockcroft

3. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Kelce saw just three targets in the Week 2 matchup versus the Bengals. That's it. And he finished with one grab for 5 yards, giving him 1.6 points on a day when Patrick Mahomes threw for just 151 yards. Yes, Kelce had an explosive play called back for a penalty. We saw it. However, through two weeks of the season, Kelce had logged a total of 8.0 points, catching four of seven targets for 39 yards. You have to keep Kelce in the lineup, but the lack of volume is concerning as the Chiefs prep for their Week 3 game at Atlanta. -- Bowen

4. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

A healthy Aaron Rodgers was supposed to result in a breakthrough season for Wilson, but through two games, Wilson has 17 targets and only 22.2 PPR fantasy points to show for them. Among the concerns are Rodgers' tendencies to lean on his running backs and slot receivers and rarely air it out deep; he has attempted only seven passes that traveled 10 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage through two games. That'll need to change if Wilson is to live up to his draft status near the first round, but in defense of the possibility, Rodgers has a history of sluggish September performances. I'll keep Wilson around the top-10 border line in my rankings, but will be watching the two closely. -- Cockcroft

5. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

Daniels was on point as a thrower in the Week 2 win over the Giants, completing 23 of 27 passes for 226 yards. Daniels added 44 yards rushing on 10 carries, giving him a total of 26 rushing attempts in his first two pro games. But he finished with just 13.44 points in this one due to the lack of touchdown production on a day when the Commanders had multiple opportunities in scoring position. However, I'm not overly concerned about his scoring totals today given Daniels' ability to throw with timing and location, plus the upside he brings as a runner. You can keep Daniels in the mix as a lower-tier QB1 for the Week 3 game at Cincinnati. -- Bowen

6. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

His 9.76 fantasy point performance on "Thursday Night Football," his eighth-lowest score in 95 career starts and his worst since Week 1 of last season, was frustrating to his managers but far from a point of concern. Tua Tagovailoa's three interceptions within his own territory, coupled with James Cook's three touchdowns, minimized the need for Allen to do much in a game the Bills had well under control by midway through the second quarter. Allen attempted 19 passes and two carries, only the fourth time as a starter he has had fewer than 20 and five, respectively. He'll probably put up a much bigger score against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. -- Cockcroft

7. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

In the Thursday night game, Hill caught just three of six targets for 26 yards, finishing with 6.6 points in the loss to the Bills. Hill added a rushing attempt of 12 yards, but the Dolphins pass game was limited by a Bills defense that played a tremendous amount of 2-high safety coverage (74% of coverage snaps). Align the safeties over the top and limit Hill's ability to stretch the field on vertical targets. As we continue to monitor the injury to starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), the Dolphins could have to give the ball to backup Skylar Thompson in Week 3 versus the Seahawks. Hill would drop a few spots in my ranks if Thompson starts, but he'll remain a WR1. -- Bowen

8. Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For the second straight week, White struggled to find daylight as a runner, averaging just 1.8 yards per carry (on 10 rushes) in Sunday's win over Detroit. But unlike opening weekend, when White was used often as a receiving option for quarterback Baker Mayfield, he caught his only target for 5 yards, finishing the day with 3.3 points. The lack of run game efficiency for White is concerning, and he will get another tough matchup in Week 3 versus the Broncos' front, which will drop him down to the flex range in my ranks. -- Bowen

9. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions

His and his team's performance ranked among Week 2's biggest disappointments, as Goff scored only 8.78 fantasy points in a 20-16 loss to the Buccaneers at home. Considering the Buccaneers were without safety Antoine Winfield Jr., cornerbacks Josh Hayes and Bryce Hall and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, Goff was expected to be one of the stronger plays in larger-than-standard, superflex and two-quarterback leagues. Goff has now delivered back-to-back busts, though he'll get a bounce-back matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. He's a midrange QB2 for that one. -- Cockcroft

10. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

I liked Stafford this week as a streaming option against the Cardinals defense. That's a zone-heavy system. And Sean McVay could scheme it up for his quarterback, right? But Stafford, who was projected to score over 17 points, checked in with 6.64 points as he failed to throw a touchdown and finished with 216 yards passing. And it didn't help that Cooper Kupp left the game with an ankle injury late in the first half. We'll monitor Kupp's injury this week, but with Puka Nacua already on IR (knee), Stafford isn't a viable option for the Week 3 game versus the 49ers. -- Bowen

Injury report

Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

What we know: The first-round fantasy pick limped off the field due to a quadriceps injury suffered as a blocker on Ty Chandler's 5-yard carry in the third quarter, and Jefferson was unable to return to the game. Fortunately, Jefferson scored 23.3 PPR fantasy points for his managers before his exit.

What's next: Jefferson went to the locker room to be examined, but told ESPN's Lindsey Thiry afterward that his injury isn't serious. He and Jordan Addison, who missed Week 2 with an ankle injury he suffered in the season opener, might both wind up with questionable listings for Week 3 nevertheless, so check the practice reports to see whether either will be able to emerge among the team's top two targets in the passing game. Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell would be the next two wide receivers on the team's depth chart, though tight end Johnny Mundt would also see his targets increase if both receivers miss the game. -- Cockcroft

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

What we know: He hobbled off the field near the end of the first half and was unable to return to Sunday's contest due to an ankle injury.

What's next: Stafford spread the ball around almost evenly between Tutu Atwell, Colby Parkinson, Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Whittington following Kupp's departure, with running back Kyren Williams the most targeted of them all (4). A similar approach should be expected should Kupp join Nacua on the sidelines for Week 3. Fantasy managers should cross their fingers that this isn't a high ankle sprain, which would almost assuredly keep him out. -- Cockcroft

Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

What we know: Spears left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Before exiting, Spears totaled 31 yards on eight offensive touches.

What's next: Titans lead back Tony Pollard will continue to see the majority of the backfield touches in Tennessee, with Julius Chestnut moving into the No. 2 role if Spears is down for the Week 3 game versus the Packers. -- Bowen

Who earned an A this weekend?

Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Detroit Lions

It came in a losing effort but Hutchinson was vicious against the Bucs, racking up a ridiculous 4.5 sacks. To make it even more impressive: four of Hutchinson's five sack plays had a time to sack under 3.7 seconds, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The average time to sack this season is roughly 4.7 seconds. No surprise: Hutchinson also recorded a 40% pass rush win rate in the game.

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders

Based on the position and movement of all 22 players at the snap, NFL Next Gen Stats estimated that Robinson would have been expected to gain 71 rushing yards on his 17 attempts. Instead, Robinson bulldozed his way to 131 yards. No scores for Robinson, but an impressive performance.

Who earned an F this weekend?

Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers

There were a few shaky quarterback performances in Week 2, but the numbers on Young's performance were sneaky ugly. Though Young completed 18 of 26 pass attempts, he did so for only 84 yards -- averaging 3.0 air yards per attempt -- along with an interception and two sacks. The result was an incredibly inefficient day with NFL Next Gen Stats attributing -24.3 EPA to him. To put that in context, Jared Goff at -13.2 was second worst in the early Week 2 window.

Anton Harrison, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars

Harrison had just a 70% pass block win rate -- one of the worst for the week -- with some of those losses looking pretty rough, too. And it wasn't because of Myles Garrett, who played mostly on the opposite side of the line. Only one of Harrison's losses came to Garrett.

Lingering questions from Week 2's games

Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen came up big in the second game of his NFL career. Do you anticipate him having this type of role on a regular basis?

Going forward, Allen is expected to maintain a role on offense. Sunday's game wasn't an outlier. The Jets have known since training camp that he's good enough to be the RB2, spelling Breece Hall. Allen could be especially key this week, as the Jets have a quick turnaround to Thursday night against the Patriots. The only surprise was his role in the passing game; he ran 12 routes and caught a touchdown. All told, he played 20 snaps to Hall's 42. -- Rich Cimini

Quentin Johnston matched his rookie touchdown total with two TD receptions on Sunday. Was this a case of him facing a struggling Panthers team or could it be the start of a bigger role in this passing game?

The start of a bigger role in this passing game. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman uses Johnston much differently than the previous front office, with more opportunities for Johnston on underneath routes and screens. Harbaugh has said multiple times that he believes Johnston got a "bad rap" and they have prioritized getting him the ball. Johnston leads the team in targets (11), receptions (8), yards (89) and touchdowns (2) through two weeks. "Nobody I'm more excited for than Quentin Johnston," Harbaugh said Sunday. -- Kris Rhim