Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 2

Week 2 has turned into a real line of demarcation in this season. This week marked the end of most Cowboys' fantasy relevance, with Tony Romo joining Dez Bryant on the sidelines, and with Arian Foster, Todd Gurley and Le'Veon Bell projected to make their season debuts in Week 3, we're seeing a lot of turnover on the running back depth charts; unfortunately, that turnover is more likely to make you cut or bench someone you were running with early in the season than it is to give you promising pickup targets. Let's look at the weekend's action.

Arizona RB -- Andre Ellington (knee) was inactive in Week 2, and while Chris Johnson did indeed draw 20 carries as the starter, he posted a modest 3.6 YPC with no rushes longer than eight yards. The artist formerly known as CJ2K was unsurprisingly outproduced in a fraction of the touches by David Johnson, who opened the game with a 108-yard kick return TD, then produced 42 yards and a touchdown on just five carries. Ellington's status is uncertain, but he could miss another game or two; assuming that's the case, it's awfully hard to imagine Chris taking 80 percent of the carries again.

Arizona WR -- Larry Fitzgerald turned back the clock Sunday with an incredible eight-catch, 112-yard, three-touchdown effort against the Bears. While John Brown caught all five of his targets (in impressive fashion) for 45 yards, Jaron Brown caught two of three for a modest 20 yards, but a touchdown. Michael Floyd again saw only one target in Week 2, and this time he didn't catch it. It looks like Floyd is at best the No. 3 receiver on this team now, as it's unlikely John Brown's role will shrink.

Arizona TE -- After a big Week 1, Darren Fells wasn't even targeted in Week 2, with Jermaine Gresham reeling in the only target (for five yards) that Carson Palmer sent a tight end's way. Palmer threw the ball a fairly modest 24 times in this one, but that's still awfully little use for the Cardinals' big men. Fells can't be considered starter material until he starts seeing targets on a consistent basis, while Gresham's heyday as a pass-catcher is firmly in the past.

Atlanta RB -- Tevin Coleman has shown a lot of promise in the early going this year, but he had to leave Sunday's game with a rib injury after nine carries for 32 yards and a score. That left plenty of work for Devonta Freeman, but he didn't exactly excel, running for only 25 yards (and a day-making touchdown) on a dozen carries while reeling in only half of his eight pass targets for 34 yards. Just from the initial look of it, I'd speculate that Coleman's injury is relatively minor and he'll play in Week 3, but there's a lot of uncertainty, obviously.

Atlanta WR -- Bizarrely, Roddy White saw almost no usage in Week 2, drawing a single target (which he didn't catch) while Leonard Hankerson saw 11 balls come his way. Hankerson produced, catching six for 77 yards and a score, and Julio Jones was, of course, his usual impossible-to-cover self. Even anonymous receiver Nick Williams had as many targets as (and one more catch than) White. There's no real explanation for this game after White looked perfectly healthy en route to an 84-yard effort in the season opener; it's hard to believe Hankerson has really surpassed him, but it's also going to be difficult to roll Roddy out in fantasy lineups in Week 3.

Baltimore RB -- Justin Forsett was back in the driver's seat Sunday, but he still had a fairly quiet game, producing 80 total yards (15 carries, four catches) and no scores. The somewhat bigger news is that Lorenzo Taliaferro got back on the field after missing Week 1 with a knee injury, and he rushed seven times for 34 yards and a touchdown, adding three catches for a modest 12 yards. Javorius Allen (one carry, one catch) is clearly the No. 3 at this point.

Baltimore WR -- Rookie Breshad Perriman (knee) is still sidelined with no clear return date, but the Ravens' passing game partied without him in Week 2. Steve Smith hauled in 10 passes for 150 yards while drawing more targets (16) than any two receivers combined, with Kamar Aiken (five catches on seven targets for 89 yards, but a lost fumble) having a productive day, as well.

Baltimore TE -- Never much of a receiving weapon last year, nor in Week 1, Crockett Gillmore exploded for five catches on six targets for 88 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders on Sunday. Rookie Maxx Williams had just one catch for the second straight week, and it appears he's clearly second fiddle to Gillmore. That's quite intriguing, considering Gillmore is about the same size and shape as Patriots mega-beast Rob Gronkowski. It's time to give the second-year man a closer look in fantasy circles.

Buffalo RB -- This time around, it was Karlos Williams rather than Anthony Dixon who vultured a goal-line score from LeSean McCoy, though McCoy certainly looked healthy en route to 116 total yards against the Patriots. Dixon didn't appear at all, while Williams saw only a backup's workload (six carries, 21 yards).

Buffalo WR -- With no New England version of Vontae Davis to cover him, Sammy Watkins came alive in Week 2, catching six of eight targets for 60 yards and a score. His productivity was precisely equaled on half as many catches by Robert Woods, but Woods should still be considered the No. 3, behind Watkins and Percy Harvin, who was second among wideouts in targets with five, catching four for 47.

Carolina WR -- Philly Brown (who wants to call the guy "Corey"?) led the Panthers wideouts in Week 2 production with three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown -- roundly outproducing Ted Ginn, whose name I always want to spell "Tedd Gin." Anyway, Ginn was targeted nine times, but reeled in only four for 41, scoring a touchdown of his own. Devin Funchess (one catch on four targets for 15 yards) is coming soon to a waiver wire near you.

Chicago QB -- If there's one thing that Bears fans want less than Jay Cutler under center, it's Jimmy Clausen under center. But indeed, the Notre Dame product replaced Cutler after the 32-year-old threw a second-quarter interception deep in his own territory, then pulled a hamstring trying to chase down Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson, who took the ball to the house. Clausen went 14-for-23 for 121 yards and a pick, and he'll be in line to start next week if Cutler doesn't convalesce rapidly for what promises to be a tough matchup in Seattle regardless of who's under center.

Chicago RB -- Matt Forte owners can't be unhappy with his second straight week of 100-plus total yards to open the season, but Jeremy Langford snaked six carries from him, including a one-yard touchdown plunge. Langford, not Jacquizz Rodgers, appears to be Forte's direct backup at this point.

Chicago WR -- With Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) out after aggravating a previous ailment in practice last week, the Bears' receiving corps looked pretty ugly Sunday, particularly when paired with Clausen's substandard quarterback play. Marquess Wilson reeled in just one of his five targets for 10 whole yards, and Eddie Royal caught seven of eight targets, but gained only 41 yards. Of all people, Josh Bellamy -- a 26-year-old undrafted receiver in the midst of his fourth season in the league (but mostly on practice squads) -- made the play of the day, catching a 48-yarder that served as his first career reception and touchdown as well as Cutler's only touchdown on the afternoon.

Cincinnati RB -- If you were sweating your Jeremy Hill ownership last week, this week you're in full-on disaster management mode. Hill lost two fumbles while gaining 41 yards on 11 touches Sunday, with Giovani Bernard taking 20 carries for 123 yards in the meantime. Well, perhaps "meantime" isn't the correct word, as Hill was benched in the second half after putting the ball on the ground for the second time. This could be one of those situations that oscillates from one back to the other unpredictably, and maybe even week to week. Watch the practice reports to see if Bernard's earned himself back the No. 1 role that he lost to Hill last year.

Cleveland QB -- Johnny Manziel earned his first NFL win Sunday, but despite the calls already increasing to keep him as the starter when Josh McCown (concussion) is ready to return, he wasn't asked to do a lot, as he threw just 15 times, completing eight passes for 172 yards and two scores. Obviously, the rate of return there is great, but Manziel's mostly going to be tasked with handing the ball off, plus the occasional bomb down the field for Travis Benjamin. Still, if he can stay away from turnovers, the job is probably his to lose.

Cleveland RB -- Isaiah Crowell bounced back from a quiet Week 1 with a credible performance Sunday, turning 15 carries into 72 yards and a score; Duke Johnson stole a dozen carries from him, but only generated 43 yards, almost half of which came on one play. Although this game included only a narrow touch advantage for Crowell, but he doesn't appear to be in any danger of losing his No. 1 role.

Cleveland WR -- It looks for the moment like Travis Benjamin is the only fantasy-relevant receiver in this offense. Benjamin tied for the Week 2 team lead in targets (four -- remember, this team doesn't throw much), reeling in three for a whopping 115 yards and two touchdowns, plus another touchdown on a 78-yard punt return. Andrew Hawkins (three catches, 43 yards) was the only other wideout to generate positive yardage.

Dallas RB -- None of the Cowboys' rushers could get much going on the ground Sunday, but the Eagles do have a solid defensive front. Joseph Randle carried 18 times, but for just 51 yards, while Darren McFadden was similarly unproductive, with 10 carries for 31. Lance Dunbar did the best work of the backs, and he did it in the passing game, catching three balls for 45 yards.

Dallas WR -- Things keep getting worse for the Dallas passing game. Dez Bryant is out for about half the season, maybe more, and now Tony Romo's out long-term with a broken collarbone suffered in Sunday's game. At this point, the Cowboys would probably prefer to play things out on Strat-O-Matic, as actually taking the field has resulted in a pair of pyrrhic victories. Terrance Williams still managed to find his way to fantasy relevance with Brandon Weeden thanks to a 42-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, while no other Cowboys wideout totaled more than Devin Street's 18 yards. Low upside all around in the absence of Romo.

Dallas TE -- Jason Witten sprained every joint in his body -- OK, just both ankles and a knee -- in Week 2, yet he didn't come out of the game. Gavin Escobar's the backup if Witten's body belatedly realizes it's broken.

Denver RB -- Just take deep breaths, C.J. Anderson owners. Take very deep breaths. Anderson (ankle/toe) gained all of 29 yards on 13 total touches in Thursday's game, though Ronnie Hillman wasn't a whole ton better (nine carries, 34 yards). The Broncos' offensive line failed to open up many holes, so it's hard to blame Anderson for failing to deliver on preseason expectations, but it's clear that there's no bell cow in this offense, and the Broncos used Hillman rather than Anderson at the goal line. The schedule does get easier, so don't just dump Anderson.

Detroit RB -- The Lions have abandoned the running game in consecutive weeks to open the year, and this time no one could do much with limited touches. Ameer Abdullah carried six times for nine whole yards in Week 2, while Joique Bell carried four times for two yards, and neither did much in the receiving game either. Theo Riddick led the way there with five catches for 41 yards, but he also lost a fumble.

Green Bay RB -- James Starks will be a popular pickup this week after Eddie Lacy hurt his ankle Sunday, but with Lacy's X-rays negative, it sounds like he'll have short absence. The veteran produced 106 total yards on 20 carries and four catches after coming on against Seattle in Week 2, so he's clearly a fantasy interest if he does get a chance to start a week or two.

Green Bay WR -- After his big Week 1, James Jones caught only one pass in Week 2, but he made it count for a 29-yard touchdown. Randall Cobb had the big game we were looking for, but Davante Adams was targeted only on short stuff (five targets, five catches, 33 yards) and Ty Montgomery didn't do anything major (four catches, 37 yards).

Houston QB -- Ryan Mallett did indeed get to hold onto the starting role in Week 2, but instead of game managing, the Texans' lack of a running game (more on that below) forced him to throw the ball 58 times. He only completed 27 of those passes for 244 yards, a touchdown (plus another one rushing) and a pick, good for a 57.0 QB rating. Will that 46.6 percent completion rate make Houston turn back to Brian Hoyer?

Houston RB -- Alfred Blue is no favorite of the coaches to begin with, and he was marginalized to the tune of five carries for six yards in Week 2. Chris Polk saw the majority of the work, but he was bad too, gaining only 38 yards on 14 carries. Arian Foster (groin) can't return soon enough -- and there's a chance that he could be back in Week 3. Keep your eyes peeled, as the Texans need him badly.

Indianapolis WR -- T.Y. Hilton (knee) is questionable for Monday night's game, but will probably play, if only to draw the attention of Darrelle Revis while Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief work against the Jets' lesser corners.

Jacksonville WR -- After his bizarre 13-target Week 1, Rashad Greene returned to irrelevance in Week 2, catching two passes on four targets for seven yards. In general, things went more as they were expected to in this one, with Allen Robinson leading the way in targets (12), catches (six), yards (155) and touchdowns (two). Allen Hurns was efficient -- he caught all four of his targets for 68 yards -- but it didn't exactly add up to a big fantasy day.

Miami WR -- Rishard Matthews enjoyed a big role again in Week 2, catching six of seven passes for a team-leading 115 yards (five more than Jarvis Landry), and it's time for fantasy owners to start looking Matthews' way for a depth wideout. The former seventh-round pick appears primed for his finest NFL campaign.

New England RB -- We were ready for LeGarrette Blount to return from suspension and marginalize Dion Lewis, but Blount barely saw the field in Week 2. Meanwhile, Lewis -- despite losing a fumble -- gained 98 yards through the air while leading the team in carries (seven) and rushing yards (40), with a touchdown to boot. It's tough to go all-in on Lewis because of the Patriots' well-documented backfield schizophrenia, but he certainly looks like he's at minimum stepped into the old Shane Vereen role.

New England WR -- Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are seemingly always going to draw the vast majority of Tom Brady's attention, but there was room for Aaron Dobson to join the party in Week 2, as he was targeted eight times, collecting seven catches for 87 yards. (That's quite a big leap from his one-target Week 1.) That said, Edelman had 19 targets, Gronk had 13 and Tom Brady's not going to throw the ball 59 times often.

New Orleans RB -- Mark Ingram drew the lion's share of the carries Sunday, rushing 16 times for a modest 53 yards with a touchdown, but also a fumble. Khiry Robinson carried only five times, but almost equaled Ingram's yardage total with 48, which should keep him very much in the mix for touches. And C.J. Spiller (knee) got back out there, but touched the ball just four times in limited action. With Drew Brees not playing terribly well, this situation is a real mess.

New Orleans WR -- Marques Colston was the Saints' leading receiver in Week 2, catching four balls for 69 yards, but he was targeted less than Brandin Cooks (five catches on seven targets for 62 yards) and Willie Snead (four for six, 44 and a touchdown, but he lost a fumble) and Brandon Coleman (three out of six for 33 yards). Snead is rapidly developing into a fantasy interest as the Saints try to find playmakers in their receiving game outside of Cooks, but Brees' early struggles are troubling.

New York Giants RB -- After a solid Week 1, Rashad Jennings was absolutely useless in Week 2, rushing nine times for 12 whole yards while adding two catches for another dozen against the Falcons. Despite drawing three more carries than either Shane Vereen or Andre Williams, he was outgained by both. Williams ripped off a 35-yarder, while Vereen was his typically useful self in the passing game, reeling in all eight of his targets for 76 yards. This three-headed approach largely will serve to limit the fantasy utility of all three backs, with Vereen looking like his PPR flex-play self while the 30-year-old Jennings splits off a good chunk of the work on early downs to Williams.

New York Giants WR -- I was one of many fantasy owners who saw the appeal of Rueben Randle in this year's drafts -- after all, he's excelled when given the opportunities before; with Victor Cruz sidelined due to a calf injury, it seemed like he had a golden opportunity. Well, two weeks into the year, Randle's caught four balls for 28 yards. Five of those yards came in Week 2, when he was targeted just twice by Eli Manning; meanwhile, Preston Parker drew six targets and did next to nothing with them, collecting three receptions for 17 yards. Cruz is probably still at least a couple weeks from returning, but with Vereen and Larry Donnell in the mix for targets (not to mention that Odell Beckham fellow, who gets his share), it doesn't seem like the role of No. 2 receiver is very meaningful on this team.

New York Jets RB -- Chris Ivory (groin) is listed as questionable for Monday night but is expected to play. However, Bilal Powell may again see a significant role in relief if Ivory is limited at all or the Jets manage to play with a lead.

New York Jets WR -- With Vontae Davis shadowing Brandon Marshall on Monday night, expect Eric Decker to see a lot of action, with Chris Owusu drawing some targets too. Devin Smith is back to full health and will debut in this one, and the rookie burner could ascend the depth chart to No. 3 quickly if he's able to make an instant impact.

Philadelphia RB -- Week 2 was disaster city for the Philadelphia offense, and while Sam Bradford's three turnovers played a big role in that, the running game certainly did its part. DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles combined to carry 15 times ... for a loss of two yards. Ah, preseason hype -- isn't it the best? Murray now has 11 rushing yards on 21 carries through two games. Fortunately, he did at least bail himself out a little with five catches for 53 yards Sunday.

Pittsburgh RB -- DeAngelo Williams had a last hurrah of sorts in Week 2, ripping off 92 total yards and three touchdowns to make some fantasy owners (like yours truly) extremely happy. Le'Veon Bell will be back from suspension Week 3, but the Steelers are making noises about Williams remaining involved in the offense to a meaningful degree. I'll believe that when I see it; Williams is going to my bench next week.

Pittsburgh WR -- Darrius Heyward-Bey staked his claim on the No. 2 wideout role for the Steelers with four catches for 77 yards in Week 2, including a 41-yarder and a 35-yard touchdown. It's promising that Ben Roethlisberger is willing to look to DHB on third downs as well as getting him the ball deep, and it wouldn't be crazy to see the former first-round pick maintain some fantasy relevance even when Martavis Bryant's back from his suspension. Heyward-Bey is clearly ahead of Markus Wheaton, though Wheaton did manage to turn only two receptions into 67 yards of his own in this one. Of course, Antonio Brown remains the apple of Ben Roethlisberger's eye.

San Francisco RB -- Carlos Hyde's star turn in Week 1 took a turn in Week 2, as he struggled en route to 43 rushing yards, a lost fumble and a concussion test. The good news is that he doesn't have a concussion and will probably be good to go in Week 3, with neither Mike Davis nor Jarryd Hayne doing anything in relief to steal his thunder.

St. Louis RB -- Tre Mason returned from his hamstring injury in Week 2, but with the Rams overwhelmingly going to the air in this one, he only managed seven carries for 26 yards -- getting outgained on the ground by non-running back Tavon Austin (four rushes, 40 yards). Mason didn't help out in the pass game either, catching two of five targets for four yards. Benny Cunningham got just one carry, but did enjoy a reasonably sized passing-game role, though there wasn't much productivity that came with it. Todd Gurley (knee) may return in Week 3; don't expect stardom from the moment he steps on the field, but he should bring an exciting element to this running game.

Tampa Bay WR -- Mike Evans made his way back onto the field from a hamstring injury Sunday, but it was a painful return for his fantasy owners, as he was shut out on three targets. Vincent Jackson led the team in targets with five and took the edge off a relatively quiet day (54 yards) with a touchdown, while Louis Murphy was the most productive receiver, catching three passes for 82 yards. Jameis Winston's rookie inconsistencies look like they might make this a tough group to peg from week to week.

Tennessee RB -- After Bishop Sankey looked ready to permanently seize control of this job in Week 1 (74 yards on 12 carries, a rushing score and a receiving score), Week 2 brought a letdown -- on the same dozen carries, he gained only 42 yards and failed to collect either of his pass targets. Meanwhile, Dexter McCluster carried 10 times and ripped off 98 yards, plus another 26 through the air. McCluster's already nearly equaled last year's ground yardage, and with the Titans seemingly having little love and less trust for Sankey, he seems likely to see a consistent 8-to-10 touches, but he's unlikely to score many touchdowns and will have a lot of variance in his performances due to the small carry totals.

Tennessee WR -- Dorial Green-Beckham caught his first NFL pass -- and first touchdown -- in Week 2, but the 13-yarder was his only catch of the day. DGB is a promising red-zone target, but he's quite raw yet. The other Titans' wideouts didn't do much more than he did -- Kendall Wright was targeted just four times, catching two for 17 yards, while Justin Hunter caught both of his for 34. All this happened despite Marcus Mariota throwing 37 times. Two tight ends were on top of the receiving yardage totals for Tennessee in this one, highlighting the untrustworthiness of this crew of receivers.

Tennessee TE -- Speaking of those tight ends, Delanie Walker didn't play in Week 2 due to a sprained wrist, which opened the door for Anthony Fasano and Chase Coffman to be the top two receivers for Mariota in this game. Fasano was the more useful one, nabbing five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, but there's not much to see here in terms of ongoing fantasy value.

Washington RB -- Ladies and gentlemen ... Matt Jones. The rookie rusher surpassed Alfred Morris in Week 2, overcoming a lost fumble en route to a 19-carry, 123-yard, two-touchdown effort on the ground. He added three catches for 23 yards for some icing on the cake. He was helped by Alfred Morris taking a huge step back from Week 1 -- he carried 18 times for just 59 yards, an unimpressive 3.3 YPC. Morris did have a 35-yard run, but that means he gained only 24 yards on his other 17 carries. This is moving rapidly toward a 50-50 timeshare, and if Jones keeps looking this exciting, he's a good bet to work out a clear majority role by midseason.

Washington WR -- Life without DeSean Jackson didn't look so great for the Washington air game Sunday, with Jordan Reed's 82 yards blowing every wideout out of the water. Ryan Grant caught three of six passes from Kirk Cousins for 45 yards, while Pierre Garcon was used exclusively on short stuff, resulting in a 23-yard day that was saved by a touchdown. Andre Roberts was invisible -- one catch, no yards. Hurry back, DeSean!