For many players, week 2 has significant value in terms of carving out an important role in the team or showing that they can be consistent. Having a good first week does not necessarily mean that they will perform well throughout the season. Having played in 2 games now, players give a glimpse of whether or not they will be able to produce steady numbers in weeks to come. If your team faced unfortunate injuries of poor performances in Week 2, the emergence of new sleepers you should invest in from the waiver wire could be the deciding factor in your team bouncing back or staying in a slump.
The main fantasy headline following week 2 is Bengals’ running back Joe Mixon suffering a slight meniscus tear. Mixon started this season off with a bang, rushing for the second most yards in the league despite being injured during part of his week 2 matchup. His injury required an arthroscopic knee surgery and will be back in a minimum of two weeks. 
However, this timeline has proven to be somewhat vague, as Mixon says he will return whenever he feels comfortable. Mixon’s absence leaves many without a viable RB2 heading into week 3. The Bengals’ second running back Giovani Bernard should be a great option during Mixon’s absence. Bernard will be receiving a high number of carries without Joe Mixon and will produce solid numbers because of this. When Mixon was injured last season against the Steelers and had a deflated workload for 3 of the final 5 games (he was out for the other 2), Bernard rushed for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns along with receiving for 170 yards. Bernard has the perfect opportunity to replicate these solid stats again and be a solid flex or RB2 option until Mixon returns.
This week, one of the best waiver wire pickups is Broncos’ running back Phillip Lindsay. At the start of the season, all the hype surrounded their new running back Royce Freeman, who was coming off of a dominating season at Oregon, rushing for 1475 yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 games. The hefty 6 foot 238 pound back was expected to have a heavy 
workload this season as the Broncos’ RB1, but Phillip Lindsay has been under the spotlight so far in Denver. In week 1, Lindsey had 15 attempts for 71 yards along with 31 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown and was just about even with Freeman for carries. In week 2, Freeman saw a heavy decrease in carries, running the ball only 8 times. Lindsay continued to impress in week 2, getting 14 carries for 107 yards. Freeman’s lack of carries opened the door for Lindsay to prove to reaffirm his value in the Broncos offense and in fantasy football as a solid ball carrier who can produce great yardage. If Lindsay continues to prove his skill and Freeman continues to lack in volume, Lindsay will be the Broncos’ running back you want for your team.
Cardinals’ star running back David Johnson, who many people who used a crucial top 4 draft pick to obtain, is causing panic among these people following two disappointing weeks. David Johnson missed nearly the whole 2016 season after suffering a dislocated wrist, but everyone expected Johnson to return in full form. However, Johnson’s numbers so far are alarmingly concerning for fantasy owners. In two games, Johnson has had 22 
carries for 85 yards, 6 receptions for 33 yards, and one touchdown, which was also the Cardinals’ only score. There are two problems preventing Johnson’s success in the Cardinals’ backfield: the Cardinals’ offense is horrendous and the coaches are misusing him. The Cardinals’ offense lacks talent in many areas (they’re starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, is a prime example of this), making it extremely difficult to put any sort of drive together. When they do have the ball, they use Johnson as a power-back, having him run between the tackles, which limits his big-play opportunity. Johnson’s greatness is shown as an open-space playmaker and excellent receiving back. Also, the Cardinals’ have lined Johnson up as a slot receiver 0 times! Part of what made Johnson so great in 2016 was his receiving, catching 80 passes for 879 yards. However, now is not the time to lose hope in David Johnson. Cardinals’ head coach Steve Wilks, the man behind Johnson’s rocky start to the 2018 season, told the media that he is working to find more creative ways to get Johnson the ball and that he will be lining Johnson up in the slot more in upcoming games. For me, and anyone else who owns David Johnson, this is exactly what we need to hear.
Josh Gordon’s recent transition to the Patriots is giving Cleveland receivers the opportunity to step up and make a name for themselves in the fantasy world. Aside from the obvious choice of Jarvis Landry, deep-sleeper Antonio Callaway showed his speed in week 2. The rookie out of the University of Florida caught 3 of 4 targets for 81 yards and a touchdown 
in the Browns loss to the Saints. I don’t believe that these numbers indicate any kind of starting position for your team this week due to lack of volume, but he is definitely a player I would keep an eye on in the next couple of games. If his role in the Brown’s offense continues to grow, he utilizes his speed as a deep aerial threat, and he shows that he can be consistent, Callaway has the chance to be a solid fantasy option later in the season.
Finally, I know that no one is really interested in kickers, but the Vikings cut their kicker Daniel Carlson after what can only be described as an absolutely horrible performance for the rookie. Carlson missed 3 field goals, essentially costing the Vikings the game. The 
Vikings signed Veteran kicker Dan Bailey, and if you need a kicker, I suggest you sign him too. We all know about the former Cowboy kicker being cut prior to the start of the season. This left most fans wondering why we would drop the 2nd most accurate kicker in NFL history and keep the CFL’s finest, Brett Maher, to fill his role. However, this is aside from the point I am trying to make. Dan Bailey is still the second most accurate kicker in NFL history and should see plenty of opportunity with the Vikings’ strong offense.
Week 2 has shed light on many players that most would consider being “slept on”. Players were able to show consistency, backing up their week 1 performances, and others performed so badly that they were cut from the team. It’s always tempting to lose or gain hope in players quickly after a couple of poor or solid performances in the first two weeks. But just because a player might look really good or bad as of right now, for many players, it is still too early to jump to conclusions. While you may want to trade a player away after two bad games, I suggest that you wait and see how they do in week 3. You don’t want to make a decision that you will regret for the rest of the season.
Good luck and go Cowboys!
