Fantasy Roundup: Week 2

Week 2 of the NFL season has been marked by injuries to quarterbacks and tight-ends, though many had little impact on the field. Below are the matchups, final scores, and a top performer and underperformer from each team. For full team rosters, see last week’s issue. 

Pfirst Down (1-0) vs Bring it Dome (0-1): 139.64 – 149.32

Top performers: Malik Nabers (37.7), Ja’Marr Chase (36.5)

Underperformers: Breece Hall (5.8), T.J. Hockenson (2.2)

The Inn-Zone (1-0) vs First and Lowell (1-0): 82.34 – 112.7

Top performers: Rome Odunze (31.8), De’Von Achane (26.2)

Underperformers: Derrick Henry (2.3), Chase Brown (8.5)

The Ball Curriers (0-1) vs Kirkland Cousins (0-1): 116.78 – 147.2

Top performers: CeeDee Lamb (20.2), Amon Ra St. Brown (39.2)

Underperformers: Justin Jefferson (11.1), Travis Kelce (10.1)

Standout Games:

Commanders @ Packers: 18-27

The Packers showed that Week 1 was no fluke. Jordan Love delivered again, racking up 292 yards and 2 total offensive touchdowns. On defense, Micah Parsons and company were suffocating, making life difficult for the Commanders. Jayden Daniels looked unsettled all game, constantly scrambling and throwing under pressure. His scoring prowess only appeared too late in the game to help.

Jaguars @ Bengals: 27-31

Tragedy struck in Cincinnati as the Bengal’s struggling offensive line finally took its toll: a sack on Joe Burrow will sideline him for three months with a foot injury. Even before leaving in the first half, Burrow looked uncomfortable behind an overmatched line. Backup quarterback Jake Browning stepped in and made the most of Cincinnati’s receiving corps, tossing two touchdowns and adding another one on the ground. As for the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence once again fell short. He can make some plays, but time and time again, he has proven incapable of showing up in the clutch. In conjunction with the disappointing skilled positions for Jacksonville, this team was outplayed.

Giants @ Cowboys: 37-40

Russell Wilson bounced back from his Week 1 performance against the Cowboys—until a game-losing interception in overtime erased it all. Giants fans were given flashes of a vintage Russ game, only to be reminded of his infamous Super Bowl 49 against the Patriots. Dak and the Cowboys took two quarters to warm up, but they came alive, leading to a high-scoring second half. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens performed for Dallas while Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo put on a show for New York. For the second week in a row, Giants fans despair.

Bears @ Lions: 21-52

Detroit had no mercy for Chicago and their new head coach (and ex-Lions offensive coordinator) Ben Johnson. The entire Lions offense was electric as Jared Goff had five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Amon Ra St. Brown, alongside the running of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, showed why the Lions’ offense was so highly rated last year. While Caleb Williams didn’t have an awful game, his interception and four sacks do not help. Rome Odunze, however, had an electric game. Overall, the Lions had a much-needed bounce-back game. What this contest did prove is that the Packers defense, who halted Detroit’s offense last week, is truly dangerous.

Patriots @ Dolphins: 33-27

While on paper Tua had a decent game, he’s not out of the doghouse yet; carried by his running back and receivers, his passes are more indicative of how bad the Patriots’ defense is. The Patriots left receivers wide open and were incapable of successful tackles, so I would hope Tagovailoa would be able to find his players. De’Von Achane had a monster game. Breaking free of tackles on the last drive, Achane had an opening for a touchdown but stepped out of bounds for an 18 yard gain. As for the Patriots, Drake Maye showed up. He was dominant, throwing tough passes and scrambling well. He looks poised to lead New England back to playoff contention.

Eagles @ Chiefs: 20-17

A rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, this game highlighted big problems in both teams. For the Eagles, Saquon is still dominant, and the defense is still stifling. Jalen Hurts looks more confident running the ball than throwing while A.J. Brown appears to have lost any favor with the team. For the Chiefs, Mahomes has to do everything. He had more rushing yards than both his running backs combined. The throwing game for Kansas City is also dismal, as Travis Kelce continues to decline. The Chiefs are now 0-2 for the first time in Mahomes’ tenure.

This week was a bit of a let down compared to last week, especially with the injuries plaguing many teams. That being said, there were great plays across the league. Next week, we look forward to a battle of the Chiefs (0-2) @ Giants (0-2) alongside a fight of great offenses in the Lions @ Ravens.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is celebrating Cam Ward’s first NFL touchdown.