Browns QB Deshaun Watson completed 22 of 40 attempts for 235 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 2’s loss vs. the Steelers. He also ran for 22 yards in the contest, though a pair of costly lost fumbles ate into his fantasy performance. Through two weeks of the season, Watson has been truly underwhelming. Fantasy managers hoping he would make a return to pre-suspension form are left wondering if that’s going to happen. Is it still possible? Absolutely, but the early returns are giving us little reason to be overly optimistic. We’ll see if he can do any better in Week 3 vs. the Titans.
Steelers WR George Pickens stepped up without teammate Diontae Johnson (hamstring) in the lineup, tallying 4 catches for 127 yards and a TD on a team-leading 10 targets vs. the Browns. No other Steelers’ wideout registered more than a pair of receptions. Given the poor QB play that Kenny Pickett has brought to the table to open 2023, relying on receiving production from anyone on this roster is a challenge. Even so, Pickens displayed his big-play ability with a 71-yard TD tonight and will be worth the gamble again in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers RB Najee Harris ended Week 2 with 10 carries for 43 rushing yards vs. the Browns. Teammate Jaylen Warren logged 20 rushing yards on 6 carries in addition to hauling 4 catches on 6 targets for 66 yards as a receiver. Most of Harris' yardage came on two runs in the third quarter. He was otherwise stuffed at the line throughout the contest. The Steelers are still splitting the workshare between Harris and Warren fairly evenly (13 and 12 touch opportunities, respectively). Still, it isn't easy to justify relying on either for fantasy production. Warren presents a modest upside in half or full-PPR formats in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett completed 15 of 30 attempts for 222 passing yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in Week 2 vs. the Browns. The second-year starter had a handful of other errant throws that were lucky not to be intercepted by Cleveland defenders throughout Monday's victory. Aside from a 71-yard TD throw to WR George Pickens, this was not a strong performance from Pickett. He’ll be a shaky fantasy option in Week 3 vs. the Raiders.
Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick left Monday night's win over the Browns with a chest injury. He was ruled out before the end. We'll see about the severity, but that doesn't bode well for Week 3 at least.
Insider Jordan Schultz tweets that the Browns "fear" a season-ending knee injury for RB Nick Chubb. That's been the obvious assumption since the injury happened in the second quarter of Monday night's game in Pittsburgh. Schultz adds that Chubb is believed to have a dislocated knee and damage to multiple ligaments. We should get an official diagnosis within the next 24 hours. Chubb's 2023 is over. The question now is whether he can make it back for the start of the 2024 season. He turns 28 in December.
Browns RB Nick Chubb left Monday night's game in Pittsburgh on a cart after taking a shot to his left knee. ESPN declined to show replays of the injury, and Chubb could be seen denying a teammate who wanted to help him up immediately after. We'll watch for details on the injury, but it certainly doesn't look good. RB Jerome Ford entered and caught a TD pass on the ensuing play. (He then also ran in the 1-point conversion.)
Update: Chubb has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Panthers LB Shaq Thompson left Monday night's game against the Saints with an injury to his right shin. He's doubtful to return. We'll see about Thompson's status heading into Week 3.
Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that HC Frank Reich said Thompson suffered a "significant" ankle injury. Thompson is expected to miss the rest of the season, though he'll have further tests Tuesday.
Saints RB Jamaal Williams left Monday night's game against the Panthers with a hamstring injury. He's questionable to return. With RB Kendre Miller inactive once again, New Orleans is left with Tony Jones Jr. as "lead" RB.
The Lions fear S C.J. Gardner-Johnson tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, NFL Network reports. If confirmed, that would knock Gardner-Johnson out for at least a while -- and likely the rest of the season. We'll watch for confirmation.
On Monday, ESPN's Sarah Barshop tweeted that Rams HC Sean McVay told reporters that GM Les Snead has spoken with "a handful of teams" regarding a trade for RB Cam Akers and "that's the direction" the Rams are headed. This would seem to indicate that RB Kyren Williams will remain the most fantasy-relevant back in Los Angeles for the time being. Even so, there's nothing stopping the Rams from adding another back to the depth chart at some point down the line. We'll keep an eye on how this situation continues unfolding in the coming days.
On Monday, Chargers HC Brandon Staley shared that there's "no timeline" for RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) to return to play, per The Athletic's Daniel Popper. It's a vague message, though it sounds like fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see Ekeler suit up in Week 3 vs. the Vikings. Backup Joshua Kelley will presumably remain the lead back in Ekeler's absence. We'll keep tabs on this situation as more information becomes available.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (groin) will be active for tonight's Week 2 game vs. the Steelers, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This is certainly good news for fantasy managers, though a mid-week injury aggravation is never a good sign. We've got him conservatively lowered in our WR rankings.
Panthers WR D.J. Chark (hamstring) is active for tonight's game vs. the Saints. HC Frank Reich said Saturday that Chark could be on a snap count coming off that hamstring injury, so he should only be used as a flier in DFS tournaments.
Saints RB Kendre Miller (hamstring) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Panthers. That will again leave RB Jamaal Williams in a workhorse role. He handled 18 carries and two targets on a 75% snap rate in Week 1.
On Monday, Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot tweeted that "there's some optimism" around WR Amari Cooper (groin) suiting up for Week 2 vs. the Steelers. Cabot adds that Cooper playing is "not a certainty" but that the Browns will see how the veteran feels in warmups and that "there's a chance" at a minimum. Be sure to check back before kickoff for any official word on his availability. Should Cooper not play, we expect a bump for fellow WR Elijah Moore in this primetime divisional bout.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Giants RB Saquon Barkley is expected to miss three weeks with his ankle injury. It's an "ordinary" sprain, rather than a high-ankle sprain, Schefter adds. It's all relatively good news, but fantasy owners will still need to prep to be without Barkley for the short term. Schefter's timeline would have him back for Week 6 vs. the Bills. Barkley's absence leaves the Giants' backfield to Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, and rookie Eric Gray. Breida is the preferred fantasy add but shouldn't be considered more than a low-upside RB3 or flex.
The Steelers announced on Monday that WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) is being placed on IR. The veteran wideout will now miss at least the next 4 games of the season. Johnson sustained this injury during the second half of Week 1 vs. the 49ers and didn't return to the contest. He also hadn't participated in practice at any point this week leading up to the Steelers' Week 2 primetime game vs. the Browns. Without Johnson in tow, the Steelers will look to see increased efforts from WRs Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin. Neither player is worth considering in most 10 or 12-team formats, though they are decent speculative deeper league adds. Expect to see a small bump in responsibility for TE Pat Freiermuth to supplement Johnson's contributions as a lower aDOT player in the Steelers' offense.
The Cardinals on Monday placed S Budda Baker on IR. That means he'll miss at least another four games, on top of the loss to the Giants he already missed. K'Von Wallace played every snap in place of Baker and should be the starter while the vet is out. Wallace led Arizona in total tackles and has history with HC Jonathan Gannon from Gannon's time as Eagles DC. He's a decent addition for balanced and more tackle-heavy IDP formats.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson labeled WR Zay Jones day-to-day with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. Jones is still set for additional testing on the knee. He was able to return to the Week 2 game, so we're tentatively expecting him to be available for this weekend's game vs. the Texans. But we'll update his status when we know more.
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