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Chris Carson was too "gassed" to get touches in the second half
There wasn't a ton to take away from Monday's game from a Fantasy perspective, but we'll get to that in due time. First, let's start with this weird one: Chris Carson was "gassed" from playing special teams last night, which was why he didn't touch the ball in the second half according to Pete Carroll. Carson finished the game with six carries for 24 yards and no catches on one target, one week after rushing the ball seven times for 51 yards. That's not the usage we were hoping for after the big preseason Carson had.
In fact, through two games, rookie Rashaad Penny has out-touched Carson by five. That the team's first-round pick has had a significant role isn't surprising, but it isn't what we expected coming into the season, and it's rendered Carson just a fringe Fantasy option. The saving grace for him? He is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, compared to just 2.2 for Penny. We'll see if he can earn more work moving forward, but I would guess this will be a frustrating Fantasy backfield all season, especially with the offensive line issues of recent years seeming unresolved. Speaking of ...
The Seahawks' offense flopped
The Seahawks talked a big game about improving their rushing success in the offseason to take some of the pressure off Russell Wilson, but they have been as reliant on him as ever through two games, and that was true again Monday night. And it didn't work out for them. Through two games, the Seahawks are averaging 69 yards per game on the ground on a miserable 3.6 yards per carry, leaving Wilson to do the heavy lifting behind a suspect line and with a mediocre receiving corps.
Last season, Wilson moved heaven and earth to make it work, but he did so with the help of Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham, neither of whom was present Monday. Wilson was sacked six times and averaged 6.3 yards per attempted against the Bears, completing 22 of 36 passes for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tyler Lockett was the top receiver, as expected, going for five catches for 60 yards on seven targets, with a score. He'll be the only reliable WR in this offense as long as Baldwin (knee) is out, though rookie tight end Will Dissly caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown and should be on your radar as a streaming option. Either way, until Baldwin is back and the running game gets on track — big if, that one — it will be hard to view the Seahawks' offense as a useful one for Fantasy.
The Bears' offense remains a work in progress
On the first drive of the season, the Bears racked up 86 yards on a 10-play scoring drive; they went 96 yards on their opening drive in Week 2, finishing off with a 3-yard touchdown by Trey Burton. They have come out of the gates firing on all cylinders in each of their first two games of the Matt Nagy era. The problem has been sustaining those fast starts. In Week 1, they had just 208 yards the rest of the game after the first drive, and on Monday night, they had just 175 yards the rest of the game.
There isn't just one problem with the Bears' offense right now, but the quarterback isn't a bad place to start. Mitchell Trubisky looks better than he did a year ago, but that's an awfully low bar to clear. Through two games, he has two touchdowns and two interceptions, while averaging just 5.4 yards per attempt. There was some hype and hope around the Bears' passing game coming into the season, but the reality is, so far, Trubisky hasn't been efficient enough to make more than one receiver matter. That has been Allen Robinson, who has 144 yards through two games; nobody else has more than 58 yards. Robinson looks like a solid starting Fantasy option thanks to the volume he's seeing (21 targets in two games), but Jordan Howard and Trey Burton (five catches, 35 yards) are the only other options to consider right now.
Other notes from Monday Night Football
- Tarik Cohen suffered an ankle injury late … The injury does not appear serious, and Cohen told reporters he expects to play in Week 3 against the Cardinals. He had four carries for 8 yards and one catch for 17 before the injury, and just hasn't been a factor through two games.
Other notes from around the NFL
- Carson Went will return in Week 3 … Wentz has been cleared for contact and coach Doug Pederson told the media Monday Wentz will start. He was one of the best quarterbacks in Fantasy last season, but Wentz owners only need to look at Deshaun Watson to see an obvious cautionary tale. He could get off to a slow start and is a super risky Fantasy option even against a soft Colts defense in Week 3.
- The Patriots acquired Josh Gordon … Heath Cummings went over the ramifications of this move Monday, and you can read that here. Gordon obviously has a ton of upside in New England, but there's no guarantee he sticks. His trade value may never be higher than it is right now.
- LeSean McCoy suffered cracked rib cartilage in Week 2 … McCoy may not end up missing any time, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, but this is certainly something to be worried about. The biggest argument in McCoy's favor this season was the volume he was expected to see, but he has just 21 touches through two games thanks to bad game scripts, and now he has this to deal with. Chris Ivory will be worth adding for Week 3 in case he gets the start.
- Dan Bailey signed with the Vikings … The first of three kicker notes is the most important — relatively speaking. Bailey is one of the most accurate kickers in the history of the NFL, and now he gets to join an offense that has averaged 400-plus yards in the first two games and plays in an indoor stadium. Bailey should be a fine kicker for Fantasy purposes rest of season.
- Sam Ficken signed with the Rams … Ficken filled in for Greg Zuerlein last season and will do the same for at least a few weeks with Zuerlein nursing a groin injury. He's worth streaming in what should be a shootout in Week 3 against the Chargers.
- Greg Joseph signed with the Browns … Unproven kicker on an unproven offense. You can do better. Look above.
- Mike Wallace (leg) will be out a while … Wallace suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2, but won't be placed on IR, so the hope is he can return sometime this season. This leaves the Eagles' receiving corps even thinner, with Alshon Jeffery still sidelined from offseason shoulder surgery.
- Washington signed Breshad Perriman and Michael Floyd … At this point, it's probably best to ignore these two until they show they are worth a look in Fantasy.
So who should you sit and start this week? And where does every player stack up? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 3 Fantasy football rankings for every single position, and see which shocking QB is going to finish in the top five, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.
