Week 2 is nearing its conclusion, and it might be too early to give up on some players whom you may have had high hopes on this season. But if your team is sitting at the bottom of its respective league with an 0-2 record, it may be time to start shuffling some things up. Here are six players to add this week.
Five Players to Add:
QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
In years past, we have shied away from any players on the Raiders, as their quarterbacks have been weak, along with a lack of other offensive weapons. But, it seems as if the Raiders have found something with their second-year quarterback, David Carr. After struggling mightily in a Week 1 loss against Cincinnati, Carr led the Raiders to a hard fought win in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 2, Carr completed 30 of 46 passes, accumulating 351 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Carr completed all 30 of his passes to 10 different receivers. He also rushed twice for 23 yards. Carr faces a favorable matchup in the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 and also faces another favorable matchup in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. Carr finally has some true weapons lining up aside him in Oakland, as Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper combined to catch 16 passes in the Week 2 victory.
Other quarterbacks to target: Johnny Manziel (Cleveland) and Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay).
RB Matt Jones, Washington Redskins
Jones was the Redskins’ third round pick in the 2015 draft out of the University of Florida, and he was expected to compete for the backup running back spot behind Alfred Morris in Washington this preseason. He put together a solid preseason, and rushed for 28 yards on 6 carries in Week 1. In a Week 2 victory against St. Louis, Jones actually received one more carry than Morris, after exploding for a 39-yard touchdown in the first quarter of the victory. On the day, he finished with 19 carries, 123 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 23 yards. Morris should still be the starter in Washington until he proves to be ineffective, so I wouldn’t anticipate Jones getting more than 15 or 20 carries a game at most moving forward, but he could eventually start splitting some carries with Morris. The Redskins match up with the Giants in Week 3.
RB Chris Johnson/David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals came away with a lopsided win in Week 2 in Chicago against a struggling Bears team, and Johnson was part of a crew of veterans on the Cardinals offense that put together a great game. CJ2K received the start in place of the injured Andre Ellington. The Cardinals also have talented rookie running back David Johnson, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown and scored a receiving touchdown in Week 2, waiting in the wings, Chris Johnson received the start due to coach Bruce Arians’ philosophy on not giving rookie running backs a heavy work load this early in the season. While CJ2K only rushed for 72 yards on 20 carries, he broke away for some nice runs throughout the day, and figures to see some extended playing time, even once Ellington returns. Head coach Bruce Arians said Monday that David Johnson will get more looks this week as well, so keep him on your radar.
Other running backs to target: Duke Johnson (CLE), Lance Dunbar (DAL), and James Starks (GB)
WR Travis Benjamin, Cleveland Browns
Benjamin, in his fourth season in the league, is starting to become quarterback Johnny Manziel’s favorite target as Manziel takes over this Browns offense. He was the recipient of a 54-yard touchdown reception in Week 1, and caught a 60-yard touchdown reception in Week 2 on the second play of the game along with a 50-yarder in the 4th quarter. He also returned a punt for a touchdown in the game. Manziel only completed 8 passes on the day, but three of them went to Benjamin, and two of those, of course, were touchdowns. While Benjamin appears to be the most talented receiver on Cleveland’s roster, he may be boom or bust in the coming weeks. Manziel must do better than 8 completions the rest of the way. But, it could be safe to assume that if Manziel starts throwing the ball with more efficiency, Benjamin’s value could be on the rise, as well.
WR Aaron Dobson, New England Patriots
In a game in which Tom Brady attempted 59 passes, eight of them were thrown in the direction of Dobson. Of those eight passes, Dobson caught seven of them, accumulating 87 yards. Entering his third season in the NFL, Dobson figures to play a prominent role in the Patriots’ offense in the coming weeks, particularly to fill the void left by Brandon LaFell, who will be out the next several weeks due to injury. Teams are going to start double teaming both Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, so I expect Brady to starting getting Dobson and Danny Amendola more involved in the offense. If Brady continues to throw the ball upwards of 50 times per game, Dobson’s value will be quite high.
Other wide receivers to target: Ted Ginn, Jr. (CAR), Malcom Floyd (SD), and Doug Baldwin (SEA).
TE Crockett Gillmore, Baltimore Ravens
Gilmore exploded in Week 2 against the Raiders, catching two touchdowns on five receptions and 88 yards. We all know how much Joe Flacco loves his tight ends, so Gillmore should continue to see volume in the coming weeks. There aren’t a ton of attractive tight ends on the market right now, so you better hope Gillmore can be as consistent as some other Ravens tight ends in the past.
Other tight ends to target: Gavin Escobar (DAL), Jared Cook (STL), and Scott Chandler (NE).
Cobb in backfield
Image: Washington Post