As Week 2 has finished, let’s look at the players whose stocks rose or fell due to their performances.
Stock Up: RB Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
Robinson had a big day for the Commanders on Sunday, carrying the ball 18 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while also catching two of his three targets for 42 yards. Robinson has been one of Washington’s bright spots on offense so far this season, and he has cemented himself as the team’s RB1 moving forward. He is set to face a tough Bills defense this week, but he remains a must-start in all formats.
Stock Up: RB D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
Swift produced extremely well Thursday night, turning 28 carries into 175 yards and a touchdown while also catching an additional three passes for six yards. A week after receiving only one carry, Swift made the most of his opportunity and gashed the Vikings’ defense all night on the ground. Kenneth Gainwell’s injury status makes it difficult to project the workload that Swift will receive this week, but given Swift’s performance, he should have earned more carries and should be considered a strong flex play this week against the Buccaneers.
Stock Up: WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ offense has gotten off to a rough start so far in 2023, but Tee Higgins was a bright spot for them on Sunday. He caught eight of his twelve targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns. This performance was extremely encouraging, as Higgins was held without a catch in Week 1. Higgins will look to carry his strong performance into this week’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Stock Up: QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Prior to the season, it was hard to set expectations for Jordan Love. But as the heir to Aaron Rodgers, expectations for Love were relatively high, and so far, he has delivered. Love has completed 29 of his 52 pass attempts this season for 396 yards and six touchdowns through two weeks. He has also showcased the ability to add yards on the ground if he needs to. It is noteworthy that Love has produced this well even without his WR1 in Christian Watson. The Packers will face the Saints this week which could provide Love with another opportunity to have a big day through the air.
Stock Up: RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Williams took over as the Rams’ lead back this week after the team opted to make Cam Akers inactive. He took advantage of his opportunity and turned his 20 combined touches into 100 total yards and two total touchdowns. With Akers officially off the team thanks to a trade, Williams should see the majority of the carries and targets out of the backfield for the Rams moving forward.
Stock Down: RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled to start the 2023 season, and the third-year back has been a big part of it. Harris has carried the ball 16 times for just 74 yards and zero touchdowns through two games this season while adding virtually nothing through the air. With Jaylen Warren seeming to earn a larger role in the backfield with each passing week, Harris’ value continues to drop. He is a risky RB2 play moving forward.
Stock Down: QB Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Fields has struggled with turnovers to start the 2023 season. On Sunday against the Buccaneers, Fields completed 16 of his 29 passing attempts for 211 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Fields was able to find the end zone on the ground to help salvage his fantasy performance, but it hasn’t been pretty. Given the Bears’ inconsistencies on offense and Fields being turnover-prone, he remains a risky QB2 play.
Stock Down: RB Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
Mattison has had an underwhelming start to the 2023 season. On Thursday night against the Eagles, Mattison carried the ball eight times for just 28 yards while adding an additional three catches for 11 yards while also losing a fumble in the first quarter. With the aforementioned Cam Akers now breathing down his neck in Minnesota, he will need a strong performance this week against the Chargers to maintain fantasy relevance.
Stock Down: RB Dalvin Cook, New York Jets
When Dalvin Cook signed with the Jets, it was expected that he would form one of the better running back duos in the league with Breece Hall. So far, that has not been the case. On Sunday against the Cowboys, Cook saw just four carries for seven yards while also losing a fumble. Cook did lead all Jets running backs in snaps and touches, so perhaps that is encouraging, but Breece Hall continues to ramp up with each passing week and it is only a matter of time before he sees the majority of the touches. Cook is a risky flex play this week against the Patriots.
Stock Down: WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers’ first-round pick has played very little to start his career. The Chargers have a deep receiver group, but it is surprising to see Johnston play so little. Through two weeks he has just five targets and three receptions for 16 yards. It feels hard to believe that this level of production will continue, but Johnston needs to earn the trust of the coaching staff first. This week’s matchup against the Vikings provides him with a good opportunity to show what he can do.
