NFL Scores Week 2: Results and Top Fantasy Football Stars for Sunday Games

The 2014 NFL season continues to produce a bevy of twists and turns, as injuries have already begun to mount, teams have made corresponding adjustments and fantasy implications have been altered as a result.

Many fantasy owners were left shaking their heads right out of the gate on Sunday when Robert Griffin III, A.J. Green, DeSean Jackson, Knowshon Moreno and others departed with early injuries. Needless to say, both fantasy teams and NFL franchises were impacted in a significant manner—some with disastrous consequences.   

In the wake of Sunday's action, league standings have shifted and new potential fantasy stars have emerged. The aftermath will affect some teams and players for only a week; however, others may wind up dealing with the repercussions for an extended period of time.

Despite several gloomy storylines on Sunday, there were plenty of fantasy studs taking center stage, winning their Week 2 matchups for fantasy owners and NFL squads alike. Here's a look at each game's final score along with its most notable performer.

Winner	Score	Loser	Notable Fantasy Performer
Browns	26-24	Saints	Jimmy Graham (10 rec., 118 yds., 2 TD)
Panthers	24-7	Lions	Cam Newton (22/34, 281 yds., 1 TD, 19 rush yds.)
Cardinals	25-14	Giants	Andre Ellington (91 rush yds., 10 rec. yds.)
Patriots	30-7	Vikings	Stevan Ridley (101 rush yds., 1 TD)
Cowboys	26-10	Titans	DeMarco Murray (167 rush yds., 1 TD, 6 rec. yds.)
Bills	29-10	Dolphins	Sammy Watkins (8 rec., 117 yds., 1 TD)
Bengals	24-10	Falcons	Giovani Bernard (90 rush yds., 1 TD, 79 rec. yds.)
Redskins	41-10	Jaguars	Alfred Morris (85 rush yds., 2 TD)
Chargers	30-21	Seahawks	Antonio Gates (7 rec., 96 yds., 3 TD)
Texans	30-14	Raiders	Arian Foster (138 rush yds., 1 TD, 12 rec. yds.)
Rams	19-17	Buccaneers	Bobby Rainey (144 rush yds., 30 rec. yds.)
Packers	31-24	Jets	Aaron Rodgers (25/42, 346 yds., 3 TD, 28 rush yds.)
Broncos	24-17	Chiefs	Knile Davis (79 rush yds., 2 TD, 26 rec. yds.)
Bears	28-20	49ers	Brandon Marshall (5 rec., 48 yds., 3 TD

Quarterback

Cam Newton

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Newton proved plenty of his doubters wrong on Sunday, completing 22 of 34 attempts for 281 yards and one touchdown despite the Carolina Panthers' offseason flux of wide receivers.

The quarterback spread the ball around nicely, completing passes to seven different players while favoring tight end Greg Olsen, veteran Jason Avant and rookie Kelvin Benjamin—all of whom should be viable fantasy options going forward.

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman weighed in on Newton's performance:

While Newton didn't run much—he gained 19 yards on just four attempts—that could be attributed to his ongoing recovery from a rib injury. He performed well as a passer on Sunday, and his fantasy value will just continue to rise when he's completely healthy.

Running Back

Giovani Bernard

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The Cincinnati Bengals running back gave the Atlanta Falcons defense fits on Sunday both through the air and on the ground. Bernard carried 27 times for 90 yards and a touchdown, while accumulating five receptions for 79 yards.

ESPN Stats & Info noted what Bernard was able to do by halftime:

Bernard's 32 touches were the most on the team—by a big margin—and his explosiveness, playmaking ability and home-run hitting speed make him one of fantasy football's most dangerous weapons for the remainder of the season.

Wide Receiver

Sammy Watkins

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Don't look now, but the rookie is certainly living up to expectations. Watkins has an enormous catch radius, crisp route-running ability and blazing speed. His rapport with quarterback EJ Manuel is abundantly apparent, as he was targeted a team-high 11 times, racking up eight receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Numbers Never Lie tweeted Watkins' introduction to the league:

Easily the biggest threat on the Buffalo Bills offense, Watkins can be counted on by fantasy owners as a high-end WR2, with the possibility to becoming a solid WR1 down the road, should Manuel continue to show improvement as the team's signal-caller.

Tight End

Jimmy Graham

Jason Miller/Getty Images

What more can be said about Graham that hasn't been already? He's clearly the league's most dominant tight end, and proved that once again on Sunday against a surprisingly competitive Cleveland Browns team.

With the New Orleans Saints falling behind early, quarterback Drew Brees quickly turned to his favorite target. Graham's efficiency as the team's No. 1 pass-catcher was outstanding in Week 2. He was targeted a team-high 13 times, hauling in 10 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg tweeted a very truthful statement regarding Cleveland's attempt to cover the tight end with only cornerback Joe Haden:

Graham won't only be fantasy football's highest-scoring tight end again this year, but he'll also outscore most of the league's best wide receivers as well.

Defense/Special Teams

New England Patriots

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The Minnesota Vikings offense looked prolific against the St. Louis Rams in Week 1, racking up 34 points. Well, the Patriots proved otherwise on Sunday.

New England held the Vikings to just 217 yards of total offense, forcing four interceptions, six sacks and allowing just seven points. Further increasing the unit's fantasy value was Chandler Jones, who blocked a kick and returned it for a special teams touchdown.

This was a huge turnaround for this defensive unit that had very little answer for the Miami Dolphins offense in Week 1. Consider this defense a nice spot starter for the remainder of the season.

Kicker

Dan Bailey

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys surprised the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, winning by a score of 26-10. One of the biggest factors for that victory was Bailey. The kicker connected on all four of his field-goal attempts, and all were from long range. Bailey hit from 48, 44, 51 and 48 yards out while padding his numbers with two extra points.

Factoring in the Cowboys' remaining schedule—which features plenty of opportunities for high-scoring games—Bailey should be considered a top-notch option for fantasy owners.