10 Tough NFL Fantasy Questions That Must Be Asked After Week 2

Week 2 of the 2014 NFL season was a wacky one. 

Not only was it one of the most injury-ridden weeks in recent memory, but it was also a week where we saw the New Orleans Saints lose to the Cleveland Browns to drop to 0-2, the Seattle Seahawks defense get decimated by the San Diego Chargers and 11 kickers score double-digit fantasy points. 

After a week so unusual and volatile, many of us fantasy owners are sweating a little extra and rethinking the teams we drafted just a few short weeks ago. 

Need not panic, however, but rather read on and check out these 10 questions that all fantasy owners must ask themselves moving into Week 3 of the season. 

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All stats courtesy of NFL.com and FFToday.com. 

Question: Is Jamaal Charles Ever Going to Be Healthy and Reliable This Season?

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was a first-round pick in all drafts this year; he was the first overall pick in many leagues. 

Through two games in this 2014 season, Charles has nine carries for 23 yards and five receptions for 23 more yards, and he is now out "indefinitely" with a high-ankle sprain, according to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports.

Whomp, whomp, whomp. 

Unfortunately for the Charles, he just does not seem to be able to stay healthy this year. This is a huge blow for the Chiefs offense, and, of course, thousands of fantasy teams. 

Charles could find health and turn his season around, yet when players are struggling with the injury bug this early in the year, it usually doesn't bode well for the season to come. 

Chiefs running back Knile Davis, who performed fantastically in relief of Charles against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, is a must-add in all leagues where he is not already owned. 

ANSWER: No, he's not. 

Question: Is Kirk Cousins a Must-Add Quarterback?

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Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is done for an undetermined amount of time with a dislocated ankle, and that means Kirk Cousins is now running the show in Washington. 

The former Michigan State Spartan looked great on Sunday, coming into the game after Griffin went down and completing 22 of his 33 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. 

Now, to be fair, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked nothing short of terrible on both sides of the ball. So is Cousins the real deal, or did he just get a cake opponent to start his season against? 

I'm going with the former, and I think Cousins needs to be added in all leagues. He holds the reins to a powerful offense that features great wide receivers in Pierre Garçon and DeSean Jackson, an emerging tight end in Niles Paul and a solid running back duo of Alfred Morris and Roy Helu Jr. 

The offensive line is far from great, but there is little question that the Washington offense looks better with a pocket passer like Cousins than a Wildcat quarterback like Griffin. 

ANSWER: Add him. He'll be a top-14 quarterback this season. 

Question: Is It Time We Start Thinking About Our Kicker a Little More?

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Week 2 featured 11 kickers who scored double-digit fantasy points. Buffalo Bills kicker Dan Carpenter led the category, booting five field goals and two extra points for 17 big ones. 

Kickers are often thought to be arbitrary, but in a week that features a lot of defense, injuries and overall bad offense, they can make or break a lot of matchups. 

The problem is predicting when a kicker will do well or when he will not is tough. It is not so much a question of skill, but opportunity, and teams are always looking to score touchdowns rather than field goals. 

A great example is Cincinnati Bengals kicker Mike Nugent. In Week 1, he went 5-for-6 on field-goal attempts. In Week 2? 1-for-4. 

Don't go trying to trade for Dan Carpenter or anything crazy like that. 

ANSWER: No, it's too much of a crapshoot to predict who will do well. 

Question: Is Delanie Walker the 2nd-Best Fantasy TE After Jimmy Graham?

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Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker had himself a big Week 2. The big man caught 10 balls for 142 yards and a touchdown. He now has 13 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns on the season. 

Is this the year of Delanie Walker? 

Well, given how much his quarterback, Jake Locker, looks his way, the answer is yes. 

Walker got a gift in Week 2, playing the Dallas Cowboys, who struggle immensely covering tight ends, yet he made the most of the opportunity like great players do. 

Look for Walker to be a top-five fantasy tight end this season with the potential to be second behind only New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. 

ANSWER: Yes, he's the bees knees!

Question: Can DeMarco Murray Keep Up This Crazy Production?

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A stud running back in fantasy football should be able to get you 100 yards and a touchdown most weeks. Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has been a definitive stud by these standards. Through two weeks of action, Murray has 285 rushing yards and two touchdowns plus four receptions for 31 receiving yards. 

Murray was not one of the top-five running backs selected this year in most drafts, yet he is certainly rewarding the owners who picked him up with that No. 8-14 pick. 

The Cowboys are relying heavily on their running back, and he's "running" away with it. 

ANSWER: So long as he stays healthy, yes. 

Question: Can Demaryius Thomas Be a Stud with so Many Mouths to Feed in Denver?

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has been a frustrating player for owners this season. 

Through two games, he has nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. These stats are fine, yet owners spent big money drafting Thomas last year, and they expect stats like this from one game, not two. 

The reality is that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has a lot of receiving options to look for in Denver, and Thomas attracts a lot of defensive attention from opponents. Manning doesn't care about your fantasy football team, and he is not going to force the ball to Thomas when tight end Julius Thomas or fellow receiver Emmanuel Sanders are wide open. 

Fantasy owners should not start worrying, however; Thomas is trending upward, and he still put together a stellar season last year (1,430 receiving yards and 14 TDs) despite having seven scoreless games. 

Long story short, when Thomas goes off, you will win your matchup that week. And that's why you drafted him. 

ANSWER: Yes. 

Question: Has Sammy Watkins Emerged as a Bona Fide No. 1 Wide Receiver?

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, the most heralded rookie receiver this season, had his breakout game this weekend. 

The youngster caught eight balls for 117 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback EJ Manuel threw his way a total of 11 times. 

These are great numbers all around, and it looks like Watkins is finally healthy and ready to roll. 

The question is now, can he lead your team to fantasy glory? 

I think Watkins is going to be a frustrating play this season. He is going to have his share of 16-plus point fantasy days, yet he is also going to put up a fair share of duds. When he will do one or the other is going to become an impossible thing to foresee. 

If you own Watkins, expect your love for him to come in ebbs and flows, just like his production. 

ANSWER: No, he will be inconsistent. 

Question: Is There Any Trustworthy Arizona Wide Receiver?

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The Arizona Cardinals are sitting pretty at 2-0, yet they certainly have not collected those wins in a pretty fashion. 

The Birds from the desert have clawed their way to sloppy wins thanks to a defense that has given up only 31 points in two games. 

The Cardinals defense is also the only consistent fantasy play from Arizona so far. (Oh, and kicker Chandler Catanzaro.)

Quarterback Carson Palmer is hurt, and backup Drew Stanton seems to be a game manager at best. That means receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd are tough to bank on despite being drafted as No. 2 and 3 wideouts in most leagues. 

It might be time to consider benching Floyd and Fitzgerald until you see consistent production and/or Palmer returns. If not, you may be setting yourself up for a two- or three-point week from them. 

ANSWER: No. 

Question: What the Heck Is Up with the New England Patriots Running Backs?

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I have a couple fantasy rules I try to live by, and one of them is to avoid New England Patriots running backs.

The reason being? New England head coach Bill Belichick is the fantasy football dream-killer. 

Big Bill loves to play games with his running back depth chart and subsequently our nerves. In Week 1, Stevan Ridley collected eight carries for 21 yards. In Week 2, Ridley got 25 carries and racked up 101 yards and a touchdown, which was great production on thousands of fantasy benches. 

Meanwhile, the other running back involved, Shane Vereen, relies mostly on catches to make his money. In Week 1 he caught five balls for 35 yards. In Week 2? One catch for zero yards. 

Damn you, Bill Belichick! 

If you own the New England running backs, trade them and rest easy knowing you don't have to try to think like Belichick. 

ANSWER: Your guess is as good as mine. 

Question: Is Ahmad Bradshaw a Trustworthy Starter at Running Back?

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Up until Monday night's game, the Indianapolis Colts' running offense was looking quite bleak. 

Then, out of nowhere, Colts running backs Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw both shook the rust off the tires and had impressive performances. 

It was nice to see some life out of Richardson, who has looked liked a shell of himself since being traded to the Colts last season. He collected 79 yards on 21 carries, yet he coughed up the ball twice. Despite having his best game in a while, Richardson might have hurt his fantasy value more than helping it. 

Bradshaw collected 70 yards on only 13 carries and caught five balls for 26 yards and two scores. 

Clearly Bradshaw is the most effective back and the red-zone threat, yet will the Colts continue to see it this way? 

My hunch is yes, but also, I don't believe Bradshaw will be effective week in and week out. It was nice to see him collect the two touchdown scores last night, but the Eagles horribly covered the play on both instances. A running back whose value is reliant on red-zone catches is not a trustworthy starter. 

ANSWER: No, but he's a solid flex play.