Fantasy Football Long-Term Forecast: Matt Camp's Week 3 Futures Report

Week 3 in the NFL is a checkpoint for your fantasy football roster management. 

It may not be a complete picture, but it is three games to develop opinions and assess your personal depth chart. That could facilitate trades, lineup shifts or cutting players loose after slow starts. 

In addition to my usual look at the young players with the most fantasy appeal now and/or for the long-term, I’ve picked out six players with significant concerns that need to rebound in Week 3. 

Use the sample size of the first three weeks to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team. You might not be able to keep a stashed player like Breshad Perriman around if you're one of the many dealing with running back injuries. Or maybe you're in better shape than expected and want to add Jordan Howard to your RB stable with the hope that he becomes the starter in Chicago.

I’ll provide a Week 3 update on the fantasy prospects from around the league. They are broken down by position and how they can help your fantasy team—from clear starting options like DeVante Parker down to long-term prospects like Austin Hooper.

Get It Together

Harry How/Getty Images

Defenses are focusing on stopping Todd Gurley because they aren't threatened by Case Keenum.

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins, WAS (No. 23 in QB fantasy points)

58-of-89 passing, (65.2 percent), 693 yards, 1 TD, 3 interceptions

The yardage and completion percentage might fool you into thinking Cousins is off to a good start, but through two games, Cousins isn’t even a top-20 option despite an average draft position (ADP) of QB13. A major issue has been Cousins’ performance in the red zone. He’s completed just five of 17 attempts for 34 yards with one TD and two interceptions.

Head coach Jay Gruden remains a strong supporter of Cousins. According to John Keim of ESPN, Gruden said, "We have total faith that Kirk will get it done, and he will get it done. He has proven that he can be a successful quarterback in this league." 

Cousins and the winless Redskins head up I-95 to take on the undefeated Giants. He may have trouble getting back on track against a defense that has held opponent QBs to just 490 yards and one TD in the first two weeks. I’d already be looking for another QB to replace Cousins on your roster.

Running Backs

Todd Gurley, LA (No. 43 in RB fantasy points)

36 carries, 98 rushing yards (2.7 yards per carry), 0 TDs, 2 receptions, 14 receiving yards

Gurley’s slow start wasn’t entirely unexpected, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. His first two opponents (the 49ers and Seahawks) both rank in the top-five of fantasy points allowed to RBs. Seattle has given up just 100 rushing yards on 35 carries, while San Francisco yielded 187 yards on 49 carries. 

The Rams may have the worst QB situation in the league with Case Keenum starting and No. 1 pick Jared Goff watching from the sidelines. The offensive line hasn’t been much of a help either, and left guard Rodger Saffold knows it. He told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN that "there are some ways that we can do a little better job of opening some lanes for him [Gurley]."

This weekend, Gurley faces a Buccaneers defense that may not look like a bad matchup after they gave up 40 points to the Cardinals last week, but against RBs, they’ve allowed just 143 yards and a TD on 48 carries. While it is another challenging matchup for Gurley, he has to start coming through to justify his high draft status.

Jeremy Hill, CIN (No. 29 in RB fantasy points)

20 carries, 53 yards (2.7 yards per carry), 1 rushing TD, 3 receptions, 35 yards

Even with two new wide receivers backing up A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert sidelined by an ankle injury, the Bengals have been much busier and more productive through the air compared to the ground. 

While they’re tied for eighth in passing attempts and in second in passing yards per game, they have the fifth-fewest rushing attempts and the second-fewest rushing yards per game. The lack of commitment to the rushing attack is clearly hurting Hill, but it’s not like he’s doing much with the carries he is receiving. 

The snap counts aren’t in Hill’s favor, either. He’s played just 58 of 133 possible snaps compared to Giovani Bernard, who’s played 75 snaps, according to ProFootballFocus. Three of Hill’s 20 carries have come in the red zone, resulting in 10 yards and a TD. Bernard has a single red-zone carry and two red-zone targets.

This was supposed to be a bounce-back season for Hill, but he’s just not touching the ball enough to have steady production. Based on how he performs when he does touch the ball, he clearly needs more volume to be productive.

Wide Receivers

Sammy Watkins, BUF (No. 81 in WR fantasy points)

6 receptions, 63 yards, 11 targets, 0 TDs

Foot issues have plagued Watkins for much of 2016, and now it’s affecting his fantasy status in a big way. Heading into Week 2, Watkins’ status was up in the air, but he managed to suit up on a short week. Unfortunately, he managed just two receptions for 20 yards on five targets.

Much like last week, Watkins missed practice time this week, and head coach Rex Ryan said there’s some concern Watkins won’t play the Cardinals on Sunday, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN. If this foot injury continues to linger and Watkins’ status is in question every week, he’ll be a fantasy headache. 

If he pushes through the injury but isn’t productive, then his fantasy value won’t recover. Right now, he looks like someone you’re better off selling based off his name value and talent, knowing neither may matter much if this foot injury derails his season.

John Brown, ARI (Tied-No. 107 in WR fantasy points)

2 receptions, 22 yards, 7 targets 0 TDS

A concussion took Brown out for nearly the entire preseason and the after-effects have now hurt his fantasy numbers. You can blame some of that on his player participation numbers. Brown’s been on the field for 63 of 127 snaps. Compare that to 118 snaps for Larry Fitzgerald and 111 snaps for Michael Floyd, and you can see why Brown is lagging behind.

It’s not just Brown who’s disappointing. If not for a TD, Floyd would but stuck with just five receptions for 69 yards, so the idea that there are too many mouths to feed doesn’t seem valid. It’s basically Larry Fitzgerald or bust in this receiving corps for fantasy with David Johnson dominating touches out of the backfield. Brown needs to show up this week in a good matchup with the Bills or you’ll have reason to look elsewhere for a useful WR.

Tight End

Coby Fleener, NO (Tied-No. 44 in TE fantasy points)

3 receptions, 35 yards, 12 targets, 0 TDs

While I made it abundantly clear Fleener was completely overrated in the preseason, not even I expected such a terrible start to the season. With beatable matchups against the Raiders and Giants, Fleener has managed just 6.5 fantasy points. 

His typically bad catch rate is even worse than usual at an embarrassingly low 25 percent over the first two weeks. Somehow, Fleener is nearly invisible in an offense that has generated 686 passing yards and five TDs over the first two weeks. 

Because TE is such a tough position to handle for fantasy, the waiver wire turns into musical chairs a lot quicker. That’s why some have asked or told me about moving on from Fleener. If you’ve stuck by him, this week’s matchup against the Falcons could be a breaking points, as they’ve allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs this year.

Quarterbacks

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

While Carson Wentz has been solid, he gets a big test this weekend against the Steelers.

Clear Starting Options

These are players you're regularly considering for spots in your starting lineup.

None of note.

Short-Term Fill-Ins/Streamers 

Players in this category shouldn't be in your lineup every week, but if you're stuck, plug them in for a week or two. 

Dak Prescott, DAL

Team Depth Chart; Starter

Prescott's solid, but not spectacular, performance in Week 1 probably scared most away from streaming him in Week 2 against the Redskins. However, it was a better performance with 292 yards on 22-of-30 passing and a six-yard rushing TD. Most important to a fantasy player, Prescott found Dez Bryant seven times for 102 yards.

Was it enough to give him a shot against the Bears at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night? Over the first two games, Chicago has allowed 423 yards and three touchdowns to QBs, which means they’ve allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to the position. Just be happy Prescott has found Bryant and don’t get greedy by trying to go real cheap at QB in your lineups.

Carson Wentz, PHI

Team Depth Chart: Starter

Wentz has looked very comfortable in wins at home against the Browns and on the road against the Bears, but that hasn’t translated to much fantasy value. While the Eagles dominated the Bears, Wentz threw for just 190 yards and a TD on 21-of-34 passing. While he was sabotaged by his receivers, namely Jordan Matthews on some drops, his numbers wouldn’t have jumped to a level worthy of streaming. 

Wentz has shown a willingness to hang in the pocket long enough to find open receivers, which can result in some big hits, although that comes with the territory. According to Tim McManus of ESPN, offensive coordinator Frank Reich did say Wentz had "a couple of hits he shouldn’t have taken." He specifically mentioned, "Those ones on the sideline. You just can’t do that. And he knows that."

Hopefully Wentz keeps himself a little safer. He has a bright future ahead of him both in fantasy and reality, but he’ll face the toughest test of his young career against the Steelers on Sunday.

Jimmy Garoppolo, NE

Team Depth Chart: Starter (temporary)

Following his big upset victory in Arizona to open the season, Garoppolo looked like he was taking his play to the next level in Week 2 against the Dolphins. He had 232 yards and three TDs on 18-of-26 passing before a shoulder injury knocked him out of the game shortly before the end of the first half. Rookie Jacoby Brissett relieved Garoppolo and the Patriots hung on to win. 

With their Week 3 matchup against the Texans just four days later, Garoppolo failed to recover in time to suit up, so the Patriots turned to Brissett to start. Even though he completed just 11 of 13 attempts for 103 yards and ran for 48 yards and a TD, the Patriots had no problem beating Houston 27-0. 

Garoppolo will have extra time to recover before the Bills come to Foxboro in Week 4. Assuming he’s healthy enough to start, Garoppolo should be back under center for likely the final time as a starter with Tom Brady’s suspension set to end at the end of Week 4. Garoppolo did more than enough to prove himself a worthy backup to Brady.

Potential Contributors Later in the Season 

Even though they don't have much fantasy value now, these players could wind up improving themselves or their situation enough to wind up on the fantasy radar at some point during the season.

Paxton Lynch, DEN

Team Depth Chart: Second

Lynch isn’t any closer to starting after the Broncos moved to 2-0 following a win over the Colts. Starter Trevor Siemian looked better than he did in the opener, going 22-of-33 passing for 266 yards with an interception. Unless Siemian totally falls apart, Lynch will likely be watching from the sidelines for a while.

Long-Term Projects/Not Ready for 2016

You won't be considering any of these players as potential options because they aren't good enough or they don't play a big enough role.

Jared Goff, LA

Team Depth Chart: Second

Goff was moved to second in the team’s depth chart, which put him in uniform for Week 2 against the Seahawks. The Rams managed to hold off the Seahawks 9-3. Keenum still hasn’t thrown a TD, but he didn’t turn the ball over against Seattle. He completed 18 of his 30 attempts for 239 yards. 

Keenum remains the starter, but according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, head coach Jeff Fisher said, "We need more production out of our offense, and all things point to the quarterback position." He added that he’s "expecting Case to continue to get better in this offense, and we’re going to win games and score points." 

When asked about Goff, Fisher said, "I don’t want to be a broken record here, but we’re going to play him when he’s ready." It doesn’t look like the Rams think Goff is anywhere near ready.

Running Backs

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Are the Bears ready to give Jordan Howard a larger role?

Clear Starting Options

None of note.

Desperation Plays/Short-Term Fill-Ins 

DeAndre Washington/Jalen Richard, OAK

Team Depth Chart: Third/Fourth

Latavius Murray is leading the Raiders backfield, although it’s not by much. After playing 60 percent of the snaps in Week 1, he was on the field 46 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 2, according to ProFootballFocus. That translated to 57 rushing yards and a TD on eight carries and six receptions on six targets for 44 receiving yards against the Falcons. 

Murray’s efficiency has made him one of the safest RB options over the first two weeks, but his snap count is a cause for concern because it lowers his margin for error, especially since he’s not a big-time talent. 

Washington’s snaps rose from 11 percent to 19 percent while Richard’s rose from 13 percent to 21 percent. Washington stayed in the mix with six carries for 48 yards and a reception on his only target for six yards. Richard is involved enough to be annoying to Murray owners. In Week 2, he carried seven times for 17 yards and had a reception for 10 yards.

According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, head coach Jack Del Rio said after Week 2, "All of our running backs are pretty good. We were running the ball well, and they’re all going to play." It’s Murray’s show right now, but the door is definitely open for Washington and/or Richard to carve out a bigger role.

Dwayne Washington, DET

Team Depth Chart: Fourth

The Lions lost starter Ameer Abdullah to a foot injury suffered in Week 2 and put him on the injured reserve with the hope he’ll return to action after the two months he has to spend on the IR. In the meantime, Theo Riddick was called “the lead guy” by head coach Jim Caldwell, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. 

With Abdullah’s injury, Washington is expected to play a sizeable role in the offense, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Over the first two games, he has six carries for 32 years, including a pair of goal-line carries—the latter of which was converted into a TD. 

Washington is a few inches taller and about 20 pounds heavier than Abdullah and Riddick. He could be the team’s between-the-tackles and short-yardage runner, so there’s a chance he gets double-digit carries every week.

Jordan Howard, CHI

Team Depth Chart: Third

It hasn’t taken long for whispers of a bigger role for Howard to surface following his brief performance against the Eagles in Week 2. Howard rushed three times for 22 yards and added a pair of receptions for nine yards while playing 21 percent of the snaps. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, he wouldn’t be surprised if Howard’s role grows soon, specifically pointing out that Howard showed he could catch the ball out of the backfield. That’s been an issue for Langford.

Langford’s snaps dropped from 96 percent in Week 1 to just 58 percent in Week 2, and his production dropped, too. Other than a short TD, he ran for 28 yards on 11 carries and had a reception for six yards on two targets. Langford lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter to add to a mostly disappointing performance.

This could turn into a committee pretty quickly, and Howard might have the most upside of any Bears running back, so if you have the room, it might be time to scoop him up. Just know he’s still part of a pretty shaky offense that may not have Jay Cutler if his thumb injury is bad enough to keep him out.

Cameron Artis-Payne, CAR

Team Depth Chart: Third

We haven’t seen Artis-Payne in the first two games because he doesn’t have a role on special teams, which made him a healthy scratch. When Jonathan Stewart went down last week, the Panthers had to turn to Fozzy Whittaker, and he came through in a big way with 100 rushing yards on 16 carries and three receptions for 31 yards. 

Artis-Payne could end up leading the way without Stewart, but it’s likely more of a committee with Whittaker and fullback Mike Tolbert. Artis-Payne said his "confidence is through the roof," according to Connor Keith of the Panthers' team website. It could be "2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks" without Jonathan Stewart, according to head coach Ron Rivera (per Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer).

Jay Ajayi/Kenyan Drake, MIA

Team Depth Chart: Second/Fourth

It didn’t take long for Arian Foster to succumb to his first injury of the season, and now the Dolphins have to figure out what to do with him out of the lineup. Last week, Foster was forced from the game against the Patriots due to a groin injury. 

Ajayi initially picked up the slack, with five carries for 14 yards and four receptions for 31 yards, but he also lost a fumble. He led the Dolphins backs with 36 of 64 snaps, according to ProFootballFocus. Drake was behind him with 18 snaps and two carries for 12 yards and a TD plus two receptions for six yards. 

According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, head coach Adam Gase said practice would determine who starts at RB, but it could be a committee. The Dolphins don’t seem to be committed to Ajayi, so if you’re thinking long-term—as you should when it comes to a Foster injury—Drake might be the better add.

Potential Contributors Later in the Season 

Kenneth Dixon, BAL

Team Depth Chart: Fourth

Dixon was inactive for the first two games and continues to sit out practice as he recovers from a torn MCL suffered at the end of August. The Ravens have gone with a tandem of Justin Forsett and Terrance West, although Forsett has 26 more snaps than West so far, according to ProFootballFocus.

He may need some time to get in game shape once he’s cleared to practice and play, but when he does, Dixon has a chance to take over this backfield. It’s still a question of when that will happen and how long you’ll have to stash him away.

Devontae Booker, DEN

Team Depth Chart: Second

It was refreshing to see the Broncos go back to Booker in Week 2 after he fumbled his first NFL carry in the opener. Booker rewarded the Broncos confidence in him with nine carries for 46 yards and a reception for five yards while playing 14 snaps behind C.J. Anderson (47 of 71 snaps). 

Anderson is the most important player for the Broncos in their run-heavy offense and shouldn’t be threatened by Booker for playing time. However, because Anderson is so important, Booker isn’t a bad handcuff to grab if you have the room.

C.J. Prosise, SEA

Team Depth Chart: Third

A wrist injury kept Prosise out of Week 2, but he’s been back to full participation at practice this week, which is an encouraging sign he’ll play on Sunday against the Rams, per Tony Drovetto of the team's website. 

With Thomas Rawls sidelined by a shin injury, it could be Prosise behind Christine Michael for Week 3. If Rawls is inactive, look for Prosise to get some looks on third down and passing down situations, as it’s the best way to use his developing skill set.

Jonathan Williams, BUF

Team Depth Chart: Fourth

Williams has been inactive for the team’s first two games with both Mike Gillislee and Reggie Bush working in front of him as backups to LeSean McCoy. Gillislee looks like the clear No.2 RB behind McCoy, but in time, Williams could turn into something more if given the chance. Unfortunately, expectations shouldn’t be high since the Bills look like one of the worst teams in the league.

Tyler Ervin, HOU

Team Depth Chart: Fourth

Ervin’s snaps are going in the wrong direction. He debuted with 14 offensive snaps in Week 1, but saw just one in Week 2 and didn’t play any with the offense in Week 3. He did lose a fumble on a return, which certainly didn’t help his cause for more playing time.

The Texans may favorite veteran Alfred Blue a little more this early in the season, but no one is cutting into Lamar Miller’s touches. If Miller were to go down, Ervin and Blue would likely be part of a committee to replace him.

Wide Receivers

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrell Williams has the advantage of playing with Philip Rivers.

Clear Starting Options 

Will Fuller, HOU

Team Depth Chart: Starter

Fuller has generated a ton of buzz in the first few weeks of the season, but when you post 100-yard efforts in your first two games ever, that tends to happen. In the Week 2 win over the Chiefs, Fuller hauled in four of his seven targets for 104 yards. 

Seeing Fuller flash the way he did in the first two games made him a popular play for Week 3 with what looked like a nice matchup against the Patriots considering how bad they struggled against WRs in the first two weeks. Instead, they schemed to take the deep ball away and frustrated QB Brock Osweiler all night. That limited Fuller to just three receptions for 31 yards on seven targets, including another bad drop. 

Fuller will always have big-play potential and that’s enough to make up for the drops. Hopefully the Texans can get back on track following the humiliating loss to the Patriots.

Tajae Sharpe, TEN

Team Depth Chart: Starter

Sharpe followed up his preseason hype with a strong Week 1 performance, but he failed to keep that up in a decent matchup with the Lions in Week 2. While he played every snap, Sharpe caught just four passes for 33 yards on seven targets. When it comes to snaps, no one is close to Sharpe’s 131 out of 134 on the season. The next best at WR is Rishard Matthews at 71 snaps.

Sharpe’s biggest competition for targets is tight end Delanie Walker and that’s fine. The Titans face the Raiders this week and through the first two games, no team has given up more receptions, yards, touchdowns or fantasy points to WRs. It should be a great opportunity for Sharpe to rebound after what happened in Week 2.

DeVante Parker, MIA

Team Depth Chart: Starter

Parker had to sit out Week 1 with a hamstring injury, but he returned in a big way against the Patriots in Week 2. The Dolphins offense was pretty quiet in the first half and after digging themselves a big hole, they had to throw for most of the second half. Parker wound up having a great 2016 debut with eight receptions for 106 yards on 12 targets.

Parker is still working his way back to full health and told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, "When I get there, it’s going to be a whole different kind of ball game." Parker remains limited in practice, but he should be on the field for an enticing matchup with the Browns.

Tyrell Williams, SD

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

Philip Rivers asked for Williams to do more with Keenan Allen out of the lineup and that’s exactly what he did in Week 2. He brought in three of his six targets for 61 yards including a 44-yard TD as part of a dominant victory over the Jaguars.

Not taking anything away from Williams, but it was yet another example of Rivers lifting one of his receivers to a higher level and giving them immediate fantasy value. Williams and the Chargers will try to keep it up against the beatable Colts defense in Week 3.

Desperation Plays/Short-Term Fill-Ins 

Tyler Boyd, CIN

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

After a quiet performance in Week 1, Boyd surprised with six receptions for 78 yards on eight targets in a loss to the Steelers. He lost a fumble that hurt the team’s chances of making a comeback victory. While both A.J. Green and Brandon Lafell played 94 percent of the snaps, Boyd’s snap percentage rose from 75 percent against the Jets in Week 1 to 78 percent against the Steelers in Week 2, according to ProFootballFocus. 

He’s clearly third in the WR group, but as we saw in Week 2, he still has a chance to contribute when the team is throwing it a lot. You won’t see much of that when the Bengals face the Broncos in Week 3. It’s a good test for Boyd, but you should only be monitoring him in Week 3.

Eli Rogers/Sammie Coates, PIT

Team Depth Chart: Third-string/Second-string

Rogers failed to follow up his great debut with strong numbers. He posted just one catch for nine yards on three targets. Coates fared better with two receptions for 97 yards on five targets. Rogers has outsnapped Coates in the first two games and by nine overall. 

Both Rogers and Coates likely played more because Markus Wheaton was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury in the first two weeks, but he’s like to play in Week 3 after going through full practice. This group could be frustrating to deal with until someone emerges and/or roles are clearer.

Michael Thomas, NO

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

Even though he’s clearly behind Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead in terms of the pecking order for the Saints, Thomas has quietly had a nice start to the season with 10 receptions for 114 yards on 11 targets in his first two games. With all the hype around Coby Fleener, it’s been Thomas who’s been one of the more reliable targets for Drew Brees.

The Saints have a fantastic matchup with the Falcons on Monday night, so if you’re reaching very deep, he could be worth a shot. However, he might have a bigger chance anyway if Snead’s toe issue sticks around and causes problems for Week 3. Keep an eye on that situation all weekend.

Nelson Agholor, PHI

Team Depth Chart: Starter

Agholor had a what-if game against the Bears in Week 2. Coming off a Week 1 performance with four receptions, 57 yards and a touchdown, Agholor was solid, but somewhat underwhelming catching four of seven targets for 42 yards. He had chances for much more, but he couldn’t make a couple of big catches.

With TE Zach Ertz still dealing with a rib issue, Agholor could play a more important role against the Steelers in a game that may need the Eagles to take to the air more just to hang in it on the scoreboard.

Potential Contributors Later in the Season 

Corey Coleman, CLE

Team Depth Chart: Starter

The Browns got the bump they were looking for from Josh McCown under center. The only problem is that it lasted one game. McCown is expected to miss multiple games with a shoulder injury, meaning they’d turn to rookie Cody Kessler to start. That quickly ruined the excitement of Coleman’s huge game against the Ravens. He brought in five of his eight targets for 104 yards and a pair of TDs.

That excitement completely disappeared on Wednesday, September 21, when Coleman broke his hand in practice. According to ProFootballTalk, Coleman is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, but he won’t need surgery. He’ll be a wait-and-see fantasy candidate once he returns.

Kevin White, CHI

Team Depth Chart: Starter

White ended up seeing a drop in snaps from 98 percent in Week 1 to 81 percent in Week 2. That came in the same week that veteran WR Eddie Royal’s snaps rose from 65 percent to 72 percent. White posted four receptions for 36 yards on six targets while Royal had four catches on six targets for 52 yards.

White is coming along slowly and with the injury to Jay Cutler, it could be while before any Bears receiver has value other than Alshon Jeffery. The key for White is to keep developing as a receiver, as he’s clearly still raw. The Bears are such a mess that White might not have a lot of value this year.

Josh Doctson, WAS

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

The Redskins are playing it safe with Doctson, so hopefully you are, too. After just one reception for nine yards in the opener, Doctson had one catch for 57 yards on five targets against the Cowboys.

It might be hard for him to truly break through with DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder, Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed all ahead of him in the passing game. Plus, Kirk Cousins hasn’t looked as good as his number may say.

Breshad Perriman, BAL

Team Depth Chart: Fourth

Perriman was never expected to play a big role right out of the gate this year and so far, he’s been under the fantasy radar. Through two games, he has three receptions for 67 yards on seven targets. His snap percentage rose from 29 percent to 41 percent while Kamar Aiken saw his drop from 50 percent to 41 percent, according to ProFootballFocus. 

Once again, Perriman might be the most talented receiver Baltimore has, so if he continues to hone his game and increase his snaps, he’d fit in a bigger role quite well with Joe Flacco—although that could take some time.

Devin Funchess, CAR

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

While teammate Kelvin Benjamin is taking the league by storm in his second full season, Funchess is lagging behind. He got four targets in Week 2, but he had just two receptions for 19 yards, although one did go for a TD late in the game.

Funchess isn’t a featured player in the offense and that likely won’t change anytime soon. Either he needs to improve quickly or get bumped up via an injury in Carolina’s receiving corps to make any kind of impact for fantasy this season.

Laquon Treadwell, MIN

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

Treadwell has been active for his first two games, but he played just two snaps in Week 2 after not playing any in the opener, according to ProFootballFocus. He’s buried in this receiving corps, and even with Adrian Peterson out indefinitely, it won’t open up that many more opportunities for the passing game to shine.

Tight Ends

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Oh you didn't know? Jesse James is on the rise in Pittsburgh.

Clear Starters

None of note.

Desperation Plays/Short-Term Fill-Ins

Clive Walford, OAK

Team Depth Chart: Starter

I suggested sticking with Walford last week after he didn’t come through in Week 1. That paid off with six receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in Week 2. He may not play a big role behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree on a weekly basis, but he’s still part of an explosive offense, so the scoring chances could be there if he develops into a reliable red-zone threat.

Jesse James, PIT

Team Depth Chart: Starter

The rise of James is already happening and might be the start of something for Ben Roethlisberger and a new, reliable TE. Last week, James scored his first TD of the season with three receptions for 29 yards on five targets. He has eight receptions for 60 yards and a TD in the first two games. Those aren’t huge numbers, but James is going in the right direction.

Even though Ladarius Green is hoping to return when eligible after Week 6, James may have carved out a significant role by then. He’s on the fantasy radar as a potential starting option, but he isn’t in the top-10 of the position just yet.

Potential Contributors Later in the Season 

Hunter Henry, SD

Team Depth Chart: Third

Antonio Gates has a hamstring that has put his status in the air for Week 3 against the Colts—as if the Chargers don’t already have enough problems after losing Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead to torn ACLs. Henry could be called into a bigger role this weekend if Gates can’t play. It would be a lot to ask of a rookie TE, but according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, head coach Mike McCoy said, "I think Hunter can do it all."

Henry is an intriguing fantasy prospect on a team that desperately needs help and cannot afford any more injuries. Plus, Philip Rivers has always been the kind of QB to raise the level of his receivers. If Gates is out, pay close attention to Henry this weekend. His value could rise in a hurry.

Austin Hooper, ATL

Team Depth Chart: Second-String

The Falcons took advantage of last week’s attractive matchup by getting both Hooper and Jacob Tamme involved with much success. Hooper, whose snaps rose 16 percent from Week 1 to Week 2, caught all three of his targets for 84 yards. While Tamme was better for fantasy with five receptions for 75 yards and a TD, it was still encouraging to see a rookie TE contribute so early in the season. Hooper may not have a lot of value this season, but he’s already looking like the future of the TE position for the Falcons.

Long-Term Projects/Not Ready for 2016

Tyler Higbee, LA

Team Depth Chart: Second-string

Higbee has just one reception for two yards in the first two games. There’s not much fantasy production to speak of for the starters in one of the worst passing games in the league, so don’t expect Higbee to find any as a backup.

Stats provided by FantasyPros and NFL.com. Snap counts provided by Pro Football Focus. 

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