Le'Veon Bell, Adrian Peterson, Austin Ekeler Buzz in Fantasy Football Roundup

It's Thursday, which means Week 2 of the NFL season is nearly upon us. That also means it's time for a weekly tour around the NFL from a fantasy football perspective, as we break down some of the top news fantasy players should be following.

Le'Veon Bell and the New York Jets

Boy, it's been a tough week for New York's offense.

First, Quincy Enunwa was lost for the year. Then on Thursday, quarterback Sam Darnold was ruled out indefinitely with mononucleosis, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. And more potentially troubling news appeared to follow, with running back Le'Veon Bell getting an MRI to investigate shoulder soreness.

That, luckily, was merely a precaution and reportedly didn't turn up anything serious, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler:

Had Bell's MRI turned up something serious, it would have made Ty Montgomery a must add. As it stands, he should be on your fantasy radar. But given that he played just five snaps in Week 1—compared to 67 for Bell—Montgomery is fantasy irrelevant, it would appear, while Bell is healthy.

Speaking of Bell, the Jets should only rely on him more heavily with Darnold sidelined and mediocre quarterback Trevor Siemian taking his place. The Jets already trusted him with 23 touches in his first action in over a year, and with Siemian now in place, Bell could see even more usage as both a runner and a dump-down option in the passing game. 

Of all the Jets, he's the lone player who might benefit from the absence of Darnold. Crowder's stock as a decent flex option or WR4 should remain, as he'll see plenty of targets out of the slot in Adam Gase's offense. But neither Robby Anderson or Demaryius Thomas is a safe starting option at this point, and won't be until Darnold returns.

Adrian Peterson Returns to the Starting Role for the Foreseeable Future

Fantasy players who had the foresight to add Adrian Peterson on waivers this week will reap the benefits after the unfortunate news that Washington starting running back Derrius Guice will be out of action for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair his right meniscus, per Adam Schefter and John Keim of ESPN.

Remember, Peterson rushed for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns as the team's starter last year. Then he was benched in Week 1. Think he might have a bit of a chip on his shoulder going forward?

Temper your expectations, of course. Peterson is a 34-year-old running back in a mediocre offense. But he's also a starter, making him a flex consideration until Guice returns.

Austin Ekeler Should Continue to Feast

The Los Angeles Chargers are dealing with injuries to Hunter Henry and Mike Williams, a tough break for an offense that threatened to be one of the NFL's best early in the season.

But for fantasy players who have Austin Ekeler, that could lead to even greater numbers.

Keenan Allen's role is fixed as the team's top option in the passing game, but it's Ekeler who could see many of the underneath looks in the passing game while Henry is out of action.

Ekeler is locked and loaded as an RB1, in other words. While the Chargers remain banged up, his ceiling is sky high.

Marlon Mack is Eating, Too

Speaking of feasting, the Indianapolis Colts are going to keep Marlon Mack's plate full.

As Mike Chappell of CBS 4 Indy noted, Mack has been awesome in his last 14 games, rushing for 1,242 yards on 243 total carries. Pretty excellent numbers, and numbers that shouldn't decrease anytime soon, especially given Frank Reich's comments on Wednesday:

"Not that I'm comparing him to this guy who I'm about to mention, but I played with Barry Sanders. We all knew that Barry was a guy who was going to have more than his share of minus plays or 0-1-yard plays, but that he was just a threat to break it deep anytime.

"I think Marlon physically is in better shape this year than he was last year. I think he's stronger. He showed breakaway speed (against the Chargers). So yeah, the more touches we can get him, the better."

Mack started the season by rushing for 174 yards on 25 attempts. While it's unlikely he'll see that level of workload every week, it's a pretty safe bet with Andrew Luck's retirement that the Colts will rely on him heavily as they seek to return to the postseason. 

Mack's Week 1 production isn't a flue. He's a real threat to be an RB1 this season.

Odds and Ends

Matt Breida has instant flex appeal as San Francisco's starting running back with Tevin Coleman out injured.

Jacksonville's receivers get a major value demotion with Nick Foles out for the foreseeable future.

Mecole Hardman probably hasn't earned the right to be started yet after being a non-factor in Week 1, but with Tyreek Hill injured, he should be rostered in all formats and is a major breakout candidate.  

Ronald Jones looked like a different player in Week 1. He's the player in Tampa Bay's backfield worth throwing in your flex spot, not Peyton Barber.

Terry McLaurin hasn't received as much buzz as some of the other rookie wideouts following Week 1, but he was awesome against the Philadelphia Eagles and seems like a good bet to become Case Keenum's favorite receiver this season. In all formats, but especially dynasty leagues, he's a great addition.