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Start sit week 2 dummy

By Landon Silinsky

1. How do we handle the Jets RB situation in Week 2 against a tough Browns defense?

The Jets ran 76 plays last week against the Ravens, which is something that we should not expect to happen again this week or this season for that matter. Joe Flacco dropped back 59 times which allowed both Breece Hall and Michael Carter to garner nine targets a piece. Hilow noted in the NFL EDGE that Carter was used as the starter and lead rusher while Hall was more of the third down/ change of pace back. The Browns effectively shut down Christian McCaffrey last week, but with Cleveland expected to win this game against the Jets handily, and Joe Flacco’s penchant for checking down, it puts both Jets backs into low-end RB2 consideration.

2. How do we handle the Browns RB situation?

On the flip side of this game, we have a true timeshare with both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb saw 22 carries to Hunt’s 11 last week against the Panthers, but Hunt saw four targets and scored two touchdowns. In the past, when the Browns were big favorites, it led to Chubb taking the reins a bit as the lead back in the committee, but it’s truly anyone’s guess who Cleveland will use at the goal line on any given drive. For DFS purposes, as JM noted in his Interpretation of the game, it is a likely stay away spot at both of Chubb and Hunt’s respective salaries, but in season long play, both of these guys should get a decent bit of work and put up a score worthy of making your starting lineup. 

3. Is Trey Lance a QB1 vs. Seattle?

Anything we saw from Lance or the 49ers offense last week should be taken with a massive grain of salt considering how much of a factor the rain played in that game. Having said that, Lance did not look great, and if he does not get his act together soon we might see San Francisco hand the keys back to Jimmy G. Russell Wilson shredded this Seattle secondary last week to the tune of 340 yards, and now they will be without difference maker Jamal Adams. As Mike Johnson noted in the NFL EDGE, George Kittle potentially playing in this game would be a massive boon for both Lance and the 49ers as a whole, especially on the run blocking side of things. Lance did run the ball 13 times last week, and with Elijah Mitchell set to miss two months, it’s likely Kyle Shanahan continues to play to Lance’s strengths by letting him run wild. San Francisco absolutely has to have this game. If you drafted Lance as your QB1 in single QB leagues you’re probably starting him until further notice, and in superflex formats it’s even less of a decision. 

4. With Cooper Rush under center how do we handle all the Cowboys offensive pieces?

As noted by Mike Johnson in the NFL EDGE, the Cowboys are in dire straits right now both with their skill position players and offensive line. Ezekiel Elliot looked surprisingly good last week against the Bucs, despite only seeing 10 carries. He averaged 5.2 yards on those carries en route to a 52-yard performance. He was not used in the passing game much, but neither was Tony Pollard, as the two combined for just four targets. If the Cowboys defense shows up against Cincy this week, we could see a bit heavier of a workload for both running backs (mainly Zeke) as Dallas will attempt to mask Cooper Rush as much as possible. CeeDee Lamb caught just two of his 11 targets last week and now gets a pretty big QB downgrade. It should be noted, however, that he did go 6/112/0 last season in Rush’s lone start against the Vikings. Both Mike and JM note that Noah Brown has some appeal, especially after seeing nine targets last week. This is a messy situation all around, however. 

5. The Broncos should be able to move the ball against Houston, who is the best bet for production between Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy?

Mike Johnson notes that the Texans played at a fast pace in Week 1, and that Russell Wilson should have little issue moving the ball this week against the Texans, which should benefit both Jeudy and Sutton. Last week they saw a combined 14 targets, while Jeudy made the splash play, taking a pass 67 yards to the house en route to his 4/102/1 performance. Michael Pittman just shredded this Houston defense last week mostly out of the slot, so if that trend continues it could yet again be Jeudy as the beneficiary; however, there should be little resistance from the Texans secondary, giving both Sutton and Jeudy chances to smash. 

6. Can we trust Curtis Samuel and Johan Dotson after last week’s performances?

Hilow notes that Samuel played an extremely short area role last week against the Jaguars, posting an average depth of target (aDOT) of just 1.4 yards, with a total of just 14.0 air yards. Dotson played 88% of the snaps and saw just five targets, although he did score two touchdowns. Hilow also notes that the Lions are likely to force the Commanders into short area targets this week which could lead to more schemed touches for Samuel, subsequently forcing Dotson to have to get there through touchdowns again. 

Thanks for hanging out with us in The Scroll this week

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS THIS WEEKEND!