Film Review: Allen Stays Hot

Baltimore (24) vs. Cleveland (10)

Those who bought Javorius Allen after Week 1 have to be pleased after he turned 14 carries into 66 yards and caught 5-of-6 targets for 35 yards and a touchdown. Terrance West is serviceable, but I still think Allen is the better prospect.

With how dependent the Ravens offense is on bootleg playaction, I'm surprised that it still fools anyone. As long as it does, though, it bodes well for Ben Watson, who still seems fairly spry even as age 37 approaches in December. Breshad Perriman dropped a pass in the first quarter and seems no closer to posing any serious threat to Jeremy Maclin or Mike Wallace. Perriman's prospect profile continues to badly sour.

Baltimore's coverage schemes clearly confused DeShone Kizer, whose offensive line generally held up well against a Ravens front seven that incinerated the Bengals offensive line in Week 1. Kizer's fearlessness in the pocket and ability to keep his eyes downfield bode well for him adjusting to pro coverage down the road.

Unfortunately, in the meantime Kizer's task got much tougher with Corey Coleman suffering another broken hand. With Kenny Britt struggling, Coleman was the clear top wideout for Cleveland. Britt finished the game with just a two-yard catch and an offensive pass interference call. That he's been so bad through two weeks is just baffling. He posted 9.0 yards per target with the Rams last year!

Almost as big of a story at wideout for Cleveland was the emergence of Rashard Higgins, a practice squad callup and fifth-round pick out of Colorado State in 2016. Higgins might have modest pedigree, but his prospect profile is only trivially distinguished from heralded slot prospects like Tyler Boyd and Cooper Kupp. That Higgins turned 11 targets into seven receptions for 95 yards on 54 snaps is very impressive, and there's a real chance he serves as the team's top target while Coleman is out. Higgins posted poor workout numbers prior to his draft, but he should have won the Biletnikoff for his 2014 season, when he totaled 96 receptions for 1,750 yards and 17 touchdowns as a true sophomore.

Isaiah Crowell finished with poor numbers again, but I still think he's running well. I like his chances of getting something going against the Colts. EDIT: While Crowell seems to be running well in physical terms, this analysis from former Browns running back Ernest Byner gives reason to think Crowell could stand to improve his decision making as a ballcarrier. Duke Johnson is another player who could benefit from the Coleman injury – he has only four carries but 11 targets in two games. The Browns have shown a clear willingness to use him as a receiver, even downfield.

Carolina (9) vs. Buffalo (3)

Gross. Cam still isn't right – his arm strength just is not there at all – and his attempted bounce back from shoulder surgery won't be made easier by the absence of Greg Olsen, whose foot break deprives the offense of its best pass catcher. Newton has yet to get anything going on the ground, either, with 30 yards and no touchdowns on 11 attempts.

It will be interesting to see if the Panthers give former tight end Devin Funchess any looks that used to go to Olsen, especially after Funchess turned seven targets into four catches for 68 yards in this one. He's always been extremely raw, but I remain a believer in Funchess' long-term upside. He won't turn 24 until May. I'm not speculating on Curtis Samuel, who saw three targets but finished with just seven yards on two catches here. It's curious that Kelvin Benjamin played just 43 snaps in a game where the Panthers logged 68. He caught seven of his eight targets, but the one he missed was a touchdown drop on the first drive. The Bills' coverage in this game was generally poor.

It's disappointing that the Panthers couldn't get Christian McCaffrey going as a pass catcher. The Bills linebackers are lumbering and should have been coverage liabilities, but instead of just calling routes, the Panthers repeatedly made McCaffrey first serve as blitz pickup before beginning his routes. Jonathan Stewart looked fine, but the Carolina offensive line wasn't winning in this one.

Of course, LeSean McCoy had it even worse than the Carolina backs. Luke Kuechly, Star Lotulelei, and Kawann Short were just too much. I can't help but wonder how good of a runner Mike Tolbert would be if he just lost about 20 pounds.

It sure seemed like most of Tyrod Taylor's drop backs in this one resulted in a broken play. Considering his wide receiver personnel, it wouldn't be shocking if there truly wasn't anyone open each time. It's hard to see that situation improving much.

Indianapolis (13) vs. Arizona (16)

This Arizona offense is bad. It would have been bad even if David Johnson were healthy. Carson Palmer can't play, and the line isn't good enough to put anyone in position of overachieving.

Kerwynn Williams did nothing in his starting debut, but he didn't have much to work with on his plays. Chris Johnson looks awfully light these days but he showed great vision and could push for the starting role. It should be noted, the Colts defense looked fairly competent against the run in this one. I have no idea how.

J.J. Nelson is the best receiver on the Cardinals and Arizona absolutely needs to get him more targets. For Jaron Brown to see 11 targets while Nelson gets seven is just a waste. In addition to five catches for 120 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, Nelson very nearly had a touchdown catch on a broken red-zone play, but just barely let his second foot hit out of bounds. Larry Fitzgerald should remain heavily involved all year, but the explosiveness just isn't there, especially once you factor in Palmer's deficiencies.

Jacoby Brissett has a strong arm and is supremely tough to tackle, but his accuracy wasn't really there. At the very least, his ability as a runner opened things up for Frank Gore. On Gore's touchdown run, Brissett froze the linebacker inside long enough to create a gap for Gore. Robert Turbin saw more work than Marlon Mack in this one, and given Mack's minus-three yards on six carries, that might be the case next week, too.

T.Y. Hilton is a great player and Donte Moncrief is at least decent, but it's hard to see these guys going anywhere unless Andrew Luck returns. Jack Doyle, by contrast, seems quite capable of producing despite the poor passing in Indianapolis. He caught all eight of his targets.

Jacksonville (16) vs. Tennessee (37)

He didn't get much going in this one, but Leonard Fournette is utterly convincing. That he has five catches in his first two games bodes very well for his ability to provide production against tough defenses.

Blake Bortles couldn't get much going despite a favorable matchup. The downfield accuracy isn't there, and hesitation seems to drag him down otherwise. At least he's a tough runner. Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns can't be counted on, even in settings that would be automatic for most other receivers.

The Titans called run plays on first and second down on each of their first three drives. I hate the playcalling on this team. They have the best group of pass catchers in the league but call plays as if they were the Bills or something. Marcus Mariota is capable of much greater production than what Mike Mularkey sets him up for. Mariota's interception to Telvin Smith was quite bad, though.

DeMarco Murray looked rather sluggish, so perhaps his hamstring issue really was a limiting factor. As the box score implied, Derrick Henry was much more explosive. If they're smart, the Titans will keep Murray on the shelf as long as he needs and run Henry into the ground in the meantime. (Of course, there's a case to make that they should start Henry anyway.)

Kansas City (27) vs. Philadelphia (20)

It's Week 3 and we've already run out of superlatives to describe the play of Kareem Hunt, who might have Rookie of the Year wrapped up by the end of the first month. He continues to show strong pass-catching skills, and his ability to break tackles really showed up in this game. The Eagles defense looks like one of the league's tougher ones, so there's no reason to think Hunt will slow down.

Travis Kelce got going in this one and it's not a coincidence that he was used often as a conventional wide receiver. More of that, Andy Reid. Tyreek Hill also looked very good in this one – Alex Smith missed him on what would have been about a 42-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Smith generally did well in a tough matchup. He's been so much better than I ever would have guessed.

Carson Wentz had a great fantasy effort, but his numbers were artificially inflated by Zach Ertz's 53-yard catch on a play that should have been an interception but instead resulted in the defensive back sort of forward lateraling the ball to Ertz, who was running full speed at the moment. Still, both Wentz and Ertz look poised for sustained strong fantasy production.

A big part of Wentz's rosy projection is the quality of his pass catchers. Ertz is very good, and the wideout trio of Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor is also very effective. Jeffery got loose with the Chiefs leaving Marcus Peters on the right side, and I think there's more where that came from. Agholor was quiet while slot corner Phillip Gaines did a surprisingly good job, but I still like Agholor's setup going forward. Smith has gotten open quite a bit in the first two weeks, but he left a big play on the field by dropping what would have been about a 40-yard catch in traffic in the second quarter.

LeGarrette Blount saw just six snaps, while Darren Sproles saw 50 and Wendell Smallwood 14. Smallwood's production hasn't been there so far on his carries, but he also got hit in the backfield on most of his touches so far. No matter whether it shows up in the box score this year, he's a better runner than Blount.

New Orleans (20) vs. New England (36)

This is an ugly look for the Saints, who mostly couldn't get their offense going while the game was still competitive. It's of course taken as a given that the defense will be awful, so they look rather meek at the moment. Brees isn't who he used to be, but the pass catchers other than Michael Thomas are bad. I'm probably going to resist bidding on Brandon Coleman despite his breakout game. Willie Snead is only one more week away

What can be said of the Saints backfield? This split between Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson, and Alvin Kamara is incoherent in theory, and the practice has been worse than even the pessimists would have forecast. They should just cut Peterson, who has 25 snaps in two games, and move ahead with Ingram and Kamara.

Tom Brady's play needs no description, but he'll really be put to the test if Rob Gronkowski (groin) is limited or misses time. They were already perilously thin at the pass-catching positions. If Gronk misses any time, watch out for undrafted rookie Jacob Hollister at tight end. Brandin Cooks has excellent per-target numbers through two games, but the usage hasn't been there. He saw a lot of Marshon Lattimore in this one.

Mike Gillislee's rushing average of 3.5 yards per carry through two games isn't good, and I have to wonder if his complete lack of pass-catching work is the reason for it. He saw a lot more traffic on his carries than Burkhead or James White did.

Pittsburgh (26) vs. Minnesota (9)

After riding high following an emphatic Week 1 victory over the Saints, everything somehow started falling apart for the Vikings just a few hours before kickoff Sunday, when Sam Bradford's supposed non-issue knee ailment made him a short-notice scratch, forcing Minnesota to turn to Case Keenum. Keenum played with guts, but he's not cut out for starting.

Bradford's injury tanked the box scores of Stefon Diggs (two catches for 27 yards on six targets) and Adam Thielen (five catches for 44 yards on six targets), and the offense as a whole struggled to move as a result. Kyle Rudolph could have had a bad day, too, if not for an incredible one-handed catch on a 27-yard gain.

Quarterback uncertainty aside, you're encouraged by this game if you're a Dalvin Cook owner. The defense was tough and the game script couldn't have been much worse for him, but he still posted 64 yards on 12 carries. He had a sick cut on a 25-yard run that very nearly was a touchdown. Unfortunately, he has what might be an even tougher matchup ahead in the Buccaneers.

Ben Roethlisberger wasn't good in Week 1, and he was only marginally better in this one. When you adjust for his usual homefield advantage, he might not have been better at all. It's difficult to identify just what's been different about him, but his accuracy seems a bit sloppy and his decision making more flippant than usual. It's a bit of a concern for Martavis Bryant owners, promising as his own performance might have been Sunday. Antonio Brown is probably too good to be affected much, though.

While Le'Veon Bell wasn't exactly in peak form, his modest box score from Sunday can probably be attributed to the quality of the Vikings defense rather than any actual struggles on Bell's part. He almost has to find the end zone against the Bears in Week 3.

Tampa Bay (29) vs. Chicago (7)

He'll have utility in PPR leagues as long as the usage is there, but I'm not sure how long the Bears can justify this Tarik Cohen-based offense. His 16 catches are great at a glance, though a YPT under 5.0 is a testament to how competitively useless it's been for the Bears.

The Tampa Bay run defense is a brick wall whenever Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David are on the field, so I don't exactly blame Jordan Howard for his awful box score. Still, the fact that he might not be culpable is zero consolation to his fantasy owners. With the Bears often losing and Cohen in passing formations, Howard's floor is low right now.

Mike Glennon is very bad, and at this point he's little more than a human shield as the Bears debate whether they can start Mitchell Trubisky without getting him hurt. I'm still keeping a close eye on undrafted rookie practice squad callup Tanner Gentry, who turned three targets into 27 yards in his first game.

Jameis Winston is better than his box score implied, but the result is a reminder that the Bears defense is tougher than the spread will usually imply. He and Mike Evans should do a lot of damage this year. DeSean Jackson will normally get you a lot more than 39 yards on seven targets, too. The Buccaneers would be smart to phase Adam Humphries out of this offense for Chris Godwin, though.

With O.J. Howard playing the most snaps at tight end, Cameron Brate might not be as much of a sleeper as previously hoped.

I like a lot of parts of the Buccaneers offense, and coach Dirk Koetter is generally a good tactician, but I can't help but be alarmed by how bad Tampa is at evaluating talent. Not only did they not really use Charles Sims, who's one of the best pass catchers among running backs, but they instead gave extensive usage to Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber, who don't necessarily belong on NFL rosters at all. (I could go back to a Jeremy McNichols rant if I had more time.)

Chargers (17) vs. Miami (19)

The Dolphins had one of the league's worst run defenses last year, and free agent linebacker signing Lawrence Timmons was AWOL for this game, yet Melvin Gordon finished with just 13 yards on nine carries. Is there any stat in this league that's predictive? The Dolphins lived in the backfield in this one. Luckily for Gordon's owners, a rushing touchdown and 65 yards receiving on seven receptions saved him from a near goose egg. It's a reminder that Gordon's pass-catching gives him the chance to come through in settings where many other backs would tank.

Keenan Allen was great in this one, turning 10 targets into nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, and it's clear that he remains Philip Rivers' go-to target. Be it due to scheme or shared history, Allen seems non-negotiably locked in as the first read. I still think Tyrell Williams (54 yards on four targets) would do more with those targets, but who cares. Hunter Henry's bounce-back game probably means about as much as his Week 1 blanking – he's a good player with an inconsistent role.

While the Chargers run defense probably isn't great, Jay Ajayi looked impressive in this one. He got more than what was there, withstanding contact and identifying opportunities for extra yardage. His long-awaited breakout as a pass catcher was not to be, though.

Jarvis Landry's PPR owners have to be giddy after a 13-catch, 15-target showing. That he totaled just 78 yards is a reminder of the fact that that sort of target volume won't be sustainable, but Landry is in any case locked into a major role and has reestablished himself as the clear favorite to lead this team in receptions. DeVante Parker only caught four passes, but his nine targets portend big numbers ahead. That's particularly true if Jay Cutler maintains his generally decent form from Sunday.

Oakland (45) vs. Jets (20)

While I'm still skeptical of his talent, Jermaine Kearse is worth adding in most leagues as long as he maintains the usage he's shown through two weeks. I still think Robby Anderson is the better player, but Kearse is functioning and producing as the team's lead wideout. He also has a denser build than Anderson, which makes him more viable for the short, in-traffic passes that Josh McCown prefers.

I don't know how you get anything out of Matt Forte or Bilal Powell unless the other one gets hurt.

Marshawn Lynch has been a very tough tackle through two weeks, and I don't think any defense wants to see him as long as he keeps it up. The Raiders understandably are limiting his workload, though, which is something they can get away with as long as Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington keep producing. Similarly, the Raiders would be smart to give Cordarrelle Patterson more looks at running back. He's probably too tall to take more than double-digit touches in a game, but the Ty Montgomery logic applies perfectly to Patterson, who's always been a runner miscast as a pass catcher. (Don't pick him up, but do watch him for entertainment.)

I still have faith that Amari Cooper will get hot and finish the year as Oakland's WR1, but Michael Crabtree has been excellent in both games. Cooper does have 26 more snaps, though, so I'm expecting a surge soon, but he'll probably need to avoid Josh Norman to do it this week. Jared Cook continues to see a lot of snaps at receiver. He's going to have a big game eventually.

Denver (42) vs. Dallas (17)

Just when you start overestimating the Cowboys, they're always good for a game like this to remind you that Jason Garrett will never oversee a consistent product.

The Dallas defense lacks talent in the secondary and their tackling was remarkably bad Sunday, but you have to give Trevor Siemian credit for putting up four touchdowns. Demaryius Thomas is still one of the league's most uniquely gifted size-speed specimens. It was Emmanuel Sanders who had the big game in this one, but Thomas will go off soon. I still don't think he's good, but Bennie Fowler very nearly had an awesome touchdown grab in this one, but narrowly flew out of bounds in the process.

C.J. Anderson had it awfully easy in this one, but he doesn't leave yards on the field and his motor never cools. As bad as the Dallas defense is, Demarcus Lawrence looks like a monster.

For the Dallas offense, there's probably not much to take away from this one. They started well enough, looking as they normally do, but they fell apart when the game script turned against them. This should pretty easily go down as the worst game of Ezekiel Elliott's career, and Dak Prescott is almost beyond criticism to me. It's worth noting that Dallas had to punt on a second quarter drive where Dez Bryant had a first-down catch that was called back on a completely wrong offensive pass interference call.

Rams (20) vs. Washington (27)

Rob Kelley had better numbers than Samaje Perine in this one, but Kelley still doesn't do anything. His gains were on plays where the line blasted through for big openings. Perine absolutely would have done more on those same plays, and it's not debatable. If Kelley misses time with his rib injury, I'm thinking this is a wrap. Of course, it's Chris Thompson who's the best runner on this team, but his injury history will likely keep his usage limited.

Terrelle Pryor saw a lot of standout corner Trumaine Johnson, but it's quite concerning that he dropped a short pass in the first quarter. Kirk Cousins didn't look his way nearly as often as in Week 1. Jamison Crowder got more going in this one, turning five targets into 47 yards, but his season has been quite disappointing so far. Washington needs to try to find ways to lessen the snap count of Ryan Grant, who will never push a defense upfield and otherwise has a slot skill set redundant to Crowder's.

Todd Gurley saw better blocking in this one than in Week 1, but credit to him for taking advantage. He should have a strong fantasy season as long as he keeps catching passes at his current rate.

If it had been almost any other linebacker than Zach Brown chasing him, Gerald Everett would have scored on his long gain. Unfortunately for Everett, Brown has 4.50 wheels. Sammy Watkins is getting open, but his main function through two weeks is creating space for Cooper Kupp, who doesn't separate but holds onto the ball. I still suspect a big game is around the corner for Watkins. If you're a Jared Goff owner, you are in any case quite encouraged by his first two weeks.

Seattle (14) vs. San Francisco (13)

This Seattle offensive line is bad. The 49ers have a few decent talents in the front seven, but Russell Wilson was under too much pressure in this one, and he seemed a bit rattled even when he wasn't under pressure. He'll probably have some big fantasy games this year thanks to his running ability, but I'm nauseous about my Wilson and Doug Baldwin shares. Jimmy Graham, too. He had a brutal case of the drops even before his ankle troubles flared up.

It was heartening to see Tyler Lockett play 61 snaps, producing six catches for 64 yards on nine targets. I can't help but wonder if his compound leg fracture robbed him of some amount of athleticism, but he's so skilled as a receiver he might be able to re-brand as a standout possession wideout.

Chris Carson is certainly the player to own in this backfield right now, but I remain skeptical of how long that might be the case. He had better blocking than Thomas Rawls, and C.J. Prosise is absolutely capable of everything that Carson has done to this point. Carson's the winner as long as Seattle doesn't give Prosise that chance.

He had his moments over the last couple years, but Brian Hoyer has looked awful so far. Pierre Garcon's volume should keep him afloat most other weeks, but Hoyer can't elevate him against defenses this good. Rookie fifth-round slot receiver Trent Taylor sure is quick, and he knows how to run in traffic. If not this year, I'm optimistic of his chances of becoming a fantasy factor by 2018.

Carlos Hyde has looked beastly in both of his games so far. If he can get a favorable setting for once, he'll be in position for a big game. Very few runners of his size can build momentum as quickly as he does.

Atlanta (34) vs. Green Bay (23)

With both starting tackles out, Aaron Rodgers was set up to fail against a fast defense with one of the league's top edge rushers in the since-injured Vic Beasley. David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga need to get back on the field, because Rodgers can't keep getting hit like this.

Of course, of even greater concern now is the status of Jordy Nelson (quadriceps) and Randall Cobb (shoulder), both of whom were hurt in the loss. Davante Adams should feast for the duration of any time either receiver might miss, but the Packers otherwise have just Geronimo Allison as far as healthy, actual receivers go. Jeff Janis and Trevor Davis, especially Davis, are special teamers. I think practice squad player and rookie fifth-round pick DeAngelo Yancey is better than Allison, and they might need to call him up if Nelson or Cobb have to sit at all.

Green Bay's offensive line troubles couldn't stop Ty Montgomery, who continues to establish himself as a natural running back – and one with great versatility. He has bad hands by wide receiver standards, but at running back he presents a unique threat as a pass catcher. Even with just 89 yards on 29 carries so far, Montgomery has done great damage from scrimmage by adding 10 catches for 114 yards on 11 targets.

Martellus Bennett looked uncharacteristically sheepish – it's a chicken-or-the-egg question as to whether he looked that way because of his early drops, or if it's the reason for the drops. I expect him to roar back into form, in any case.

For the second week in a row, Matt Ryan's numbers implied an easier game than it actually was. The Packers defense did a surprisingly good job of generating pressure, but Ryan couldn't be shook. He's so much better than I ever thought he would be. The next soft defense he faces will get torn to shreds. That could be Detroit.

Julio Jones was on pace for a monster game, but the Falcons had a safe enough lead that they never asked Jones to build on his four-catch, 95-yard line at halftime. You have to think he has a huge game within the next couple weeks. I disliked the signing at the time, but Mohamed Sanu is a solid player who rarely wastes his opportunities. He averaged eight or more yards per target each of the past three years, and he might be a dark horse candidate for 1,000 yards if he can roughly maintain his pace of 7.5 targets per game.

It's disappointing that Austin Hooper has just four targets through two games, but I think he'll provide a flurry of touchdowns at some point. He's yet to see a red-zone target after seeing five on his 27 targets last year.

Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are both very good. I just wish the latter could get more work.