The fantasy football world got some monster performances in Week 2, with a nice mix of veterans and younger players tearing up the fantasy scene on Sunday. Here are the top five fantasy risers after the second week of NFL action.
1) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Welcome back to RB1 overall conversation Alvin Kamara.
The Saints RB absolutely went off against the Dallas Cowboys, with 108 rushing yards and 65 receiving yards, four total scores, and a 43.3-point fantasy outing in a vintage performance from the talented back.
This monster performance comes off a 22-point performance in the season-opening win against the Carolina Panthers, where he produced 110 total yards and a score — which now has him firmly back in the RB1 overall picture through the first two weeks of the season.
Last year, Kamara produced the least efficient season of his career, with an average of just 3.86 yards per carry. Yet, the addition of Taliese Fuaga along this offense line, Derek Carr’s improved play, and the impact of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak now make the Saints RB position a must-start fantasy option entering Week 3.
2) Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders
Brian Robinson Jr. had a nice fantasy debut to the 2024 NFL season with 17.9 fantasy points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 on just 40 rushing yards on 12 carries to go with three receptions for 49 yards and a score.
Yet, Robinson’s Week 2 performance feels a bit more encouraging after producing 133 rushing yards on 17 carries against the New York Giants.
Robinson’s involvement in the passing game was modest due to the struggles through the air for rookie QB Jayden Daniels, but the Alabama product has clearly emerged as the leading back in Washington over Austin Ekeler.
Matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals over the next weeks firmly puts Robinson in the top 15 conversation at the RB position for the next few weeks.
3) J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Dobbins’s durability concerns are well-documented at this point. During the first four years of his NFL career, the Ohio State product saw two of his seasons cut short due to season-ending injuries.
The multitude of devastating injuries has led to fantasy managers severely underestimating his fantasy upside entering the 2024 NFL season, which is proving to be one of the biggest mistakes of the young season.
Dobbins burst onto the scene with an impressive 22.9 fantasy point debut in Week 1 with 135 rushing yards and a score on just 10 carries to go with an additional three receptions for four yards.
JK DOBBINS RUNNING THROUGH EVERYBODY.
📺: #LACvsCAR on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/IrANF2mYTR— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
Dobbins looked like the preferred option over Gus Edwards by seeing 59% of the snaps in Week 1.
Well, this trend continued in Week 2 with Dobbins producing 131 rushing yards and a score on 17 carries in the Chargers’ blowout win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.
For some additional perspective, Edwards was outproduced for a second straight game by a significant margin. Edwards produced just 59 rushing yards on 18 carries, which marks the second straight week where Edwards saw more carries than Dobbins, but finished with 70+ fewer rushing yards.
Dobbins has clearly established himself as a RB2 with RB1 upside in positive game scripts in this run-heavy Los Angeles offense.
4) Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Well, Malik Nabers might be Daniel Jones-proof after all.
After a modest performance in his NFL debut, Nabers went off against this leaky Washington Commanders secondary to the tune of 10 receptions for 127 yards and a score on an absurd 18 targets in Week 2.
Malik Nabers scores his first NFL TD!
📺: #NYGvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/m9EQCgxCRn— NFL (@NFL)
Shareholders of Nabers are going to be forced to stomach some rough performances from Jones under center, but this is the type of fantasy production the dynamic rookie is capable of when these two are able to connect.
Nabers is going to see a healthy amount of targets as the feature player in this offense, but should be tested against a stingy Cleveland defense in Week 3.
5) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
After a disappointing fantasy debut in Week 1, where Lamar Jackson missed Zay Flowers for an easy score late in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs, the second-year receiver went off against the Las Vegas Raiders with seven receptions for 91 yards and a score on 11 targets in Week 2.
Flowers has now seen 10+ targets in both games to start the 2024 NFL season, which has him flirting with top 12 consideration on a weekly basis as Jackson’s favorite target in this Baltimore passing attack.