Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold impressed in back-to-back weeks to open the NFL season. He will look to continue his success against the Houston Texans in Week 3. Despite the former first-round pick's reputation as an inconsistent turnover machine, he's led the Vikings to a surprising upset over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 en route to finishing as the overall QB4. Darnold will be without second-year wideout Jordan Addison (ankle) for the second game in a row, leaving the quarterback without the full wide receiving room at his disposal. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old quarterback will represent Houston's biggest passing challenge thus far and could be in line for another top-15 QB finish.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 17-of-26 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the team's 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He added 32 yards on the ground on five carries. When Minnesota beat up on the New York Giants last weekend in their 28-6 win, Darnold's excellent performance could have been written off as a fluke. However, that case is no longer as cut-and-dry with the Viking's surprise defeat of the reigning NFC champions. It's been quite the start to the year for the 27-year-old, who is now on his fourth NFL squad. Through two contests, he's racked up 476 yards and four scores while completing a crisp 72% of his passes. Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson -- who caught a 97-yard touchdown Sunday -- was diagnosed with a quad bruise during the matchup but does not believe he'll miss any time. With his stellar start, the third-overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has begun to creep into streaming consideration leading up to the team's Week 3 tilt against the Houston Texans.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold surprised many fantasy managers by finishing as the 13th overall QB in Week 1 against the New York Giants and was a hair away from finishing in the top 10 in the position. However, Darnold and the Vikings will face much tougher competition in Week 2 as the San Francisco 49ers travel to Minnesota. The 49ers defense held Aaron Rodgers to less than 10 fantasy points and under 200 yards passing on Monday Night Football. Added to the defensive challenge, the Vikings have ruled out wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle) for Week 2, limiting potential explosive possibilities for Darnold's passing attack. While the seven-year veteran quarterback may perform better than Rodgers due to the better team and health context surrounding him, expect Darnold to regress a bit this week. He is mainly an option in two-QB or superflex leagues for Week 2.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard faces the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. While the Titans' coaching staff keeps implying that Tyjae Spears will get more touches, Pollard continues to dominate the backfield work for Tennessee. The former Cowboy has received 25 more touches than Spears through two weeks and has also been more efficient with these opportunities. With Spears potentially sitting out or at the very least limited with an ankle injury this week, Pollard is an absolute smash play that should see a ton of volume against a run defense that has been gashed in both games to start the year. Fantasy managers should start Pollard with confidence this week.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard rushed 17 times for 62 yards, also securing five passes on six targets for 40 yards in a 24-17 loss to New York. For the second straight week, Pollard was the clear lead back for this Titans offense, out-touching Tyjae Spears 22-8 in Week 2. Although Spears left the game late with an ankle injury, Pollard was still dominating the time on the field up to that point and was more effective when given the ball. He was also tied for the team lead in targets with six, proving he still has a role carved out for him in the passing game even with Spears' ability in that department. With how much this coaching staff seems to trust Pollard, he should be locked into lineups moving forward as a mid-tier RB2 with a tinge of upside. Up next is the Packers vulnerable run defense in a Week 3 home matchup.

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard will face the New York Jets this Sunday for the team's home opener. The former Cowboys was a lone bright spot for the Titans offense against Chicago last week, producing 94 yards from scrimmage and touchdown. He was heavily featured on the ground with sixteen total carries compared to his backfield mate Tyjae Spears' 4, but Titans head coach Brian Callahan did say he would like the split to be "more even" after the game. Even if Spears does see a bit more work, the team clearly views Pollard as the superior runner and the guy who will receive most of the 'between the tackles' rushing. The utilization for these two backs is likely going to come down to game script on a week-to-week basis, but the coaching staff definitely trusts Pollard and so should fantasy managers with their RB2/flex spot headed into a matchup with the Jets and their soft-ish run defense.

The panic surrounding Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.'s debut was stifled by a monster performance in the second week of his NFL career. After logging just one catch for four yards in Week 1, Harrison caught four balls for a team-high 130 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Harrison's first score came four minutes into the game as he brought in a 23-yard pass while falling out the back of the end zone. His second touchdown came on a 60-yard catch-and-run on the first play of the Cardinals' next drive. In the days following the rookie's unimpressive debut, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing acknowledged the importance of getting the ball to the fourth-overall pick of the 2024 Draft. The team targeted Harrison early and often, with Harrison seeing six of his team-leading eight targets in the first half. Harrison is shaping up to be a strong WR2 candidate when Arizona plays the Detroit Lions in Week 3.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had a dud of a debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. The fourth overall pick of the NFL draft had just one catch for four yards and wasn't targeted at all in the second half of that game. While the performance was alarming for fantasy managers who paid up to get the vaunted rookie near his ADP of 15, there is hope for improvement in Week 2. Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing admitted earlier this week that the team needs to prioritize getting the rookie more involved going forward. Harrison will again line up on the outside against a Rams secondary that allowed 121 receiving yards to Jameson Williams last Sunday. The former Buckeye can be started against the Rams with tempered expectations. He projects as a WR2 in Week 2.

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. saw only three targets and caught one of them for four yards in his NFL debut in the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said that Harrison attracted extra coverage from the Bills defense. "As a quarterback, obviously, you're going through your reads," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "Sometimes the ball goes to him, but that's not my job. I have a sense and a feel for guys when they don't get the ball and when they are getting the ball, but I leave that up to Drew. He tells me, 'Don't worry about that type of stuff. Just keep playing your game and get the ball to where the ball is supposed to go.'" Harrison's quiet day could have been a combination of all those things, and Murray mentioned himself he thinks he and Harrison will eventually get on the same page. Going into Week 2, treat Harrison as a high-end WR2 in fantasy.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will take over for Bryce Young in the team's Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders but should not be a fantasy option in fantasy leagues. With some decent offensive weapons in Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Xavier Legette, Dalton could provide a useful upgrade from Young in NFL terms but it's best for fantasy managers to take a wait-and-see approach with how Dalton looks in this offense. The Panthers have looked like a disaster to start the season and despite benching Young, it's not clear if he was the problem or it was the offense in general. There are better options out there in the quarterback landscape and you would have to be in a desperate situation to consider starting the "Red Rifle".

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo connected on all three of his field goal attempts and made his lone extra point in the team's win over Philadelphia on Monday night. The trusted kicker was perfect on the night with a long of 39 yards. Koo is one of the best kickers in the league and showed why on Monday night, despite not having any very long opportunities. Continue to fire up Koo at the kicker position in fantasy lineups each week.

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo managed only one extra point and one field goal attempt in the team's Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week, Koo plays on Monday Night football outdoors against the Philadelphia Eagles, who could be out in front in this one often, potentially taking Koo out of the game script early, just like the Niners took Greg Zuerlein out of last week's Monday night matchup. Many kickers have a much more positive outlook this week. It's best to leave Koo on the waiver wire for another week, as he is currently 16th among all kickers in the latest RotoBaller rankings for Week 2.

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo converted his lone field goal attempt on Sunday from 24 yards out and tacked on one extra point in an 18-10 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Koo is among the most intriguing kicking options this season, with the newly revamped offense for the Falcons and the fact that he plays half of his game indoors. Unfortunately for Koo, the offense wasn't quite in good shape in this game, as they barely got into field goal range. Once this offense starts clicking on all cylinders, expect more opportunities for Koo moving forward. He should still be a solid start in a matchup that should provide plenty of offense for both sides when the Falcons face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) has been officially listed as questionable to play this Sunday in Week 3 on the road against the 2-0 Pittsburgh Steelers. Herbert said on Friday that he suffered a high right-ankle sprain in the Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers, although he did return to practice on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday. High-ankle sprains can keep players out for multiple weeks, so although Herbert has a high tolerance for pain, he could seriously be in danger of sitting out this weekend, which would be really bad news for the Bolts offense as they look to go 3-0. If Herbert doesn't gain clearance to play, Easton Stick would likely be under center, and the Chargers would most likely lean even more on running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. A banged-up Herbert would be more of a low-end QB2 in fantasy if he's active on Sunday.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) is expected to play this week despite suffering an ankle injury near the end of a Week 2 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Herbert missed practice on Wednesday, but was back in there on Thursday and all signs point to him being able to take the field on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even assuming he plays without setbacks, he's no more than a QB2 option, leading a run-first offense against a tough Steelers defense. Herbert has all the talent of the top tier quarterbacks in the NFL, but the type of offense the Chargers run leave him well out of those rankings for fantasy football. He's just the QB27 so far through two weeks of games.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) is wearing a yellow jersey and is dressed for practice on Thursday after he was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday in the first practice of the week. Herbert's return to practice on Thursday is a good sign that he's trending in the right direction to play in Week 3 against the 2-0 Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. The 26-year-old suffered an ankle injury in the Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers but quickly returned to the contest. Barring a setback, it's likely that Herbert will be under center for the Bolts as a low-end QB2 play in fantasy this Sunday against a swarming Steelers defensive unit. If for some reason Herbert is unable to play, it would most likely be Easton Stick making the start, which would be a major downgrade for all of LA's offensive weapons in a tough matchup.UPDATE: Herbert was officially listed as a limited practice participant on Thursday.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown had a rough showing in Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. After an uneventful performance in Week 1 versus the Patriots, Brown finished Week 2 with just four carries for 31 yards. He also was held without a catch. Zack Moss was still the top rusher out of the backfield, with the 26-year-old going for 34 yards off 12 touches. While Moss may find himself in the doghouse at some point if he doesn't turn things around, Brown will need to prove his value to managers before working his way back into fantasy lineups. Keep him on the bench in Week 3 versus the Commanders.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown didn't do much in the Week 1 loss to the Patriots, logging only three carries for 11 yards and adding three receptions for 12 yards. On the other hand, Zack Moss was more productive, with the 26-year-old finishing the day with 44 yards and a touchdown off nine touches. He also pulled in two of his four targets for 17 yards. Many had assumed Brown would be the preferred option out of the backfield for the Bengals this season, resulting in a surge in popularity during fantasy drafts in the last few months. Although that still can happen, he can't be trusted in Week 2 against the Chiefs. Keep Brown benched in all fantasy setups.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown struggled in Sunday's loss to the New England Patriots. He was a popular option in fantasy drafts heading into the 2023-24 campaign, often getting selected over Zack Moss. However, Chase didn't get anything going in Week 1, finishing with only 11 yards off three carries, adding three catches for 12 yards. With that said, Moss, who ended the day by amassing 44 yards and a touchdown off nine touches, appears to be the preferred option out of the backfield for Cincinnati. As a result, Brown isn't the safest fantasy option in Week 2 against the Chiefs, although there's still a chance he could get more involved than he was in the opener.