At FantasyLabs, we eat, breathe, and sleep football. So from September to February, we’re breaking down all facets of the game, looking for in-roads to the DFS and betting spaces. As part of our commitment to delivering outstanding football coverage, we’re monitoring player usage against fantasy impact to see which players are trending up and down.
Points aren’t coming naturally for teams early this season. Only five of the 16 games went over the total in Week 2, with most offenses struggling to build momentum, paving the way for more elite defensive performances. With another week under their belts, we should see more effective offensive efforts as teams find their rhythm, leading to increased scoring.
We’re highlighting which players have the most appealing fantasy ceiling heading into Week 3 based on usage early this season.
Dalvin Cook (RB, Minnesota Vikings) – Week 2 Snap Count 42/61 (68.8%)
The Minnesota Vikings were trailing from the outset in their Monday Night Football showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, putting Dalvin Cook at an immediate disadvantage for the rest of the game. Kirk Cousins and the Vikings elected to lean into their passing game to eat into the deficit, coming at the expense of Cook’s usage. Cook carried the ball just six times for 17 yards, although he did feature in the passing game, grabbing four of six targets for 19 yards on check-downs.
If injuries aren’t a factor, generally, Cook plays at least 70.0% of the snaps. His Week 2 total doesn’t fall substantially below that, but it did highlight a potential pitfall in his usage throughout the season. If the Vikings are trailing, we could see his fantasy impact decrease, with the team fully shifting their focus to the aerial attack. Secondary pass-catchers Irv Smith, K.J. Osborn, and Jalen Reagor all saw increased snap counts against the Eagles in an attempt to get yards back in big chunks.
That’s not expected in Week 3, as the Detroit Lions have allowed the third-most yards through the first two weeks of the campaign.
Expect a bounce-back effort from Cook in their divisional matchup.
Chase Edmonds (RB, Miami Dolphins) – Week 2 Snap Count 36/71 (50.7%)
The Miami Dolphins were in a barn burner with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, with the highest-scoring game of the weekend. That’s why it’s even more concerning that Chase Edmonds’s usage took a hit, as the Dolphins’ running back played just over half of the snaps.
Edmonds was an afterthought on offense, toting the ball just five times and hauling in just one of three targets. In total, he put up just 41 total yards and saw his workload in the backfield defer to Raheem Mostert. Mostert had a day, almost tripling Edmonds touches and potentially earning a more prominent role on offense moving forward.
This could be the new norm for Edmonds, as the Dolphins have many weapons on offense. Mostert’s increased usage notwithstanding, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill command a significant amount of the looks on offense, leaving Edmonds in a diminished role.
Ashton Dulin (WR, Indianapolis Colts) – Week 2 Snap Count 32/50 (64.0%)
With injuries to several key players, the Indianapolis Colts had to look way down their depth chart against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although many expected Parris Campbell to be the man to shoulder the workload, it was Ashton Dulin who emerged as Matt Ryan’s preferred target.
Dulin led the Colts in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, earning a 23.3% target share in Week 2, with a career-best 64.0% snap count. His 79 receiving yards were over double the next closest pass catcher, Nyheim Hines, with Dulin’s game-long 39-yard reception surpassing Nyheim’s total yardage for the contest.
DFS players should move forward with the expectation that Dulin will remain a fixture in the Colts’ offense. The fourth-year pro has six or more targets in consecutive weeks, and the health of his teammates remains a concern. Michael Pittman Jr. could return from a quad injury this week, although it’s less likely that Alex Pierce’s injury resolves in time for Sunday’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Until then, Dulin is a low-cost primary option.
Zach Ertz (TE, Arizona Cardinals) – Week 2 Snap Count 73/87 (83.9%)
Tight end Zach Ertz is finally starting to live up to his potential with the Arizona Cardinals. The former second-round pick got off to a tepid start with the Cardinals but re-ignited the chemistry he built with Kyler Murray towards the end of last year. That’s a good indicator of things to come for the three-time Pro Bowler.
Ertz took a backseat to the Cardinals’ game planning in Week 1, taking to the field for just 60.0% of the offensive plays in a 44-21 loss to the Chiefs. However, Kliff Kingsbury prioritized Ertz in Week 2, sending him out for 73 of 87 snaps. Consequently, he had a target share of 22.4%, catching eight of 11 passes for 75 yards.
That continues his upward trend from the end of last year when Ertz was targeted ten or more times in three of the season’s last four games. With DeAndre Hopkins suspended for four more games, Ertz’s ceiling is among the top tight ends.
