What is the fantasy impact of two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks being injured?
Ouch! That hurts! Fantasy football owners are feeling the aftermath of the barrage of impactful injuries in Week 2.
The significance of the season-ending elbow injury to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have multiple fantasy implications.
We will get to see 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph take over the Steelers offense. In his NFL debut, Rudolph completed 12-of-19 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns to tight end Vance McDonald, and one interception for a 92.5 passer rating.
The Fantasy Fixers examines how this will affect the Steelers offensive playmakers, running back James Connor, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and tight end Vance McDonald. The Fantasy Fixers believe that James Connor will benefit as long as he is healthy to get back on the field. If not, they believe Jaylan Samuels is a priority add. The guys believe that JuJu falls into the WR2 range with less boom potential. They think that James Washington will be the main target for Rudolph since they played together at Oklahoma State. Look for tight end Vance McDonald to play an essential role as evidenced by McDonald catching both touchdowns passes from Rudolph in relief of Roethlisberger.
Another impactful injury was New Orleans Saints future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees suffering a ligament injury to his thumb on his throwing hand. His thumb requires surgery and will be out a minimum of six weeks.
Teddy Bridgewater stepped in for Brees and struggled in relief against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. The offense was stagnant, and the Fantasy Fixers believes that the attack will struggle immensely with Bridgewater behind center. The Fantasy Fixers project that the only players to hold on to are running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas. They also bring up the fact that maybe Taysom Hill might be a better option for the Saints offense.
The Week 2 Winners and Losers
The Fantasy Fixers review Week 2 and explain why quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Gardner Minshew are winners. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders returned this season after suffering a torn Achilles and helped the Denver Broncos beat the Chicago Bears.
Every team facing the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals are weekly winners. The Fantasy Fixers suggest playing every offensive player and opposing defenses against these two teams.
The Week 2 losers include the distinct selections of Steelers and Saints offensive players except for their playmaking standouts. Duke Johnson, who lost touches to Carlos Hyde on Sunday is another Week 2 loser. Two Gordons, Josh, and Melvin are also Week 2 losers.
Questions from the podcast team?
- How does the season-ending injury of Ben Roethlisberger affect the Steelers offensive options?
- Who starts in New Orleans with Drew Brees out at least six weeks? Teddy Bridgewater? Taysom Hill?
- Who were the fantasy winners and losers in Week 2?
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