What fun is fantasy football if you aren't wheeling and dealing? After two weeks some teams are realizing they have a ton of depth, and may want to trade it for a stud. Other teams might be riddled with injuries, ready to receive the losing end of a deal so they can field a full roster.
Most importantly though, everyone's hunting for the valuable players on the cusp of stardom that can win a championship in the right situation. After two weeks, those players are beginning to emerge.
Sammy Watkins, WR Buffalo Bills
After a quiet Week 1, Watkins doubters like myself felt pretty good about their controversial opinion that Watkins would be somewhat of a dud based on his ADP, and that other rookie receivers would surpass him.
Watkins had rib issues throughout the preseason, bringing his durability into question, and had the raw EJ Manuel playing quarterback. After Week 2 though, Watkins owners were delighted, and for good reason. It appears Buffalo has figured out that no matter what Manuel's limitations are, if they force it Watkins' way enough good things will happen.
Against the Dolphins Watkins was targeted 11 times, hauling in eight of them for 117 yards and a touchdown. The Bills' offense won't be a powerhouse, but if the targets remain this plentiful, Watkins could become a WR1 in time.
Jeremy Maclin, WR Philadelphia Eagles
Maclin was the 28th receiver off the board on average during draft season, despite taking over as the No. 1 target in an offense that transformed DeSean Jackson from a boom-or-bust FLEX type into a bona fide WR1.
While it's true that Maclin doesn't possess Jackson's speed, and is more injury-prone, he had always been productive when he played. His numbers weren't dissimilar from Jackson's and he arrived at them in more consistent fashion.
He wasn't on the field in 2013, so there were questions about how he'd fit in. The early answer is well. He's averaging 10.5 targets through two games, and has scored a touchdown in both weeks. The production won't likely lead to much extra attention either, because Philadelphia's dominant running game will require more attention than the Nick Foles-Maclin connection. As long as Maclin stays healthy, he's a lock for big workloads.
Rashad Jennings, RB New York Giants
Right now it's open season on the Giants' offense, as Eli Manning keeps turning the ball over, and unheard-of tight end Larry Donnell emerges as the most reliable pass-catcher. While the negativity hovers over Big Blue, try and snag Jennings for a discount.
His attempts aren't through the roof, but that's because they keep falling behind. The 3.2 yards per carry aren't encouraging, but that's what has his value nice and low. Andre Williams has looked slow in his limited opportunities, so Jennings shouldn't be removed from too many situations, and he's not a small back so goal line carries are no issue.
He's also factoring into the passing game-while four or five targets per game don't make him Darren Sproles, it shows they have faith in him on passing downs, which means more snaps. With the way fantasy has evolved, running back value is all about opportunity, and Jennings is going to have plenty of run.
Jordan Reed, TE Washington Redskins
Reed was a popular sleeper in the preseason, but an injured hamstring knocked him out for Week 2. Hamstring problems can linger so they are scary-bury that fear, and pick up a potential Top 5 player at his position for cheap. Kirk Cousins doesn't have Robert Griffin III's arm strength, so the short and intermediate routes will be there for Reed when he's back, which could be as soon as this week.
Niles Paul got 11 targets and a touchdown last week, and he isn't the player that Reed is.
Cam Newton, QB Carolina Panthers
Newton's fantasy stock was down this preseason because of the complete overhaul of his receiving corps. Gone are Steve Smith Sr., Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn Jr., and in come rookie Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant.
It's safe to say the new guys don't comprise the league's best trio, but are they really much worse than the previous group? If anything, Benjamin offers more upside than Smith, if less reliability, and Cotchery is more steady than LaFell was. Newton would also have TE Greg Olsen back to rely on.
Finally, Newton's legs are the real reason to draft him, with big passing totals being a bonus. He's never finished outside the Top 5 of fantasy QBs, and in his first week of action he was solid. Newton threw for 281 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions, and added 19 yards on the ground.
He only rushed four times, likely because he's dealing with some broken ribs. As time passes and he heals up, expect the attempts, and rushing scores, to jump.
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