Was Drake London’s shoulder bothering him in Week Two? (Reception Perception)
This week, Joe Burrow (toe) got hurt again, had to come out early and needs surgery that will sideline him for three months; Kaleb Johnson made a horrible play on a kickoff as the Steelers blew a lead against Seattle; and the 49ers’ rash of injuries continued as Kyle Juszczyk suffered a concussion, but seems to be doing well. Other Fantasy football stories we’re tracking include…
Drake London Quiet in Week Two
In mid-July, we wondered whether this was the year the Atlanta Falcons could finally carve out a winning record. Well, they dropped their opener at home to the Bucs despite a stout defensive effort, but turned things around in a big way in Week Two with an even more dominant defensive effort to win 22-6 in Minnesota.
The Falcons were paced by Bijan Robinson and their run game, which had to be a bit of a disappointment to Fantasy owners hoping for a repeat of Week One when Drake London – despite leaving early with a shoulder woe – was targeted a whopping 15 times, winding up with eight grabs.
On Sunday, London got just four targets, but did haul in three of them for a team-best 49 yards receiving (although the fumble hurt — see video below). He was the team’s most targeted receiver last season as well, overcoming a hip injury scare in November to go on and record a career year, reaching the century mark in receptions for the first time.
Perhaps the shoulder was still barking a bit on Sunday, but it’s not an ongoing concern, so consider London a low-end WR1 in Week Three when he faces a solid Carolina pass D, and a slam dunk top 10 receiver for the remainder of the season. He became a solid starter far quicker than expected and the former Trojan has the size and length to continue to improve in the NFL, perhaps ultimately reaching top five status.
More Bad News for the Jets
After a strong draft showing, the New York Jets were expected to be a bit better this season. And while they hung in there in Week One in a tight loss against Pittsburgh, the offense was completely shut down in Week Two in a 30-10 setback against Buffalo.
In Week Three, the Jets go on the road for the first time and the experts don’t like their chances in Tampa Bay (6.5-‘dogs as per FanDuel).
To make matters worse, quarterback Justin Fields – who looked very good in Week One – suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter and had to come out. He’s been placed in concussion protocol, so his availability in Week Three is in question.
That leaves backup Tyrod Taylor – coming off his own injury in preseason — in charge of the offense. He looked very good in limited looks with New York last year, and again was solid in relief on Sunday (7-for-11 for 56 yards and one touchdown).
Taylor has some rushing skills (21 yards on Sunday), so isn’t without his Fantasy appeal should he get the start — which as of now sounds likely. We don’t recommend starting the veteran backup, but if Fields is indeed officially ruled out, Taylor could get his first significant PT since 2023.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
The Brand New Heavies’ original lineup consisted of Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy and Jan Kincaid. In 1994, they released Brother Sister, which was led off by the upbeat and funky “Have a Good Time.”