Every week there are a few players that put up an elite performance seemingly out of nowhere. Most of the time these players are either sitting on the bench in fantasy football, or on waivers. When this type of performance happens so early in the season it’s hard to tell if it was just a fluke or a sign of more to come. Let’s take a look at three of the biggest surprise performances from Week 2 and discuss their legitimacy.
Braelon Allen
Following an NFL debut in which he saw just one rush and one reception, Braelon Allen made a name for himself in the Jets Week 2 win against the Titans. He rushed the ball 7 times for 33 yards and notched 2 receptions for another 23 yards, along with scoring two touchdowns. There are two questions that must be asked following this performance from Allen:
- Will he play a significant role in the Jets offense moving forward?
- Will Breece Hall be negatively impacted by Allen’s emergence?
I believe the answer to both of these questions is…kind of. This week Allen proved that he is a serviceable runner and pass catcher who works well in contrast with Hall’s strengths. This means that Allen will likely get more opportunities in upcoming games, and Hall won’t be the bell cow back that he was drafted as. However, I do not trust Allen to be consistent in fantasy. With Hall remaining as the clear RB1, Allen simply won’t see enough opportunities to be a viable fantasy option on a week to week basis. This situation is the perfect middle ground where there is no real winner fantasy-wise. Breece Hall is still an obvious start in all fantasy leagues, but Allen may steal some valuable touches going forward.
Brock Bowers
Another rookie, Brock Bowers has emerged as the only reliable tight end in fantasy football. This is a crazy statement, but true when you look at the stats through the first two weeks. He is the only tight end to get at least 6 receptions in both games. Last week he finished with 9 receptions for 98 yards. I’m going to say something crazy about Bowers so prepare yourself. In a year with such an underwhelming tight end market, Bowers could turn out to be a league-winning player. He is the clear second option on a Vegas team that has exceeded expectations offensively. Once Bowers starts to find his way into the endzone his value will really soar. There’s a reason he was taken as the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft as a tight end. He is unequivocally the best tight end in his class and he is ready to flourish in the NFL now. I expect more greatness from Bowers going forward as he proves himself to be the best tight end in fantasy football.
Malik Nabers
A third rookie to top it all off. To tell the truth, I’ve been all over the place with Nabers. I saw how great a receiver he was at LSU and what he was capable of at the next level. However, I just couldn’t stomach the thought of relying on a receiver for the New York Giants. The offense appeared to be such a disaster that it was hard to imagine a situation where anyone on the team was a viable option in fantasy. Many people believed that Nabers’ expected volume was too great to ignore. He went as high as the third round in some leagues, a risk I was nowhere near willing to take. After Week 1, I did not feel great about Nabers. He led the team with 5 receptions for 66 yards, a decent game. However the Giants lost 28-6 at home against the Vikings. I found myself wondering if this offense would even see the red zone more than once or twice a game. Thankfully, this week was much more reassuring. The Giants still lost of course, but they lost 21-18 in a game where Nabers notched 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. Nabers accounting for 62.5% of Jones’ completions is the exact reason people were reaching for him so early in the draft. Going forward, my opinion on Nabers has changed and I do think he can be a low end WR1 in fantasy this year. However, I am concerned that teams are going to start double teaming him and the Giants will have no one else to turn to. If Nabers can avoid the double team, there will be plenty of volume coming his way in the future.
This has been one of the most exciting seasons for rookies in a while. It’s great to see all of these beloved college players flourish in the NFL. With every passing week the rookies solidify their position in the league more and more. I look forward to seeing which rookies raise the bar next week.
