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MIAMI, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Fantasy football players with stock in Jaylen Waddle and Nick Chubb are among my winners from Week 2 of the NFL season. Tom Brady and Darnell Mooney owners are Week 2 losers. I considered average draft position (ADP), Week 2 opportunities and performance and injuries when deciding which players should be winners and losers as we enter the third week of the season.
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My 10 winners and losers include two quarterbacks, four running backs, three wide receivers and a tight end. Some of these players can be dropped, while others should be benched. Some of the players just sustained injuries or provided a poor performance and might soon rebound for your fantasy team.
Chubb stock owners are my biggest winners this week. The Cleveland Browns running back ran for 141 yards in Week 1 and scored three touchdowns in Week 2.
Winners
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
Chubb was the 10th running back off the board in fantasy football drafts, but is performing like an elite RB1. The Browns star 113 yards from scrimmage, in addition to his three scores, in a Week 2 loss to the New York Jets. He will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.
Chubb should not leave your lineup, regardless of matchup, for the rest of the season. He could finish as a Top 5 fantasy football running back.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa produced a breakout game in Week 2, with career highs in passing yards (469) and touchdown passes (six) in a shootout win over the Baltimore Ravens. He went undrafted in most fantasy leagues, but appears to be a capable option moving forward, in the right matchup.
His ability to connect with speedy wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle appears to be growing stronger by the week. He also is producing big plays on a much more regular basis than he did he 2021.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, another matchup with shootout potential.
The Dolphins quarterback will be inside the Top 14 of my Week 3 rankings due to the expected tempo of this AFC East division showdown. Tagovailoa also can be added to your bench as a potential bye-week fill in.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa's ascension sparked Waddle's WR1-level production through the first two weeks of the season and their are no signs of their connection slowing down.
Waddle and Tyreek Hill ranked first and third in fantasy points among wide receivers through Sunday's games. Hill was a high draft pick and should leave lineups regardless of matchup, but Waddle is getting to that same level.
The second-year pass catcher totaled 11 catches for 171 yards and two scores in Week 2. He also found the end zone in Week 1. I expect Waddle to continue to get favorable coverage as opposing defenses focus mostly on Hill. He is a viable WR2 play on a weekly basis.
Christina Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirk also logged an elite performance in Week 2, with 78 yards and two scores on six catches in a win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars pass catcher also hauled in six catches for 117 yards in Week 1.
Kirk continues to get looks for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and that trend should extend to Week 3, when they face the Los Angeles Chargers. Look for Lawrence to log a lot of passing attempts in this matchup, which should lead to additional targets for Kirk.
He is a low-end WR2 going forward.
David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
Montgomery well outperformed his fourth-round ADP, with RB1 production in Week 2. The Bears running back rewarded his stock owners with 122 yards on 15 carries in the Bears' loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Montgomery totaled 50 yards in Week 1, but I loved his usage in Week 2. He should continue to get 17-25 touchdowns on a weekly basis. He is a great RB2 play for the rest of the season.
Honorable mentions: Lamar Jackson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Carson Wentz, James Robinson, Raheem Mostert, James Robinson, Tony Pollard, Logan Thomas
Losers
Chase Edmonds, RB, Miami Dolphins
Edmonds appeared to be the Dolphins' top running back entering this season. He started the year with a team-high 16 touches and 65 yards from scrimmage in Week 1, but his workload shrank in Week 2.
Fellow Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert led the team with 11 carries and hauled in three catches in Week 2. His presence on the roster will continue to hamper Edmonds' value, making him an unreliable fantasy football play.
Don't drop either Edmonds or Mostert, due to their potential value if one of them sustains an injury. They are both low-end flex plays with low ceilings.
Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brady totaled just two touchdowns through his first two starts this season. He also totaled two turnovers for the 2-0 Buccaneers. Brady is hard to take out of your lineup, because you likely don't roster a better option, but he isn't providing QB1 level production.
I would try to add Tagovailoa, Carson Wentz or another player who his trending positively. Brady can't be trusted due to injuries to several Buccaneers wide receivers and his lack of production early on.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears
Mooney led the Bears with 140 targets, 81 catches and 1,055 receiving yards last season, but totaled just two catches for four yards through two games in 2022.
He was drafted as a low-end WR2 or high-end WR3, but can't be trusted as a starter until he provides that level of value.
The Bears totaled just 191 passing yards through their first two games and don't appear to be consistent enough to sustain viable fantasy football options, outside of David Montgomery. I wouldn't drop Mooney quite yet, but look for another option in Week 3 for your starting lineup.
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
Kmet is another player who can't be in your starting lineup due to the Bears' lack of offensive production. Kmet entered the year as a potential TE1 for leagues with at least 12 teams that require starting the position. He failed to catch a pass on two targets through the first two weeks of the season.
Kmet can be dropped.
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Conner found the end zone to save his fantasy football stock owners in Week 1, but totaled just 51 yards on nine touches in Week 2. He also sustained an ankle injury and departed in the third quarter of the Cardinals' win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in Las Vegas.
You can't drop Conner, but he isn't trustworthy as a fantasy football starter. His stock owners also should monitor his injury status. I would look to trade the Cardinals running back if possible. All fantasy football team owners should target Cardinals backups Eno Benjamin and Darrel Williams as potential waiver wire additions. They should provide value, should Conner miss time due to his injury.
Honorable mentions: Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Joe Burrow, Kyle Pitts, Kenyan Drake, Rashaad Penny, Rex Burkhead, Jerry Jeudy, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DK Metcalf, Trey Lance
