Fantasy Football: Brian Thomas Jr.’s worrisome start has a silver lining, and 9 other stats from Week 2 that stood out


Each Monday, fantasy football analyst Joel Smyth will go over 10 important stats that you may have overlooked from Sunday. With so much going on, what keys to fantasy success are dug up that the masses may miss?

35.7% — Brian Thomas Jr.’s target share after CB Jarrian Jones left the game

Jones is a starting CB for Jacksonville, which, in most cases, usually doesn’t affect fantasy stock when an injury happens to your own team’s corner. However, in this case, it is notable that Travis Hunter started playing a majority of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps due to the injury.

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Call me crazy, but I’m not completely out on Thomas after the first couple of weeks. Twelve targets, two end-zone targets and 258 air yards in Week 2 is as good of volume as it gets.

The result wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t for the same reason as Week 1. Last week, Trevor Lawrence only delivered three catchable targets to Thomas, whereas this week, plays were available to be made but just came up short in big moments.

The chemistry and on-field communication need improvement. The talent is there, though, and the Jaguars are still adapting to a fresh offense. Although on the surface it doesn’t look like it, I believe Game 2 was a step in the right direction.

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9.5% — Mark Andrews targets per route this season

Bad. It’s hard to find the silver lining when the excuses are no longer there. Andrews is healthy, running plenty of routes and is playing without TE2 Isaiah Likely. Andrews’ route percentage increased from a very low 59% in 2024 to his old regular 76% in 2025.

Part of it comes from natural TD regression. He scored nine touchdowns on nine end-zone targets last year, so already not scoring on his end-zone target Sunday is somewhat expected. But it’s much more than that. He has been completely limited to a safety option rather than a downfield target.

Through two games, his air yards sit at 10. Ten air yards. Most players get that on a single target.

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It shouldn’t be this bad for the entire season, but with Likely returning and Andrews being ultra-TD-dependent, I’ll look elsewhere at the position in fantasy.

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55.5% — Bhayshul Tuten’s touches per snap

Not all backup running backs are the same. Some, say LeQuint Allen Jr., are on the field to give the starter a breather, maybe have a pass-blocking role or take the 3rd & 15 carries. That is NOT Bhayshul Tuten. He only played 25.7% of snaps in the first game without RB Tank Bigsby, but when he was on the field, he was the focal point of the offense.

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He wasn’t just giving Travis Etienne Jr. a breather. He played in the red zone at points, got a designed screen and started the second drive of the game. The point? His usage was not an accident. I by no means think Etienne is done for, but I do believe Tuten’s role will only grow from here.

100% — The percentage of Quinshon Judkins plays with a route or carry

Another rookie as the focal point. Judkins was very similar to Tuten, playing only 18 snaps, where on the eight passing plays in which he wasn’t given the rushing attempt, he ran 100% of routes and was targeted three times. He led the team in touches despite Jerome Ford playing two times the RB snaps.

Rookie RB Dylan Sampson looks to be no more than a backup as he saw half the amount of Judkins’ touches on the same amount of snaps. Judkins should lead the committee RB room in a shaky offense. The upside potential as a talented rookie is there, but I would be hoping his usage increases to make him a flex value, rather than believing he can be a fantasy RB1.

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3 — Holding calls for TreVeyon Henderson

The Patriots promised he would get more touches, but when a rookie makes this many mistakes, it’s hard to blame the coaches. Henderson came in as the perfect RB to avoid these types of issues, as he had no fumbles in college and was seen as a great pass-blocking prospect … but not everything has gone to plan.

With a holding on a kickoff return and two more on offense, Henderson was limited to just 16 snaps, 11 of which were to run a passing route. Stevenson led the way with 11 carries and, even more concerning, he’s still leading the RB room with 15 routes. There’s no need to give up on the rookie RB, but he does join fellow rookie RJ Harvey in wait-and-see mode.

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11-5 — Cam Skattebo’s rushing attempts versus Tyrone Tracy Jr.

We are in a full-blown committee that helps nobody, folks. Tracy gets the receiving, but without it being 100%, it’s not enough. Through two weeks, Tracy has 10 targets, 15 rushing attempts and zero goal-line carries. Cam Skattebo has five targets, 13 rushing attempts and both goal-line carries.

Sadly, it does not look like the Giants offense is the Detroit Lions. With both backs taking an even split in an average situation (Week 2’s barnburner against the Cowboys notwithstanding), they are at best matchup-dependent flex plays with little confidence going forward.

39.4 — Dak Prescott’s pass attempts per full game played over the last two seasons

We know it’s great for CeeDee Lamb and even George Pickens, but my focus turns toward the others on this offense. RB Javonte Williams and TE Jake Ferguson can provide plenty of value because of the volume of this passing game. Through two games, Ferguson is second in TE targets with 18, while Javonte has double-digit targets from an encouraging 55 routes run.

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The seven targets in Game 2 are essential for Williams’ ceiling going forward. In one of the pass-heaviest offenses in the NFL, he proved he can be more than a TD-dependent fantasy RB.​

41.7% — Davante Adams’ red-zone target share

Yes, I know, it’s been two weeks. However, this comes from the prior knowledge that this is Davante Adams’ game, and was a worry for other Rams players’ TD upside. Since 2020, Adams has 135 red-zone targets. The next closest WR has 97.​

Puka Nacua’s red-zone target share has dropped to 8.3% over the first two games. It’s not the end of the world, as we can see from his current PPG, but it slightly lowers his ceiling. I’d expect this trend to continue (to less of an extreme), giving Adams the high-end WR2 upside with Nacua staying around the top-five fantasy wideouts.

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15.5% — Tee Higgins’ career targets per route with Jake Browning

The sample size isn’t too small at 194 routes run, and it is a significant decrease from 22.4% since 2021 with Joe Burrow. I’ve said before that Burrow is the perfect fit for Higgins. He’s both willing and accurate when throwing downfield along the sidelines, even if Higgins’ separation isn’t fully there. Burrow will give the wideout a chance to make a play and put it in the perfect spot, time after time.

When Jake Browning comes in, the tight ends become more of a focus. Chase also sees a decrease, but only from 24.4% to 22.6%. Once Joe Burrow is out, and the Bengals’ passing attack goes from dynamic to serviceable, Higgins is the main weapon affected.

41​ — The number of passing attempts J.J. McCarthy has through two games

That is last among quarterbacks with two complete games. Even lower than Jalen Hurts. Most weren’t starting McCarthy in fantasy, but there are four crucial Vikings’ fantasy players relying on the passing game.

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Justin Jefferson sits at 11 targets, T.J. Hockenson at six and that’s with no Jordan Addison suiting up. Last season, Sam Darnold was eighth in passing attempts, with the fifth-most passing yards in this Kevin O’Connell system. I believe that the Vikings head coach can turn this ship around (see Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold, etc), but it will take time. With Addison returning soon, I’d bench all Vikings’ pass catchers not named Justin Jefferson for the time being.



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