Every Monday of the NFL regular season, we will showcase exceptional player performances from the weekend and analyze their potential for sustained success in fantasy football. We will rank these performances from ? to ????? based on whether we believe they are momentary or long-term options for your fantasy teams.
Want to read about only your players? Sync your team (free) to get My Primer 
Fantasy Football Heat Index
Quarterback
Stats: 21/31, 228 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 41 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown
Position Rank (pre-MNF): QB4 (25.22 points)
Analysis: Despite the fantasy-relevant Week 2, we’re not exactly going all-in on Arizona quarterback Josh Dobbs. It’s just hard to trust anyone to produce on this Cardinals offense consistently. Much less a journeyman quarterback added to the roster less than a month ago.
If that isn’t enough to sway you, check out Arizona’s upcoming schedule. They play the Cowboys, 49ers, Bengals, Rams, Seahawks and Ravens over the next six weeks. Good luck.
Heat Index: ?
Running Back
Stats: 28 carries, 175 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 receptions, 6 yards, 3 targets
Position Rank (pre-MNF): RB2 (25.6 points)
Analysis: Congratulations to those of you who started Eagles running back D’Andre Swift on “Thursday Night Football.” After getting one carry on 19 snaps in Week 1, Swift morphed into Philadelphia’s bell-cow with Kenneth Gainwell sidelined with a rib injury. Swift played on 75% of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps and rushed for a career-high 175 yards on 28 carries.
Although there’s a decent chance that Nick Sirianni pulls the rug out from under us and reinserts Gainwell back into the lead-back role, this type of upside should be rostered everywhere. We dream of that usage and production in fantasy football.
Heat Index: ????
Stats: 18 carries, 88 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 4 receptions, 19 yards, 4 targets
Position Rank (pre-MNF): RB9 (18.7 points)
Analysis: After Deon Jackson‘s dud in Week 1, Zack Moss was given a crack at the RB1 spot in Indianapolis. With 107 total yards and 18.7 fantasy points, Moss made a pretty strong case in Sunday’s 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans. Moss was on the field for 98% of Indy’s offensive snaps, while no other running back saw the field.
The major caveat here is the unknown surrounding Jonathan Taylor and his future in Indianapolis. At worst, Moss is looking like a legitimate FLEX option over the next two weeks. And if Taylor is traded or stays on IR all season, Moss could be the lead-back for the rest of the season.
Heat Index: ??
Wide Receiver
Stats: 7 receptions, 146 yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 9 targets
Position Rank (pre-MNF): WR4 (24.1 points)
Analysis: Facing an early double-digit deficit just minutes into their Week 2 contest against the Colts, C.J. Stroud and the Texans were forced to air it out all afternoon. Wide receiver Nico Collins was the main beneficiary of the added volume as he finished Week 2 with 146 receiving yards and 24.1 fantasy points.
Stroud won’t have 47 pass attempts very often, but you can certainly envision a similar pattern popping back up throughout the season. Despite all the hope in Houston this offseason, this looks like a below-average team. The shaky offensive line, lack of running game and negative game scripts could make Houston a pass-first football team by necessity. If so, Collins and rookie Tank Dell offer the most upside at wide receiver.
Heat Index: ??
Tight End
Stats: 3 receptions, 11 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 targets
Position Rank (pre-MNF): TE11 (8.6 points)
Analysis: Want to see how easy it is to be a low-end TE1 in fantasy football? Jake Ferguson had 11 receiving yards on three receptions and is the current TE11 on the week. However, he did score the all-important touchdown.
Ferguson will certainly find the end zone multiple times this season, but he’s also splitting snaps with fellow tight ends Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot. You can do worse at the position, but the weekly floor is nearly zero without a touchdown.
Heat Index: ?
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
