NFL

Week 2 Fantasy Football Market Share Report: Joshua Kelley Is Here to Stay

There's no need to rehash the Week 2 obliteration of the skill position players, especially running backs. But there, we did it anyway. What's left is players with uncertain but interesting playing time opportunities, as well as those players who are already fully integrated into their team's game plan.

Week 2 is more intriguing to evaluate, because we have twice as much 2020 data as we did a week ago. Week 2 gives us a second set of data points, with a healthy dose of who's left standing and who were we right or wrong on.

Here are some usage trends to note in this uncertain fantasy football landscape.

Rushing Market Shares

James Robinson, Jaguars

James Robinson was thrust into the starting gig after the Jags cut ties with Leonard Fournette and then Ryquell Armstead went on IR. Robinson didn’t wow out of the gates in Week 1, but in Week 2, he proved he’s worth our confidence.

Netting 59 percent of the Jags' backfield share and adding 3 receptions for 18 yards and one touchdown in a 33-30 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Robinson provides fantasy owners one thing they need: clarity.

There’s no end in sight for Robinson’s workload. With a tasty matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, time is running out to make a trade offer on the upstart rookie, who looks like a season-long flex play, at worst.

Joshua Kelley, Chargers

Joshua Kelley is hardly the backup running back for the Los Angeles Chargers. How do we know? The Austin Ekeler owners are grumbling.

Kelley’s tied for eighth in red zone rushing attempts with eight, including one touchdown, and he has a 57 percent share of the chargers red zone work. But Kelley is more than that. He's a bruiser who can handle dump-offs and check-downs, too. Through two weeks, he's the back with the most touches in the Chargers' backfield.

Any thoughts of Kelley's Week 1 usage being a flash in the pan were put to bed on Sunday. In Week 2, Kelley rushed 23 times for 64 yards (a paltry 2.8 per carry), but he logged a 52 percent share of the Chargers' running back carries. Kelley also added 2 receptions for 49 yards.

The best part of trying to acquire Kelley is that he's on the waiver wire in 60% of Yahoo leagues. And if Justin Herbert takes over, this Bolts offense could have more upside than we thought.

Receiving Market Shares

N'Keal Harry, Patriots

N'Keal Harry's New England Patriots career has not started off the way many had hoped. But with Cam Newton under center, Harry's target share looks strong after he netted a 31 percent target share in Week 1 and a 29 percent mark in Week 2, which included a team-leading 12 targets.

Those 12 looks led to an impressive 8 receptions for 72 yards. Harry took an obvious back seat to teammate Julian Edelman's 179-yard explosion. But the fact remains -- Harry is an interesting flex play in an offense that is much better than we expected.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers

In Week 1, Marquez Valdes-Scantling had an unexpected 4 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown for the Green Bay Packers. In Week 2, when Aaron Jones' rushing takeover dominated the offense, MVS had a modest 3 grabs for 64 yards on 7 targets.

And now Davante Adams is banged up a bit.

If Adams is out, Allen Lazard and Valdes-Scantling will both have value. But MVS can be a fantasy factor even when Adams is in the fold. Despite seeing fewer snaps than Lazard, MVS offers more upside, including a 33.1% air yards share in Week 1, compared to a 10.9% clip for Lazard. Valdes-Scantling kept up his big-play usage in Week 2 and will have some blow-up weeks this year if the usage sticks.

Red Zone Market Shares

Todd Gurley, Falcons

Todd Gurley has always been a force in the red zone. But despite that, he is one of the most polarizing players in fantasy. He’s either washed, waiting to get hurt or moving like his old self. You can find people saying anything and everything about Gurley on Twitter each Sunday.

But the Atlanta Falcons aren't complaining.

This incarnation of Gurley is still netting a dominant 67 percent rushing share of the Falcons' red zone work. He's got 10 carries inside the 20 but has only one touchdown. If the opportunities continue to come, the touchdowns will arrive at some point, especially in this high-scoring Atlanta attack.

Gurley shapes up as an interesting buy-low option.

John Brown, Bills

John Brown doesn’t come with the price tag of his Buffalo Bills teammate, Stefon Diggs, so adding Brown to your roster could be easier than expected. But Brown is every bit the red zone threat that Diggs is, and Josh Allen has this Bills team rolling.

Brown is tied with Diggs and Cole Beasley with three red zone targets so far in two games. Only three wideouts have more than three red zone looks, and this Bills team has a trio of receivers with three apiece. That tells you how good Allen and this offense has been.

Brown has two looks inside the 10, and he's got one touchdown. Overall, he's seen 16 targets, and Diggs has received 23. Brown is the number-two receiver in this offense, but with Allen looking good, that role could be better than what it's been in previous seasons.