Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. With that said, let’s jump right into the AFC North!
Bengals
Summary
The Bengals lost to the Browns 35-30 on Thursday night. Overall, their offense looked relatively strong, although there were a few issues. The team didn’t suffer any big-name injuries, but they did lose tight end C.J. Uzomah for the season with an ACL tear. Let’s get into the main stories.
Burrow played well in Week 2, completing 37/61 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, Burrow is a solid QB1 in dynasty formats and a cornerstone asset in superflex leagues. He looks every bit the part of what dynasty owners expected when they drafted him in their rookie drafts.
Running Backs
The Bengals continue to misuse Joe Mixon in their offense. They pulled Mixon for Giovani Bernard on multiple third downs and passing situations. At the end of the game, Mixon played 46 offensive snaps compared to 42 for Bernard. While Mixon received 16 carries to Bernard’s one, that division of playing time is unacceptable.
Mixon caught all four of his targets for 40 yards, far better than Bernard, who caught five of seven targets for 22 yards. Even though Mixon only converted his 16 carries into 46 yards, the Bengals must find ways to run their offense through Mixon. Until then, Mixon will not live up to his dynasty RB1 price tag.
Receiving Weapons
As I mentioned earlier, the Bengals lost Uzomah for the season, opening the door for second-year tight end Drew Sample. Sample caught seven of his nine targets for 45 yards in this game, and he was an essential part of the Bengals’ offense. I’m not sure Sample is a long-term asset, but he’s a must-add in all dynasty leagues.
I don’t have too much to say about the Bengals’ wide receivers. A.J. Green had 13 targets, but he only caught three of them for 29 yards. I love the volume, but the efficiency was terrible. Hopefully, Green can turn things around soon. Rookie Tee Higgins played as the Bengals’ WR3, ahead of John Ross. Keep an eye on Higgins in dynasty leagues, while Ross becomes droppable in shallower leagues. Auden Tate was a healthy scratch for this game, and he’s a painless drop in most dynasty leagues.
Browns
Summary
The Browns played well in their victory over the Bengals, although they focused their offensive success through their running game. Considering how poorly they played in Week 1, it was welcome to see a massive improvement in Week 2. The Browns also suffered no significant injuries in Week 2, so their entire team will proceed forward healthy into Week 3.
Mayfield was just okay in Week 2, throwing for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He spread the ball around his receiving weapons without focusing on any one target. His performance did not convince me, and he remains a sell candidate for me. Mayfield might be style over substance. I don’t want to rely on him as a QB1 or even a QB2 in my dynasty superflex leagues.
Running Backs
Both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt excelled in this matchup. Chubb took most of the carries early on, finishing with 22 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a reception for nine yards.
Hunt also played well, taking his 10 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown. He also saw two targets, catching both for 15 yards and a touchdown. While Chubb was the better back, this backfield is a committee. Luckily, the Browns want to run the ball continuously, so both players should have value. However, Chubb will never return the RB1 value he used to carry in dynasty leagues. If this is a sell-high moment for Chubb, I might take advantage of it.
Receiving Weapons
None of the Browns’ receiving weapons had a memorable day. Odell Beckham Jr. caught four of his six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. I don’t see any real chemistry between Mayfield and Beckham Jr., and I would still like to see Beckham Jr. playing on a new team. Jarvis Landry had a quiet day, catching all three of his targets for 46 yards. Landry should be a cheap WR3 option, and he’s an excellent dynasty buy off a quiet performance.
The Browns don’t plan to use tight ends as part of their passing game. Austin Hooper played 98% of snaps, but he caught two receptions for the second straight week. Hooper is a dynasty hold, although you can’t start him as anything more than a mid TE2 right now. Rookie Harrison Bryant played as the Browns’ TE2 in place of the injured David Njoku. While Bryant remains stuck behind Hooper, for now, I believe he’s won the TE2 job for good over Njoku. Bryant is an intriguing stash, especially in tight end premium leagues.
Ravens
Summary
Once again, the Ravens steamrolled their opponent in a 33-16 win over the Texans. The Ravens didn’t have any significant injuries in the Week 2 game, and they looked solid in both the running and the passing game. I don’t see any topline stories from this contest.
Jackson had a relatively quiet day by his standards. He completed 18/24 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown while taking 16 carries for 54 yards. This game was never in any doubt, so there’s nothing to say about Jackson. He’s the dynasty QB2 behind Patrick Mahomes and a top-five superflex asset.
Running Backs
The Ravens’ running backs had a different split in Week 2. Unlike Week 1, Gus Edwards was the primary backup to Mark Ingram. Edwards led the team with 10 carries, which he converted into 73 yards. Ingram had nine carries for 55 yards and a touchdown and two receptions for 22 yards. J.K. Dobbins barely saw any playing time, with only two carries for 48 yards and a 13-yard reception.
Ingram played 42% of offensive snaps, while Edwards and Dobbins saw 31% each. This is a full-blown backfield committee, although I expect Dobbins to take the lead role eventually. However, his time might have to wait for later on in the season or until 2021. I wouldn’t make any significant dynasty moves or adjustments based on this game, though.
Receiving Weapons
Tight end Mark Andrews had a very quiet game. He only caught one of his three targets for 29 yards. He fell behind teammate Nick Boyle in offensive snaps, 58% to 78%, different from Week 1, where Andrews led the tight ends in snap count. I’m not majorly concerned about Andrews, although we might never see him in a real three-down role. Even so, he remains the dynasty TE3 behind George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
Marquise Brown led the Ravens wide receivers with five receptions for 42 yards on six targets. He’s the Ravens’ WR1, and it’s not even close. Unfortunately, I think the passing volume isn’t there in this offense to support any other receivers. Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, and Willie Snead all saw some action, but none made a massive impact. Snead carries no dynasty value, but you can take a shot on either Boykin or Duvernay if you like one. I think it’s mostly a waste of time outside of deep leagues, though.
Steelers
Summary
The Steelers went to 2-0 with this 26-21 victory over the Broncos. Running back James Conner recovered from his ankle injury and made it through the entire game fully healthy. The Steelers also had good injury luck across the rest of their offensive players, with no significant fantasy-relevant injuries to note.
Roethlisberger seems back to his old form. He threw for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and he completed 29/41 passes. I think he looked good using all his offensive weapons, and he’s brought back this offense from the despair of its 2019 performance under Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. Roethlisberger is an excellent superflex stopgap for contending rosters, although he’s still probably not worth a first-round rookie pick.
Running Backs
As I mentioned above, Conner returned after an ankle injury in Week 1. He dominated the Steelers’ backfield, playing 77% of offensive snaps, compared to only 15% for backup Benny Snell. Conner converted his 16 carries into 106 yards and a touchdown and contributed two receptions for 15 yards. I’m still not a believer in Conner long-term, as his contract expires after the 2020 season. He’s a strong hold for dynasty contenders and an easy sell for any other dynasty teams.
In contrast, Snell only had three carries for five yards, and he lost a fumble. He also caught his only target for -4 yards. Snell did nothing to build on his 19-carry, 113-yard performance from Week 1, returning to a clear backup role. I’m not sure what happened, but Snell might not be the Steelers’ long-term answer at running back either. However, considering rookie Anthony McFarland failed to see any offensive action, I believe the Steelers’ 2021 starting running back might not yet be on their roster.
Receiving Weapons
It’s beyond clear. Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the Steelers’ top two wide receivers. Smith-Schuster led the team with 91% of snaps, although Johnson was slightly behind at 83%. However, Johnson had an impressive 13 targets, turning them into eight receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Smith-Schuster also had a strong game, with seven catches on eight targets for 48 yards.
Smith-Schuster is probably overvalued compared to Johnson, but I still have him as a dynasty WR1 based on his youth and past production. As for Johnson, I’ve raised him to my 57th overall player in my 1 QB dynasty rankings. I think he has even more room to grow, so I’m fine buying in at that price.
Chase Claypool and James Washington split the WR3 role behind Johnson and Smith-Schuster. However, Claypool far outproduced Washington. Claypool caught a long touchdown, going for 88 yards on three receptions, while Washington only had 22 yards on his three receptions. I believe Claypool will become the Steelers’ WR3 before long, and he could potentially be the WR2 if Smith-Schuster leaves in free agency after 2020.
There’s almost nothing to say about the Steelers’ tight ends. Eric Ebron caught three of five targets in a nondescript performance while Vance McDonald had one catch for three yards. Ebron is a good dynasty hold as a low-end TE2, and McDonald should have left most rosters a long time ago.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
