What was expected to be a blowout in many people’s minds seemingly turned into that by the second half, and then somehow all came undone as Minnesota tried to mount a last-minute comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles. What will be remembered from this game though is the D’Andre Swift breakout in Philly while Kirk Cousins lost yet another prime-time game (although nobody will tell you he threw for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns).
Nathan Jahnke’s post-game recaps over at Pro Football Focus are one of the best breakdowns to go through, where he dissects the offensive personnel with snaps, routes run, and targets. This can be crucial information when evaluating for fantasy purposes and noticing usage trends every week.
Here’s what sticks out after Thursday night’s contest.
D’Andre Swift Gets Workhorse Role in Gainwell’s Absence
After Kenneth Gainwell was the lead back in Week 1 against the Patriots, he was held out of Thursday night’s action with a rib injury. The result was an absolute smash performance from D’Andre Swift that fantasy owners had been dreaming of all off-season once he was acquired. He showcased the talent we knew was in there, but coaches have just refused to utilize it.
The huge increase in snap share was big time, going up to 75% while being involved in nearly half of the dropbacks. The Eagles got out to such a big lead early that they were able to switch to a run-heavy attack for the majority of the second half. Boston Scott’s role remained nearly the same, and Rashaad Penny, a healthy scratch in Week 1, played a minimal role similar to Scott.
Jordan Addison Creeping Closer to True WR2 Status
Stat-wise, Vikings rookie Jordan Addison has earned himself the WR2 role of the offense with 7-133-2 through the team’s first two games. In terms of usage, though, Addison is still trailing KJ Osborn with his over 90% in snaps and routes run, which are elite numbers. It is a positive, though to see the increase in Addison’s usage between Weeks 1 and 2, even though he sacrificed a bit of his target share for that absolute monster Justin Jefferson. Addison should be looking at a larger role next week after Osborn’s two drops.
Alexander Mattison Cements Workhorse Role Despite Playing Like Garbage
We figured Alexander Mattison would be heading towards a workhorse roll after releasing Dalvin Cook, and the first two weeks have confirmed those theories. Mattison saw an increase in all usage metrics, which was likely helped by the game script as Minnesota found themselves in a large deficit. While he did get 8 of the 9 carries last night, a measly 28 yards in production just won’t cut it.
Dallas Goedert Finally Getting His Share
Aside from Dallas Goedert’s low target numbers, it’s hard to find a flaw in the fantasy-relevant pass catchers for the Eagles in their first two games. Week 2 seemed to be a proverbial “squeaky wheel gets the grease” game where Goedert led the team with his seven targets, seeing a large bump and eating into AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith’s share slightly. Hopefully, the former doesn’t stay too upset about it for much longer, or perhaps he’ll be rewarded with the grease next week.
