Early in the season, it can’t be tough to settle on whether a player’s improvement or decline is for real. Making aggressive moves on these possibilities is risky but can lead to big rewards. Here are some examples of players through two weeks last year, both legitimate and fraudulent.
Lamar Jackson - QB1 - Legit!
Case Keenum - QB6 - Fraud
Austin Ekeler - RB1 - Legit!
Le’Veon Bell with Jets - RB5 - Fraud
John Ross - WR1 - Major fraud
D.J. Chark - WR5 - Legit!
So yeah, you get the point. Let’s take a look at some early surprises and try to find some legitimate early successes.
Keelan Cole Sr.: Relevant WR2 In Jacksonville?
Keelan Cole Sr. has been teetering between fantasy irrelevance and being worthy of a roster spot for the last three years. Last year Cole struggled for playing time but did end up the most efficient receiver on the team with a robust 10.3 yards per target. Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley both received 90+ targets last year as the primary receivers behind D.J. Chark Jr.
Cole started to play more in the second half of 2019 and made his mark over the final three weeks. He totaled 7-166-1 over those three games. In Week 1 he played 66% of snaps while Conley barely played and Dede Westbrook was inactive. That trend continued in Week 2. Cole has been very productive so far, catching 11 of 12 targets with a touchdown in each game.
Of course, there is the exciting rookie looming behind. However, as mentioned above, the Jaguars had three WRs with 90+ targets last year. Laviska Shenault also gets some action in the run game. I think Cole can be had really cheap because people won’t believe this offense can sustain three receivers. They may be right, but for very cheap, you should look into acquiring Keelan Cole Sr.
Chase Claypool: Most Pro-Ready WR?
Last week Chase Claypool made headlines with a jaw-dropping highlight catch. He put up 47 yards on just 19 snaps in a respectable debut. In Week 2, Claypool made the highlight reel again with an 84-yard touchdown, the longest play of the young season. I wrote about Claypool this offseason. My conclusion was this: He is an athletic freak and there just aren’t players at his size with his athleticism. It is basically D.K. Metcalf and Claypool.
Claypool has caught all five of his targets this season. He is quickly moving ahead of James Washington. Diontae and JuJu aren’t going anywhere. On the other hand, the Steelers haven’t been in a game where they fell behind and need to air it out. That could change the next few games. Claypool is currently PFF’s highest-graded WR. Not just out of rookies, overall! It surely won’t be this smooth sailing all the way, but it looks legitimate. If Claypool keeps it up, his snaps are going to increase regardless of who else the Steelers have. He is a mismatch that brings something different.
Josh Allen Has Taken His Game To The Next Level
Well, that is a headline I didn’t think I’d be writing. Josh Allen took a big step forward last year, drastically cutting down on his interceptions. Still, as a passer, it wasn’t enough. Only Dwayne Haskins had a worse completion percentage. The Bills went out and got Stefon Diggs. Allen’s own progression plus the addition of a true star receiver has been huge.
Allen had two fumbles in Week One but looked great in the air. This week he had no turnovers and looked tremendous. His 312 Week 1 passing yards was already his career-high by a comfortable amount. In Week 2 he upped that over 100 yards to 417. Four passing touchdowns were also a new career-best.
Now there is a necessary caveat. The Jets are pretty clearly the worst team in the league. The Dolphins sure are not good. The Bills schedule is a LOT tougher from here on out. That starts with Jalen Ramsey and the Rams next week. Josh Allen has already made it clear he has once again taken a step forward. But he has a lot to prove against likely playoff teams in the weeks ahead.
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