Drake London, your fantasy darling from Round 2, is staring down a brutal Week 2 reality, and it all boils down to who is under center for the Falcons. We’re talking major frustration for anyone who invested a high pick, because if Cooper Rush starts again, London’s ceiling shrinks dramatically. The Falcons are trying to build an offense around Rush, but it’s not working for their star receiver. Rush is averaging a pathetic four air yards per attempt, and get this, he’s throwing half his passes to Bijan Robinson. How is any wideout supposed to produce in that kind of environment? It’s impossible.
London’s QB Problem Is Real
Look, it’s tough to hear, but if Rush is the guy in Week 2, London is a low-end WR2, at best. A low-end WR2 for a guy you took in the second round? That hurts. But there’s a silver lining: this mess is temporary. The moment one of London’s top two quarterbacks gets healthy, he’s back to being a must-start wide receiver. You just gotta grit your teeth and know those Draft Day expectations are still there, they’re just on pause. Keep an eye on that QB situation, because it’s everything for London right now.
Don’t Panic on Pickens Just Yet
While London’s situation demands attention, let’s pump the brakes on panicking about other disappointments. George Pickens is a prime example of why you don’t overreact to Week 1. Last year, he caught three passes for 30 yards in Week 1, right? Then he exploded for 17.8 PPR fantasy points in Week 2 and didn’t dip into single digits again until Week 14. This year, he put up three catches for 28 yards, sure, with a couple of frustrating drops. But don’t be surprised if he hits that 17.8 point mark again this week against the Commanders. Heck, I wouldn’t even be surprised if he went higher. The theme for Week 2 is “don’t panic,” especially for guys like Pickens.
Some other early season trends are popping up too. Zay Flowers was crushing it with 13.64 yards per route run before a hamstring injury, and we’re crossing our fingers he’s back for Week 2. Kalif Raymond grabbed a huge 34.6% target share in Week 1, and if he leads the Bears in targets again this week, get ready for some serious panic to set in. Josh Downs, on the other hand, had a quiet Week 1 but a fantastic 94.1% route share. That’s a good reason to hold steady on him. And Mike Evans? His 7.9 aDOT in Week 1 is way down from his career average. If he stays in that role, we could see a big spike in his volume and catch rate. Matthew Golden also led the Packers with a 30% target share, even with Christian Watson playing well.
So what’s next? For London, it’s all about that quarterback health. For Pickens, expect a bounce-back against the Commanders. Week 2 is where we start to see who’s for real and who’s just had a slow start. Keep your head in the game, because this season is just getting warmed up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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