Week 2 Fantasy Football Booms & Busts: Alvin Kamara, Saints show strength few saw coming

It’s only been two weeks, but we could all use a few fantasy football mulligans. And maybe we should apologize a little too.

I definitely regret passing up Alvin Kamara, who looks fantastic. And I suspect I overlooked Derek Carr, who is better than many realize. But perhaps the biggest mistake was underestimating Klint Kubiak, the new offensive coordinator cooking for the Saints.

It wasn’t headline-grabbing when the Saints beat Carolina last week, but New Orleans shocked the world on Sunday with a 44-19 rout of Dallas. New Orleans’ offense was immediately dominant, scoring on all five possessions in the first half. Kamara ended up with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) and 180 total yards, while Carr threw two scores and ran for a third.

Kubiak’s fingerprints are all over this emerging offense. He’s introduced regular pre-snap motion and play-action passing to a team that strangely ignored it last season. The Saints have also found a way to coach an offensive line that was considered one of the worst in the league all summer.

Kamara also looks like a completely different player. Remember, his longest run last year was just 17 yards and his longest catch was just 25 yards. He’s already produced a ton of splash plays for 2024, including a 57-yard touchdown catch on Sunday that went untouched. Give Kubiak an assist on that call; Kamara galloped through open space.

Carr and the passing game could have gone wild in Week 2 if Dallas had put up more of a fight. Carr attempted just 16 passes, though he still managed 243 yards on his 11 completions. Speed ​​demon Rashid Shaheed caught all four of his targets, including a 70-yard touchdown in the first half (another tip of the hat, play action). Chris Olave (five touches, 88 yards) had a respectable day, missing a touchdown by one yard. Juwon Johnson didn’t appear in the recap, but he had a touchdown catch that was neutralized by a penalty.

Olave’s touchdown rate will likely normalize quickly; he’s too good. But this offense may not need much from hybrid Taysom Hill. He’s taken a modest 10 touches in two weeks and left in the second half with a pectoral injury. Even when Hill is healthy, this Saints group doesn’t mind using Kamara around the goal line, a departure from past offenses. The pro-Hill case has always been about expected touchdown equity, but that basket seems nearly empty at the moment.

New Orleans is expected to play in a number of high-scoring games in the future. Over the next four weeks, the Saints will face Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

Get your popcorn ready. Good times on Bourbon Street.

Several favorites disappoint

Dallas wasn’t the only heavy favorite to struggle in the early window. Baltimore lost to the Raiders in the second straight week of Survivor chaos. The Niners were outclassed and outplayed in Minnesota. And the Lions were upset, too, losing 20-16 to Tampa Bay.

It’s shocking that Detroit gave this game away. The Lions beat the Buccaneers 463-216, but they dropped too many points. Detroit scored just one touchdown and blew a likely field goal opportunity in the second quarter due to sloppiness. While Amon-Ra St. Brown (who was injured late in the game), Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs all had respectable days in terms of volume, none of them reached the end zone.

Jared Goff was largely reduced to subdued (5.6 YPA) and had a pair of crucial interceptions. David Montgomery struggled to find running lanes, though a short touchdown run saved his fantasy day. Sam LaPorta has yet to break out in 2024, stalled on eight catches for 58 yards in two games.

What’s especially frustrating about Detroit’s sluggish push is that it’s come home, where the Lions normally pile up the points. Maybe OC Ben Johnson can find some answers next week in Arizona. The Lions then return home for a Week 4 date against Seattle, and perhaps an early Week 5 bye is a good place for this group.

Better days should come. There is too much talent and continuity in this attacking group.

Remark: I’ll be back soon with more analysis of Week 2, including a list of Sunday’s highs and lows.