NFL Week 2 fantasy sleepers: Zach Charbonnet, Troy Franklin in line for bigger roles

A few years ago, we wrote Smith off. Famously, he didn’t write back. This season, we didn’t fully dismiss Smith. But we also weren’t excited about him, either. After a couple of lackluster campaigns in Seattle, moving to Las Vegas didn’t seem like a boost in fortune. But a funny thing happened in Week 1. The supposedly run-heavy Raiders ... weren’t. Chip Kelly’s offense ran 38 pass plays compared to just 24 run plays. That led to Smith throwing for 362 yards -- the most by a Raiders’ quarterback in his debut. 

So maybe the brain trust of Pete Carroll and Kelly won’t be the ground-and-pound attack we anticipated. It’s certainly hard to imagine Vegas leading with the run game against the Chargers. The Bolts were tough on running backs last year and limited the Chiefs to 98 rushing yards (57 from Patrick Mahomes) in the season opener. Look for a Silver and Black air attack in Week 2. 

Last week, I was high on Maye. The results were ... fine. You would have liked more than 15 points against an average Raiders defense. There were some good moments, but Maye missed on a few too many plays. He also didn’t offer much as a runner, taking away a big part of what made him attractive as a fantasy option. We were hoping for more in Year 2. It’s also just one game -- on a soggy field with a new offensive coordinator -- so I’m not ready to punt on Maye yet. 

This week’s matchup against Miami offers hope. The Dolphins were a mess in every phase last week versus the Colts. One of the glaring weaknesses was the lack of a pass rush. Daniel Jones had plenty of time in the pocket to do whatever he wanted. If the Fins can’t figure out how to better disrupt the quarterback, Maye could find the going a bit easier in the South Florida sunshine. 

The whispers had been there for weeks -- Charbonnet was coming for Kenneth Walker III’s RB1 job in Seattle. The Week 1 reality showed that it was more than idle chatter. Charbonnet, not Walker, led the Seahawks in running back snaps. He was more assertive, more productive and looked like he was more deserving of a larger role in his third NFL season. We’ll see if the snap gap widens in Week 2.

In recent years, fantasy managers were wise to avoid playing running backs against Pittsburgh, but the Steelers were very generous to the Jets’ ground attack in Week 1. New York rushed for 182 yards in the season opener, with 155 of those yards coming from Breece Hall and Justin Fields. Seattle might not be as run-heavy as Gang Green, but it'll utilize the ground game plenty. Charbonnet might turn into the late-round gem to power your fantasy team in the early season.

Over the summer, Benson declared that the Cardinals had two RB1s between himself and James Conner. I was skeptical. Benson didn’t see much playing time as a rookie, occupying around 13 percent of Arizona’s running back snaps. It felt like a young player hyping himself up. But sometimes, vibes become reality. In Week 1, the former Florida State standout saw 23 snaps -- more than in any game last year. And he took advantage with nine touches for 75 yards, including a 52-yard run in the third quarter. 

Conner is still the undisputed RB1, but he may have a new Robin to his Batman. That sidekick could end up as a hero in fantasy lineups in Week 2, as Benson and the Cardinals welcome the Panthers to the desert. Carolina struggled to corral Jacksonville's running game last week, with Travis Etienne going for over 100 yards. More notably, the Panthers gave up 76 yards before contact and another 126 yards after contact. Simply put, they weren’t tackling anyone. If the Redbirds can take a lead, expect to see a lot of both backs getting work in the second half. 

Fantasy managers have learned that Sean Payton’s statements should be taken with a heavy dose of skepticism. Look no further than years of Taysom Hill usage in New Orleans as proof. More recently, we heard a lot about how much the Broncos love Marvin Mims Jr. only for him to rarely be a part of the offense. Or how excited the team is about R.J. Harvey. Which meant we got a lot of Tyler Badie in Week 1. 

But maybe Payton was being truthful when he talked up Franklin this offseason. The former Oregon Duck didn’t offer much in his rookie season, with just 28 catches for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In Week 1, he nearly matched his best games from last year. More importantly, Franklin looked to be the No. 2 wide receiver target behind Courtland Sutton. If Denver keeps up its early-season passing volume (40 attempts!), Franklin is in line for a lot of work.

Admit it: You love having your biases confirmed. Even if you’re not going around saying “I told you so,” there’s still something great about seeing your beliefs turn into reality. So, from the start of training camp, all the news about Ayomanor was positive. That was encouraging. Even more encouraging was the fact that the Titans were looking for anyone who could complement Calvin Ridley in the passing game. It’s a void that the rookie wideout seems to be filling -- after one week, at least. 

Pay no attention to the two catches for 13 yards. A young offense going on the road against one of the best defenses in the league? Those things happen. Pay more attention to Ayomanor’s 82 percent route participation, 28 percent target share and 42 percent air yards share, per Next Gen Stats. If those types of numbers are sticky, Ayomanor will have some fantasy value this season. As for this week, hopefully a slightly less-taxing matchup against the Rams could turn those targets into production. 

Last week, I thought a Browns tight end was going to have a big game. I was right about the big game. I was wrong about the tight end. David Njoku had a middling game (three catches, 37 yards), but Fannin made an impression. The rookie led the Browns with nine targets that turned into seven receptions for 63 yards. Fannin’s usage was the most interesting part. Cleveland ran half of its plays from 12 personnel. Fannin was on the field for all those snaps. He did a lot of his work as a slot receiver, with seven of his nine targets coming from that alignment. 

A new name has entered the chat when discussing Cleveland’s pass-catching options. I’m not ready to declare that Fannin has usurped Njoku, but he appears to be a bigger factor than many anticipated. This week’s matchup against the Ravens looks unfavorable on paper; however, Baltimore has had issues with slot targets in the past couple of years. With the Browns likely to be in catch-up mode most of the day, Fannin might see a lot of looks. He’s worth a flex in deep formats but could start to be worth more if this usage continues. 

Speaking of 12 personnel, the Raiders featured it heavily in their Week 1 win over the Patriots. It reminded the world that Las Vegas has TWO young pass-catching weapons at tight end. Mayer left Notre Dame as the school’s all-time leading pass catcher at the position, which is no small feat. Unfortunately, he was overshadowed by the otherworldly Brock Bowers last year. If Week 1 is any indication, Chip Kelly plans to take advantage of both their skill sets. 

Mayer isn’t going to surpass Bowers in the target order, but his usage is worth noting. His target share and targets per route run easily eclipsed his season averages from last year. Yes, it’s only one game. However, it looks like Kelly is making good on his promise to expand Mayer’s role. With George Kittle on IR and managers looking for tight end help, Mayer’s enhanced usage could raise his floor and make him a nice stopgap option. 

During training camp, Titans quarterback Cam Ward called his team’s offense “very mid.” That sentiment feels aspirational after the season opener against the Broncos. Ward completed fewer than half of his passes and was sacked six times as Tennessee could only muster four Joey Slye field goals. Very mid indeed. 

This Rams defense isn’t regarded on the same level as Denver’s stop unit, but it can wreak havoc. Ask the Texans, who found L.A.’s defense as crowded as the 405 on a Friday afternoon. Jared Verse was frequently in C.J. Stroud’s face. Expect the same for Verse and his mates this week against the Titans. 

If at first you don’t succeed, double down. Or something like that. Last week in this space, I recommended starting the Cardinals on the premise that the Saints' offense would be ungood. New Orleans’ attack was less ungood than I expected in Week 1. Or maybe the Cardinals' defense is bad? This week will certainly tell us more.  

Bryce Young was certainly ungood in Week 1 at Jacksonville. He was credited with two interceptions and had a pick-six wiped out due to a penalty. The offense managed a solo touchdown with the game out of hand. Sadly, it looked like a rerun of last year’s season-opening ineptness. This time, there’s no Adam Thielen to semi-save the day. A double-digit fantasy week for the Redbirds isn’t unthinkable.