NFL Barometer: Do Not Overreact

With two weeks of the regular season in the books, some player trends appear to be emerging in terms of usage and performance. Although it's important to take a strong stand on each player, it's also not wise to overreact to what still is a very small sample size.

RISING

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, PIT

It's an excellent sign when a player has a bad game but is still able to come through with solid fantasy production. While playing at Cincinnati on a day in which there was quite a bit of rain, Roethlisberger completed just more than 50% of his passes while throwing two interceptions, but he still came through with 259 yards and three touchdowns. It was even more impressive that he posted his numbers while only completing four passes for 39 yards to his all-world receiver Antonio Brown. To make things even better for him, he only has to play one more week without Le'Veon Bell, whose return will make the Steelers' passing offense deadlier.

Quincy Enunwa, WR, NYJ

Enunwa appeared in this column during the preseason, and his performance so far this season has made him a player who continues to be on the rise. He rotates snaps as both an outside receiver as well as in the slot, and he's proven to be a difficult player for opposing defenses to match up against. He's now caught 13 of his 14 pass targets for 146 yards and a touchdown despite missing a portion of the Week 2 game with a rib injury. He's extremely likely to keep producing because offensive coordinator Chan Gailey typically uses formations with multiple receivers, which means that he should continue to see a high percentage of the offensive snaps. In addition, the Jets have nothing resembling a receiving threat at the tight end position, so the receivers will continue to dominate the team's pass targets.

Dez Bryant, WR, DAL

After his well documented struggles with backup quarterbacks throughout his career, Bryant is clearly looking up after catching seven of a team-high 12 targets for 102 yards against Washington's formidable cornerback duo. Many fantasy owners were likely nervous about putting him into Week 2 lineups after catching only a single pass for eight yards in the season opener. However, in that game he had an acrobatic touchdown overturned by replay, and he also leaped high in the air as he just missed on another long reception that very few players in the league would've had any chance to even make a play on. It was clear that offensive coordinator Scott Linehan made it a point to move his star receiver around the formation while also setting him up to be the first read on many plays for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. Bryant should be started each week with little to no hesitation.

Travis Benjamin, WR, SD

In the Chargers' first game without Keenan Allen, Philip Rivers only had to throw the ball 24 times in a blowout victory, but Benjamin led the team with six targets, and he caught each of those on his way to 115 yards and a pair of scores. He proved that he could be an excellent playmaker last year in Cleveland, and once given the chance with his new team, he passed his first test with flying colors. He may even need to be leaned upon even more if the injury to Danny Woodhead is serious, as Benjamin would become a critical piece of the offense in both the short and intermediate areas of the field where he can use his dynamic run after the catch ability to pile up yardage. He'll benefit greatly from having one of the best quarterbacks in the business throwing him the ball each week, and he should be considered a starting fantasy option going forward, even if Woodhead can return quickly.

CHECK STATUS

Eric Ebron, TE, DET

With two games in the books, it appears as if Ebron is set to be an integral part of the Lions' passing offense. After scoring a touchdown in Week 1, he had a potential second score taken away against the Titans when he was flagged for a very questionable offensive pass interference penalty that negated the score. He was also targeted a second time in the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete, largely because he hit his head on the turf, which briefly forced him from the contest. In addition to his red zone usage, he's also posted at least 46 receiving yards in each game of his two games, so he's looking as if he could have a very reasonable floor for a tight end. Aside from the elite options at tight end, he looks to be as good an option as anyone else.

Rashad Jennings, RB, NYG

There aren't many easier matchups on the schedule for a running back than playing at home against the Saints defense, but Jennings only gained 27 yards on 13 carries, while the Giants elected to give Shane Vereen 14 carries despite the fact they were leading for almost the entire afternoon. Jennings was looking like an excellent season-long fantasy option based largely upon him having a high-volume role as the team's feature back. Although he did have 19 touches in the season opener, Vereen had nine touches in that game as well, so it's beginning to look as if this could be a running back-by-committee as opposed to one dominated by Jennings. For now, it's best to take a wait-and-see approach in the hopes that he'll re-establish his value by getting the football more often.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, CLE

The main thing keeping Crowell from being a player clearly on the rise is that it's difficult to imagine that the Browns will be in position to play many games with a lead. That could easily keep him from seeing enough touches to be an automatic starter in fantasy lineups. He now has 30 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns in two games while tacking on an additional three receptions for 31 yards, making him an outstanding early-season performer. Even before the Week 2 game, head coach Hue Jackson talked about the importance of feeding the ball to his bruising running back, but the lowly Browns defense could end up being the biggest enemy of the team's rushing attack.

Lamar Miller, RB, HOU

How can anyone complain about Miller's usage to date, as he's had at least 27 touches in each of the first two games? Although the volume is fantastic, his production hasn't matched his opportunities, as he's only averaging 3.56 yards per carry along with 6.25 yards per reception. The Texans have shown an impressive ability to throw the ball downfield, and defenses are unable to sell out to stop the rushing attack, meaning Miller (in theory) should be running wild, but unfortunately he hasn't done so. His volume will keep him as an automatic fantasy starter, but if he continues to be unimpressive with his chances, it could just be a matter of time before the coaching staff is forced to give Alfred Blue and Tyler Ervin some of the backfield work.

FALLING

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL

Sure, it's early in the season, but the Cowboys were certainly expecting far more from their heralded rookie than 134 rushing yards over his first two games behind an all-world offensive line. Since the Cowboys have had success throwing the football, Elliott is in a clear situation to dominate, but he was only able to average 4.0 yards per carry against the Washington defense that was absolutely shredded by DeAngelo Williams in Week 1. He hasn't killed his fantasy teams, as he scored a touchdown in each game he's played, but he hasn't been a factor as a receiver, catching just three passes for five yards. In addition, he had two fairly soft fumbles against Washington, though only one was recovered by the defense. He's still a definite fantasy starter, but so far he's not looking like he'll justify being a first-round pick in fantasy drafts.

Mark Ingram, RB, NO

Since the Saints have one of the most porous defenses in the NFL, it would only makes sense if they leaned heavily upon Ingram after seeing how effective he could be as a runner in 2015. However, the team now has played a pair of very close games, and he's only touched the football a total of 27 times. It was also troubling that in the season opener, the coaching staff put Travaris Cadet on the field when the Saints had the ball inside the five-yard line, taking away a scoring opportunity from Ingram. Until things change with the play-calling, he'll be a difficult player to trust as more than a flex option in fantasy lineups.

Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN

It was certainly understandable when Hill was only able to pick up 31 yards on nine carries in the season opener against a nasty Jets' front-seven. However, his follow-up against the Steelers netted just 22 rushing yards on 11 attempts, and it's clear that he's just not getting enough room to operate successfully. It's not all horrible news, as he scored a rushing touchdown in Week 1, and had then had 37 receiving yards against the Steelers, but those aren't bankable commodities for him each week. During the weeks when he's not punching the ball into the end zone, he's a very risky weekly fantasy option.

John Brown, WR, ARI

If the concussion that cost Brown just about the entire preseason wasn't scary enough, his production through the first two games has been just about non-existent. Although he had four pass targets in the season opener, he caught just a single pass for eight yards, and he followed that up with just one catch for 14 yards on three targets. The Cardinals have a number of quality receiving options, and it's starting to look like Brown could become one of those players who has all-or-nothing weeks. It's certainly not wise to completely write off a player who counts on big plays after such a short period of time, but he's clearly having a horrible start to the season, making him a player who's difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.