This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
RISING
David Johnson, RB, ARZ
Coach Bruce Arians downplayed Johnson all summer due to the running back's absence from most of training camp with a hamstring injury, but Arians' reservations about giving playing time to rookies are getting put to the test by Johnson's exceedingly explosive showings in the first two weeks. Johnson somehow has 100 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage on just seven touches (five carries, two catches), and he also has 151 yards and a touchdown on just two kickoff returns. He's the biggest Arizona runner at 6-foot-1, 224, but he's also the most athletic, and Johnson's dominant showing to this point could force Arians to give the rookie more playing time despite his contempt for whippersnappers.
Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN
Jeremy Hill will likely remain the starting running back and primary between-the-tackles and early-down runner for the Bengals, but Bernard's scorching start to 2015 will force Cincinnati to give him more work than most expected, at least until he shows signs of cooling off. Hill was benched after losing two fumbles against San Diego on Sunday, allowing Bernard to secure 20 carries for 123 yards. That gives Bernard 186 yards on 28 carries (6.6 YPC) through two games, as well as nine catches for 41 yards.
Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL
Although he only has 291 yards and two touchdowns on 87 career carries (3.3 YPC), Freeman should see a short-term peak in his fantasy value while Tevin Coleman sits out with a fractured
RISING
David Johnson, RB, ARZ
Coach Bruce Arians downplayed Johnson all summer due to the running back's absence from most of training camp with a hamstring injury, but Arians' reservations about giving playing time to rookies are getting put to the test by Johnson's exceedingly explosive showings in the first two weeks. Johnson somehow has 100 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage on just seven touches (five carries, two catches), and he also has 151 yards and a touchdown on just two kickoff returns. He's the biggest Arizona runner at 6-foot-1, 224, but he's also the most athletic, and Johnson's dominant showing to this point could force Arians to give the rookie more playing time despite his contempt for whippersnappers.
Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN
Jeremy Hill will likely remain the starting running back and primary between-the-tackles and early-down runner for the Bengals, but Bernard's scorching start to 2015 will force Cincinnati to give him more work than most expected, at least until he shows signs of cooling off. Hill was benched after losing two fumbles against San Diego on Sunday, allowing Bernard to secure 20 carries for 123 yards. That gives Bernard 186 yards on 28 carries (6.6 YPC) through two games, as well as nine catches for 41 yards.
Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL
Although he only has 291 yards and two touchdowns on 87 career carries (3.3 YPC), Freeman should see a short-term peak in his fantasy value while Tevin Coleman sits out with a fractured rib suffered against the Giants on Saturday. Coleman's availability seems closer to day-to-day than week-to-week -- his return has been described as a matter largely dependent on pain tolerance -- but Freeman should get a couple weeks as Atlanta's clear lead runner. Freeman is probably most intriguing as a pass catcher, with 37 catches for 288 yards and a touchdown on 50 career targets.
Brandon Marshall, WR, NYJ
Marshall was obviously a fine fantasy asset even before Eric Decker's knee injury Monday night, boasting WR2 value in Chan Gailey's offense. However, Marshall should push for WR1 status for as long as Decker sits out, which will likely be at least the next week or two. Marshall heads into Week 3 with 13 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 19 targets, so he has a real chance to breeze past 10 targets per game during Decker's absence. Decker left Monday's game against the Colts with what is believed to be a PCL injury, and early indications are that the issue won't require surgery.
FALLING
Drew Brees, QB, NO
Brees is looking at a multi-game absence due to a rotator cuff injury of unspecified severity, creating even more cause for panic for a Saints team that's 0-2 after facing Arizona and Tampa Bay in the first two weeks. Brees didn't lack for volume in his first two games, throwing for 601 yards, but the New Orleans offense as a whole has not looked good. Brees has just two touchdowns and two interceptions on his 86 pass attempts, and the Saints scored only 19 points in each game. Even when Brees returns, it looks like New Orleans' offense won't be what we're accustomed to seeing from Brees-led attacks.
Philadelphia Offense
It's only been two games, but the new-look Chip Kelly offense with Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray has been highly disappointing so far. Bradford has completed 59 of 89 passes for only 560 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions, with Murray somehow picking up just 11 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, albeit with nine receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. The sample, however, is very small relative to Kelly's two full prior years as a coach, particularly when you consider all the new personnel on offense (Bradford, Murray, Ryan Mathews, Nelson Agholor). Plus, Bradford earned rave reviews from training camp observers, so it's possible the backlash against the Eagles is an overreaction. Still, it's hard to have much faith in this team in the short term.
Terrance Williams, WR, DAL
So much for Williams' value rising after the Dez Bryant injury. Even if he's the No. 1 receiver for Dallas while Bryant sits, it's hard to have half as much enthusiasm for Williams' opportunity now that Brandon Weeden will be the quarterback for at least the next eight weeks. Williams' value hinged on Tony Romo's ability to provide above-average target efficiency, but Romo's broken collarbone forces a shift to the far inferior Weeden. Williams should still be worth owning in many or most scenarios, but what once looked like high WR2 upside is more in the WR4 range for now.
Michael Floyd, WR, ARZ
Floyd's recovery from a preseason hand injury has likely slowed his progress some, and he still has the size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) and athleticism to project as a standout starting receiver at some point, but it's hard to see how it'll happen in Arizona in 2015. Although he was drafted just a year ago in the third round, John Brown is clearly ahead of Floyd in the Arizona receiver rotation, and the same is sill true of 32-year-old Larry Fitzgerald. Floyd has just an 18-yard catch on two targets through two games, while Brown (nine catches for 91 yards and one touchdown on 12 targets) and Fitzgerald (14 catches for 199 yards and three touchdowns on 17 targets) have both seen plenty of looks from Carson Palmer.
