Fantasy Footnotes: McCoy posts rare dud; big stars held in check; Bengals run game keeps rolling
Every gameday during the regular season, theScore's fantasy editors recap the most important news and notes from around the league.
McCoy escapes injury, but not defense
The good news is that LeSean McCoy returned to the game Sunday after leaving for medical attention following a hit to the head in the first half of the Philadelphia Eagles/Washington Redskins matchup. What looked like a sure concussion is, apparently, nothing that will keep McCoy off the field.
The bad news? McCoy was completely ineffective upon his return.
A surprisingly feisty Redskins defense corralled McCoy all afternoon, holding him to just 22 yards rushing on 19 carries. McCoy also failed to do any damage in the passing game.
As a result, the Eagles turned to Nick Foles to move the ball – and he delivered. Foles finished 27-of-41 for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
It was a forgettable day for McCoy, but there's no reason to believe he'll suffer through many more days like this one. This Eagles offense has the potential to set records, and McCoy remains the centerpiece.
Forgettable day for many stars
It was a weird day across the board, with many of fantasy football's biggest stars posting uncharacteristically anemic stats.
Aaron Rodgers got rolling early with a first-quarter touchdown pass, but he failed to throw another on the afternoon. The entire Packers offense was held in check by the Lions, with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Eddie Lacy all failing to score a touchdown and only Nelson topping 50 yards.
Tom Brady also had a rough day in what looked like a cupcake of a matchup. Brady's Patriots squeaked out a win over the Raiders thanks to Rob Gronkowski's first-half touchdown.
Similarly, Drew Brees and the Saints offense failed to feast on a weak defense. Brees threw two touchdowns, including one to Marques Colston, but Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks were both held below eight fantasy points in standard leagues by the Vikings.
Bengals' run game keeps rolling
One a day where fantasy points were hard to come by, the Bengals proved their running game is as productive as any in the league right now.
For a second consecutive week, both Giovani Bernard and backup Jeremy Hill posted strong fantasy numbers. Bernard accounted for 54 yards on 15 touches and scored two touchdowns, both on one-yard runs. Preseason concerns about Bernard's ability to have success in short-yardage situations look very foolish right now. Bernard is a high-end RB1.
Hill had only seven touches in the game, but he scored a touchdown for a second consecutive week. He's a strong FLEX play with RB2 upside.
Notable Fantasy Lines
Andrew Luck, QB, Colts
31-of-39 for 370 yards, 4 TDs
Luck shredded a very, very bad Jaguars defense as you would expect him to.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins
30-of-48 for 427 yards, 3 TDs
If Cousins wasn't picked up off your waiver wire last week, he will be this week.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
16-of-27 for 162 yards, TD
Rodgers and the entire Packers offense were bottled up by the Lions.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions
22-of-34 for 246 yards, 2 INTs
There wasn't much in the way of fantasy production on the field in Detroit.
Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants
34 carries for 176 yards, TD
That's a huge workload for Jennings. Can he keep that up all year?
Eddie Lacy, RB, Packers
11 carries for 36 yards, lost fumble
The Lions' run defense is legit. Better days are ahead for Lacy.
LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles
19 carries for 22 yards
That's a hilariously bad stat line, but it was just one of those days.
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles
8 receptions for 154 yards, TD
Maclin sure looks like he's over his torn ACL.
Pierre Garcon, WR, Redskins
11 receptions for 138 yards, TD
Is Garcon back to being a PPR stud with Kirk Cousins at quarterback?
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos
11 receptions for 149 yards
Sanders is proving to be a very shrewd free agent signing by the Broncos.
Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers
10 receptions for 90 yards, 2 TDs
Opposing secondaries are having a tougher and tougher time manning up on Brown.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos
4 receptions for 31 yards, 2-pt convert
Thomas doesn't look like his usual explosive self. There are reports he's dealing with a foot injury.
Coby Fleener, TE, Colts
4 receptions for 49 yards, TD
Fellow Colts tight end Dwayne Allen was the day's second-highest scoring tight end in fantasy. That's how bad the Jaguars are at covering tight ends.
Injury Ward
Matt Cassel, QB, Vikings
Broken bones in foot. Could miss rest of season. Teddy Bridgewater is now the starter.
Danny Woodhead, RB, Chargers
Leg injury. Season likely over. With Ryan Mathews already injured, Donald Brown will carry the load.
T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts
Apparent ankle injury. Not believed to be serious.
Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens
Hip injury. Season likely over (and perhaps career, too). Owen Daniels is next in line at tight end.
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings
Groin injury. Headed for an MRI.
Waiver Wire Targets
Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Ravens
The rookie led the team in carries and may have surpassed Justin Forsett and Bernard Pierce as the lead dog in the Ravens' rushing attack.
Bishop Sankey, RB, Titans
The Titans finally gave their second-round pick a significant share of the carries. If an owner cut bait on Sankey in your league after two disappointing weeks, snatch him up.
Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles
There are a lot of mouths to feed in this offense, but Chip Kelly runs enough plays to support three or even four viable fantasy starters at the skill positions.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings
Don't expect top production immediately, but it's not crazy to think the rookie could blossom into a low-end QB1 in 12-team leagues by the end of the season.
Blake Bortles, QB, Jaguars
See Bridgewater comment above. Temper your expectations, but add if you have room.