Team Totals: Saints 21.5, Panthers 17.5
This game’s 40-point total is fifth lowest of Week 2, rendering Saints-Panthers a game to shy away from in fantasy lineup decisions. … Derek Carr averaged an elite 9.2 yards per pass attempt in his New Orleans debut, but the game featured eight field goals and only one touchdown. Carr did exceed 300 passing yards but has done so just five times over his last 26 starts. Destroyed by the Titans in Week 1, Saints LT Trevor Penning now faces Panthers EDGE Brian Burns, who feasted on Desmond Ridder last week, accruing 1.5 sacks and three pressures on Ridder’s 22 dropbacks. You could do worse than streaming Carolina’s D/ST here. Lacking rushing value, Carr is always a low-ceiling QB2. … Without Alvin Kamara (suspension) and Kendre Miller (hamstring), Jamaal Williams logged 75% of New Orleans’ Week 1 offensive snaps, handling 18 of 19 backfield carries and both running back targets. I’m guessing we won’t see Miller until Week 3. After running in place against Tennessee’s impenetrable defensive front, Williams’ Week 2 matchup is far more favorable; Carolina hemorrhaged 25/131/2 rushing to Falcons RBs last week, plus 9/46/1 receiving. Williams is an exciting RB2 starter, especially on one-game DFS slates.
Carr’s Week 1 targets: Chris Olave 10; Michael Thomas 8; Rashid Shaheed 6; Juwan Johnson 5; Williams 2; Taysom Hill and Keith Kirkwood 1. … OC Pete Carmichael is manufacturing touches for Olave, who banked 8/112/0 receiving as Week 1’s overall WR14. After manning the slot just 34% of the time as a rookie, Olave ran over 42% of his routes inside against Tennessee. Only Tyreek Hill (6.1), Brandon Aiyuk (4.3), and teammate Shaheed (3.6) averaged more yards per route run than Olave’s 3.5. His matchup gets a boost with Panthers top CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring) gone to I.R. … Thomas ran a team-high 35 routes in Week 1’s win, seeing a team-high three red-zone targets and the Saints’ only two looks inside the opposing 10-yard line. I love Thomas as a single-game DFS play. … Speedster Shaheed led the Saints in Week 1 aDOT (16.5 yards) and scored the game’s lone touchdown from 19 yards out. He played 54% of the team’s offensive snaps, operating as New Orleans’ clear No. 3 wideout behind Olave and Thomas. … Johnson (75%) out-snapped both Foster Moreau (49%) and Jimmy Graham (14%) and was the only member of the trio to draw a target. … Hill rushed three times for four yards and failed to catch his lone target on 14% of the snaps. He’s a single-game DFS tournament dart and nothing more at the Panthers.
Carolina’s team total of 17.5 points is Week 2’s fourth lowest. No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young finished as Week 1’s fantasy QB23, nevertheless showing poise amid a supporting cast that is clearly deficient. Young is a poor two-quarterback-league bet against the Saints, who held Ryan Tannehill to last week’s QB30 result. … Miles Sanders doubled up Chuba Hubbard in Week 1 carries (18 to nine) and out-targeted him six to two. Yet Sanders lost a fumble, and ball security has been a longstanding issue for him. Hubbard played on all eight third downs. Carolina’s offensive line is now missing both starting guards with LG Brady Christensen (bicep) out for the year and RG Austin Corbett (knee) on PUP. Sanders is an unexciting RB2.
Young’s Week 1 target distribution: Hayden Hurst 7; Sanders and Terrace Marshall 6; Jonathan Mingo 5; Hubbard, Adam Thielen, and Laviska Shenault 2; Giovanni Ricci 1. … D.J. Chark (hamstring) was inactive for the opener but has a chance to play Monday night after returning to practice on a limited basis this week. … Slot man Thielen operated inside for over 75% of his Week 1 routes but produced an empty 2/12/0 box score with an anemic 4.5-yard aDOT. The 33-year-old looked out of gas in Minnesota last season. … Marshall and Mingo were first and second on the team in Week 1 routes and Air Yards but mostly ran sprints down the sidelines. They’re single-game DFS tournament darts but obviously can’t be trusted in season-long lineups. I did find it notable that Marshall dominated Carolina’s Week 1 Air Yards share (47%). … Hurst ran 27 routes on 42 Young dropbacks and went 5/41/1 as Week 1’s overall TE2. Yet Hurst appeared on just 53% of the Panthers’ offensive snaps and has just six TDs over his last 27 games.