Quarterback
MVP: Daniel Jones (Giants)
After being shut out for 6 straight quarters to open the 2023 season, Jones went TD crazy-throwing for 2 TD's and rushing for 1 in the 2nd half as the Giants rallied from a 28-7 3rd quarter deficit to beat the tanking Cardinals. On top of the 3 TD's, Jones threw for 321 YDS, ran for another 59 and chucked an INT. This moment of triumph for Jones in the fantasy realm will be short-lived as he'll likely be banished to most of his owner's benches ahead of a Week 3 contest with the rolling 49ers in which Saquon Barkley has already been ruled out for.
Honorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Josh Allen (Bills)
LVP: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
Anybody that was hoping that a trip back to Duval County would be the remedy Lawrence needed to get back to the dominant form he showed at the end of 2022 was majorly let down. The 3rd year pro couldn't get much of anything going against the Chiefs-picking up 242 YDS (216 passing, 26 rushing), losing a fumble and scoring zero TD's-on a day where the Jaguars offense could only muster a trio of field goals in a really sloppy game that KC gave them plenty of chances to win. Lawrence will get a golden opportunity to shake off the rust he's shown in the earlygoing versus the lowly Texans in Week 3.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Browns), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Joe Burrow (Bengals)
Running Back
MVP: Brian Robinson Jr. (Commanders)
Robinson served as an unlikely offensive catalyst for the Commanders wild 2nd half road comeback versus the Broncos-picking up 129 scrimmage YDS (87 rushing, 42 receiving) and 2 TD's on 20 touches while also converting a key 2-PT conversion in the 3rd quarter. The 2nd year back has been a very pleasant surprise through 2 weeks and he'll look to keep his strong start going against the Bills on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions: D'Andre Swift (Eagles), Raheem Mostert (Dolphins), Saquon Barkley (Giants)
LVP: Breece Hall (Jets)
An early double digit deficit and some puzzling playcalling from Nathaniel Hackett kept the ball out of Hall's hands against the Cowboys-as he turned his 4 carries into just 9 YDS and failed to catch either of the passes that were thrown in his direction. A Patriots defense that just got shredded by the Dolphins and has notoriously struggled to contained speedy backs in recent years present Hall with a potential blow-up spot this week if Hackett is willing to give him touches.
Dishonorable Mentions: Najee Harris (Steelers), Alexander Mattison (Vikings), Travis Etienne (Jaguars)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Keenan Allen (Chargers)
With the running game unsurprisingly getting stuffed by the Titans elite front 7, Allen stepped up and led the way for the Chargers offense-securing 8 catches for 111 YDS and 2 TD's-in what ended up being yet another crushing OT loss for the Bolts. Allen has a date with the Vikings beatable secondary in Minneapolis this Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
LVP: Calvin Ridley (Jaguars)
Despite drawing a healthy 8 targets, Ridley's production against the Chiefs (2 REC/32 YDS) left a lot to be desired as he finished behind both Christian Kirk and Evan Engram in receptions and YDS. Lawrence has been riding the hot hand in both games so far and if that approach continues, Ridley's production should be all over the map the rest of the way. Just remember: Flops like this will be a fair price to pay for his services if they're accompanied by gems like the one he put together last week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals), DeAndre Hopkins (Titans), Jahan Dotson (Commanders)
Tight End
MVP: T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)
Now, THIS is the version of Hockenson that the people that spent a top-50 pick on him want to see. Not only did Hockenson receive his typical smattering of underneath targets (8-7 of which he caught for 66 YDS) from Kirk Cousins, he found the endzone twice as the Vikings narrowly lost a shootout with the Eagles last Thursday night. Hockenson remains the clear #2 target in the passing attack behind Justin Jefferson and if he makes more regular visits to the endzone like he did against the Eagles, his value outside of full PPR leagues will continue to rise.
Honorable Mentions: Hunter Henry (Patriots), Mark Andrews (Ravens), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
LVP: Pat Friermuth (Steelers)
The chest injury that caused him to exit the Week 1 contest with the 49ers may've proven to not be an ailment that caused him to miss additional time, but it still felt like Friermuth was on the sideline for last night's contest with the Browns. Despite Dionate Johnson being out with a hamstring injury and Kenny Pickett throwing 30 passes, Friermuth was only targeted once and the reception he made was for just 2 YDS. With Johnson being out for at least the next 3 games after being placed on IR, Friermuth is going to have step his game up in order to put less of the burden on George Pickens and give Pickett another trusted target to throw that he simply didn't have against Cleveland.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Tyler Higbee (Rams), George Kittle (49ers)
Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Steelers
Without the efforts of the Steelers defense last night against the Browns, they wouldn't have won the game. While they did surrender 22 points, they played exceptional on the whole as they registered 6 sacks, 2 FUM REC, an INT and a pair of defensive scores on the night. A road date with a Raiders squad that is coming off a brutal 10 point/3 giveaway performance against the Bills awaits them this week.
Honorable Mentions: Cowboys, Bills, Dolphins
LVP: Jets
Yes, the offense's inability to sustain a drive or score points was definitely a factor in this poor performance from the Jets defense. That being said, the play from this group was still unacceptably sloppy and uncharacteristic of them as they surrendered 30 points and only managed 1 sack of Dak Prescott in a blowout loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. They should fare better in Week 3 when they travel back to New Jersey to take on a Patriots offense that is off to a pretty poor start to the year.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ravens, Broncos, Giants
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