Looks and Touches: Week 2

The following is a list of the Week 2 leaders in looks and touches. It defines those running backs and receivers who received the most attention this past weekend.

Touches is defined as the number of times a running back carried or caught the football.
Looks is defined as the number of times a player was the intended target of a pass.

TOUCHES
• The Vikings fell to 0-2 on the season, but you can't put much of the blame on Adrian Peterson. He turned a career-high 33 touches (29 carries, 4 catches) into 180 yards of offense (160 rushing, 20 receiving), although he didn't find the end zone. Peterson topped 20 carries or 25 touches just twice during the 2007 season.

• Julius Jones responded very well to his first game as sole feature back since early in 2006, compiling 141 yards (127 rushing, 14 receiving) on 29 touches (26 carries, 3 catches), including a 27-yard TD run. Maurice Morris is expected to miss Week 3, as well, and a strong performance against the Rams could push Jones clearly to the forefront of the expected platoon.

• A tough early schedule has the Bengals' offense looking like a mess. Chris Perry did manage a 13-yard TD run against the Titans, but he totaled 51 yards on his other 20 carries (2.6-yard average) and his first two receptions of the season resulted in a net loss of eight yards.

• We're seeing a pattern in the Titans' running game – an even split of the work and subsequent fantasy impact between the dynamic Chris Johnson and the stout LenDale White. Week 2 stats: Johnson had 121 yards (109 rushing, 12 receiving) on 21 touches; White had 59 yards on 18 carries (no catches), including a one-yard TD plunge.

• What you need to know about the Panthers' running game in Week 2: DeAngelo Williams managed just 28 yards on 10 carries before halftime, so he got just one carry in the second half; Jonathan Stewart was given just one carry in the first half, but rallied his team with 76 yards on 13 carries in the second half, including two short scoring runs (4, 1) in the 20-17 win.

• The platoon watch notes when a team's RB2 is given at least half as many touches as the RB1, regardless of the reason. Platoon watch for Week 2 included: Arizona (Edgerrin James 19, Tim Hightower 11), Buffalo (Marshawn Lynch 20, Fred Jackson 13), Carolina (Jonathan Stewart 14, DeAngelo Williams 12), Denver (Selvin Young 9, Andre Hall 7, Michael Pittman 7), Green Bay (Ryan Grant 15, Brandon Jackson 8), Jacksonville (Fred Taylor 15, Maurice Jones-Drew 10), Miami (Ronnie Brown 13, Ricky Williams 12), New England (LaMont Jordan 11, Sammy Morris 10, Laurence Maroney 8, Kevin Faulk 7), NY Giants (Brandon Jacobs 16, Derrick Ward 9), Oakland (Darren McFadden 22, Michael Bush 16), San Diego (LaDainian Tomlinson 12, Darren Sproles 9), Tampa Bay (Earnest Graham 16, Warrick Dunn 15), and Tennessee (Chris Johnson 21, LenDale White 18).

• Earnest Graham made the most of another somewhat truncated workload, turning 16 touches (15 carries, 1 catch) into 128 yards (116 rushing, 12 receiving) – his 8.0 yards per touch were best among RB with at least 10 touches. Honorable mention has to go to Darren Sproles, who turned nine touches (7 carries, 2 catches) into 125 yards (53 rushing, 72 receiving), a 13.9-yard average. Sammy Morris totaled more touches (10 – 8 carries, 2 catches) than he did net yards of offense (7 – 0 rushing, 7 receiving), part of the reason for the four-way dispersal of touches for the Pats in Week 2 – his 0.7 yards per touch were easily worst among players with at least 10 touches.

LOOKS
• Wow. Brandon Marshall made up for lost time in pretty short order, totaling an astronomical 20 looks, 18 catches, and 166 receiving yards in Week 2, including a six-yard score. Marshall's one-week totals are good enough to place him tops in the league in receptions, sixth in looks, and 15th in receiving yards.

• Tony Gonzalez got the quantity, but not the quality, treatment thanks to shoddy QB play in Week 2. His 13 looks only resulted in five catches and 39 yards, albeit including a two-yard TD.

• With Dallas Clark inactive and Marvin Harrison struggling to separate himself from defenders, Anthony Gonzalez garnered a career-high 12 looks, which resulted in nine catches for 137 yards. Clark may be active in Week 3, but this won't be the only time this season that Harrison fails to make an impact – Gonzalez remains WR3 on the depth chart as long as everyone is healthy, however.

• Here's how the looks worked out for the notable players among the Colston-less Saints in Week 2: David Patten (10), Reggie Bush (9), Jeremy Shockey (3), Devery Henderson (3), Pierre Thomas (2), and Robert Meachem (1). It was clearly a struggle, as Drew Brees managed just 22 completions and 216 passing yards.

• John Carlson should be on your radar if he already isn't, particularly if you are in a PPR league. The rookie TE garnered eight looks in Week 2, compiling six catches for 78 yards, and has team highs of 10 catches and 130 yards after two weeks. He should continue to be heavily utilized for at least as long as the Seahawks struggle to field a competent WR core.

• It's inevitable that an under-rostered WR (or two) will emerge as solid fantasy option in a Mike Martz system. My money is currently on Bryant Johnson (57 percent owned), who turned seven looks into six catches for 78 yards and a score in Week 2.