Kenneth Walker stole the show on Sunday Night Football last week, turning 30 touches into a combined 178 yards in the Kansas City Chiefs' overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts. But the star back failed to reach the end zone through 70 minutes, at one point coming up short on three straight carries from the 1-yard line — a horrifying sight to anyone who rostered Walker in fantasy football or needed him to cash their anytime touchdown picks.
He wasn't alone: Walker was one of 16 players who were stopped at the 1-yard line in Week 2 without scoring on that possession. Only two of those players reached the end zone on another drive. While we can't erase the pain from those goal-line missteps, they could spell unrealized market potential for those banking on positive regression moving forward.
Inspired by Ian Hartitz's post following Week 2, we tracked every player who narrowly missed out on a touchdown last week to see which players offer the most value in Week 3 and beyond.
NFL Touchdown Watch: Who almost scored in Week 2?
Here's the full list of every player who was stopped at the 1-yard line in Week 2 and didn't score on that possession, including those who scored on other possessions or had multiple near-TDs on separate drives. We've also tracked the result of those drives and how each player's weekly PPR fantasy rank would have changed with one additional touchdown.
| Player | Stops at 1 | Drive result | Fantasy rank (actual → +1 TD) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Jonathan Taylor (IND)* |
1x | Tyler Warren receiving TD | RB1 → RB1 |
 Kenneth Walker III (KC) |
3x on 1 drive | Jalen Royals receiving TD | RB2 → RB1 |
 James Cook (BUF)* |
1x | Dawson Knox receiving TD | RB5 → RB2 |
 Rachaad White (WSH) |
1x | No score (half ended) | RB11 → RB6 |
 D'Andre Swift (CHI) |
1x | Lost fumble | RB16 → RB6 |
 Ashton Jeanty (LV) |
2x on 1 drive | Turnover on downs | RB23 → RB8 |
 Emanuel Wilson (SEA) |
2x on 2 drives | Turnover on downs; AJ Barner rushing TD | RB28 → RB9 |
 Tony Pollard (TEN) |
1x | Cam Ward rushing TD | RB36 (tie) → RB15 |
 J.K. Dobbins (DEN) |
2x on 1 drive | Wil Lutz field goal | RB51 (tie) → RB27 |
| George Holani (SEA) |
2x on 1 drive | AJ Barner rushing TD | RB60 (tie) → RB32 (tie) |
| Jaylen Waddle (DEN) |
1x | Wil Lutz field goal | WR9 (tie) → WR5 |
 Parker Washington (JAX) |
1x | Bhayshul Tuten rushing TD | WR13 → WR8 |
| Tyquan Thornton (KC) |
1x | Jalen Royals receiving TD | WR23 (tie) → WR13 |
| Kalif Raymond (CHI) |
1x | Lost fumble by Swift | WR37 → WR17 |
 Mike Evans (SF) |
1x | Christian McCaffrey rushing TD | WR44 (tie) → WR20 |
 Juwan Johnson (NO) |
1x | Tyler Shough rushing TD | TE13 → TE10 |
*Cook scored once and Taylor scored twice on other possessions; both were graded as winners in the anytime touchdown market.
Looking for help on waivers? Our Dustin Saracini broke down his best Week 3 waiver-wire targets along with his favorite buy-low targets to add to your fantasy football roster.
Players to watch after Week 2 near-TDs
Kenneth Walker, RB, Chiefs
Depending on which angle you trust, you could argue Walker actually did score on the final of his three attempts at the goal line on Sunday Night Football. Instead, the most popular pick to score a touchdown in SNF earned the most goal-line carries of anyone in Week 2 without reaching pay dirt.
Alas, the Chiefs star still produced one of the best games of his career: he set a new personal best with 15 missed tackles and currently leads the league with 125 rushing yards over expected. His 47 carries are the most by any back through two weeks, and his 16 targets rank inside the top 15 overall and first among running backs.
Volume is king in fantasy football and touchdown markets, and nobody is touching the rock more right now than Walker, who finished RB2 last week without scoring and would have topped the charts had he reached the end zone. It's surely too late to "buy low" on the reigning Super Bowl MVP, but there might still be unrealized value ahead once Walker makes a routine of finding the end zone.
Week 3 outlook: Walker is a clear and obvious target to score against the Miami Dolphins, who have already ceded a combined five touchdowns to opposing RBs — most in the NFL.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders
While Walker's heavy usage has borne fruit for fantasy owners, Jeanty's volume has been a mixed bag early in his sophomore campaign. After a disappointing rookie season, the former top-10 pick ranks third in carries (44) and 39th in yards per carry (3.4), and he's one of three players with at least 25 carries and zero rushing TDs among 18 qualified backs.
Here's why I'd still be targeting Jeanty as an undervalued asset: the Las Vegas Raiders still gave him 21 carries and seven targets last week, including four rushes inside the 5-yard line with two ending at the goal line. If any of those runs ended in the end zone, Jeanty would have finished as RB8 instead of RB23 and would likely be a hot name entering Week 3.
Jeanty's biggest issue is his situation: he was hit at or behind the line on 61.9% of his carries in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but he still earned 81% of the offensive snaps. Given the draft capital invested in him last year, I would take his recent volume as a positive sign — even if he's mostly come up empty so far.
Week 3 outlook: Jeanty should have an easier time finding pay dirt against the New Orleans Saints, who have allowed 5.0 yards per carry and rank in the bottom five in rushing yards (237) and rushing touchdowns (3) allowed to opposing RBs.
Emanuel Wilson, RB, Seahawks
With Walker off to Kansas City and first-round pick Jadarian Price in the medical tent, Wilson burst onto the scene for the Seattle Seahawks last week with 21 carries for 92 yards — the second-highest marks of his career — including four attempts inside the 5-yard line.
While none of those converted into points, they are absolutely worth your attention given the context around them. Wilson drew three consecutive carries near the goal line at the end of the first half, including one on fourth down, all before Price left the game with injury. And once Price left the game, Wilson saw 14 carries compared to four for George Holani, who did earn goal-line work on the Seahawks' final drive leading 24-7.
Wilson finished with zero receptions on one target and ultimately didn't find the end zone, so the downside here is real once Price (shoulder) and Holani (knee) return to full health. But I wouldn't completely ignore Wilson's workload as garbage-time volume, and he has a real opportunity to break through if either of those other two are sidelined.
Week 3 outlook: If Wilson is still available in your leagues, he's worth stashing ahead of Sunday's tilt against the Washington Commanders. I'd be especially compelled by his anytime touchdown odds given his goal-line work in Week 2.
Who will score a touchdown in Week 3?
Among those who came oh-so-close to scoring in Week 2, Walker is my first choice to break through in Week 3 with a juicy matchup against the Dolphins. I'd also be looking to buy low on Jeanty as a high-volume target, while Jaylen Waddle and Parker Washington both offer upside in the anytime touchdown market after going down at the 1-yard line last week.
| Player | Week 3 opponent | 1+ TD (Yes) |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Walker (Chiefs) |
at Dolphins |
65¢ |
| Ashton Jeanty (Raiders) |
atSaints |
51¢ |
| Jaylen Waddle (Broncos) |
vs. Rams |
31¢ |
| Parker Washington (Jaguars) |
vs. Patriots |
35¢ |
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Fantasy ranks are calculated from ESPN's Week 2 full-PPR results. The +1 TD comparison adds six points to one player at a time, with all other statistics unchanged, including lost fumbles.
