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Quarterback
Start of the Week: Dak Prescott (v NYG)
The only real concern for Prescott might be Dallas not needing to throw the ball much if New York is unable to put up points, but things otherwise set up great for him—with the Giants being an opponent he’s torched throughout his career, including at least three passing touchdowns in six of the past 12 meetings. A determined CeeDee Lamb will only increase the chances of Prescott putting up big numbers again, and the Dallas offensive line holding up against the Eagles is a good sign moving forward. Consider Dak a definite top-10 option for Week 2.
Start: Trevor Lawrence (@ CIN)
Jaguars-Bengals has the makings of a high-scoring game, so Lawrence—who might not have been able to get in a rhythm last week due to a weather delay—should be a strong start versus a Cincinnati defense that still allowed nearly 300 passing yards to Joe Flacco in the opener. Lawrence’s stat line from the first game in Liam Coen’s offense would look a lot better right not if not for a highlight interception by Jaycee Horn (on a throw intended for Travis Hunter that could have been an 83-yard touchdown); and the last time we saw Lawrence and Joe Burrow square off, Jacksonville’s quarterback had 25.12 fantasy points in a 34-31 loss.
Start: Drake Maye (@ MIA)
The final numbers from Week 1 (30-of-46 for 287 yards, one touchdown, and one interception) look a lot better than the actual performance for Maye—but he does get another great matchup this week against a Miami defense that was just shredded by Daniel Jones. If there was a bright spot for the Dolphins last week, it was that they contained Jonathan Taylor (18 carries for 71 yards), and New England might lean on the passing game again rather than trying to run against Kenneth Grant and company. With the hopes that he also does damage on the ground, Maye can be a top-15 play.
Start: Jordan Love (v WAS)
Love can be a quarterback who is difficult to trust, but Matt LaFleur does a tremendous job guiding him as the play-caller—and that included the only matchup versus Dan Quinn’s defense in the playoffs a couple of years ago when Love had 272 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 completions in a blowout win over Dallas. The Commanders played stingy defense by holding the Giants out of the end zone last week, but that might say more about New York than anything else, and Love might need to put up points to keep up with Jayden Daniels. You can start him as a borderline QB1 option.
Sit of the Week: Tua Tagovailoa (v NE)
Tagovailoa struggled mightily in the opener by completing 14-of-23 passes for 114 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions—and concerns about the current core for Miami being on the verge of blowing up certainly weren’t put to rest in a 33-8 loss to Indy. Even the score for Tua needed a heroic effort by De’Von Achane on a dump off, and he didn’t fare well in either matchup versus Mike Vrabel when New England’s new head coach was in Tennessee (222.5 passing yards per game and a 0:1 touchdown-interception ratio; sacked nine times in two matchups). Especially if Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) is back for the Pats, Tagovailoa is difficult to trust in lineups.
Sit: Aaron Rodgers (v SEA)
With four touchdown passes in a 34-32 victory, Rodgers silenced anyone—including his former team—who thought he still couldn’t play at a high level to begin his Pittsburgh tenure. However, the Seahawks will be a bigger challenge this week after they limited the 49ers to 17 points in the opener, and after a couple of touchdowns in the first quarter against Seattle in a matchup last December, Rodgers struggled to solve Mike Macdonald’s defense the rest of the game in an eventual loss (he went 15-of-29 for 123 yards and an interception over the final three quarters). I’d put Rodgers in the low-end QB2 ranks despite the hot start.
Sit: Matthew Stafford (@ TEN)
One of the primary takeaways from Week 1 is that Tennessee—who had the second-best pass defense in the league last season—remains stout, as they limited Bo Nix to 176 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a close loss. We’ll see how aggressive the officials let the Titans be on the backend versus Puka Nacua and Davante Adams after they were plastered to Denver’s wideouts in the opener, but Los Angeles might try to keep the ball on the ground if they can, and Stafford offers very limited rushing upside to make up for the passing numbers perhaps not being there. The veteran barely cracks the top 24 at quarterback this week.
Sit: Baker Mayfield (@ HOU)
Mayfield remains a high-end QB2 after three touchdown passes and 22.58 fantasy points in the opener, but he was limited to 167 yards through the air—and now faces a Houston team with an excellent defense that is trying to avoid an 0-2 start. In terms of matchups, the Texans have Derek Stingley Jr. to contend with Mike Evans on the perimeter, and I am assuming they’ll be more prepared for chunk plays to Emeka Egbuka after the rookie had two touchdowns of 25+ yards in his debut. If you have options, it might be worth considering alternatives in one-quarterback leagues.
Running Back
Start of the Week: Travis Etienne Jr. (@ CIN)
We didn’t even raise Etienne’s stock that much following the trade of Tank Bigsby because we already had him as a top-20 option entering the season—but the former Clemson standout is still one of the big winners of Week 1 with the trade coming on the heels of him having 16 carries for 143 yards to take clear control of the Jacksonville backfield. Cincinnati was stout versus the run in their win over Cleveland, but I don’t think we can suddenly claim the defense is fixed, and they allowed rookie runner Dylan Sampson to catch eight passes for 64 yards. In a possible shootout, Etienne is boosted into the RB1 ranks for Week 2.
Start: Kenneth Walker III (@ PIT)
Walker (10 carries for 20 yards) was on the worse end of a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet (12 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown) to begin 2025, but the positives are that he drew the start for Seattle and caught three passes (compared to zero targets for Charbonnet). Pittsburgh’s run defense surprisingly doesn’t look any better than it was at the end of last season, so Walker—who has a running style at least somewhat similar to Breece Hall (19 carries for 107 yards last week)—could get going as the Seahawks lean on the running game on Sunday. I like him as a top-15 option.
Start: David Montgomery (v CHI)
Again, the Lions want to get back to running the ball after struggling to open the season, and Montgomery handling 15 touches in a game where Detroit trailed throughout is a great sign for his outlook alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. This week, “Knuckles” will be determined—as is always the case—against his former team (5.3 yards per carry in three career matchups), and again, Dan Campbell wants to establish the run to get the offense back on track. After Jordan Mason rumbled for 68 yards on 15 carries against Chicago on Monday night, things should set up nicely for Montgomery to return RB2 value.
Start: Javonte Williams (v NYG)
The Cowboys have already made it known that rookie Jaydon Blue will be a healthy inactive this week, so Williams will remain the clear feature back after handling 17 touches on 77.0% of the snaps played in the opener. Of course, Jalen Carter was ejected for the Eagles, but Philadelphia is still difficult to run on, and Williams looked very good for Dallas—including two short touchdowns. Now facing a Giants defense that allowed 220 rushing yards last week in Washington, Williams has moved up to low-end RB2/FLEX territory.
Sit of the Week: Isiah Pacheco (v PHI)
Concern about Pacheco for this year set in from the opening drive last Friday night—as he started the game, but was pulled after one play for Kareem Hunt, who was replaced by Brashard Smith for the third play. The rotation was an indication that Kansas City wants to go with a full-blown committee, and as just mentioned, the Eagles are extremely difficult to run on at full strength. Investors will have to hope the Chiefs decide Pacheco needs more work after just five carries for 25 yards last week, but Philly probably isn’t the opponent you want to find out against.
Sit: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (@ DAL)
It seemed like Tracy was consistently contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage in the loss to Washington, and he was limited to 10 carries for 24 yards as New York couldn’t get anything going offensively. Based on how the run defense for Dallas looked with Kenny Clark last week, Tracy might not have much more luck finding room to run—and I don’t have a ton of confidence in the Giants sticking with the run or getting the talented second-year back involved as a pass-catcher.
Sit: Nick Chubb (v TB)
I would imagine Houston wants to run the ball more moving forward after Chubb (13 carries for 60 yards) was their best source of offense in the opener—but Tampa Bay appears to have an elite run defense and might not be the spot for him to be fully featured. Last week, the Bucs held Bijan Robinson in check as a runner (12 carries for 24 scoreless yards), and Chubb doesn’t have the role as a receiver to make up for a quiet night on the ground. Next week against the Jaguars will be a better opponent for Chubb to be used as an RB2 option.
Sit: D’Andre Swift (@ DET)
The run defense for Detroit was something for them to hang their hat on from a disappointing opener, so Swift could find running room difficult to come by again after being limited to 17 carries for 53 yards (3.1 YPC) on Monday night. The positive for Swift is that he was the unquestioned lead back and saw early involvement in the passing game, but the Lions limited him to 20 carries for 59 yards (3.0 YPC) in two matchups last season, so you’re banking on the volume remaining what it was in Week 1—and even that could lead to another low point total.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: DeVonta Smith (@ KC)
Smith was one of several star wide receivers to perform below expectations in the opener—but Kansas City is an opponent he has ripped in all four meetings (including two Super Bowl matchups) with lines of 7/122, 7/100, 6/99, and 4/69/1. It’ll be interesting to see if the Chiefs change up the defensive game plan from January when they were focused heavily on stopping Saquon Barkley, but Smith will get opportunities to beat man coverage after the KC secondary allowed Ladd McConkey (6/74), Quentin Johnston (5/79/2), and Keenan Allen (7/68/1) to all get free in Brazil. Keep him in lineups as a high-end WR2.
Start: Deebo Samuel Sr. (@ GB)
Green Bay has really held Samuel in check over the years with plenty of battles between the Niners and Packers—but Washington prioritized their new weapon in a major way last week, and there’s no reason to expect things will change on Thursday night. In his Commanders debut, Deebo caught seven-of-10 targets for 77 yards and turned his lone carry in to a 19-yard touchdown, and a shootout could be brewing in primetime. Based on the usage and his ability to rip off chunk plays in the open field, Samuel should be a confident start.
Start: Hollywood Brown (v PHI)
Xavier Worthy (shoulder) fortunately sounds like he’ll play through the pain after going down in the opener, but Brown still gets boosted as an upside FLEX after catching 10-of-16 targets for 99 yards last Friday night. Worthy is the preferred play after he went for an 8/157/2 line against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, but I’d think those numbers—even if they came with the game out of hand—could lead to coverage slanting towards the second-year speedster, while Hollywood might benefit from opportunities against Adoree’ Jackson as the weak spot in the Philadelphia secondary.
Start: Travis Hunter (@ CIN)
As stated, Hunter was close to an 83-yard touchdown in his NFL debut, and it’s clear Jacksonville worked to get him the ball with eight targets—which turned into six receptions for 33 yards. If the Jags do end up getting into a shootout with Cincinnati this weekend, Hunter will carry increased upside, and fantasy owners are surely happy about him only playing 9.4% of the defensive snaps in Week 1 (compared to 63.6% on offense). For what it’s worth, my comparison for Hunter at wide receiver would have been Jerry Jeudy, and Cleveland’s top wideout had a solid day with five receptions for 66 yards last week against the Bengals.
Others: Garrett Wilson (v BUF), Jameson Williams (v CHI)
Sit of the Week: Tyreek Hill (v NE)
The Miami passing attack was completely out of sync in the loss to the Colts, and it’s fair to assume all the missed time for Hill in the summer played a role in the struggles. With the Patriots holding the former All-Pro in check for most of their recent matchups (two games with 70+ receiving yards over the past eight meetings) and Christian Gonzalez having a decent shot of returning this week, Hill isn’t a set-and-forget option for fantasy lineups. We have him outside the top 30 at wide receiver for Week 2.
Sit: Mike Evans (@ HOU)
Evans had a tough draw with A.J. Terrell Jr. in the opener, and Monday night will be even more difficult as Tampa Bay’s all-time receiving leader is set to see a ton of Derek Stingley Jr. on the perimeter. Being able to find the end zone is always a possibility for Evans, but he should be viewed as a low-end WR2 with a capped ceiling. Also, it’s notable that the now 32-year-old Evans started slow last year with 47.9 receiving yards per game over his first seven outings.
Sit: Keon Coleman (@ NYJ)
As mentioned last week despite not feeling great about him against the Ravens, we are expecting a monster campaign from Coleman—and he started on fire with an 8/112/1 line in the difficult matchup. The Jets might be more prepared for Coleman than the Ravens were, though, including Sauce Gardner being able to match his size on the perimeter. Despite getting torched as a defense by Aaron Rodgers last week, Gardner only allowed one reception (on four targets) for 11 yards, and I would imagine New York could stick him on Coleman to lower the Week 2 appeal.
Sit: Michael Pittman Jr. (v DEN)
Pittman was the first wide receiver to take advantage of a matchup against the Dolphins with a 6/80/1 line last week—but now he’s set to be the second victim of Pat Surtain II. In the opener, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year helped limit Calvin Ridley (four receptions for 27 yards), and he didn’t allow any receptions in the win. Pittman might not face strict shadow coverage on Sunday, but the time he does spend against Surtain is enough to have him tumble down the rankings at wide receiver.
Others: Cooper Kupp (@ PIT), Rashid Shaheed (v SF)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Tyler Warren (v DEN)
One game might be too early to take a victory lap, but it’s unbelievable to look back at some of the doubt around Warren in the pre-draft process. The debut for the former Penn State star saw him catch seven-of-nine targets for 76 yards (also adding a three-yard carry), and he’ll get a chance to keep it going versus a Denver defense that is much better attacked between the numbers. Especially with George Kittle (hamstring) out of the rankings, Warren makes the top five with a case to be a top three play in Week 2.
Start: Jonnu Smith (v SEA)
Smith was used in a very conversative role in the passing game last week with his five receptions turning into just 15 yards—but one of them was a touchdown on a pop pass, which shows Pittsburgh wants to get the ball in his hands. Seattle allowed eight receptions and a couple of touchdowns to tight ends for the 49ers last week despite George Kittle leaving early, and I would assume the Steelers will try to get Smith more involved down the field moving forward.
Start: Brenton Strange (@ CIN)
I mentioned Jaguars-Bengals being a possible shootout a couple of times, so it makes sense to consider Strange as a pass-catcher who could get in on the fun. To begin his first full season as a starter, Strange caught all four of his targets for 59 yards last week against Carolina, and the Bengals just allowed Harold Fannin Jr. to catch seven passes for 63 yards against them in the opener.
Sit of the Week: Juwan Johnson (v SF)
Johnson started the season with an outstanding performance for a New Orleans passing attack that was much more aggressive than anticipated—catching eight-of-11 targets for 76 yards. Unfortunately, San Francisco might not be the opponent to keep it going against, and Johnson was held without a catch in his lone career game against them. At a volatile position, I would look for a player with a better matchup rather than hoping for a Week 1 repeat.
Sit: Mark Andrews (v CLE)
It’s unclear if Isaiah Likely (foot) will make his season debut this week, but either way, the fear about Andrews being an afterthought this year wasn’t quelled last Sunday night when he had just one catch for five yards. The Browns are a team that Andrews has had tons of success against throughout his career, but the results have been more inconsistent in recent years by being held below 45 yards in four of the past six matchups. I’d view him as a borderline TE1/TE2 if Likely is out and obviously lower than that if Likely plays.
Sit: Theo Johnson (@ DAL)
The entire offense for the Giants struggled last week, but Johnson really didn’t seem in sync after missing a chunk of camp. After catching one-of-three targets for five yards on 77.9% of the snaps played, Johnson could already be in danger of losing work to Daniel Bellinger (who had a nice 14-yard grab in the opener), and Dallas dominating up front might limit the opportunities for New York pass-catchers in general.