Quarterback
Derek Carr (vs Kansas City) - Carr has been successful against Kansas City at home the last two seasons, with three passing scores in each game, despite the lack of great weapons. Gardner Minshew lit up the Kansas City secondary last week, and not all of that was when the game was out of hand. Carr should have plenty of opportunity to be a top 10 quarterback this week, and Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams are must starts and hopefully no longer sleepers after their strong Monday night games.
Andy Dalton (vs San Francisco) - The Bengals are going to be the most pass-happy team this side of Arizona. It looks like San Francisco had a strong Week 1 performance on defense against Tampa, but the two biggest plays were unforced errors by the Bucs. Dalton should have one of the highest attempt totals in Week 2, and if Joe Mixon is out, the Bengals offense could somehow be even more pass heavy than Week 1.
Josh Allen (at New York Giants) - Allen was a dud until C.J. Mosley went out in Week 1, but he turned it on to have a strong fantasy game in basically one quarter against the Jets. Dak Prescott looked like Patrick Mahomes II against the Giants last week, so probably don’t have to worry about Allen and company getting shut down this week. He’ll continue to have a top five ceiling because his rushing and deep passing ability.
Gardner Minshew (at Houston) - Don’t think Minshew only did well because of a defense that let up once the backup was in. The offensive line did an excellent job limiting pressure and Minshew was on the same page with all of his receivers. The Texans secondary was once again vulnerable and Minshew should be forced to keep the offense opened up in another matchup with one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Running Back
Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles (at Atlanta) - The Atlanta defense looked powerless to stop the Vikings running game last week. Sanders is your first option here as he had a touchdown called back last week that the league admitted was nullified in error, and he was also the goal line option. Sproles has the quickness and speed to get outside and exploit some of the same problems the Vikings running game caused last week and he’s an option in deeper leagues.
Rex Burkhead (at Miami) - Dolphins games are likely to be at least 50% garbage time this year, and that’s when Burkhead will be the primary back. He looked quicker and more explosive than Sony Michel last week and was more involved in the passing game. He could end up being the best play in the Patriots backfield in a week that they all look like attractive options.
Raheem Mostert (at Cincinnati) - Mostert was much more effective than Tevin Coleman or Matt Breida last week, and he should get 30-40% of the work in the backfield in any event. Breida is also an injury risk in any given week, opening the door for Mostert to get even more work. He had at least 59 rushing yards in any game when he got at least seven carries last year and should easily surpass that in Week 2.
Giovani Bernard (vs San Francisco) - We will have to wait on Joe Mixon’s status to get the green light to start Bernard, but he has been very dependable any time Mixon has sat in the last two years. In four starts, Bernard has had at least 86 total yards in three of them, and at least one score in three of them. Even if Mixon can go, Bernard should get more work than usual, as the team should take it easy on Mixon to reduce of him re-injuring his ankle.
Ronald Jones II II (at Carolina) **Thursday** - Jones looked like a new man in Week 1 and much more like the explosive back we saw at USC that induced the Bucs to take him in the second round last year. There are indications that he will get more work than Week 1 against the Panthers, and Carolina’s defense was gashed by the Rams running game in Week 1. Jones has big play upside to make up for his lack of passing game involvement.
Wide Receiver
Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson (at Oakland) - Hardman should get the majority of the work in place of Tyreek Hill and he’s the better play of the two, but Robinson has more experience with Patrick Mahomes II. Robinson averaged over 60 yards per reception on his two catches against the Raiders last year and scored in each of the last three games while Sammy Watkins was out. Both should get ample opportunity with Watkins likely tied up by Gareon Conley (but still an automatic start).
DK Metcalf (at Pittsburgh) - The Steelers secondary is good for one or two complete breakdowns per week in coverage, and with Tyler Lockett nursing a back injury, Metcalf could dominate targets. If the Seattle defense is soft vs. the pass again and Ben Roethlisberger gets right at home, this could become a shootout that runs through Metcalf’s deep passing game prowess.
Curtis Samuel (at Tampa Bay) **Thursday** - Samuel didn’t do much in Week 1, but the whole Panthers passing game was limited by a game plan that set out to contain the effect of Aaron Donald on the game. Tampa lacks elite pass rushers and should allow Cam Newton to get much more comfortable in the pocket and find Samuel streaking downfield against a suspect secondary.
Christian Kirk (at Baltimore) - Kirk was quiet in Week 1 because he was often covered by Darius Slay. The Ravens best corner - Jimmy Smith - is out for Week 2, and Kirk won’t have to face nearly as stiff competition this time around. We know he will get the targets and involvement in the downfield passing game, but this week Kirk will have a lot better chance of converting that opportunity into production.
Marvin Jones Jr/strong> (vs Los Angeles Chargers) - Jones will likely draw rookie corner Brandon Facyson, or someone who replaced Facyson off of the bench because the rookie struggled mightily in Week 1. Casey Hayward is likely to lock up Kenny Golladay and make Jones the preferred downfield target against a secondary that is missing Derwin James.
James Washington (vs Seattle) - Will Mike Tomlin give Washington more opportunity after he was the only player to convert a big downfield play against the Patriots in Week 1? His competition for snaps, Donte Moncrief, dropped four passes, and while Tomlin is publicly standing behind Moncrief, privately he should be giving the green light for more Washington against a secondary that couldn’t handle John Ross last week.
Tight End
Hayden Hurst (vs Arizona) - Last week it was Mark Andrews feasting in garbage time against a weak defense, this week could be Hurst’s turn. Maybe there won’t be garbage time against the Cardinals, and perhaps their defense will be at least a little better than the Dolphins, but we know this pass offense is at its best targeting the tight end and Hurst looked much more ready to pay off on his first round investment in Week 1 than he did when he got off to a late start because of a foot injury last year.
Jason Witten, Blake Jarwin (at Washington) - The tight end ranks on the waiver wire for teams that were left in the lurch by the Hunter Henry injury are thin, but the Cowboys offense usage of the tight end is encouraging enough to give one of their two options a look if you are desperate. Witten is safer option with more snaps and targets likely coming his way, but Jarwin has scored four times in his last two games.
Tyler Eifert, C.J. Uzomah (vs San Francisco) - The Bengals offer another committee to dip into for a desperation tight end option this week. Eifert will got more targets last week, but Uzomah got more snaps and more downfield targets. The 49ers did a good job on the Bucs tight ends last week, but the Bengals have a more pass-happy attack and vertical speed to stretch out the 49ers defense and create room for the tight ends to operate.
Dallas Goedert (at Atlanta) - Goedert didn’t make a splash in Week 1, but he was still on the field for 55% of the snaps and could be a more prominent target as the Eagles want to show more tight end run looks against a Falcons defense that has to be weary after the Vikings ran them out of the building last week.
