Quarterback
Justin Herbert (vs CAR)
Herbert is easy to recommend this week after he scored on the ground and threw for over 300 yards in his surprise debut vs. the Chiefs last week. The Panthers defense should be an even easier opponent, as Tom Brady would have had a bigger game against them if two touchdowns weren’t dropped in the end zone by Scotty Miller and LeSean McCoy. Herbert will face a defense that is yet to record a sack this year.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (at JAX) **Thursday**
Fitzpatrick found his game in the comeback effort against the Bills last week after the Patriots made him look like it was time for the hook in Week 1. Devante Parker and Preston Williams are trending towards being healthier after having some questions to open the season, and the Jaguars have already allowed five passing touchdowns and over 77% of pass attempted to be completed, along with over 600 passing yards against them.
Mitchell Trubisky (at ATL)
The Falcons have already allowed 772 passing yards and five passing scores this year, but that’s not all! Opposing quarterbacks have also run for three touchdowns against them. Trubisky came back to earth last week after a stellar fourth quarter in Week 1, but we’ll believe the Falcons can slow down an opposing offense when we see it. Trubisky has thrown for multiple scores in both games this year and has a good chance to make it three in a row.
Jeff Driskel (vs TB)
Driskel wasn’t shy at all when he entered the game in place of an injured Drew Lock last week. He was on pace for a 300 yard day if he had played a full game and threw for two scores against the relentless Steelers pass rush. This week he’ll face a Bucs defense that allowed 367 yards through the air to Teddy Bridgewater last week and two passing scores in Week 1. He also has three rushing scores in only 8 career starts and averaged 50 rushing yards a game in three starts with the Lions last year.
Running Back
Joshua Kelley (vs CAR)
Kelley should get a ton of carries any time the Chargers control the game, and they should be able to do just that against the Panthers this week. He’ll also be first in line for goal line carries against a defense that has allowed six touchdowns to running backs on the ground already this year.
Jerick McKinnon, Jeff Wilson (at NYG)
McKinnon has been a relevant fantasy running back with six touches in Week 1 and three touches in Week 2. He should get a lot more than that this week against the Giants even though he might not lead the backfield in touches. It’s still enough to consider him as a flex or emergency RB2, but in .5 PPR or nonPPR scoring systems, Wilson could be the better play because he’ll be in line for goal line carries and the bulk of the dirty work in the running game. The Giants have already allowed over 100 yards and at 26 carries to opposing backfields in both games this year.
Darrell Henderson (at BUF)
Henderson has gone from being the least healthy to most healthy Rams back in two weeks, and he also finally showed that signature burst against the Eagles as the game is slowing down for the second year player. Cam Akers is probably not playing and Malcolm Brown will be limited if he does play with his finger injury. Expect Henderson to lead the backfield in touches by a large margin and to be involved in the passing game after turning his two receptions into 40 yards last week.
Sony Michel (vs LV)
Michel is more of a desperation play than a what the heck flex, but the Patriots should be able to move the ball against the Raiders and if they want to save Cam Newton a little wear and tear, Michel would be the first option at the goal line. Opposing running backs have already scored four times against Las Vegas.
Myles Gaskin (at JAX) **Thursday**
Gaskin has clearly been the most effective back on the Dolphins roster and they should consider installing him as the lead back any week now. He can rack up catches on any no huddle drive and the Dolphins offense has at least produced two rushing scores, but both have gone to Jordan Howard at the one. If Gaskin starts to sniff any red zone opportunity, he could become an RB2. The Jaguars allowed 17 receptions to backs in Week 1 before the Titans barely bothered to test their pass defense with throws to backs last week.
Devin Singletary (vs LAR)
Singletary might be an odd selection for a sleeper just two weeks after many drafted him to be their RB2 or top backup, but he has probably fallen in status after the Bills morphed into a pass first team. Zack Moss is out this week with a toe injury and Singletary already showed that he can be a lead back in the second half of 2020. This could be Singletary’s shot to that he can still be a viable clear back even though the Bills appear to have an RBBC blueprint.
Mike Davis (at LAC)
Davis did almost nothing as a runner when Christian McCaffrey went down last week, but he did catch eight passes and he should reprise that role this week. Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught six passes last week against the Chargers defense after having none in Week 1 and Bengals backs had five catches against them in Week 1. McCaffrey also had four rushing touchdowns already, so the Panthers are choosing to finish drives with the run more than the pass, although that could change with McCaffrey out.
Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins (vs KC)
Good luck divining which Ravens back will be the one to play in any given week, but know that this week the goal of keeping Patrick Mahomes II on the sidelines and the goal of attacking the weakness of the Chiefs defense could overlap and induce the Ravens to rely on the run. Ingram had over 100 yards and three scores in the loss to the Chiefs last year, and we saw last week that Dobbins can turn any touch into a big gain, so he doesn’t need much work to be relevant in fantasy lineups.
Wide Receiver
Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault (vs MIA) **Thursday**
With D.J. Chark out against the Dolphins, Cole and Shenault should both get more targets in the spread it around Jaguars offense. Byron Jones will be out and Xavien Howard probably isn’t 100% so the vaunted Dolphins secondary isn’t so scary. Cole has caught scores in each of the first two games, and Shenault has also been getting touches as a running back to bolster his receiving stats. The Dolphins gave up three scores and three games of at least 70 receiving yards to wideouts last week.
K.J. Hamler (vs TB)
Hamler returned to action last week and got all three of his receptions from Jeff Driskel after Drew Lock left the game. Hamler also got a touch as a runner that he converted to nine yards and he should get a chance to rack up catches from the slot against a Bucs defense that should limit the run and get enough pressure to make the Broncos think twice about calling long developing downfield passing plays with Courtland Sutton sidelined.
Andy Isabella (vs DET)
Christian Kirk has been sidelined with a groin injury through the first two days of practice, and even if he can play, you have to wonder about his ability to open up the throttle and threatened the Lions defense deep. Isabella turned three targets into 67 yards and two catches last week. If you give him Kirk’s four targets and 57 receiving yards, that gets him over 100 yards. The Lions secondary is banged up and their front seven will have their hands full with Kyler Murray and Kenyan Drake with coverage focusing on DeAndre Hopkins. Isabella could easily get behind the defense at least once in this one.
Curtis Samuel (at LAC)
Samuel has done little as a receiver to date this year, but he could make an impact this week as a runner. He has experience as a running back and it just makes sense for him to replace Christian McCaffrey on any plays where McCaffrey was cast as a receiver in the personnel package. The Panthers have made murmurs before about Samuel’s potential as a running back, let’s hope they follow through on them in Week 3 against a tough Chargers defense.
Darnell Mooney (at ATL)
Mooney was second among Bears receivers in snaps last week and he responded with a touchdown that ended up being the difference in the game. Four wide receivers have gone over 90 yards against the Falcons so far this year, and two have done it in each game. If Allen Robinson has a Bears receiver join him in the box score marquee this week, Mooney is the best bet, and he has the speed to take any touch to the house.
Kendrick Bourne (at NYG)
Bourne was the most targeted receiver after Nick Mullens entered the game last week with three catches for 49 yards (out of only 71 passing yards for Mullens) and he also racked up 25-296-2 with Mullens in 2018 when the then third string quarterback started eight games. In addition to this preexisting chemistry, Mullens and Bourne also get the benefit of facing a Giants defense that has already allowed four scores to opposing wide receivers.
Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (at NO)
Davante Adams is trending towards not playing after only doing conditioning through two practices this week. The Packers medical staff is usually conservative about getting players back on the field after injuries, so we are set up for Lazard and Valdes-Scantling going against the Saints excellent corners. It only takes one deep shot off of play action for either one to hit and the Saints have been committing a lot of big pass interference penalties, so there’s a vulnerability there.
Tre’Quan Smith (vs GB)
Smith did an excellent Michael Thomas impression against the Raiders and unless Thomas has a quicker than expected recovery from his ankle injury, expect the third year receiver to get another start. Smith had a catch inside the five and another target close to the end zone last week, so there’s room for an even bigger game than his 5-86 line from Monday night.
Mecole Hardman (at BAL)
Hardman is a long shot, but know that he posted a 2-97-1 line against the Ravens last year. He could be matched up with the replacement for Ravens slot corner Tavon Young, who went down last week. The Ravens have strong outside corner play, which could funnel more targets to secondary receivers like Hardman, and he doesn’t need many targets to make your week. Sammy Watkins trending towards being out only helps Hardman's case to get in your lineup this week in deeper leagues and DFS GPPs.
Darius Slayton, Golden Tate (vs SF)
The Giants target tree lost a few limbs when Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley went down last week. Slayton and Tate should get a larger target share, and they are facing a 49ers defense that will be without two of their top three defensive ends and one of their top backups on the interior defensive line. Slayton is the upside play and Tate the high floor PPR play.
Tight End
Mo Alie-Cox (vs NYJ)
Jack Doyle could return to action this week, but the hope that the Colts don’t put Alie-Cox in the background after he went for over 100 yards as a receiver last week with Doyle on the bench. The Jets just allowed two scores to Jordan Reed in his comeback game last week, so there’s an opening there to exploit if Philip Rivers looks in the direction of Alie-Cox (or Doyle).
Dalton Schultz (at SEA)
Schultz was far from impressive on his targets, but they came regularly against a weak Falcons defense that was distorted to cover the Cowboys impressive top three receivers. Jamal Adams is a tight end stopper, but the Seahawks would probably be wasting him on a receiver of Schultz’s limited capabilities, so he could get a lot of checkdowns again this week.
Logan Thomas (at CLE)
Thomas has gotten consistent volume, with four catches in each of the first two games, and he’ll face a Browns defense that Mark Andrews ate up in Week 1, followed by allowing 11 catches for 87 yards and a score to Bengals tight ends last week. Denzel Ward could do a good job on Terry McLaurin, giving Dwayne Haskins another reason to favor Thomas when he drops back to pass.
Drew Sample (at PHI)
Sample is more of a desperation play than a preferred option as he looked like a blocking tight end making his seven catches last week, but the Eagles just gave up three easy touchdowns to Tyler Higbee last week, and they gave up an easy one to Logan Thomas last week, so Sample could hit via volume or a score.
Robert Tonyan Jr (at NO)
If you really have to dig deep at tight end this week, consider Tonyan, who is a converted wide receiver who scored last week. The Packers will likely be without Davante Adams, and the Saints outside corners might blot out Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, leaving Aaron Rodgers Tonyan and the running backs as his best targets. The Saints just gave up as 12-103-1 game to Darren Waller, and OJ Howard had an uncontested score against them in Week 1.
