Here are my fantasy football rankings for Week 2. You can find our expert consensus fantasy football rankings for the week here. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings, and analysis.

• Pat Fitzmaurice’s Weekly Rankings
• Matthew Freedman’s Weekly Rankings
• Derek Brown’s Weekly Rankings
• Joe Pisapia’s Weekly Rankings

Be sure to check out my following notes on all the players/matchups this week from a season-long, DFS, player props, etc. perspective that shed light on “how the sausage is made” when it comes to finalizing my Fantasy Football Week 2 Rankings.

Enjoy!

Check out all of our Week 2 fantasy football content

Dolphins at Ravens

• Baltimore ditched their run game in Week 1, opting to throw at the second-highest rate while the game was semi-competitive on early downs (74%). They finished top-10 in pass-play rate over expectation in Week 1. As a result, Lamar Jackson posted his lowest rushing total (17 yards) since 2020. I like the under on Jackson’s 51.5 rushing yards prop on Underdog.
• The defensive numbers that the Ravens allowed in Week 1 are slightly inflated because Joe Flacco threw the ball 59 times…but it’s still hard to ignore the sheer volume the Jets running backs saw in the matchup (19 targets, 32% target share)
• The Ravens’ soft looks against opposing RBs could open things up in the passing game for Chase Edmonds who played 63% of the snaps in Week 1, while running a route on 53% of dropbacks (13% target share). The Dolphins free agent acquisition totaled 16 touches to Raheem Mostert‘s 6. He should see some steady volume in this matchup making him worthy as a back-end fantasy RB2. I like the OVER on Edmonds’ three receptions prop.
• Why am I lower on Tua Tagovailoa versus the consensus? Because he still showed signs of problems in Week 1 versus the Patriots. Despite the Dolphins ranking No. 1 in team pass play rate over expectation, he still failed to crack the top-20 weekly QBs. Going under on his 18-point fantasy points prop on Prizepicks.com – use promo code PR-REQ653D.
• And the Ravens look to continue running more zone coverage than they have in years past without Wink Martindale as their defensive coordinator. That’s not ideal for Tagovailoa who destroyed the Patriots when they played in man coverage – 90% completion rate, 14.8 yards per attempt – versus zone coverage – 65% completion rate, 6.1 yards per attempt.
• The Ravens still have stud cornerback Marlon Humphrey and will be getting back Marcus Peters after he missed Week 1. Slot CB Kyle Fuller is out being replaced by Damarion Williams/Brandon Stephens, but Miami played Jaylen Waddle or Tyreek Hill from the slot in no more than 35% of their snaps in Week 1.
• J.K. Dobbins has been practicing in full this week, putting him on the trajectory towards suiting up in Week 2. But what kind of role Dobbins will take on in his first game back is a total mystery. Kenyan Drake started Week 1 – 54% snap share, 12 touches – but totaled just 46 scoreless yards. If Dobbins takes over just that workload, he can’t be viewed as anything more than a TD-or-bust fantasy RB3. The matchup isn’t great versus Miami who finished sixth in expected points added in run defense Week 1.
• Rashod Bateman didn’t have a strong target share in Week 1 (17%, 5 targets) but capitalized on a deep target that he converted into a long TD grab. Still, Bateman finished outside the top-50 WRs in expected fantasy points. I don’t think Bateman has entered must-start territory quite yet in traditional formats, especially with a tougher CB matchup on deck against Miami Dolphins Xavien Howard. Howard was targeted on just 6% of his routes covered in Week 1.
• Hard to debate who should be the highest-ranked Dolphins WR in Week 2. Tyreek Hill got fed with a 39% target share (3rd) and four deep targets in Week 1. Jaylen Waddle was playing second fiddle (16% target share), so he falls more into the WR2 category. He was relatively quiet for the majority of Week 1 until he busted off a 42-yard catch for a TD, which is part of the benefit of having someone explosive like Waddle on your fantasy team. Some weeks he won’t see a ton of targets, but will still find a way to put up fantasy production.
• I also expect Waddle to draw the most coverage from the Ravens No.1 cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Waddle lined up primarily as the LWR, which aligns across from the Ravens CB that played 50 snaps at RCB in Week 1.
• Keep taking Mike Gesicki receiving unders (19.5 receiving yards). One target last week and sub-50% route participation.

Jets at Browns

• Kareem Hunt actually out-snapped Nick Chubb in Week (56% versus 52%) with the latter seeing the majority of work on the ground – 22 carries for 141 yards. But Hunt continues to leverage high-value touches through the passing game and in the red zone. He finished Week 1 15th in route participation (58%), running more than twice as many routes as Chubb while commanding four targets. And he more than doubled Chubb’s red-zone touches (5 vs 2), which led to one of his two scores on Sunday.
• Hunt’s role hasn’t changed from last season – 15 touches per game plus red-zone and pass-game work – so I would continue to start him even if he’s not perceived as his team’s “true” RB1. The way Cleveland uses him is that of a starting fantasy RB, and he’s been effective dating back to his healthy games last year when he was a top-10 RB in fantasy Weeks 1-6. Continue to ride Hunt in a plus matchup as six-point favorites versus the New York Jets. And bet his overs on his rushing (37.5) and receptions props (2.5).
• The Jets also have two viable fantasy running backs in Michael Carter and Breece Hall. Carter got the start with a 60% snap share and 17 touches, but Hall was able to command a whopping ten targets (2 red-zone targets) on just a 45% snap share.
• Hard to rank Hall over Carter despite the former’s superior talent, but the usage is still in Carter’s favor. Both guys are in the RB3 conversation versus a stout Browns defense that allowed just 41 total rushing yards to RBs in Week 1 – the second-lowest mark in Week 1.
• Start Amari Cooper? Fat chance. After being out-targeted by Donovan Peoples-Jones by a hefty amount in Week 1 (11 vs. 6), Cooper has to show something with Jacoby Brissett under center before he can sniff starting lineups. Doesn’t work in his favor that he’s slated to match up with rookie Sauce Gardner. The first-round pick allowed just one catch for 8 yards on 35 coverage snaps in Week 1 (42.4 passer rating). Take the under on Cooper’s four receptions prop. Jets allowed the 7th-lowest completion rate in Week 1.
• As for the Jets WRs, Elijah Moore is still the only guy I’m going to trust. He ran the most routes among Gang Green’s receiving corps (89%) and still posted a decent target share (12%).
• I like Moore’s OVER on his low receiving prop of 47.5 receiving yards. He hit that number last week (49) and both D.J. Moore/Robby Anderson posted at least 47 receiving yards in their matchup versus Cleveland in Week 1. I also expect Corey Davis to face stud cornerback Denzel Ward more than any other Jets WRs, creating more opportunities for Moore to see volume. Go UNDER on Davis’ receiving yards props — 3.5 receptions, 42.5 receiving yards.
• These QBs are both horrible. Only matchup – besides DAL vs CIN – that features two QBs who finished bottom-10 in passing EPA in Week 1. Not shocking, this is the lowest total on the slate.
• At tight end, Tyler Conklin remains a play as a deep streamer. Ran a route on 81% of team dropbacks in Week 1 – 7th-best at the position.
• David Njoku‘s route participation was worse ( 68%) and he was out-targeted by Harrison Bryant. Need to see it first with Njoku before we can safely put him back into fantasy lineups.

Patriots at Steelers

• The injury for Najee Harris is concerning especially with a player that is so dependent on volume. He totaled just 12 touches for 26 yards in Week 1. And he did not return after his injury.
  He’s a low-upside fantasy RB2 with his health in question. Because if he’s out there, he should be getting the vast majority of touches that matter more than anything for fantasy production.
• Damien Harris barely got used more than Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 1, with the two splitting touches nearly 50/50. Ty Montgomery earned the majority of work in the passing game, which hurt both of the other Patriots RBs.
• However, this won’t be the case in Week 2, with Monty placed on IR this week. That should boost both Harris and Stevenson’s roles as receivers after they combined for just 15 routes run in Week 1.
• Gives each more fantasy upside, but I lean more on Stevenson being the main benefactor based on his play-making ability in space. Got to imagine a banged-up Mac Jones will be looking to check the ball down early and often. Plus the matchup is also great on the ground versus a T.J.Watt-less defense that has been suspect versus the run – despite a solid effort versus Joe Mixon in Week 1.
• The Pats own the fourth-best advantage when they rush per PFF’s OL/DL matchup chart.
• Diontae Johnson picked up where he left off last season, as the target hog in the Steelers offense. 12 targets and seven catches for 55 yards. He also dominated the target rate per route run (32%) and air yard share (30%) compared to the other Steelers’ WRs. Gross efficiency – 1.45 yards per route run – but in PPR we will take it.
• Chase Claypool tied Johnson in route participation (93%) but also added six carries in addition to his six targets. Again, the efficiency was gross – just 18 receiving yards – but the coaching staff’s willingness to feed Claypool as the big slot forecasts fantasy production. Especially considering Claypool’s 6-foot-4 and 238-pound frame will present problems for Patriots slot CB Myles Bryant who measures in at 5-foot-9, 185-pounds. Woof.
• Pat Freiermuth might already be an elite fantasy tight end. The Steelers second-year pro picked up where he left off last season, commanding ten targets for 75 receiving yards (5 receptions). His 27% target share ranked 1st in Week 1 among TEs and solidifies his status as a must-start fantasy TE1.
• DeVante Parker has a better matchup in Week 2 versus a Steelers secondary that allowed nearly 200 receiving yards and by the Bengals in Week 1. He ran a route on 100% of Mac Jones‘ dropbacks so I’d expect his production to follow suit with a top-tier role.

Buccaneers at Saints

• We just saw the New Orleans Saints run defense get absolutely decimated by a sub-par Falcons unit in Week 1.
• The Saints defense pressured Marcus Mariota on just 11% of his dropbacks – the lowest number in Week 1. And that was despite Mariota holding the ball for 4.63 seconds on average – the third-highest mark on the week. His mobility and the heavy play-action usage in the offense limited the Saints’ ability to generate pressure. Considering TB12 doesn’t offer any mobility or play in an offense that relies heavily on play action, the Saints defense should bounce back in a matchup they have performed well in the past against.
• Leonard Fournette played a 76% snap share in Week 1 and saw the second-highest route participation at the RB position. 15 touches in the 1st half alone. Even if the Saints defense shows up on Sunday, Lombardi Lenny has the volume on his side to overcome a potential tough matchup. Not to mention, the Buccaneers showed a willingness to run the football that differs dramatically from what they have done historically. They ranked 30th in pass play rate under neutral game script conditions on early downs and in the negative in pass play rate over expectation – very different from last season.
• Alvin Kamara totaled just 12 touches for 42 yards in Week 1, while backfield teammate Mark Ingram had 5 for 27. Kamara’s egregiously large workload was going to come down after last season, and that’s exactly how we saw things play out.
• Recall, that AK41 averaged 15 touches per game when in use in tandem with a healthy Mark Ingram last season. 24.2 touches without Ingram.
• If that doesn’t change, Kamara’s production won’t meet that of fantasy RB1, especially if his route participation stays below the 50% mark. And the fact that he is questionable after suffering a rib injury, make Kamara fall even farther down in my rankings. Ingram is a desperation fill-in play in a brutal matchup. The Saints’ all-time leading rusher finished as RB36, RB10 and RB13 — the two later performances coming with Kamara entirely out of the lineup — after being traded from the Texans last season in his first action in 2021. 
• Tampa Bay is the quintessential pass-funnel defense. They faced the 4th-most pass attempts (42) in Week 1. I expect Jameis Winston to sling it, providing him some appeal as a streamable quarterback off the Week 2 waiver wire.
• But remember that passing volume isn’t always a 1-for-1 replacement for fantasy production. The Buccaneers have a great real-life defense ranking fifth in pressure rate, first in net yards allowed per attempt and second in fewest fantasy points allowed to QBs from Week 1.
• Welcome back, Michael Thomas. The Saints No. 1 wide receiver looked healthy and made a splash in his return, catching five of eight targets for 57 receiving yards with two TDs to boot on just an 83% route participation – first, among Saints WRs (tied with rookie Chris Olave)
• However, he did not lead the Saints in targets – Jarvis Landry did (9, 28% target share). Wouldn’t surprise me to see Landry repeat his efforts operating from the slot.
• TE Juwan Johnson is a sneaky addition in some deeper formats and as a punt play in DFS.at the stone minimum of $2,500. The Saints tight end saw a lot of playing time as the primary pass-catching option, with an 80% route participation rate and 17% target share. Winston could lean on him early and often against a Buccaneers defense that allowed nine targets to Dalton Schultz in Week 1.

Colts at Jaguars

• Trevor Lawrence led all quarterbacks in passing air yards in Week 1 but failed to convert the volume into fantasy production. As a result, no quarterback scored fewer fantasy points versus expectation (28.3 versus 14.4) than the Jaguars second-year passer.
• But the fact that there was so much passing volume, bodes well for Lawrence to bounce back in the fantasy column, along with primary pass-catching weapons increasing their production from Week 1.
• Especially against a Colts defense that is much more vulnerable versus the pass than the run. The Texans RBs averaged just 2.9 yards per carry versus Indy in Week 1.
• So although James Robinson is viewed as the Jags starter, I wouldn’t put it past Travis Etienne to outproduce him as the more involved receiver. The Colts allowed ten targets to the RB position in Week 1.
• ETN drew more targets (4 vs 2), had a higher route participation (49% vs. 33%) and saw five red-zone touches to Robinson’s three in Week 1. As long as Etienne can start converting on some high-value touches, he will be a fantasy producer in Week 2.
• As for Jags WRs, keep playing Christian Kirk. He earned 3 red-zone targets, a 32% target share, and a 91% route participation in 1st game with the Jaguars. Zay Jones was also pretty involved as the clear-cut No. 2 commanding 3 red-zone targets and 24% target share while running a route on 91% of Lawrence’s dropbacks.
• The Jaguars allowed the second-most fantasy points to WRs in Week 1. Start Michael Pittman Jr.and his 27% target share from Week 1.
• Alec Pierce might miss this game with a concussion, which would thrust Ashton Dulin into a larger role on the outside. He saw 6 targets on just 14 routes run in Week 1, so he’s an intriguing DFS option for those looking to save salary at just $3,200 on DraftKings. In addition to six targets, Dulin also saw 95 air yards and two red-zone targets in Week 1.
• Need a QB streamer? Matt Ryan‘s your guy. The Jaguars gave up a QB3 overall finish to Wentz in Week 1. And Ryan’s QB19 finish from last week hardly signifies how he actually played because he had multiple drops from his receivers in the end zone. His expected fantasy point output (24.1, 7th) better displays his upside as a fantasy QB in Week 2.

Panthers at Giants

• Matt Rhule has transformed Daniel Jones into a dink-and-dunk conservative QB. The Giants passer posted the fewest air yards (120) and a bottom-10 aDOT (6.9). One Jones’ 21 attempts, only five were thrown 10-plus yards downfield.
• And that approach is music to the ears of Saquon Barkley‘s managers because in addition to more targets on the horizon – 33% target share in Week 1, 83% snap share, 82% opportunity share on 24 touches – he should have another excellent game as a rusher. The Panthers had no answers against the Browns rushing attack with their RB duo combining for over 180 rushing yards in Week 1.
• But outside Barkley, basically, nobody should be near your starting lineup for fantasy. As noted, I’d be aggressively pounding UNDERs on Giants WR props. Kenny Golladay at 31.5 receiving yards seems low, but he hasn’t surpassed 22 receiving yards in his last four games. He also saw just two targets in Week 1. Woof. Not to mention, the Panthers allowed just a 53% completion rate in Week 1.
• In DFS, Richie James Jr. is an interesting punt at just $3,200 on DraftKings. He posted a top-5 air yards share number in Week 1, to go along with a 29% target share while running a route on 71% of Daniel Jones‘ dropbacks.
• No team was more pass-happy than the Carolina Panthers on early downs with win probability between 20 and 80, excluding the final 2 minutes of the half. The Panthers threw the ball at an 82% clip under these neutral game script conditions in Week 1.
• A pass-heavy approach bodes well for a bounce-back performance from D.J. Moore.
• Moore was just one of nine WRs to run a route on 100% of his team’s dropbacks in Week 1 – elite usage for a WR. But he failed to turn his routes and 24% target share into worthwhile production catching just 3 passes for 43 yards.
• Still, his alpha role in Panthers offense cannot be ignored, which is why he’s a prime buy-low. Robbie Anderson isn’t catching a 75-yard TD every single week.
• And the matchup is favorable for Moore against the Giants secondary. Keep in mind they allowed two rookie WRs to combine for over 100 receiving yards on 14 targets in their first NFL games. In Week 1’s completion, they ranked bottom-10 in passing yards, average yards per attempt, yards per completion and passer rating allowed. It’s a vast difference from what Moore faced last week in CB Denzel Ward.
• The Giants gave up massive chunk plays to RB Dontrell Hilliard in the passing game in Week 1, so I’d anticipate Christian McCaffrey to find similar success through the air. CMC’s Week 1 target share was not impressive (16%), but his top-5 route participation suggests his receiving production will increase

Commanders at Lions

• The Detroit Lions generated just one pressure against an elite Eagles offensive line in Week 1. Washington’s offensive line is not nearly as good as Philly’s, but it bodes well for Carson Wentz to operate from a clean pocket. The ex-Colts quarterback tossed for 282 passing yards when kept upright in Week 1. He can be trusted as a streamer this week based on Washington’s willingness to let him throw to a diverse set of pass-catchers. The Commanders finished with the fifth-highest pass play rate under neutral game script conditions on early downs (66%), which was a large sample size of 41 plays.
• Wentz will also benefit from the No.1 most-favorable matchup per PFF’s OL/DL matchup chart when Washington drops back to throw. I’m taking the over on Wentz’s 235.5 passing yards prop. His FantasyPros projection has him tabbed for 256.5 passing yards.
• Antonio Gibson is a fantasy RB1 as long as Brian Robinson remains sidelined. The Washington running back totaled 21 touches in Week 1 – seven catches for 71 yards and 58 rushing yards. No. 2 RB Jd Mckissic totaled just six touches. Gibson more than tripled that volume with a 20% target share to boot and ran 6 more routes than McKissic. He led the entire team in receiving yards.
• And for those that fear when B-Rob returns, I think if Gibson continues this stretch of high-end production – he will remain the team’s fully entrenched starter. So hold him and ride out the fantasy RB1 production. He takes on the Lions in Week 2 – who allowed 5.7 yards per carry to RBs in Week 1. He’s a great value at $6,200 on DraftKings
• D’Andre Swift was ripping off huge runs behind the Lions elite OL in Week 1 – 15 carries for 144 yards, but the coaching staff continued to use Jamaal Williams in and around the goal-line.
• Swift scored once and Williams scored twice on five carries inside the 10-yard line. This usage definitely makes it tough for Swift to realize his top-tier fantasy potential with Williams getting the preferred usage near the opponent’s end zone.
• However, Swift has the ability to make up for a loss of red-zone touches in the receiving game, out-doing his RB teammate in route participation (64% versus 26%) by a vast margin.
• Keep starting Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Sun God showed in Week 1 that the end of last season was no fluke. 12 targets. 8 catches. 64 yards and one score. 32% target share. 92% route participation. He’s an every-week starter after combining for more targets than Swift and Hockenson in Week 1. Love taking the MORE on his 57.5 receiving yards line over on Prizepicks.com – use promo code PR-REQ653D. The Lions second-year WR has gone over that number in his last seven games played. And Washington allowed the fourth-most receiving yards to WRs in Week 1.
• Also, consider the “MORE” on Curtis Samuel‘s 45.5 receiving yards prop. He commanded a whopping 11 targets converting them into 8 catches for 55 yards on an 80% route run rate in Week 1. Also added four carries.
• Samuel is just one year removed from a top-25 fantasy finish and 23rd-ranked 1.94 yards per route run. He’s never finished worse than WR42 in any season he has played at least 13 games

Falcons at Rams

• Matthew Stafford could find himself back under pressure in Week 2, against a new-look Falcons front. They were able to harass Jameis Winston on 30% of his dropbacks, after failing to generate any lackluster pressure through all of the 2021 season.
• Los Angeles’ OL problems – seven sacks allowed on Thursday night – make it more likely that Stafford will feed targets towards Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee, making Allen Robinson tough to trust in his second game as a Ram.
• The Rams prized free agent acquisition ran a route on an outstanding 96% of Matthew Stafford dropbacks in Week 1 but was targeted just twice – lowest target rate per route run in Week 1 (4%) – with one end-zone target coming in total garbage time.
• It’s extremely concerning that A-Rob was a complete afterthought with Van Jefferson out of the lineup. Remember, Robinson’s playing time can’t increase. And considering we have never seen Robinson command targets with actual competition around him – including last season when Darnell Mooney out-produced him with the same bad QB play – I’d probably be looking elsewhere for an option in Week 2. Even after the up-and-down performances from Falcons perimeter CBs A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward Jr.
• I do feel pretty great about starting Darrell Henderson Jr. noting his elite usage from Week 1 as the clear-cut RB1 in the Rams offense over Cam Akers. Henderson not only dominated the snap share in the Los Angeles Rams (82%) backfield Thursday night over Akers, but he received elite usage in the passing game. His 78% route participation was par for the course for the Rams RB1 last season (82%) between Henderson and Sony Michel.
• And because the Rams operate with a one RB as the workhorse, it’s either going to be all-or-nothing for Henderson in Week 2 versus the Falcons. He’s worth the risk in season-long formats and in DFS as a fringe fantasy RB1. He finished as the RB15 in expected fantasy points among RBs in Week 1.
• Drake London led the way for the Falcons’ passing attack with five catches for 74 receiving yards. An excellent debut for the rookie after missing time in the summer due to injury.
• In PPR formats, I think that London is still on the FLEX radar because the LA Rams defense invites teams to complete passes on them. Last season, they ranked top-10 in both completions and completion rate allowed on defense. In Week 1, no team allowed a higher completion percentage (84%). Bodes well for Cordarelle Patterson to hit the over on his 2 receptions. He had three last week and Damien Williams has already been ruled out. Patterson’s 24% slot snap rate led all RBs in Week 1. 
• Marcus Mariota won’t do what Josh Allen did in Week 1 – Atlanta owns the biggest disadvantage when they elect to throw per PFF’s OL/DL matchup chart – but enough to feed some of his weapons for fantasy purposes.

Seahawks at 49ers

• It’s an absolutely brutal matchup for Rashaad Penny on the ground which will be tough to overcome especially if rookie Kenneth Walker eats into Penny’s 69% snap share – a top-10 mark in Week 1. No defensive line allowed fewer yards before contact than SF in Week 1.
• Brandon Aiyuk ran a route on 100% of his team’s dropbacks in Week 1 and he looks slated to ascend to the WR1 chair in San Francisco with Elijah Mitchell expected to miss time with an injury, thus forcing Deebo Samuel back into RB1. I’d start Aiyuk after he posted 47 yards on 3 touches with his elite usage and better weather conditions ahead in the future. George Kittle is already looking iffy to suit up for Sunday. The Seattle defense is primed to give up chunk plays as they allowed over 21 yards per reception to the Broncos WRs in Week 1.
• Jeff Wilson Jr. figures to be the featured SF RB with Elijah Mitchell out the next two months. He is going to split time with Deebo Samuel and likely another 49er RB, but it seems he at least has the goal-line job in grasp after seizing two carries inside the 5-yard line in Week 1.
• In four starts last season for the 49ers – played at least 58% of the snaps – Wilson averaged 17 carries, 65 rushing yards, 1.5 receptions and 0.5 TDs en route to 11 fantasy points per game. In two weeks he finished as a top-24 running back (17,3), with his other finishes no worse than RB36. But just make sure Tyrion Davis-Price and/or Jordan Mason aren’t available on waivers if we get tricked again by the 49ers backfield.
• DK Metcalf dominated the target share on Monday Night, but his 7 receptions went for just 36 receiving yards. Metcalf’s receiving ceiling isn’t the same with Geno Smith at QB, but the books have yet to adjust to this new reality. Pound the 58.5 receiving yards UNDER.

Bengals at Cowboys

• Ja’Marr Chase vs Trevon Diggs. In Week 1 Diggs allowed three catches for 33 yards. Dallas defense as a whole allowed 14.4 yards per catch to WRs in Week 1. But let’s not forget that Diggs allowed the most receiving yards allowed in coverage in 2021. If Tee Higgins can’t go…Chase is moving up the ranks.
• Dalton Schultz vs Bengals D: 115 receiving yards (2nd) and 12 targets (1st) to the TEs in Week 1. Buy low on Schultz.
• CeeDee Lamb – only catches came from the slot in Week 1 (65% slot rate). He’s not winning on the outside. Bengals slot CB Mike Hilton allowed four catches for 18 yards on 5 targets to Claypool in the slot. When he played well with Cooper Rush last season — 6 catches for 122 yards — Lamb played just a 6.8% slot snap rate. And you know who else did well in that game? Amari Cooper who went 8 catches for 122 yards and one score. How’s he doing with his new backup QB in Cleveland?
• Ezekiel Elliott (58%) and Tony Pollard (55%) saw very close snap rates in Week 1, which is concerning for those hoping Zeke can volume his way to RB2 fantasy production in a Cooper Rush-led offense. News flash people, that’s not going to happen.
• Elliott totaled only 11 touches to Pollard’s 8. And Zeke only ran a route on 39% of team dropbacks – outside the top-30 in Week 1 – because he was pass-blocking on a vast amount of dropbacks. Without guaranteed volume to fall back on, in an offense led by a back-up quarterback, in a matchup versus a defense that allowed Najee Harris to hit 23 yards on 10 carries, Zeke is a RB3 TD-or-bust in Week 2. Cincy owns the No. 2-graded run defense per PFF.
• In 11 games without Prescott, Zeke has scored 2 TDs averaging 12.3 PPR points per game. His 14.0-point projection on Prizepicks.com is too high.

Texans at Broncos

• No defense missed more tackles than the Houston Texans in Week 1. They missed 17 tackles which does not bode well for them stopping a fierce Denver rushing attack.
• Javonte Williams remains in the high-end RB2 conversation, while Melvin Gordon is flex-worthy after leading the Broncos in carries while also seizing two goal-line carries. MG3 definitely will benefit from the Broncos playing with a lead versus a run defense that allowed over 220 yards and 47 touches to Colts RBs in Week 1. Over on his 53.5 rushing yards prop.
• Courtland Sutton tied Jerry Jeudy with seven targets on Monday Night Football, with the latter coming away with the higher production total after a massive catch-and-run for a touchdown.
• However, this is hardly the time to jump off the Sutton bandwagon as the Denver Broncos No. 1 WR still commanded the lion’s share of air yards (44%, 121 air yards) while running a route on a team-high 98% of dropbacks. Both guys each saw two targets of 20-plus air yards, but Jeudy was the one that turned the high-value target into a 67-yard score.
• Start them both against the Texans who allowed 120-plus receiving yards to Michael Pittman Jr. in Week 1.
• Monday night treated us to Albert Okwuegbunam with solid tight end usage: 17% target share and 76% route participation. Trust in Albert O as a fringe TE1 as long as rookie Greg Dulcich remains sidelined.
• Dameon Pierce took a massive back seat to Rex Burkhead in Week 1. Rex saw more carries (14 vs 11) and out-targeted Pierce 8 to 1. All in all, Burkhead earned 19 touches and needs to be “the” Texans RB in starting fantasy lineups over the rookie. His 63% route participation is excellent for an RB and much larger than Pierce’s work as a receiver (13%). With Pierce’s workload somewhat ambiguous, I’d opt for the under on his 44.5 rushing yards prop.

Cardinals at Raiders

• The Raiders run defense might be sneakily underrated. They limited Austin Ekeler to the second-lowest rushing EPA (-7.6) among running backs in Week 1. And per PFF’s OL/DL matchup chart, the Cardinals are at the biggest disadvantage when they elect to run the football with James Conner.
• Conner was never going to be an efficient runner behind the Cardinals’ bottom-five OL, but it does make him a little more TD-dependent than fantasy managers would care to admit. He’s still a clear-cut bellcow (72% snap rate, top-10 in route participation, 17% target share), but it remains to be seen if he will hold up all season long with his long injury track record.
  
• For Week 1 in the props, I’d be looking to take the UNDER on Conner’s rushing lines.
• On the other side of the field, Josh Jacobs looks primed to take advantage of a horrible Cardinals run defense. He played 60% of the snaps in Week 1, handling 10 of the 13 backfield Raiders carries (77%) for 57 scoreless rushing yards. Zamir White did not play on offense.
• Jacobs’ role as receiver continues to be underwhelming – 40% route participation, one target – but the matchup is too good to pass up with his role on early downs. No defensive line allowed more yards before contact than the Cardinals in Week 1.
• Kyler Murray should bounce back after a pretty poor performance in Week 1. Although he did end up producing in fantasy football with two late TD scores, the Cardinals offense was out of sync all game long. Give credit to the underrated Chiefs defense, but Arizona’s poor game plan made things go from bad to worse.
• Luckily the Raiders’ secondary allowed the league’s second-highest passer rating in Week 1, just behind the Cardinals. Too bad defenses facing off in the dome suggest this game shoots out. And that bodes well for Murray, Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz to all be fantasy factors. Start them. Even if it takes another week of garbage time TDs for them to reach the promised land.
• Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller‘s target shares got nuked with the injection of Davante Adams introduced to the lineup. And considering the current state of the Cardinals secondary – there’s no reason to think Derek Carr won’t stop hyper-targeting his No. 1 WR leaving little for others to work with.
• Still, Renfrow’s 17% target share from last week combined with a high-scoring environment make him a fantasy-viable No. 3 option. But he’s by no means a must-start guy if you’d rather chase someone hot off waiver instead.

Bears at Packers

• If somebody in your league still thinks David Montgomery will be the Bears starter long-term, trade him immediately. Khalil Herbert totaled more yards (45) on eight fewer carries than Montgomery in Week 1 – 17 rushes for 26 yards. Monty’s -10.6 rushing EPA ranked dead last on the week. Herbert actually posted a positive rushing EPA of 4.3 – which ranked 8th on the week and saw 2 goal-line carries.
• Elijah Mitchell – 6.8 yards per carry before leaving with an injury.
• Aaron Jones – 19.5 fantasy points per game in 2 matchups versus Bears in Week 1. Packers 7th-highest implied team total as 10-point favorites on prime time. Bounce back spot for Aaron Rodgers and his two best weapons on offense ie. A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones.
• A.J. Dillon led the team in targets (6) not Jones (5) in Week 1 despite Jones’ top-three route participation at the running back position. Dillon also out-touched Jones 15 to 8 and got the red-zone work with two goal-line carries…continuing the usage trend from last season.
• Jones’ production is going to be heavily reliant on him as a receiver out of the backfield. My advice would be to sell Jones after a spiked week in production and buy Dillon before the market realizes he is the traditional RB1 in the Packers offense, with goal-line duties in hand. Luckily that spike week might be in Week 2 after Matt LaFleur vehemently spoke upon Jones’ 8 touches not being enough for one of his best playmakers.

Titans at Bills

• A lack of ball security put Devin Singletary in the doghouse during the first half of last season; so his two teammates both fumbling on Thursday night are a definite benefit to Motor Singletary maintaining the RB1 role on the Bills offense
• And even though Singletary only saw 10 touches and was out-targeted by Zack Moss, he ran a higher percentage of routes per dropback (47% vs 37%) and played a higher snap rate (59% vs 37%). It is slightly concerning that Moss did earn the lone red-zone carry among the Bills RBs, but Singletary did have a red-zone target for eight receiving yards.
• Buy him on the cheap while the masses think the Bills’ backfield is still a committee. Especially with the Titans coming up in Week 2, who allowed the most rushing yards to RBs in Week 1. His 44.5 rushing yards prop is super exploitable towards the OVER.
• Make Robert Woods prove to you he’s not total dust. 74% route participation in Week 1 and just two targets. UNDER 44.5 receiving yards is a stone-cold lock.

Vikings at Eagles

• Play Miles Sanders. He’s only going to be healthy for so long, and he won’t always have great matchups. The Vikings defense can be run on; they allowed 6.2 yards per carry and ranked 7th worst in EPA versus the rush in Week 1. Bet the OVER on Sanders’ 47.5 rushing yards prop on Prizepicks.com. Use promo code PR-REQ653D.
• And Sanders finally has a red-zone role (somewhat). 3 goal-line carries in Week 1. He had 6 all last season.
• He still lost some goal-line touches to both Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott who both also scored on Sunday. Still, you can play Sanders in plus-matchups, but he’s risky in game scripts that the Eagles might be trailing in.
• Don’t play DeVonta Smith. Super-low target rate per route run with A.J. Brown in the lineup (9%). Under on Smith’s Underdog Prop (44.5 receiving yards).

Fantasy Football Week 2 Rankings