Week 1 is always the most challenging article to predict, but we’re happy with our results from last week. Cooper Kupp was our highlight player and proved why he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL. What’s fascinating about last week is that every tight end played horribly. No player drafted as a top-10 tight end finished with 50 receiving yards. We have to assume that will change this week.

The premise behind this article is simple: Identify fantasy football smash plays on the fringe of your starting lineup. We rarely recommend a top-10 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical Flex spots. when making fantasy start sit decisions.

With that in mind, let’s dive into this week’s smash starts.

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Fantasy Football Smash Starts for Week 2

Quarterback

Jared Goff (QB – DET) vs. TB

We listed Jared Goff here numerous times last season when he was at home because something changed with him when plays in Detroit. In the previous two seasons, Goff has averaged 25 fantasy points per game at Ford Field. He’s also averaging nearly 300 yards per game in those circumstances and shouldn’t have any issues reaching that total against Tampa’s terrible secondary.

The Buccaneers allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL last season. They also surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points, with Goff throwing for 354 yards and two touchdowns against them last year. Not to mention, Tampa lost three secondary players due to injury last week.

Running Back

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE) vs. SEA

People weren’t sure if Rhamondre Stevenson would get all the work in New England, but Week 1 was an encouraging sign. The Patriots back led the team with 25 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. He also added three catches to his resume while playing in 78% of the team’s snaps.

That snap share is the most impactful variable because he has averaged 15 fantasy points per game when he gets at least nine carries over the last two years. A matchup with Seattle doesn’t scare us, with the Seahawks surrendering 4.6 yards per carry last year, the fifth-worst total in the NFL.

Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) at JAX

Jerome Ford was falling to the end of drafts, and it’s hard to understand why. He was a stud when filling in for Nick Chubb last season, averaging 13 fantasy points per game in the 11 outings he played at least 35 snaps. That’s awesome since he saw 51 snaps in Week 1, scoring 16 fantasy points on 18 touches. A 75% snap share backed those 18 touches. It truly looks like Ford will be the bell-cow back for this team. Facing a 17th-ranked Jacksonville defense isn’t going to stray us away from this workhorse back.

Najee Harris (RB – PIT) at DEN

Fantasy managers thought this would be a split between Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, but that wasn’t the case in Week 1. Harris played nearly double the amount of snaps as Warren, rushing for 70 yards and 20 carries. Getting 20 totes is quite the workload, especially since Warren only saw two carries in that 18-10 win over Atlanta.

Part of that is Warren recovering from an injury, but we have to assume Harris will get 15-20 carries in this positive game script. Not only is Pittsburgh a favorite, but they also face a Denver team that surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing rushers last year. The last time he faced the Broncos, Harris had 142 total yards and a touchdown.

Wide Receiver

Drake London (WR – ATL) at PHI

People are panicking about Drake London after his two receptions for 15 yards in Week 1, but we’re going right back to him. Fantasy managers chose this guy in the third round for a reason: He had nearly 70 catches for 1,000 yards last season. He did that with some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL, and he’ll inevitably get better with Kirk Cousins behind center. Cousins made Justin Jefferson the best wideout in fantasy, and a matchup with Philly would be a great way to get London back on track. The Eagles surrendered the second-most passing yards in the NFL last year and gave up 29 points in Week 1.

Rashee Rice (WR – KC) vs. CIN

Rashee Rice was falling to the fifth round in some leagues because of off-the-field issues, but that’s looking like one of the biggest draft mistakes. Despite being dominated in time of possession, Rice had seven catches for 103 yards in Week 1. That’s on par with the stud we saw in the second half of last season, who averaged 6.9 receptions and 78 receiving yards over the final 10 games of his rookie campaign.

This youngster is blossoming with Patrick Mahomes and he could become a top-five wideout with that type of opportunity. He also had 127 yards in a matchup with Cincy at the end of last season, which is no surprise since they allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL.

Tight End

Colby Parkinson (TE – LAR) at ARI

Figuring out a tight end outside of the top 10 will be challenging all season, especially since no one inside the top 10 even reached 50 yards in Week 1. That will have us taking a bizarre route here, with Wilkinson looking like a potential breakout tight end. He already took over as the starting tight end for Tyler Higbee, but Puka Nacua‘s absence could make him one of the top targets in this offense. He played in 88% of the snaps in Week 1 and was second on the team with four catches for 47 yards. Cooper Kupp should draw all the attention from here on out, but Parkinson could be a sneaky pickup for next month.

D/ST

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST at CAR

Not enough people are talking about how great Jim Harbaugh’s defenses typically are, and they got out to a fantastic start when they held the Vegas Raiders to 10 points in Week 1. This is an underrated unit with two of the best defensive ends in the NFL. They shouldn’t have any issues going off against Carolina.

The Panthers were last in points scored and total yardage last season and looked just as bad in Week 1. The Saints scored 15 fantasy points against the Panthers in Week 1. We genuinely believe double-digit fantasy points are close to a guarantee against this terrible team. The oddsmakers agree, making L.A. a 6.5-point favorite in a game with a minuscule 39-point total.

Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.