Week 2 Matchups – Fantasy Football Player Spotlights

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL Football Season left me with a whole mix of feelings. Specifically for Fantasy Football, we witnessed some week-winning performances, major disappointments, surprise risers, terrible injuries, and roles being established.

It is always important to look beyond straight Fantasy points, as we can learn a lot from targets, snap percentages, total touches, efficiency numbers, and overall stat sheet production. We have to balance overreacting with appropriately pivoting with new information.

We only have a one-week sample size, but can hopefully utilize that sample size to draw beneficial conclusions for Week 2.

The purpose of this article will be to highlight players in each Sunday matchup, with the intent to help you out for either/both season-long Fantasy Football and NFL DFS. Being able to distinguish which players should stand out in a specific matchup can translate into winning Fantasy matchups and money.

Key Notes for NFL Week 2 FantasyFootball

Sunday Afternoon Slate

Ravens vs. Bengals

• Lamar Jackson: Last week, Deshaun Watson was able to score against the Bengals both through the air and on the ground. Three different Browns players had three or more receptions, which meant spreading the ball around. Last week was a quiet game for Lamar Jackson, who did not have to light it up in a 25-9 win. When I see dual-threat scoring for Deshaun Watson and spreading out the ball, that lines directly up with Jackson. We are hoping for a healthy Mark Andrews to pair with the wide receiver core of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Odell Beckham Jr. The Bengals will fight for a bounce-back week, so the Ravens offense will have to match, relying on Jackson doing more in this one.
• Tee Higgins: 6’4 – 216 lb wide receiver Nico Collins caught six passes for 80 yards against Baltimore last week, which makes me think of a similar sized 6’4 – 218 lb wide receiver for Cincinnati – Tee Higgins. Higgins was targeted eight times last week and caught none of them, leading to one of the most disappointing Fantasy weeks. Three seasons over 100 targets and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons make Higgins one of the best team WR2s in the NFL. The “get right” narrative along with a tough Baltimore offense gives me big hope for Tee in this one, with so much guaranteed Ja’Marr Chase focus.

Seahawks vs. Lions

• DK Metcalf: In Week 1, Patrick Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling twice for 48 yards and Justin Watson twice for 45 yards against Detroit. The combination of these two Chiefs receivers was four catches for 93 yards with an average of 23.25 yards per catch. Who comes to mind for Seattle? DK Metcalf. In Week 1 Geno Smith connected with DK three times for 47 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and a touchdown, and will look to take some deep shots to him again vs. Detroit this week.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: The big surprise of Week 1 was fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua’s 10 catches on 15 targets for 119 yards. Tutu Atwell also caught six passes for 119 yards against Seattle. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes on nine targets for 71 yards and a score against the Chiefs in Week 1. Great start for the Lions’ alpha wide receiver. Puka took on the Cooper Kupp role against Seattle which lit up their defense, and St. Brown will take on an extremely similar role now in Week 2.

Colts vs. Texans

• Anthony Richardson: Houston was the worst defense in the league against the run in 2022, and they continued to look bad at stopping the ground game against Baltimore in Week 1. The Ravens totaled 110 yards and three rushing touchdowns combined. Lamar Jackson finished the game 17/22 (77.27%) through the air. Deon Jackson was terribly inefficient on the ground in Week 1 for the Colts, and even if Zack Moss returns, it’s a mediocre backfield without Jonathan Taylor. Anthony Richardson threw for 223 yards last week and rushed for 40 scoring both through the air and on the ground. I would not be surprised if the ground game goes through him and he totals 75+ and another rushing score.
• Nico Collins: In Week 1, Calvin Ridley caught eight balls for 101 yards and a score and Zay Jones caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. Both Nico Collins and Robert Woods caught six targets in Week 1 from Cj Stroud with Collins finishing with 80 receiving yards and Woods with 57. Collins led the Texans with 11 targets, which makes it clear that he is Stroud’s number one. The success for Ridley and Jones plus the heavy targets for Collins last week should equal another good Collins week for Fantasy Football.

Bears vs. Buccaneers

• DJ Moore: Although Tampa Bay pulled off the win, Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 150 yards in the Vikings matchup. Typical Jefferson day at this point, right? Rookie Jordan Addison caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown which makes for over 200 receiving yards combined for those two alone. DJ Moore in Week 1 was shut down by Packers’ Jaire Alexander, catching both targets for just 25 yards. The same DJ Moore that has had four straight seasons of 118+ targets and three seasons of over 1,100 receiving yards. Justin Fields passing the ball 37 times last week was encouraging, so expect another “get right” game narrative here for DJ Moore.
• Rachaad White: Last week a great call of mine was Aaron Jones having a great day against Chicago. Jones had the Bears’ number last year, but Chicago struggled with running backs in general. Jones rushed nine times for 41 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown and also caught two passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. In Week 1 Rachaad White was terribly inefficient against the Vikings, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. The encouraging sign for White was playing 79% of the snaps and touching the ball 19 times. So against Chicago, who has struggled with running backs, if White sees a similar role he should have a much better week.

Chiefs vs. Jaguars

• Patrick Mahomes: It may sound useless to say Patrick Mahomes should be the Chiefs highlight, but for DFS purposes this might be the week to pay up. There have been major questions about the passing abilities and competency of rookie Anthony Richardson, but in Week 1 he looked more than fine throwing 24/37 (64.85%) and for 223 passing yards vs. the Jaguars. Six Kansas City players had two or more catches in Week 1 with running back Isiah Pacheco leading the team with four. If Travis Kelce misses again, Mahomes is legit the only Chief to trust, and even if that is the case I truly do this week.
• Travis Etienne: In Detroit’s win over the Chiefs, David Montgomery rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown while rookie Jahymyr Gibbs averaged six yards per carry. The run game was effective. Week 1 Travis Etienne rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown as well as caught five passes. Many people had wondered what rookie Tank Bigsby’s impact would be on Etienne’s workload, but it was clear who the RB1 was with Etienne pacing Bigsby 23 to seven in total touches. Etienne playing 80% of the snaps is “nuff said” for his role as well. Good Week 1 with a solid Week 2 opportunity to continue hot.

Packers vs. Falcons

• Luke Musgrave: In Week 1, Hayden Hurst was the Panthers leading receiver across the board catching five of seven targets for 41 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta. This looks encouraging for rookie Luke Musgrave, who played 75% of the snaps and caught three of his four targets for 50 yards. There was a play Musgrave could have scored on in Week 1 that he would love back as well. Speaking of love, Jordan Love looked well connected with Musgrave for some bigger plays which bodes well for this matchup even if Christian Watson returns.
• Bijan Robinson: Week 1 resulted in not Bijan Robinson but Tyler Allgeier drawing the most Fantasy Football talk out of the Atlanta backfield. Allgeier rushed the ball 15 times for 75 yards and scored twice from the red zone. Bijan rushed 10 times for 56 yards and caught all six targets with one resulting in a touchdown. So not a bad Bijan week but Allgeier was surprisingly the better play. In garbage time last week, Bears rookie Roschon Johnson caught six of his seven targets for 35 yards against the Packers. If Green Bay can be exploited with a running back catching passes, then Bijan would be the one to look at due to both Week 1 and his overall skillset.

Raiders vs. Bills

• Josh Jacobs: A horrible injury to Aaron Rodgers in Week 1 ending his season due to an Achilles tear against Buffalo. Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook ended up combining for 23 rushing attempts and four receptions in Week 1. Hall rushed for 127 yards, looking like he never tore his ACL. This is encouraging for Josh Jacobs, who only rushed for 48 yards but still attempted 19 rushes and finished with 21 total touches. Last year’s rushing leader can certainly get back on track in Week 2 if he follows Breece Hall’s footsteps.
• Dalton Kincaid: The Broncos put up 16 points against the Raiders last week, with the passing game being very spread out across the board. Tight end Greg Dulcich ended up getting banged up resulting in a bump in Adam Trautman’s role, and those two combined for seven catches. Dalton Kincaid was on the field for 80% of the snaps in Week 1, which was a great sign, even if Dawson Knox was on the field for 84% of them. Both tight ends split in targets four to four with Knox having one more receiving yard (26 to 25). Both tight ends will continue to be on the field, but the first round selection in Kincaid should be the more featured option in the passing game with Josh Allen simply due to the difference in skillsets. Week 2 could be the jump forward.

Chargers vs. Titans

• Mike Williams: Tennessee was extremely friendly for wide receivers in 2022, and it carried over into 2023 Week 1 against the Saints. Chris Olave caught eight passes for 112 yards (14 yards per catch), Rasheed Shaheed caught five for 89 yards (17.8 yards per catch) and Michael Thomas caught five passes for 61 yards (12.2 yards per catch). While Keenan Allen continues to be Justin Herbert’s primary target, I feel those yards per catch numbers directly apply to Mike Williams. Even with Mike Williams leaving the game briefly in the second quarter, rookie Quentin Johnston only played 27% of the snaps and was targeted three times. This could certainly be a Mike Williams week.
• Treylon Burks: The quarterback and wide receiver combo highlight of Week 1 was Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill. 466 passing yards and three passing touchdowns for Tua, with 215 of those yards and two touchdowns going to Hill. Week 1 was a terrible game for Ryan Tannehill as he passed for under 200 yards and had three interceptions. DeAndre Hopkins was my original spotlight here, but he is trending in the wrong direction with an ankle injury. Although Nick Westbrook-Ikhine out-targeted Treylon Burks last week, I feel confident the Titans get their first-round investment involved this week. We saw flashes last season when healthy, and being on the field for 90% of the snaps in Week 1 was the first good sign.

49ers vs. Rams

• Christian McCaffrey: Another take here where I am saying that one of the best players in the game could have a good week, but seeing Kenneth Walker III’s efficiency in Week 1 against LA makes this a push. Walker only carried the ball 12 times but for 64 yards (5.3 yards per carry). We typically highlight CMC as a premier pass-catcher, but in Week 1 the 152 rushing yards vs Pittsburgh reminded me how good he is as an all-around talent. Along with San Fran’s offensive line.
• Tyler Higbee: The 49ers beat up the Steelers 30-7 in Week 1. The seven came from Pat Freiermuth, who saw three end zone looks in the game. Tyler Higbee did not live up to expectations for Week 1, but with Puka Nacua and Tut Atwell both finishing with 119 receiving yards he did not have to do as much. With such a tough defense, the easier outlet to Tyler Higbee from Matthew Stafford may be easier than the plays he made last week to Puka and Atwell. Higbee did lead LA in targets in 2022.

Giants vs. Cardinals

• Daniel Jones: Week 1 was one of Daniel Jones’ worst performances as a pro in the 40-0 Cowboys loss. Seeing Sam Howell go 19/31 for 202 yards in his first ever start with both a passing and rushing touchdown gives us hope for Daniel Jones to have a better day. Arizona is one of the worst rosters in the NFL, and is the perfect game for Jones to shake off a horrible Week 1 ands get back on track.
• James Conner: The defense and special teams were the real MVPs of the Cowboys blowout win over the Giants last week. Tony Pollard was also very efficient, carrying the ball 14 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Insert James Conner, who did not have the biggest Fantasy Week 1 but still touched the ball 19 times. 19+ touches at 84% of the snaps is a workhorse, and Arizona might just run him into the ground. Be aware and check on his calf injury that popped up yesterday.

Jets vs. Cowboys

• Dalvin Cook: Hear me out on this one – should the Cowboys have yet another blowout win against the Zach Wilson-led Jets, I doubt Breece Hall gets over-utilized. Hall tore his ACL last season. Dalvin Cook had 16 touches to Hall’s 11 in Week 1, and I can see plenty of garbage time play for the veteran over the recovering young running back.
• Jake Ferguson: In Week 1, Josh Allen targeted tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox a combined eight times. In week 1, Jake Ferguson did not do anything special but it is important to note that he was targeted seven times in Week 1 which was more than CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. Cooks just popped up on the injury report today with a sprained MCL as well.

Commanders vs. Broncos

• Jahan Dotson: It was Jakobi Meyers who led the Raiders in Week 1 over the Broncos, catching nine passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Davante Adams caught six passes for 66 yards as well. While Curtis Samuel led Washington in receiving yards with 54, Jahan Dotson tied him for receptions but paced the wide receiver room in targets (7). I truly believe Dotson can lead Washington in targets this season, and seeing his connection in pre-season with Sam Howell has me excited for his year. Week 2 can be the start of a Dotson run.
• Javonte Williams: Week 1 the Commanders beat the Cardinals 20-16, with not much offense from Arizona. James Conner did rush for 62 yards on 14 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and caught five passes. This makes me instantly think of Javonte Williams, who averaged four yards per carry and was targeted six times. Williams’ snap percentage was at 45%, but 17 touches for a running back who is coming off of a major injury brings optimism. Should Williams stay involved in the passing game even with Samaje Perine, his Fantasy Football scoring should trend up.

Sunday Night Football

Dolphins vs. Patriots

• Jaylen Waddle: Both AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith caught six of their 10 targets with Brown going for 79 yards and Smith for 47 and a touchdown. Last week, Tyreek Hill put the league on notice for 215 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle fell in Hill’s shadow, even though he himself finished with 78 yards. Waddle’s 19.5 yards per reception matched Hill’s. Waddle is coming off of a 1,300+ yard season and has had a solid connection the last two seasons with Tua Tagovailoa, so Week 2 just might be his turn.
• Rhamondre Stevenson: In Week 1 Austin Ekeler rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, which is not the upside we typically attach to Ekeler who is one of the league’s best pass-catching backs. Joshua Kelley also ran for 91 yards and a touchdown. While Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott both had work (18 touches to 11), Stevenson displayed his upside through the air with 64 receiving yards. Stevenson was not efficient on the ground, but his 12 to Zeke’s seven carries gives him the higher opportunity to exploit the Patriots like Ekeler did.