Week 1 in the NFL was full of excitement, surprises, and our off-season questions being answered. If you need a recap of what happened, check out my Must Know Fantasy Football Notes: Week 1. What is most important from Week 1, is that we can use all of the information gathered to project forward for Week 2. The NFL teams did a lot of learning as well, and can certainly identify ways to improve, but their performances can give us a baseline for matchup details to know.
Each week in this series I look at every matchup and break down who can be successful within that matchup for Fantasy Football and/or DFS. I look at yardage allowed, Fantasy Points allowed, usage, and other variables to highlight players I truly believe can have a big week. After a week’s set of games, I will give you a follow-up of both my hits and misses from this series. Some misses from Week 1 include Pat Freiermuth, Tyjae Spears, DJ Moore, Javonte Williams, Taysom Hill, Davante Adams, and Gus Edwards. Here are some of the hits below:
- Jayden Reed – 33.1. Fantasy Points
- Saquon Barkley -33.2 Fantasy Points
- CJ Stroud – 18.7 Fantasy Points
- Brian Thomas Jr – 14.7 Fantasy Points
- Tua Tagovailoa – 18.6 Fantasy Points
- Bijan Robinson – 16.1 Fantasy Points
- Kenneth Walker III – 18.9 Fantasy Points
- Aaron Jones – 18.9 Fantasy Points
- Wan’Dale Robinson – 11.8 Fantasy Points
- Jayden Daniels – 28.2 Fantasy Points
- Mike Evans – 23.1 Fantasy Points
- Cooper Kupp – 32 Fantasy Points
There are always going to be hits and misses, but the important thing is learning from them in both instances. I felt great about my takes from last week, and I am looking for some momentum in Week 2. This article intends to dig into each matchup and highlight players who can be successful, which can be useful for you as the reader to know for your Fantasy Football leagues and sports betting. Week 2 – let’s get it!
Fantasy Football Matchup Winners: Week 2
Browns vs. Jaguars
In Week 1, no Miami Dolphin player rushed for over 26 total yards but they did have two players (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle) surpass 100 receiving yards. Jerry Jeudy’s eight targets in Week 1 were one shy of Amari Cooper’s leading nine, but Jeudy was the more productive receiver. Jeudy caught three passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut against the Cowboys, who smacked the Browns 33-17. David Njoku is set to miss Week 2 with an ankle injury, so Jeudy’s role could be even more important in Week 2 in terms of target share. Jeudy is in FLEX territory against the Jaguars.
First-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. was highlighted in last week’s article and had a solid NFL debut for the Jaguars. BTJ caught all four of his targets for 47 yards and a touchdown, which meant 14.7 Fantasy Points. Thomas Jr. drew a pass interference from Jalen Ramsey in the end zone, which makes you wonder if he could have had two touchdowns in the opener. I have said this before and I will say it again – I think Thomas Jr brings different upside qualities that Christian Kirk and Evan Engram do not. BTJ led the nation in receiving touchdowns in 2023, then scores in the opener, which to me is just math adding up. CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks did not have to do too much against the Browns in the Week 1 blowout but combined for nine catches for 101 receiving yards and a touchdown. Brian Thomas Jr. has earned a FLEX spot in lineups.
Raiders vs Ravens
Rashee Rice caught seven passes for 103 receiving yards in Week 1 against the Ravens. Via playerprofiler.com, Rice finished with 22 slot snaps. Jakobi Meyers may come to mind when it comes to the slot for the Raiders, but I would rather plug in first-round rookie Brock Bowers, who finished with 19 slot snaps. Bowers finished with eight targets in Week 1, which was one less than Davante Adams (six) and Jakobi Meyers (three) combined. Bowers caught six of his targets for 58 yards and was the best receiving option of the day for the Raiders. I am not sure Bowers will always out-produce Adams, but I do believe his high importance to the Raiders will be very sticky all year and that he needs to be in all lineups. Especially knowing Gardner Minshew will be playing from behind in this one against a tough Ravens offense.
JK Dobbins screamed “I’m back” last week against the Raiders, rushing 10 times for 135 yards and a touchdown. With that being said, I think we hear Derrick Henry scream “I’m back” next after a down week. Henry rushed just 13 times for 46 yards in Week 1 against the Chiefs, and even though he scored his first touchdown as a Raven it felt like a poor outing vs expectation. Playing from behind against the Chiefs did not favor Henry at the end of the day, who played 46% of the snaps while pass-catching running back Justice Hill played 54%. The game script against the Raiders in Week 2 should be quite the opposite, which could mean Henry having his first game as a Raven with the workload we expect paired with the Fantasy scoring we expect.
Chargers vs Panthers
The Panthers allowed Alvin Kamara to rush a highly efficient (5.5 yards per attempt) 83 yards on 15 attempts and a rushing touchdown Week 1. Jamaal Williams also punched in a rushing touchdown. The Panthers were an extremely running back-friendly matchup in 2023, and that looks to have carried over into 2024. JK Dobbins was a player with a lot of uncertainty surrounding him heading into this season due to his injury history, but was one of the biggest surprise performances of Week 1. Dobbins rushed 10 times for 135 yards (13.5 yards per attempt) and a touchdown, as well as caught three passes. Gus Edwards rushed one more time than Dobbins but for an extremely inefficient 26 yards. Week 2 presents a great matchup for Dobbins to build off of, and I would not be surprised if he earns a larger workload due to the difference in production from Week 1 vs Gus Bus.
Jakobi Meyers caught three passes for 61 yards and Brock Bowers caught six passes for 58 yards Week 1 against the Chargers. What this wide receiver and tight end duo has in common is that they both operated plenty from the slot, with Meyers playing 26 slot snaps (#14 for wide receivers) and Bowers playing 19 slot snaps (#5 for tight ends). Who comes to mind on the Panthers? Adam Thielen – who played 28 slot snaps (#11 for wide receivers) in Week 1, who also led the Panthers in receiving yards with 49 on three catches. The Panthers did add Diontae Johnson and drafted Xavier Legette this off-season, but this should not dismiss Thielen’s established connection to Bryce Young which was evident by his 137 targets in 2023. Thielen is a sneaky FLEX play in Week 2.
Check out all of our Week 2 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Saints vs Cowboys
David Njoku led the Browns in receiving against the Cowboys in Week 1 with four receptions for 44 yards. Foster Moreau caught four passes for 43 yards and a touchdown and Juwan Johnson caught two passes for 26 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ big 47-10 win over the Panthers. Moreau is in concussion protocol, which could mean he will miss Week 2. This all could add up to Johnson being a tight end streamer this week for Fantasy Football.
The Saints allowed Adam Thielen 16.3 yards per reception, Jonathan Mingo 20 yards per reception, and David Moore 14 yards per reception in Week 1. Veteran Brandin Cooks caught four passes for 40 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, which meant 14.5 Fantasy Points. Cooks was targeted seven times in Week 1, and with Jake Ferguson looking like he will miss Week 2 due to his knee issue the likelihood that Cooks is targeted well in Week 2 increases. Cooks is a sneaky FLEX option this week.
Buccaneers vs Lions
Cooper Kupp opened up Week 1 on fire against the Lions, catching 14 balls for 110 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kupp finished with the most slot snaps in Week 1. Chris Godwin finished Week 1 with the 17th most slot snaps in Week 1 against the Commanders, leading Tampa Bay in both receptions (eight) and receiving yards (83) on top of scoring. With Cooper Kupp’s successes from the slot against the Lions will come the slot success of Chris Godwin in what should be a passing-scripted Week 2 matchup.
David Montgomery opened up the season rushing 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown. 17 rushing attempts is solid volume, the 91 yards was an efficient 5.4 yards per carry, and he did what he did best last season by scoring. Jayden Daniels rushed for two touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 1, and Brian Robinson added another touchdown. Montgomery’s upside is going for six, so the Commanders rushing for three scores last week should be encouraging for Monty in Week 2.
Colts vs Packers
Saquon Barkley went wild against the Packers in Week 1. Barkley rushed 24 times for 109 yards and two scores and also caught two passes with one of those going for a touchdown as well. Jonathan Taylor opened up the season also with a rushing touchdown but rushed a fairly inefficient 48 yards on 16 attempts. The Packers struggled against the run last season, and they look to be following the same path in 2024. Look for Taylor to have a huge rushing day on the ground, and I feel he is an easy bet for an “Anytime TD”. The Colts are likely to face the Packers’ backup quarterback, which could mean even more of an emphasis on the run game and eating up that clock.
Joe Mixon ran wild on the Colts in Week 1. Mixon finished with 30 rushing attempts for 159 yards and a touchdown and also added three receptions. Josh Jacobs rushed 16 times for 84 yards, which was an efficient 5.2 yards per carry, and caught two passes. Malik Willis is likely going to be the Green Bay starter in Week 2 due to Jordan Love’s injury. The volume Mixon had in Week 1 against the Packers could be matched by Jacobs in Week 2, and with volume comes the increased opportunity for Fantasy production. The Packers may lean on Jacobs a ton in Week 2.
49ers vs Vikings
Jordan Mason is a must-start player in the event Christian McCaffrey does not play in Week 2. 28 rushing attempts for Mason in Week 1 was an unbelievable volume and he produced 147 rushing yards paired with a rushing touchdown. If you watched that 49ers game against the Jets, there was no indication that Mason was a backup running back. The game script against the Vikings in Week 2 could certainly emphasize the run yet again, which would mean plugging Mason back into lineups if CMC is out.
Aaron Jones was the most impressive Viking for Fantasy Football in Week 1. Jones rushed 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, which was an extremely efficient 6.71 yards per attempt leading to a score. Jones caught two passes for 15 yards as well in Week 1 against the Giants. Breece Hall rushed 16 times for 54 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 39 yards as well against the 49ers. I could see similar usage for Jones in Week 2 against San Fran, especially in the passing department with the Vikingd already without TJ Hockenson and the potential for Jordan Addison to miss time now as well.
Seahawks vs Patriots
Zack Moss rushed nine times for 44 yards and a touchdown and also caught two passes in the Week 1 surprising Bengals loss to the Patriots. Kenneth Walker III opened up the season on fire, rushing 20 times for 103 yards, a rushing touchdown, and two receptions. As I am writing this Thursday, reports tell us that KWIII has been missing practice with the oblique injury he sustained in Week 1. If KWIII is a go, then fire him right back up. If KWIII misses Week 2, I feel Zach Charbonnet is also a decent play against the Patriots. Charbs scored a receiving touchdown and would see solid volume in Walker’s absence.
Rhamondre Stevenson was the only Patriot who scored over 10 Fantasy Points in Week 1, and he had a major 21.6 Fantasy Points week. 25 rushing attempts for 120 rushing yards, a touchdown, and three receptions were major volume and production. Stevenson may be the only Patriot you can trust until we see this offense operate differently.
Jets vs Titans
Allen Lazard has an extensive history with Aaron Rodgers back in Green Bay, and that connection was clear in Week 1 against the 49ers. Lazard caught six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, resulting in a massive Fantasy week. Let’s not get crazy and expect Lazard to out-produce Garrett Wilson every week, but seeing this Green Bay-turned-New York connection in Week 1 could mean FLEX value moving forward.
Jordan Mason torched the Jets in Week 1, rushing 28 times for 147 yards and a rushing touchdown. Tony Pollard scored a rushing touchdown in his Titans debut against the Bears and rushed efficiently totaling 82 yards on 16 rushing attempts (5.1 yards per carry). We were unsure of what the split would look like between Pollard and Tyjae Spears this season, but Pollard totaled 19 touches to Spears’ eight in the opener. If Pollard can produce a fraction of what Mason did against the Jets, he is worth the start in your lineups.
Giants vs Commanders
Chris Godwin caught eight passes for 83 yards and a receiving touchdown, Mike Evans caught five passes for 61 yards and two receiving touchdowns, and rookie Jalen McMillan scored in his NFL debut through the air. First-round rookie Malik Nabers caught five passes for 66 yards in his NFL debut, which felt below expectations, but this matchup is the perfect for him to have his first huge week. The Commanders were a great matchup through the air in 2023 and looked exactly the same in 2024. There is plenty of upside attached to Nabers’ profile, and I think we see that on full display in Week 2.
Jayden Daniels is a must-start every week. Daniels threw 17/24 for 184 passing yards and then rushed 16 times for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Daniels’ LSU profile was the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback and we know how that can translate to Fantasy Football. Daniels finished Week 1 as the QB3 in Fantasy Points with 28.2, and the list of quarterbacks I would start over him for Fantasy Football is shrinking.
Rams vs Cardinals
Kyren Williams answered many questions and skepticism in Week 1 as he played 91% of the snaps. Rookie Blake Corum worried many Fantasy managers entering this season as a guy who could steal work from Williams, but he ended up just being a special teams guy. Williams rushed 18 times for 50 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for four yards. Very inefficient day for Kyren, but the Cardinals matchup presents a great opportunity to bounce back to his 2023 form. James Cook rushed for 71 yards in Week 1 against the Bills, and Josh Allen punched in two scores with his legs. I am feeling a big Kyren week, especially with the impact of Puka Nacua being out of the lineup since hitting the IR.
Jameson Williams torched the Rams in Week 1, catching five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. I am not sure the Cardinals have a receiver who profiles like Jamo, but we saw a ton of upside out of Trey McBride last season connected to Kyler Murray. McBride was targeted nine times in the opener and caught five of those attempts for 30 receiving yards. I can see the targets being high yet again in this matchup against the Rams, but in this case, it is more of the 2023 connection. McBride caught seven of his nine targets against the Rams for 60 yards in Week 12 last season and finished with 62 yards against the Rams in Week 6 playing a limited role (58% of the snaps).
Steelers vs Broncos
Najee Harris rushed 20 times for 70 yards and also caught a pass for nine in the Week 1 opener vs the Falcons. 21 touches for Najee was a good gap ahead of Cordarrelle Patterson’s and Jaylen Warren’s four a-piece. The Broncos present a great running back matchup, which was evident in 2023 and carried over into 2024 seeing Kenneth Walker III’s 103 rushing yards and a touchdown. The game script should be in Najee’s favor as well, which could mean another 20 or so touches but with more production in Week 2.
Bijan Robinson rushed for 68 yards and caught five passes for 43 yards in the Week 1 opener vs. the Steelers. Jaleel McLaughlin rushed 10 times to Javonte Williams’ eight times and also caught five passes to Williams’ one pass. I am not declaring Jaleel as the Broncos’ RB1, but I am simply stating that in PPR leagues McLaughlin could be a play if this role is sticky. If you are in a deeper league and need some points out of a running back, this Week 2 matchup could be McLaughlin useful.
Bengals vs Chiefs
Joe Burrow threw an efficient 21/29 but for low yardage and no passing touchdowns in Week 1. This was against the Patriots. Now, you face the defending Super Bowl Champions led by arguably the greatest quarterback ever. Maybe flashbacks of beating Mahomes to clinch a Super Bowl trip back in January of 2022 could bring Burrow confidence this week. Ja’Marr Chase caught all six of his targets for 62 yards last week and that was with Tee Higgins out. Chase was verbally agitated by his usage and still has his contract desires looming. If there was a week that Chase sees 15 Joe Burrow targets, it would be Week 2 against the Chiefs.
Rhamondre Stevenson ate up the Bengals last week, rushing 25 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. Isiah Pacheco will look to do the same to the Bengals in Week 2. Pacheco opened up the season rushing 15 times for 45 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 33 yards as well. Establishing the run against the Bengals after seeing them struggle against it last week could be in the cards in Week 2. Do not forget that in 2023 Pacheco rushed for 130 yards against the Bengals, and caught seven passes with one as a touchdown in Week 17.
Bears vs Texans (Sunday Night Football)
Caleb Williams did a whole lot of nothing in Week 1 against the Titans to secure a win. Williams threw 14/29 for 93 yards and rushed five times for 15 yards. The Bears still went on to win 24-17 due to their defense and special teams. In Week 1 against the Texans, Anthony Richardson threw for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, rushed for 56 yards, and scored a rushing touchdown. Houston simply struggled to deal with the playmaking of Richardson, and although Caleb profiles as a different type of playmaker it could be the same outcome in Week 2. The Texans will be a tough matchup which means an emphasis on Caleb Williams proving to be the prospect we all saw him as. Look for Williams to make a statement in Week 2.
Tony Pollard rushed 16 times for 82 yards and a touchdown as well as caught three passes against the Bears. Joe Mixon went absolutely nuts in his debut as a Texan, rushing 30 times for 159 yards and a score as well as catching three passes for 19 yards. Mixon’s 23.9 Fantasy Points was the second-highest score of the week for the position, and I believe he can build off of a strong start for Houston in Week 2. The workload plus the quality of the Texans’ offense elevates Mixon’s ceiling for Fantasy.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!