Week 2 Monday Night Football Preview: Rams vs. Giants

The Rams are coming off of a brutal beatdown in the land down under, while the Giants shined in a divisional showdown. For the first time in a while, there are questions about Los Angeles’ offense. From the clear starts to the question marks, a full preview of Monday Night Football from a fantasy football lens in Week 2.

More Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | Players You Can Drop | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Re-Draft Trade Targets | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Dynasty Risers and Fallers | Weekly Rankings | Game Previews

Monday Night Football Preview

New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams (-7) O/U: 47.5

Clear Starts: Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers, Kyren Williams

Matthew Stafford – QB, Los Angeles Rams

After leading the league in passing yards and passing TDs, Matthew Stafford put up a stinker. This was Stafford’s first game without a passing TD since 2024. This was a divisional game against a great opponent. Additionally, Week 1 tends to be a strange week in general and the Rams played all the way around the world in Australia. There was massive criticism of their approach to the time zone change, which ultimately could have played a part.

It’s hard to believe that Stafford will do this badly every week, but he is getting older and could now be without star WR Puka Nacua. That could limit his overall upside, but there is reason for optimism. The Rams will have their first true home game with extra rest against a middling Giants defense. Dak Prescott was limited to 175 passing yards last week, but he threw for 2 TDs. New York’s cornerback situation has not improved since last year, but they have quality players. Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Brian Burns highlight the defensive line, and S Jevon Holland had an interception last week.

There is a lot to like about this Giants defense, but Stafford is a veteran coming off an incredible season. He probably won’t repeat last year’s incredible stats, but he can bounce back in Week 2. Start Stafford on Monday Night Football.

Blake Corum – RB, Los Angeles Rams

There are very few RBs who stand out as incredible fantasy football handcuffs while also offering decent standalone value. Blake Corum is one of them. Last year, Corum finished the year with over 700 rushing yards and 6 TDs. This wasn’t a case of Kyren Williams missing time, either. The Rams clearly use Kyren more, but they just don’t feed any other RBs. Kyren and Corum combined for 86.88% of team rush attempts last season, and neither RB missed a game.

While it’s nice to roster Corum in case Kyren misses time, it’s not easy to time his boom games. Corum finished as a PPR RB3 or better just six times last season, peaking with a 26.1-point game in Week 14. That’s better than most backups but not enough to trust him on a weekly basis. Another issue is that Corum is not used as a receiving back. Amongst Rams players with at least 1 target last year, Corum ranked dead last with just 14. There’s steep receiving competition so it’s unlikely this changes. It also makes Corum slightly less valuable as a start in half and full PPR leagues.

The Giants defensive line looked stout in Week 1, and the Rams still have to prove that they’re the same elite offense from last year. Corum should be rostered in 100% of leagues, but he can’t be trusted in your lineup unless you’re in a pinch. If Puka Nacua misses this game, he’s a decent FLEX option.

Puka Nacua – WR, Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua is a clear start when healthy. However, the Rams star WR did not practice on Friday or Saturday. With his status in doubt, fantasy managers need to be ready for the worst. Fantasy managers should scoop up a replacement player just in case Puka does not suit up on Monday Night Football.

Last week against the 49ers, Jordan Whittington played the 3rd most snaps amongst Rams WRs, behind Nacua and Davante Adams. However, Whittington is doubtful to play after also missing consecutive practices. Konata Mumpfield would be the next man up based on last week’s routes run, but he only has 24 career targets. It’s possible that the Rams offense simply condenses at WR and focuses on Davante Adams while the RBs and TEs pick up the rest of the workload. The Rams already enjoy running 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR) at the league’s highest rate, and that could only increase if Puka misses time.

At this point in the week, it is unlikely that you have many options available to replace him with. You may also be stuck without a bench player to drop for a backup. Some league settings will allow you to drop bench players who have already played, so make sure you double-check your league settings. If you can only replace Nacua with a WR, go with Mumpfield or Fields. If you have him in a FLEX spot, look for one of the better RBs or TEs. There is nobody out there that can replace Nacua’s ceiling, but you had to risk starting him in most leagues.

Davante Adams – WR, Los Angeles Rams

Like most Rams players, Davante Adams disappointed in fantasy football last week. Adams finished as the PPR WR9 in total points in 2025. That’s impressive, but Adams only managed 789 receiving yards and only eclipsed 100 yards in a single game. What made Adams so great for fantasy was his ability to score. Adams led the NFL in receiving TDs with 14 despite being 38th in receiving yards.

Father time is not patient, and Adams is not going to put up massive yardage totals like back in the day. He can still score if this offense starts clicking again, but he is a risky start. You weren’t drafting Adams as your WR1, but you may have been forced into it if you dealt with injuries. Adams is a shaky start that won’t pay off much if he doesn’t score.

Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants

Likely was a start last week in my Sunday Night Football preview, and he paid off. The former Ravens TE caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and 2 TDs. Malik Nabers only played about half of the team’s offensive snaps but still led the Giants with 9 targets. While Nabers may continue to dominate the receiving work, especially when fully healthy, Likely has a good role.

The real question is how repeatable this is. While we should not expect multiple TDs every game, the high target total should continue to be in play. Likely played 34 snaps and ran 23 routes per PFF, with both marks ranking just behind WRs Malik Nabers and Darnell Mooney. Mooney did not get many looks and should not be a threat most weeks. Rookie Malachi Fields, however, drew 4 targets in his NFL debut and could emerge as a legitimate option for the Giants.

Overall, Likely is not stuck on an offense that has a plethora of options. While rookie Malachi Fields could take away some work, Likely looks more like the team’s WR2 than a middling TE. Start Likely with confidence in Week 2, but don’t expect last week’s numbers every time.

Colby Parkinson & Terrance Ferguson – TE, Los Angeles Rams

While the Rams love to utilize a plethora of TEs, that does not mean that any specific one will be good for fantasy football. Last week, Los Angeles threw to 10 different players, but only a few drew notable target numbers. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are the top options and should lead the team in targets at the end of the year, barring injury. Kyren Williams will be in the mix too, but outside of that there’s no consistency.

Last season, Colby Parkinson ranked third on the team with 56 targets. Parkinson also ranked 2nd in red zone targets with 20, which helped him score 8 TDs. It helped that Parkinson played with the league’s leading passer, but it was clear that he had a decent role from a fantasy football perspective. We won’t know how the split looks this season, but if last week is any indication, then Parkinson should play a similar role. The veteran led all Rams TEs in snaps and routes run, but sophomore Terrance Ferguson was right behind him. Neither Tyler Higbee nor Davis Allen saw much work, and rookie Max Klare was a healthy scratch. It’s a crowded room, but Parkinson and Ferguson have separated themselves so far.

Ferguson is an athletic freak who turned heads with a 39-inch vertical and a 4.63-second 40-yard dash time – both bests at the position. So far, that has not led to fantasy football success, but Ferguson is competing with both the TE room and the stud WRs. Even in an incredible offense, that does not mean that insane volume is guaranteed. Additionally, TEs typically take time to break out. While there has been an uptick in early breakouts at the position, it is still not normal to immediately go off. For now, Parkinson is a TD-dependent play with the peripherals to make him an understandable start, especially if Nacua misses the contest. Ferguson is worth a speculative add in case he becomes something this year, but he may still be a year or two away from a breakout.