QB:
Lamar Jackson, Ravens—After last week’s 4th quarter disaster, the Ravens are not going to take their foot off the gas pedal, which should be perfect for Jackson’s fantasy success. Cleveland’s pass rush will force him out of the pocket, which should lead to plenty of rushing yards. Lock Lamar in for 240 yards passing and a TD, along with 60 rushing yards and a TD.
Joe Burrow, Bengals—It felt like the Bengals barely touched the ball against the Browns, with Cleveland dominating the time of possession. Jaguars HC Liam Coen is going to try to do the same this week, but I’m not sure that anything is going to stop Burrow and the Bengals from piling on the points. Look for Burrow to have 295 yards and at least 2 TDs with a good shot at 3.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles—Justin Herbert threw 3 TDs against the Chiefs in Week 1, which could mean that Kansas City’s defense is susceptible to the pass. Moreover, if I am Steve Spagnuolo, I am making sure that Saquon Barkley is not beating me. So that leaves the ball in Hurts’ hands, which should be good for the Eagles passing attack. Hurts could easily have 220 passing yards and a TD with a tush push thrown in for good measure.
Justin Fields, Jets—Buffalo has a solid pass rush, but their secondary is suspect, and they tend to overpursue. Fields showed how dangerous he is against Pittsburgh, and it feels like another good spot for him in Week 2. Look for a week of 180 passing yards and 80 rushing yards, and a TD.
Honorable Mention: Drake Maye, Trevor Lawrence
RB:
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers—No Purdy and no Kittle means that Kyle Shanahan is going to have to devise multiple ways for McCaffrey to touch the football. Look for McCaffrey to get about 15-20 carries and for Mac Jones to find him out of the backfield 5-7 times. He should be a lock for 24+ fantasy points.
Chase Brown, Bengals—Brown had some effective runs early in Week 1, but then it seemed like Cleveland dominated time of possession, and Brown never got into a rhythm. Look for that to change this week as Zac Taylor will make a concerted effort to feed Brown the football to the tune of 100+ rushing yards and a TD.
Kyren Williams, Rams—Los Angeles pulled out a tough game at home against Houston and now travel to Tennessee to face the young Titans. Sean McVay will feature Williams as much as he can to take the pressure off Matthew Stafford. Every year, Williams has 2-3 games where he scores multiple TDs—this feels like one of those weeks.
James Conner, Arizona—Arizona won a close game on the road in New Orleans, and now they are home against a Panthers defense that hasn’t stopped the run in two seasons. Some might back off Conner after Trey Benson’s huge game, but I think Arizona will lean on Conner more in Week 2. Put Conner down for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Honorable Mention: Breece Hall, Travis Etienne/B. Tuten
WR:
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals—Do you see any world where Chase doesn’t go off against the Jaguars? I don’t. He was taken #1 in fantasy drafts for a reason, and we will see that reason in Week 2 as he goes for 120 receiving yards and 2 TDs.
Puka Nacua, Rams—Tennessee played a ton of zone coverage in Week 1, which is good news for Nacua, who excels against zone defense. He’s clearly Stafford’s go-to guy and a PPR machine. Expect another game of 8-10 targets and 80-90 yards for Nacua.
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys–Dallas could have shocked Philadelphia last week if only Lamb and Ferguson had made tough catches in the second half. Lamb likely spent hours with the JUGGS machine this week to ensure that he doesn’t have any more untimely drops. Look for Lamb to dominate the Giants secondary for 100 yards and a TD.
Calvin Ridley, Titans—If Cam Ward can withstand Los Angeles’ strong pass rush, he should be able to take advantage of their relatively weak secondary. Ridley is Ward’s top target, but he wasn’t used nearly as much as expected last week vs. Denver. That will be fixed this week as Ridley gets 85 yards and a TD.
Honorable Mention: Jakobi Meyers, Marvin Harrison, Jr.
TE:
Travis Kelce, Chiefs—With Rashee Rice on suspension and Xavier Worthy likely out, Patrick Mahomes is going to need to rely on Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce for the Chiefs to have a shot at winning. If Philadelphia has a weakness on defense, it’s covering the tight end, which should mean that Kelce finds the end zone in this one.
Mark Andrews, Ravens—Andrews had a quiet Week 1, but he always seems to play well at home, and moreover, he always seems to have big games against Cleveland. Look for Andrews to have 60 yards receiving and a TD in a game that Baltimore needs badly.
Brenton Strange, Jaguars—The Bengals let up a whopping 10 receptions to opposing tight ends last week, which bodes well for Strange to make a fantasy impact. He’s a huge target in the red zone, and I love his chances to score in Week 2.
Harold Fannin, Jr., Browns—If you don’t know Fannin, you better start soon. He was a monster receiving threat at Bowling Green, and it’s obvious that he’s way more than a backup tight end to David Njoku in Cleveland. He plays like a receiver with a ton of range and speed. Look for him to get 5 catches for 50+ yards and a TD.
Honorable Mention: Dalton Kincaid, Hunter Henry