Fantasy Football ‘24: Week 2 Fantasy preview—start/sit, and more

Welcome to Week 2! If Week 1 didn’t go the way you wanted, don’t panic. Nothing spawns more fantasy (and NFL) overreactions than Week 1. Although I must say, I was at the Giants-Vikings game and I think the Giants might go 3-14 this season. Overreaction? Maybe. My point is that if you drafted any of the consensus Top-10 tight ends (none of whom topped 10 Half PPR fantasy points this week), or WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Harrison, Jr., or Drake London, take a deep breath. One week is just that: One week. On to Week 2.

One of my big takeaways from Week 1 is a note-to-self for 2025: Offense as a whole, and passing in particular, is usually down in Week 1. Fun facts from Week 1: (1) 18 of 32 starting QBs threw for 200 yards or less; (2) Only two qurterbacks topped 300 yards passing, and none topped 350; (3) More running backs (16) topped 15 Half PPR fantasy points in Week 1 than wide receivers (12); and (4) NFL kickers booted 68 field goals in Week 1, which is the second most in a week in NFL history, and they went 21-23 on field goals of 50+ yards (that’s the most field goals from 50+ yards in one week in NFL history). Maybe, just maybe, starters should see some live-game action in the preseason.

Stat of the Week: I’ve got two, from the same game. The Bears had less than 150 yards of total offense, and won. And in the process, Caleb Williams (97 yards passing) became the first #1 overall pick, rookie QB to win an opening day start since David Carr in 2002.

OK, one more: The Steelers are the only AFC North team that won in Week 1. They’re also the only one that failed to score a single touchdown.

Guffaw of the Week: The BrownsPanthers both chose to jettison Baker Mayfield. And if they hadn’t done that, they’d still have all the picks they traded away, and in the case of the Browns, that giant bag of guaranteed cash. Hey Dawg Pound and Keep Pounding, pounding (beers) might be a good idea right about now.

In case you’re still looking for second chance waivers, here is this week’s Waiver Wire column, which ran Monday: Waiver Wire.

OK, Week 2, here we go!

Bye Weeks: None

Injury Watch: Several players are already OUT for Week 2, including Jordan Love, Raheem Mostert, David Njoku, Jake Ferguson, Puka Nacua (IR), Rome Odunze, and David Njoku.

Watch list for Week 2: Russell Wilson, Christian McCaffrey (and Kyle Shanahan will be getting fined for last week’s Shanahanigans), Devon Achane (Thursday night), Kenneth Walker, Tee Higgins, Hollywood Brown, Jordan Addison, Keenan Allen, and Jake Ferguson.

Week 1 Rides, Fades and Sleepers

For those who are familiar with this column, you know the drill. For everyone else: The Rides, Fades, and Sleepers is an analysis of players that I think are primed for an especially strong or poor performance, in many cases, as compared to consensus expectations. This isn’t a straight-up Start/Sit exercise, and as a general rule, always start your studs. I’ll rarely list the very top options at a position as “Rides” because those players are matchup-proof and are almost always expected to have strong performances, plus you don’t need me or anyone else telling you to start Josh Allen, Breece Hall, Tyreek Hill, or Travis Kelce. While this analysis is intended for season-long play, it works for DFS formats too. Half PPR scoring and Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) are used for the column.

Each week, I’m picking a Ride of the Week, a Fade of the Week, and a Sleeper of the Week. The rules are simple. The Ride of the Week can’t be a truly elite option, the Fade of the Week can’t be someone who almost nobody is starting anyway, and the Sleeper of the Week must be an actual sleeper, from down in the rankings.

I don’t like to brag (really, it’s the truth), but my Rides, Fades, and Sleepers got off to a sizzling start in Week 1, with the correct calls easily outpacing the wrong ones. I won’t go through all the hits and misses, but I’ll drop this from the quarterback section: My top QB sleeper was Baker Mayfield (QB2 for the week at almost 30 fantasy points) and the four QBs I highlighted as fades were Joe Burrow (QB29, 8 fantasy points), Dak Prescott (QB22, 11.5), Brock Purdy (QB25, 10.3) and Kirk Cousins (QB28, 8). What does a four-leg parlay pay again? You can check my work here: Week 1 Preview.

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

Ride of the Week:

Kyren Williams (@ARI). He’s ranked as the RB6 this week, so this is hardly a bold call, but the combination of the matchup and his usage in Week 1 (and Blake Corum’s invisibility) should have Williams managers salivating. Arizona gave up the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) and rushing yards to RBs last season. And get this, in his two games vs. the Cardinals last season he ran for a combined 301 yards. My one concern is that the Rams’ offensive line is very banged up.

Fade of the Week:

Green Bay Receivers (vs. IND). I know Jayden Reed was the WR1 for the week. I also know you can throw on the Colts. It doesn’t matter. Bad job by the Packers to go into the season without a capable backup. I’m assuming they’re stuck with Malik Willis this week. He hasn’t gotten that many opportunities, but for his career he has completed right around 50% of his passes, with zero TDs and three INTs, while taking 14 sacks. He’s started three games and never crested 100 yards passing. And he’s already on his second team in three seasons. Maybe one of the receivers will score, but I’m completely staying away.

Sleeper of the Week:

Brandin Cooks (vs. NO). He makes the column as a sleeper for the second straight week. He paid off last week by catching Dak’s only TD pass. Dallas throws a lot, and if Jake Ferguson is out or limited, Cooks is even more solidified as the No. 2 passing target. He has nine receiving TDs going back to the start of last season and I’m definitely comfortable starting him as a WR3 or flex this week. He’s facing his old team too, but he has four of those so let’s throw out the revenge game narrative.

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Quarterback:

Elite options this week – Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson;

Rides:

Jayden Daniels (vs. NYG). I was all over Daniels in the preseason, and was fortunate to get him in a few drafts. In my preseason predictions column, I forecast that he’d be a Top-10 quarterback for as long as he remains healthy. He’s literally off and running towards that status, after putting up a record number of rushing attempts by a QB in his first-ever start. I’ll be listing him as a Ride until the rankers start putting him in the Top 7 or 8 QBs every week. I don’t know that he’ll have as many carries as he did in Week 1, or how long he can stay healthy doing what he does, but the Commanders’ defense is still atrocious, and he’s going to be chasing points on the regular. Sam Darnold looked good against these Giants, who have to be soul-searching after a truly abysmal performance in Week 1. I expect Daniels to run his way to another Top-5 finish this week, in what should be a competitive division game between two bad teams.

Matthew Stafford (@ARI). I think both quarterbacks in this game will put up nice point totals. Kyler Murray is a more obvious name for fantasy but let’s ride him too. As for Stafford, he made the column as a sleeper last week and was one of only two QBs to eclipse 300 yards. He’ll be without Puka Nacua, but I still like his chances against a Cardinals’ defense that allowed the fourth-most FPPG and TD passes (32) to opposing QBs in 2023, and allowed the most fantasy points to a quarterback (it was Josh Allen, but still) in Week 1. Stafford is ranked outside the Top-10 this week and that’s too low.

A few other QBs ranked inside the Top-15 that I favor this week are Anthony Richardson (@GB), Jared Goff (vs. TB), and Baker Mayfield (@DET). Baker still gets no respect and is under-ranked on a weekly basis.

Sleepers: There are very few QBs ranked outside the Top 15 this week that have good matchups, or that inspire much confidence coming out of Week 1. If you’re stuck, or are in a Superflex, a few lower-ranked QBs that I think you can consider this week are Justin Herbert (@CAR) and Aaron Rodgers (@TEN), although the Titans’ defense might be a lot better than we think. Oh, and as bad as he was last week, Daniel Jones (@WAS) is facing the gift that keeps on giving. The most generous pass defense of 2023 opened 2024 by showing that 2023 wasn’t a fluke, allowing four passing TDs to Mayfield. So, if you’re desperate and if you don’t mind drinking heavily at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, you can consider Mr. Danny Dimes. The danger is that he gets pulled by halftime.

Fades:

Tua Tagovailoa (vs. BUF). As a Miami fan, this pains me. Tua led the NFL in passing yards last season and he’s out to a quick lead in that category once again. But the matchup stats don’t lie. In seven career starts vs. the Bills, Tua has a 1-6 record and has thrown just six TDs vs. seven INTs. His only 300-yard game against Buffalo was the result of extended garbage time in a blowout loss at the end of his rookie season. The Bills lost major pieces of their defense this off-season, but they did a great job of pressuring Kyler Murray in Week 1 and I think they’ve got Tua’s number. It’s also a short week, and his starting RBs are banged up. Pass.

Caleb Williams (@HOU). There was a lot of excitement around Williams this season, but I wasn’t on that hype train. It’s rare for rookie quarterbacks to be fantasy-viable right away, unless they’re prolific runners like Daniels, or Richardson last year. Williams was bad at home in Week 1, and now he’ll play his first road game against a defense that can bring pressure and should be pretty good this season. He’ll probably be without fellow top-10 draft pick Rome Odunze. He’s ranked as a borderline starter in larger leagues this week and I can’t get behind that. He’s a fade for me until he proves he isn’t.

Joe Burrow (@KC). Burrow has had some big games against the Chiefs, but I faded him last week and I’ll fade him again. He could again be without Tee Higgins, and the situation with Ja’Marr Chase isn’t ideal. The Chiefs’ defense is for real, and he won’t be gashing them with his legs like Lamar Jackson did in the opener. I think Steve Spagnuola’s unit will pose problems for a struggling Cincinnati offense.

Others: For those who play Superflex, there are plenty of lower-end QBs to avoid this week (Bo Nix (vs. PIT), Gardner Minshew (@BAL), Geno Smith (@NE), and Will Levis (vs. NYJ)). Please add Malik Willis (vs. IND) to that list. I’ll also continue to fade Deshaun Watson (@JAC) unless and until he looks like an NFL QB again.

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Running back:

Elite options this week – Christian McCaffrey (if he plays), Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, and Saquon Barkley; the analysis starts below them.

Rides:

Isiah Pacheco (vs. CIN). He’s a workhorse, in a good offense. He’s as good of a bet to find the end zone each week as any RB not named McCaffrey. The Ravens’ front seven is no joke, so don’t sweat his efficiency from last week. He should have more success against the Bengals, who just got gashed by Rhamondre Stevenson in their own building.

Joe Mixon (vs. CHI). He’s ranked at the bottom of the Top-10 this week and I think he’ll outperform that. I hope I’m not chasing performance here, but he appears to be in an ideal situation on a good offense with lots of receiving weapons to keep defenses honest. He led all RBs in carries in Week 1. That’s a great sign for his usage going forward, and he’s proven that he can handle a big workload.

Josh Jacobs (vs. IND). With Jordan Love out, I expect a heavy dose of Jacobs this week. The Colts just got manhandled by Houston’s running game, and Jacobs is a faster and younger version of Mixon, with a QB who also poses a rushing threat. The danger is that the Colts will load the box and dare Willis to throw. Still, Jacobs is ranked outside the Top-15 this week and for me that’s too low.

Other RBs ranked inside the top 30 at the position that I’m riding this week: Najee Harris (@DEN), J.K. Dobbins (@CAR), Brian Robinson (vs. NYG), Jordan Mason (@MIN), and Tony Pollard (vs. NYJ).

Sleepers:

Gus Edwards (@CAR). He got the start and more carries than J.K. Dobbins last week, but Dobbins did a lot more with his touches. I think this will continue to be a split backfield, and that Harbaugh will be true to his word all season and run it a lot when the game script allows. This is a perfect week for that, against a terrible Panthers’ team that’s usually trailing. The Panthers allowed the sixth-most FPPG to running backs last season, and the most rushing TDs to RBs (21). Edwards is a great bet to find the end zone this week.

If you’re in need, here are some other lower-ranked running backs (outside the Top-30) that I think you can pencil in if you’re stuck: Austin Ekeler (vs. NYG), Bucky Irving (@DET), Justice Hill (vs. LV) and Tank Bigsby (vs. CLE). With Mostert out and Achane banged up, Jeff Wilson, Jr. and/or Jaylen Wright (vs. BUF) are also worth considering (especially if Achane doesn’t play).

Fades:

Devon Achane (v. BUF). He did get a TD and good passing-game usage in Week 1, but he’s got an ankle sprain of uncertain severity and if he plays on Thursday, I’m worried about the re-injury risk, or limited snaps. We saw him get reinjured in games twice last season. I’d tread carefully here, if he’s active. His Top-10 ranking is too high given the injury concerns on a short week.

Travis Etienne (vs. CLE). Coaching staffs tend to remember when your fumble cost the team a game. Tank Bigsby got as many carries as Etienne last week, and did more with them. He also had a great camp and the coaches clearly want to use him more this season. Meanwhile, Cleveland still has a good defense. You’re almost certainly starting Etienne if you have him, but temper expectations.

Rachaad White (@DET). The inefficiency on the ground continues to be a problem for White. His value lies in the passing game and at the goal line. So maybe he gets a TD plunge like he did in the playoff game last year, but that’s a lot to count on. Detroit allowed the second fewest FPPG to RBs last year, and White is coming off a game where he barely ran for two yards per carry, in a blowout win. Bucky Irving also looks poised for a meaningful secondary role that’s only going to grow.

D’Andre Swift (@HOU). The Bears’ offense looked so bad in Week 1 that it’s hard to recommend starting any pieces of it at this point. They’re starting a rookie QB, and it might take some time. The Texans held Jonathan Taylor to 48 yards on 16 carries in Week 1, and Swift isn’t Taylor. Pass.

A few other RB2s/flexes that I’m fading this week are Jaylen Warren (@DEN), Zamir White (@BAL), Javonte Williams (vs. PIT), and Zack Moss (@KC).

Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Wide receiver:

Elite options this week –Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and A.J. Brown;

Rides:

Mike Evans (@DET). Run it back with big Mike, and let’s ride Chris Godwin again, too. Tampa is going to need to air it out in what should be a fun game (the Vegas total of 51.5 is the highest on the board this week). In the Divisional Round playoff game last year, Evans went off for 8-147-1 on 12 targets. The Lions have improved their secondary but you all saw what Cooper Kupp did to them on Sunday night. Detroit is hard to run on, and they allowed the third-most FPPG and TD receptions to opposing WRs last season.

Deebo Samuel (@MIN). Samuel should continue to see increased rushing opportunities, even if Christian McCaffrey returns this week on some kind of pitch count. He’s also already at full-go while Brandon Aiyuk continues to ramp up. Deebo is ranked outside the Top-12 this week and I’d put him a bit higher. Big YAC game incoming.

Malik Nabers (@WAS). This one is risky, given how bad Daniel Jones and the entire offense looked last week, and the fact that Jones didn’t throw deep at all in Week 1. This is about the matchup and the talent. Washington’s secondary picked up right where it left off last season – allowing the most FPPG to opposing wide receivers. Since the start of last season they’ve now given up 33 receiving TDs to WRs in 18 games. Sign me up.

Other receivers ranked from 12-35 this week that I’ll flag as rides include Devonta Smith (vs. ATL), Zay Flowers (vs. LV), Xavier Worthy (vs. CIN), and 2024 fantasy breakout candidate Jameson Williams (vs. TB).

Sleepers (ranked outside the Top 35):

Rahid Shaheed (@DAL). He’s boom-or-bust for sure, but he keeps making enough big plays on lower target volume to warrant consideration in your lineup. I think Carr likes taking those deep shots, and will need to do so in a game where the Saints should be trailing.

Demarcus Robinson (@ARI). How is Robinson ranked outside the Top-50 this week? Puka Nacua is out, and he has thrived when either Kupp or Nacua misses games. He scored TDs in four straight contests late last season and should see his share of volume. Oh, and the Rams face the Cardinals, who don’t have a good defense.

Other WRs ranked outside the top-35 this week that I think you can go to if you’re in need include Keon Coleman (@MIA), Greg Dortch (@LAR), Ladd McConkey (@CAR), and Wan’Dale Robinson (@WAS).

Fades:

D.J. Moore (@HOU). Overreaction? Maybe. But Caleb Williams threw for less than 100 yards in his first start and now he goes on the road. No Rome Odunze could mean more volume for Chicago’s other wide receivers, and Houston’s secondary did give up some very big plays to the Colts. No matter. I’d rather be late than early on Williams and his top receiver being playable.

Marvin Harrison, Jr. (vs. LAR). Another overreaction? Also maybe, but I was not nearly as high on Harrison before the season as other analysts. He’ll do better than the one catch for four yards he had in his debut, but he’s ranked inside the Top-15 this week and I can’t get behind that. Not yet anyway. He’s a risky start.

Calvin Ridley (vs. NYJ). Can I brag one more time? My Fade of the Week last week was Brandon Aiyuk vs. the Jets, and his paltry 2-28-0 stat line netted 3.8 fantasy points (WR66 for the week). Ka-ching! This is going to be a regular feature, as it was last season – fading WRs against the Jets. They allowed the fewest FPPG to WRs last season and have allowed an NFL-low five TD catches to opposing WRs going back to the start of the 2023 season. As noted above, the corresponding number for the Commanders is 33, including four this past Sunday. Matchups matter!!!

Amari Cooper (@JAC). I’m not very confident in this fade call, as Cooper is still a very good player, and Jacksonville allowed both of Miami’s top wideouts to go over 100 yards last week. Also, Cooper actually led all players in air yards in Week 1, with 170 on nine targets. So he had a big day, right? Nope. 2-16-0. I saw how Deshaun Watson was “throwing” the ball and unless Cooper can run his routes three yards beyond the sideline, he might not find many catchable balls. I’m out on Cooper this week, but can understand why you’d want him in your lineup after he was targeted downfield like that.

Christian Kirk (vs. CLE). Kirk only had one catch last week, and it doesn’t get any easier this week against the Browns. They allowed the third fewest FPPG to opposing WRs last season and are very good against slot WRs. I think two things: Brian Thomas, Jr. is going to be the top fantasy WR on this team this season, and Kirk won’t have the weekly target consistency he had the last two seasons.

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Tight end:

Elite options this week – Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta; the analysis starts below them.

Rides:

Kyle Pitts (@PHI). It was a tough Week 1 for the top TEs, and Pitts was the only one ranked in the Top-10 who found the end zone. It was also a tough week for Kirk Cousins, who looked like he wasn’t fully up to speed, or ready to trust his plant foot. They were also playing the Steelers and their ferocious pass rush. It gets easier this week at Philadelphia. The Eagles allowed the fifth-most FPPG to tight ends last season and were among the worst pass defenses across the board. They didn’t look all that much better in Week 1. Pitts led all tis in snap share in Week 1 and feels like a good play this week.

Isaiah Likely (vs. LV). Am I chasing unexpected Week 1 performance? Sure. Is that dumb in fantasy? Usually. But Likely looked fantastic against the Chiefs and I don’t think his usage was a fluke. The Ravens are weak at wide receiver after Zay Flowers and that’s where Likely comes in, working from the slot where he’s a size/speed mismatch for linebackers, slot corners, and safeties. Mark Andrews might get some love this week after he was constantly double-covered in Week 1 (and don’t panic on Andrews), but the Raiders have a good pass rush and Andrews might again be doing more blocking. Baltimore ran two-TE sets on 50% of its snaps last week. Ride the hot hand.

Other less-obvious names ranked in the Top-13 that I think are decent plays are Pat Freiermuth (@DEN) and Brock Bowers (@BAL).

Sleepers:

Colby Parkinson (@ARI). I realize I’ve now listed five Rams as either Elite options, Rides, or Sleepers. That’s fine. They’re playing one of the three worst defenses in the NFL. Play their kicker too if you want. Parkinson actually led all tight ends in routes run (42) in Week 1, and was on the field for 87% of offensive snaps. He should benefit from the absence of Puka Nacua. Parkinson is ranked outside the Top-12 TEs this week and with a couple of TE1s banged up, he should be ranked higher.

Taysom Hill (@DAL). If you need to throw a dart, consider Hill, who got five carries last week, had an end zone target, and is always a threat to score. He’s also a threat to score just one or two points, but so are most TEs. This is a risk-reward play.

Fades:

Dallas Goedert (vs. ATL). Goedert caught four balls for 31 yards in Week 1. That feels about right for him on a weekly basis, so you’re basically hoping for a TD. As I warned last week, the addition of Barkley makes this even more of a funnel passing offense. And Goedert isn’t in the funnel.

Cole Kmet (@HOU). If you drafted Kmet to be your TE1, well, next time read my columns over the summer. I don’t believe you can trust him at the moment. He’s a weekly fade for me.

Luke Musgrave (vs. IND). Tucker Kraft out-snapped him last week, and there’s the whole Malik Willis thing. He’s borderline droppable at the moment.

PK and D/ST Streamers (ranked outside the top-12): See my Week 2 Waiver Wire column.

***This column appears each Thursday right here at Big Blue View. Each Monday, my Waiver Wire column appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly FanDuel Props of the week for the Giants, also right here. ***