Have you fully recovered from Week 1’s chaos?
From injuries to struggling veterans and underwhelming rookies, we head into Week 2 with potentially even more questions than we had before Week 1! Players we thought were clear starts now present giant question marks and Week 1 was so shocking that I honestly could’ve written an entire “make or break” article about players drafted just in the first two rounds.
Despite the underwhelming performances from superstars in Week 1, we’re still starting our stars. With significant injuries across the NFL, we turn our attention to those borderline players who could make or break your fantasy lineup. Starting the right or wrong player could define your fantasy week. Which players should you lean into in Week 2 and which players should you pass on?
The Steelers are expected to start Justin Fields in Week 2 and the big question is whether or not we can trust him from a fantasy perspective. Starting Fields was automatic in 2023. His rushing upside meant that all you needed was one passing touchdown and boom, instant QB1 magic. Fields only has one start under his belt with Pittsburgh but this situation feels different.
In Week 1, Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and had 14 carries for 57 yards — plus one fumble, which is par for the course. That’s a 73.9% completion percentage, far different than his career percentage of 60%.
The Steelers have a very defined, run-heavy identity and likely won’t ask Fields to do much other than be efficient — a different approach to his time in Chicago. That means we need to approach him differently from a fantasy perspective. While we want to target pass-friendly defenses for the majority of quarterbacks, perhaps a run-friendly target is better for Fields.
This week’s matchup against Denver is perfect. Denver’s defense is strong against the pass and fails miserably at stopping the run. Geno Smith had four carries for 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground last week against Denver. Fields could make your fantasy week with a strong performance on the ground this week and minimal production through the air.
At this point, J.K. Dobbins is a clear start and top-24 back. Dobbins looked fantastic in his debut with 10 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown. When healthy, Dobbins has been a clear start throughout his career. Ride the wave for however long it lasts.
However, Dobbins’ teammates are a bit more ambiguous.
Edwards was the presumed RB1 heading into Week 1 and had 11 carries for just 26 yards while being outsnapped by Dobbins. Logic says Edwards will take a clear backseat to Dobbins, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t provide fantasy value. Giving Dobbins an aggressive workload early in the season would be a recipe for disaster given his injury history. Expect the Chargers’ backfield to remain a committee and Edwards to see enough volume to warrant weekly consideration.
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Will Edwards make or break your lineup in Week 2?
Carolina’s defense is a complete disaster. The Panthers allowed 32.20 fantasy points to running backs, the second most of any team in Week 1. Alvin Kamara had 19.5 fantasy points and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. To understand just how incredible that number is, I had to go all the way back to 2020 to find a game where Kamara’s YPC was that high. Even Jamaal Williams got in on the action. Edwards will still see 10-15 touches in this matchup and will be far more productive this week. He’s a solid play and could make your fantasy lineup.
Herbert’s Week 1 performance wasn’t special but was encouraging from an overall offensive perspective. Herbert completed 17 of 26 attempts for 144 yards and one touchdown to McConkey. All three starting receivers contributed against an improved Raiders’ defense and the Chargers group felt cohesive.
McConkey was one of the few rookie receivers in Week 1 who immediately led his receiver corps in targets and has a clear rapport with Herbert. Against the aforementioned Panthers’ defensive layup, Herbert could produce QB1 numbers even in a low-volume effort and McConkey should benefit as his WR1.
Will Herbert and McConkey make or break your lineup in Week 2?
It’s highly unlikely that Herbert will see a significant increase in pass volume this week and the Chargers should lean on the ground game. However, Herbert could have the same script as Derek Carr from Week 1 — highly efficient with strong touchdown upside. The Chargers will move the ball well and this is an excellent time for new head coach Jim Harbaugh to have Herbert test his receiving corps in a friendly matchup. Both Herbert and McConkey have sneaky upside in this matchup and are solid streaming options for Week 2.
In PPR — and I’m referencing PPR because if I gave you the half-PPR stats, you would be traumatized — the Denver running back group had less than 12 fantasy points combined. Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos backfield with 10 carries for 27 yards while Williams had just eight carries for 23 yards. McLaughlin had the edge in receiving work with five receptions but neither back was impressive or productive.
The good news for Williams is that he wasn’t outplayed by McLaughlin and, despite having fewer touches, Williams out-snapped McLaughlin and remains the lead back. The bad news is the Broncos offense is …well, bad … and Williams’ game doesn’t benefit in scenarios where the Broncos are playing from behind. This week’s matchup against Pittsburgh is a trap. The Steelers will attack on the ground — Denver’s big weakness — and control the game with strong defensive play. Take a hard pass on Williams in all formats.
Kirk’s Week 1 performance was a bit of confirmation bias. Brian Thomas Jr. was in my Make or Break column last week as a “make” and Thomas pulled through with four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Kirk had just one reception for 30 yards, but we aren’t writing Kirk off after one poor performance, especially in a game where Trevor Lawrence completed just 12 passes for 162 yards.
Kirk was out-snapped by both Thomas and Gabe Davis but should still push for targets in good matchups.
This week is just not a good matchup.
Dallas managed to score just two offensive touchdowns against the Browns and even CeeDee Lamb had a mediocre game. Pass on Kirk against the Browns and reexamine in Week 3.
