Let’s dive into some news and notes around the league, my top fantasy plays and favorite picks for Week 2.
Notes:
• Let’s start in Baltimore after J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, leaving the Ravens’ running back situation in flux. It’s heartbreaking for Dobbins. I thought he had the potential to be a 1,000-yard rusher this season. This becomes a committee now with Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon all getting some action. They could dip their toes in the free-agent market as well with Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette as potential options.
• The biggest storyline of the offseason was Aaron Rodgers’ move to the Jets, and the hype lasted just four plays before crashing to a halt. It’s feared to be a season-ending injury for the future Hall of Famer. New York will turn the position back over to Zach Wilson. Garrett Wilson caught a touchdown pass with Rodgers out of the lineup, but his value drops a bit with Wilson now the signal caller.
• The Miami Dolphins were one of my favorite teams to target in fantasy and it took one game to see why I loved them so much. Tyreek Hill is the ultimate weapon. He showed on his second touchdown that he’s not just a speedster but can also make the tough catches. Tua Tagovailoa was inexcusably underrated by the fantasy community and silenced any critics with a 466-yard effort, the fourth-most ever in a season opener, and three touchdowns. If Hill is going for the lofty goal of 2,000 yards, Tagovailoa is in line for a career year as well.
• Welcome back to the NFL, Calvin Ridley. You wouldn’t have known he missed nearly two years of action based on performance against the Colts on Sept. 10. Ridley had eight catches for 101 yards and was on the receiving end of the Jaguars’ first touchdown. He was targeted 11 times and is the clear No. 1 receiver for the Jags. He’ll be rising up on everyone’s rankings.
• I said all offseason long that Brandon Aiyuk was the 49ers receiver to grab in drafts over Deebo Samuel. Brock Purdy has excellent chemistry with Aiyuk, and their performance in the win against the Steelers was just a sign of things to come. Samuel will have his weeks when he goes off, but Aiyuk will be the team leader in receiving this year.
• On the opposite end of the spectrum is the debacle that is the Chiefs’ receiving corps. It was downright embarrassing. Kadarius Toney had the worst game we’ve seen in recent memory at the position, Skyy Moore failed to record a catch and Isiah Pacheco of all people led the team in receptions. Kansas City looked like a shell of itself without Travis Kelce in the lineup, and for the time being, I’m not trusting any Chiefs receiver in my starting lineups.
• Speaking of Kelce, it was a tough weekend for the upper echelon of tight ends as several battled injuries. Kelce and Mark Andrews, the top two players at the position during the draft process, both sat out Week 1. Darren Waller and George Kittle were also on the injury report and did little on the field. The position as a whole was quiet, with Hunter Henry, Hayden Hurst and Donald Parham Jr. being the top players in Week 1. No tight end recorded more than 60 receiving yards, so be patient with whoever you drafted for the time being.
• The Cowboys’ defense feasted on the Giants’ offensive line and was a game-changer for fantasy owners. Dallas sacked Daniel Jones seven times, returned two turnovers for touchdowns, blocked a kick and recorded a shutout against its division rival. It was a dominant performance, but don’t overspend to grab the Cowboys since that will rarely be replicated. They’re going to rack up a ton of sacks, but you can’t expect that performance regularly. The Giants offensive line just stinks.
• We have two games on Monday night in Week 2 so make sure to plan accordingly. All four teams escaped this weekend relatively injury-free for fantasy purposes, but we saw in Week 1 how quickly someone can pop up on the injury report and be held out.
• Remember to check the weather heading into Sunday for your kicker selection. The weather on the East Coast during Week 1 is a reminder of why to do so.
Thursday Night Game: Vikings vs. Eagles
Sunday Night Game: Dolphins vs. Patriots
Monday Night Games: Saints vs. Panthers and Browns vs. Steelers
Top Pickups of the Week: Anthony Richardson, Kenneth Gainwell, Tyler Allgeier, Puka Nacua, Romeo Doubs, Zach Ertz
Buy Low: Joe Burrow, James Conner, Miles Sanders, Jaylen Waddle, Tee Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Dallas Goedert
Sell High: Deshaun Watson, Alexander Mattison, Michael Pittman Jr.
Send to the Waiver Wire: Aaron Rodgers, J.K. Dobbins, Rashaad Penny, Kadarius Toney
Start ‘Em
Quarterback: Anthony Richardson
Running Back: James Conner
Wide Receiver: George Pickens
Tight End: Hunter Henry
Defense: Broncos
Sit ‘Em
Quarterback: Dak Prescott
Running Back: Cam Akers
Wide Receiver: Drake London
Tight End: Pat Freiermuth
Defense: Seahawks
Sleepers
Quarterback: Jordan Love
Running Back: Kenneth Gainwell
Wide Receiver: Puka Nacua
Tight End: Hayden Hurst
Defense: Lions
NFL Picks for Week 2
Weekly Pick ‘Em (Season Record: 10-6)
Eagles (vs. Vikings)
Packers (vs. Falcons)
Chargers (vs. Titans)
Bills (vs. Raiders)
Lions (vs. Seahawks)
Colts (vs. Texans)
Buccaneers (vs. Bears)
Ravens (vs. Bengals)
Chiefs (vs. Jaguars)
49ers (vs. Rams)
Giants (vs. Cardinals)
Jets (vs. Cowboys)
Broncos (vs. Commanders)
Dolphins (vs. Patriots)
Saints (vs. Panthers)
Browns (vs. Steelers)
Five Picks Against the Spread (Season Record: 4-1)
Colts +1.5 vs. Texans
Ravens +3.5 vs. Bengals
Jets +3 vs. Cowboys
Dolphins -2 vs. Patriots
Browns -1.5 vs. Steelers
Five Over-Under Totals (Season Record: 4-1)
Vikings-Eagles under 48.5
Packers-Falcons over 40.5
Bears-Buccaneers under 41.5
Giants-Cardinals over 38.5
Saints-Panthers under 39.5
One Bold Prediction for the Week
Week 1: Sam Howell finishes as a top-5 fantasy QB against the Cardinals (miss)
Week 2: Michael Thomas leads all players in receiving yards in the two Monday night games
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox