We’re making a bit of a change for Week 2 through the rest of the season for my fantasy football notes at NFL Pickwatch, as I will be posting one note from each of the upcoming games this weekend.
Here are the Week 2 notes, starting with one on this week’s Buffalo at Miami Thursday Night Football matchup.
Buffalo at Miami
There was a thought that James Cook might be in a lead/alternate setup with Ray Davis, but last week made clear that Cook is viewed as the bell cow back in this lineup. It is why Cook is now considered a must start, but keep Davis on deeper rosters, as he could very well earn a valuable goal line back role before the season is over.
Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina
The Chargers D/ST was picked up in 43 percent of ESPN leagues this week, but it still only has a 53.4 percent roster rate. That number should be closer to 100 percent, as this is arguably the biggest personnel mismatch on the board in Week 2. If you don’t have the Chargers on your roster and need a D/ST upgrade, make room for this group, as they could provide you with a double-digit point game.
New Orleans at Dallas
Rico Dowdle is a back to roster, if possible, as he is already splitting carries with Ezekiel Elliott and will likely continue to do that all year long. That may not lead to immediate points, but every fantasy manager knows that having built-in carries on a bench is a must for the running back position, and Dowdle will provide those.
The rest of KC Joyner’s Week 2 fantasy football notes are available exclusively for Pickwatch Pro subscribers.
Las Vegas at Baltimore
Derrick Henry was something of a disappointment last week, scoring only 10.6 PPR points against the Chiefs, but the Raiders give Henry one of the most favorable rush defense matchups in Week 2 (91 out of 100 matchup points, per my rankings system). It’s the type of thing that should return him to a King Henry-caliber scoring level this week.
Tampa Bay at Detroit
The Lions have done all they can to improve their secondary, but that group is still the weakest spot on the Detroit roster. This makes Baker Mayfield, who threw for four touchdown passes against an overmatched Washington secondary, a very good upside play for those who need a QB upgrade.
Indianapolis at Green Bay
The Jordan Love injury is a huge hindrance for Green Bay, but don’t let that keep Josh Jacobs out of lineups, as the Colts run defense is one of the worst in the league. That results in Jacobs landing fourth on my running back rankings this week.
Cleveland at Jacksonville
It may be time to try to trade away Cleveland prospects while they may still have solid value, as a combination of a tough schedule and the off-field issues for Deshaun Watson may make those deals more difficult to make in a few weeks.
San Francisco at Minnesota
The Vikings backfield is a platoon between Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler. That will provide start value for many matchups, but this matchup isn’t one of them, so consider Jones to be a risky flex candidate and consider Chandler, the 1B in this platoon, to be a sit candidate outside of deeper leagues.
Seattle at New England
Don’t sell Rhamondre Stevenson short, as he dominated an inconsistent Bengals rush defense last week and has 85 matchup points for this week’s battle against the Seahawks. Few backs can get as many carries as Stevenson can in these situations, so don’t trade high on him just yet.
New York Jets at Tennessee
Don’t give up faith in Titans running back Tyjae Spears after he essentially served as a backup to Tony Pollard, as Pollard is not suited to be a lead back or bell cow. This will eventually lead to Spears getting plenty of work, so keep him on your roster or trade low for him.
New York Giants at Washington
Consider rostering Wan’Dale Robinson if he’s available in your league, as the Giants made him a focal point of the passing game in Week 1 and will continue to do that to take some coverage pressure off of Malik Nabers.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona
Tyler Johnson should be a high priority waiver pick in many leagues, as he will be filling in for the injured Puka Nacua for the next few weeks. Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards in Nacua’s place last week and thus could be a good high floor bench player for the next month.
Pittsburgh at Denver
If you can trade low for Jaylen Warren, this may be the time to do so, as his numbers last week were less than stellar due to coming back from injury. When he’s at full strength, Warren will turn this into a platoon backfield, so aim to get that value at a discounted trade price while you can.
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Last week might have been the beginning of Joe Burrow’s worst fantasy scoring season, as the Bengals have one of the toughest pass coverage schedules in the league. That could make him a QB2 again this week and will also hinder the fantasy values of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (once he returns from injury).
Houston at Chicago
Houston’s offense is so talented that it may not be able to fully support the fantasy scoring prospects of all of its superb offensive players. That may cap the production of those players and lower their prospective trade value, so keep the Texans roster on a continual watch for trade low opportunities.
Atlanta at Philadelphia
The Atlanta offense was abysmal last week, but rather than look at that as a negative, consider the positives from a trade perspective. Every fantasy prospect on that roster from Bijan Robinson on down should be available at a discounted trade price this week, so look over your respective leagues and find where you can make a good trade offer for players that are all but certain to improve upon their Week 1 performances.