Week 2 Players I Love in Fantasy Football

Each week, I’ll be looking to spotlight players and defenses that I think have a strong matchup that should allow them to deliver above expectations. However, this is not intended as a blanket endorsement to play a fringe player ahead of an established stud—for example, even if I call out a plus matchup for Bryce Young, it doesn’t mean he should be played ahead of Josh Allen—so always consider your own lineup alternatives.

With that out of the way, let’s look at Week 2:

Quarterbacks

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Facing a tough opponent on foreign soil with some new pieces on offense, Purdy simply went about his business, tossing three touchdown passes in a 20-point win over the Los Angeles Rams. Favorite target George Kittle should be better acclimated after making it through his return from a torn Achilles unscathed, and it’s a lesser opponent in Week 2. The Miami Dolphins just gave up 27 points to the Las Vegas Raiders sans Brock Bowers (knee), which included three TD strikes from Kirk Cousins. Purdy has top-five potential this week. Others I like:

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants: Dart played great on Sunday Night Football, and he gets a second straight primetime matchup. The Rams struggled in their Week 1 loss and will be without Myles Garrett (knee) and perhaps Aaron Donald as well. Keep Dart in your lineup.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: Nothing looked good for the Bolts in Week 1, which is why I’m expecting an inspired effort from Herbert and company. He’s enjoyed good success against the Raiders throughout his career, and he knows LA can’t afford to start 0-2.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mayfield had a disastrous game last Sunday, throwing for just 218 yards without a touchdown and turning the ball over three times. He has a nice chance to rebound in Week 2 versus the Cleveland Browns, which allowed four TD passes to Trevor Lawrence in their opener.

Running Backs

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Everything that fantasy owners were expecting to see from Jeanty during his rookie year was what we saw from the Boise State product versus Miami in Week 1. He ran the ball 23 times for 102 yards and added six receptions, 45 yards, and two touchdowns as a receiver. In a game where the Raiders ran 67 plays, Jeanty touched the ball on 29 of them (43.3%). The Chargers, meanwhile, allowed the Arizona Cardinals to turn 28 carries into 102 yards and a score. That’s not bad run defense, but it speaks to LA’s inability to get off the field. Jeanty has RB1 potential in this AFC West clash. Others I like:

D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears: There were reports out of camp that Swift looked great. Based on Week 1, those reports might have undersold things. Swift had 18 carries, 124 yards, and three TDs. Even more than that, though, he was the lead back. Most of Kyle Monangai’s 12 touches came once Chicago had built up a big lead. With how aggressive the Minnesota Vikings can be with their blitz packages, Swift could hit some big runs. He looks every bit like an RB1.
David Montgomery, Houston Texans: It was tough sledding for Montgomery in Week 1, with 23 touches gaining just 79 yards, but he scored three times. The Cincinnati Bengals were surprisingly effective defensively in Week 1. That’s a small sample size. Cincy was among the worst run defenses in 2025, and even in last week’s win they gave up 4.5 YPC and two TDs.

Wide Receivers

Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots

Signed to a big-money deal in free agency, Doubs had a miserable opener last Wednesday night. The first pass he was thrown got intercepted. The second was a critical drop that was followed by another pick. His third and final chance fell incomplete as well, leaving Doubs with a goose egg in his Patriots debut. Doubs had his share of downs during his time with the Green Bay Packers, but he usually bounced back quickly. Look for New England to prioritize getting Doubs going this week, especially with A.J. Brown (ankle) landing on IR. Also, don’t read anything into the Pittsburgh Steelers giving up just four catches and 53 yards to wideouts in Week 1 as they were facing a third-string quarterback. Pittsburgh has issues in the secondary. If you own Doubs, make sure he’s in your lineup. Others I like:

George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys: Pickens opened last season with a clunker and then proceeded to score in five straight games. We got the clunker on Sunday night. You know what comes next.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers: Overshadowed by Jalen Coker (ankle) in Week 1, McMillan quietly put up a solid 5-75-0 line. Now, Coker is dealing with an ankle issue, and McMillan is set to go against an Atlanta Falcons secondary he torched for eight receptions, 130 yards, and two touchdowns the last time he faced them.
DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles: Back in the role of WR1 for the first time since his rookie year, Smith finished with a modest three catches for 53 yards. Up next, a Tennessee Titans team that looked lifeless in a Week 1 loss to the New York Jets. If the Titans couldn’t slow Geno Smith, how are they going to handle Jalen Hurts?

Tight Ends

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

On a day when the Bears hung 59 points on the Panthers, Loveland, the player tabbed by so many as the breakout star for the club, caught zero passes. Don’t worry about it. I have zero doubt that Ben Johnson will draw up some plays in Week 2 to get his talented tight end involved early on. Although Loveland was held in check in two meetings with the Vikings in 2025, the Packers’ combo of Tucker Kraft and Jonnu Smith racked up 115 yards on just five receptions for a robust 23 yards per catch. Expect Loveland to deliver in Week 2. Others I like:

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers: Kittle (2-12-0) was a nominal contributor in Week 1, but that was to be expected in his first game action since tearing his Achilles. He should be more involved this Sunday, though playing him remains a tad risky.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans: By far the worst team against tight ends last year was the Bengals. They were better in Week 1, but there’s more work to be done before I’m sold that this is a different team. Schultz, who had a 4-35-0 line in Week 1, could be a one-week streaming option.

Defensive Teams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: In what may become a running theme in this column, the Bucs appear courtesy of a Week 2 matchup with Cleveland. In the opener, the Browns allowed five sacks, turned the ball over twice, and didn’t score until they were down 31 points. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln…
Chicago Bears: Minnesota’s 39 points is as deceptive a number as you’ll find from Week 1. Defense, special teams, and some dubious officiating set up most of the scoring. To that end, only three teams gained fewer yards than the Vikings last week, and those three teams scored 33 points combined. I like the opportunistic Bears here.
Green Bay Packers: On the other side of that Vikings matchup was a Packers defense that was borderline dominant for most of the game before being put in bad situations repeatedly over the final 15 minutes. The Jets played well in Week 1, but that came against the Titans. This is still a team that’s short on talent, led by the NFL’s leader in interceptions from 2025. This is a potential get-right game for Green Bay.

This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 4:10 PM.