After some slow starts in week 1, it’s time to look ahead at some of the best fantasy football matchups for week 2. Last week, my starts of the week included Michael Penix Jr., James Conner, George Pickens, and Zach Ertz. I would say I went 2/4 with those predictions, with Pickens being the main miss of last week. As the season goes on, we will get better, but week 1 was still not a bad start. I will be giving one person at each position ranked outside of the top 10 for fantasy football, and saying that I think they will outperform their ranking in the week. Rankings will be based on PPR formats. Let’s get into it.
Fantasy Football Week 2: Starts of the Week
QB: Justin Herbert
My start of the week at quarterback is Justin Herbert. In the Los Angeles Chargers’ season opener, the world saw just how good a quarterback Herbert is. He finished the game with 318 yards and three touchdowns while also having seven carries for 32 rushing yards. And again, this week, he gets a divisional opponent with a weak secondary compared to their defensive line.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has raved about Herbert all offseason. Now, in a prime-time matchup on Monday Night Football, I think it’s safe to assume that Harbaugh is going to show the world yet again how good Justin Herbert is. I think Herbert is set for a huge fantasy football game in week 2, on Monday Night Football.
RB: Travis Etienne
For the running back position, my start of the week is Travis Etienne. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded Tank Bigsby, the week 1 co-starter, to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. Now with Etienne in line for a majority of the work, I think he will be a lot better than his ranking suggests. He gets a Cincinnati Bengals defense that we project to be pretty bad over the course of the season. They performed well in week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, but they also didn’t run the ball frequently in that game. In this offense, which will get better over the course of the season, I expect Etienne to continue to produce in fantasy football.
WR: Tee Higgins
At the wide receiver position, Tee Higgins will be my start of the week for week 2 of fantasy football. The Bengals and Jaguars have the highest over/under total of the week at 50.5. The Bengals have an implied team total of nearly 27 points. Considering that this pass defense in Jacksonville is the weak part of their defense, I expect the Bengals to be attacking their corners all game long. Everyone is starting Ja’Marr Chase, but Higgins will have a big game as well. I would be starting Higgins everywhere, as he will definitely outperform his current ranking.
TE: Kyle Pitts
Kyle Pitts is my final start of the week. As always, I never feel good about calling my shot on a tight end, but here it is. The Atlanta Falcons play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in a game headlining a National Championship rematch between J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. This game is slated to be a relatively high-scoring game this week, with the over/under set at 45.5 points. Along with this, Drake London also suffered an injury near the end of that game, and could end up missing this game. This should mean that Pitts is in line for a larger workload and potentially the top receiving weapon for the Falcons this game.
Honorable Mentions and Wrap Up
So, my starts of the week for week 2 of fantasy football include Herbert, Etienne, Higgins, and Pitts. These guys I expect to outperform their ranking and be great starting options for week 2 of fantasy football. Some honorable mentions include Drake Maye, Jordan Love, James Cook, Javonte Williams, Hollywood Brown, Keenan Allen, and Hunter Henry. We’ll see you guys next week.
Main Image: Â Brett Davis-Imagn Images
