Fantasy Football: 6 players who will make or break your lineup in Week 2

Have you fully recovered from the chaos of the first week?

From injuries to struggling veterans to disappointing rookies, we enter Week 2 with possibly even more questions than we had going into Week 1! Players we thought were clear starters are now huge question marks, and Week 1 was so shocking that I honestly could have written an entire “Make or Break” article about players being drafted. only in the first two rounds.

Despite the disappointing performances of the superstars in Week 1, we are still starting our stars. With injuries rife in the NFL, we are turning our attention to the fringe players that could make or break your fantasy lineup. Starting the right or wrong player from the start could define Your fantasy week. Which players should you bet on in Week 2 and which players should you avoid?

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. Having Fields in the starting lineup in 2023 was automatic. His running potential meant all you needed was a passing touchdown and boom, instant QB1 magic. Fields has only made one start 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 normal. That’s a 73.9% completion rate, a far cry from his career rate of 60%.

Will Fields make or break Your lineup in week 1?

The Steelers have a very distinct run-oriented identity and probably won’t ask much more of Fields than to be efficient – a different approach than he used during his time in Chicago. That means we’ll have to approach him differently from a fantasy perspective. While we want to target pass-friendly defenses for most quarterbacks, maybe a run-friendly target is better for Fields.

The game against Denver this week is perfect. Denver’s defense is strong against passes but fails miserably at stopping run attempts. Geno Smith had four 30-yard runs and a touchdown on the ground last week against Denver. Fields could add to your fantasy week with a strong performance on the ground this week and minimal production through the air.

At this point, JK Dobbins is a clear starter and a top-24 back. Dobbins looked fantastic in his debut with 10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. When healthy, Dobbins has been a clear starter his entire career. Ride the wave however long it lasts.

However, Dobbins’ teammates are somewhat more ambivalent.

Edwards was the presumptive RB1 entering Week 1 and had 11 carries for just 26 yards while being out-received by Dobbins. Logic says Edwards will clearly take a backseat to Dobbins, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t provide fantasy value. Putting an aggressive workload on Dobbins 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 have 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 how incredible that number is, I had to go back to 2020 to find a game where Kamara’s YPC was that high. Even Jamaal Williams was in the mix. Edwards will still have 10-15 touches in this matchup and will be far more productive this week. He’s a solid player and could make your fantasy lineup.

Herbert’s performance in Week 1 was nothing special, but overall encouraging from an offensive standpoint. Herbert completed 17 of 26 attempts for 144 yards and a touchdown to McConkey. All three starting receivers contributed against an improved Raiders defense, and the Chargers group looked cohesive.

McConkey was one of the few rookie receivers in Week 1 to immediately lead his receiver group in targets and has a clear connection with Herbert. Against the Panthers’ aforementioned defensive layup, Herbert could also put up QB1 numbers 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 passing volume this week, and the Chargers should lean on the run game. However, Herbert could have the same script as Derek Carr from Week 1 – highly efficient with strong touchdown potential. The Chargers will move the ball well, and this is an excellent time for new head coach Jim Harbaugh to let Herbert test his receiver group in a friendly matchup. Both Herbert and McConkey have stealth potential in this matchup and are solid streaming options for Week 2.

In PPR – and I refer to PPR because you would be traumatized if I told you half the PPR stats – Denver’s 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 led the way with five passes caught, but neither back was impressive or productive.

Will Williams make or break Your lineup in week 1?

The good news for Williams is that he hasn’t been outplayed by McLaughlin, and despite fewer touches, Williams has outplayed McLaughlin and continues to be the leading running back. The bad news is that the Broncos’ offense is… well, bad… and Williams’ game doesn’t benefit from the Broncos playing from behind. This week’s game against Pittsburgh is a trap. The Steelers will attack on the ground – Denver’s big weakness – and control the game with strong defensive play. Leave Williams out in all formats.

Kirk’s performance in Week 1 was a bit biased. Brian Thomas Jr. was featured as a “make” in my “Make or Break” column last week, and the rookie made it with four pass catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Kirk had just one pass catch for 30 yards, but we’re not writing Kirk off after a poor performance, especially in a game where Trevor Lawrence completed just 12 passes for 162 yards.

Will Kirk make or break Your lineup in week 2?

Kirk has been outclassed by both Thomas and Gabe Davis, but should still push for his targets in good matchups.

This week is just not a good matchup.

Dallas only managed two offensive touchdowns against the Browns, and even CeeDee Lamb was mediocre. Skip Kirk against the Browns and think again in Week 3.