In many ways, Week 2 is the most important week of the early fantasy football season. If you started off 1-0, now you have a chance to perch yourself atop the league with a victory. At 0-1, the last thing you want to do is fall into an 0-2 hole, so a Week 2 victory is crucial.

The first week offered us a glimpse of what we can expect from certain players and teams this season, but it was only the first chapter of a long book. It’s easy to overreact to the first week, and this list of potential boom and bust players will help steer you away from that.

Potential Booms for Week 2

Quarterbacks

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) rankings
• Quarterback (QB) rankings
• Tight end (TE) rankings
• Defense (D/ST) rankings
• Kicker (K) rankings
• FLEX rankings
• Dynasty rankings

Drew Brees QB, Saints: While he didn’t exactly set the world on fire last week against a very good Arizona Cardinals defense, Drew Brees still topped 300 yards passing and had a respectable fantasy performance. Now Brees and the Saints invite a horrid Tampa Bay defense to the Big Easy after they just surrendered four touchdowns to a rookie in his first NFL start. If Marcus Mariota can torch the Bucs, what do you think Brees is going to do them at home?

Cam Newton, QB Panthers: Without Kelvin Benjamin for the rest of the season, getting big games out of Cam Newton may not be all that common this year. Against the lowly Jaguars in Week 1, he mustered just 175 passing YDs and a TD, but this week he faces a team that just gave up three passing TDs to Alex Smith. I really like Cam this week to have a much better showing.

Eli Manning, QB Giants: It was certainly a forgettable Week 1 performance for Eli Manning and his Giants in Dallas on Sunday night. This week they get a Falcons team that just surrendered 336 passing YDs to Sam Bradford to go along with a 69.2 completion percentage. Look for Eli and the Giants to take advantage of a vulnerable pass defense, especially on the road, and get back on track this week at home.

Running Backs

Carlos Hyde, RB 49ers: The Pittsburgh Steelers actually defended the run well on opening night against the Patriots, but Carlos Hyde looked like a back ready to be a Top 5 rusher in 2015. He looked fast, decisive, shifty and eager to deliver contact at the point of attack. After what he did to Minnesota on Monday night (168 YDs, two TDs), it’s hard to bank against him having another big game, even if it is in Pittsburgh.

Mark Ingram, RB Saints: In Week 1, Bishop Sankey torched the Buccaneers for two TDs and 86 total YDs on 14 touches. BISHOP SANKEY! Mark Ingram is more talented, more proven and on a better team at home. He also racked up 122 all-purpose YDs against a potentially elite Cardinals defense last week. This is a layup start for fantasy owners. Plug in Ingram with confidence and expect big returns.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions: We all saw how explosive Ameer Abdullah looked against the Chargers last week (94YDs and a TD on 11 touches) and we saw what Hyde did to the Vikings as well. The Lions were watching too. Expect Abdullah to get fed the ball a ton and have a huge game against a questionable looking Vikings defensive front.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills: LeSean McCoy looked okay last week against Indianapolis, but he’ll have a much juicier matchup this week at home against the Patriots. On opening night, the Pats surrendered 127 rushing YDs to Deangelo Williams, and the run defense looked slow and extremely porous. Bills head coach Rex Ryan will look to keep the ball on the ground and out of Tom Brady’s hands. Expect a bunch of touches and big results from Shady.

Wide Receivers

Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers: It was either a triumphant return to rookie-form, or a complete aberration for Keenan Allen against the Lions in Week 1. I doubt even he thought he would haul in a career-high 15 receptions for 166 yards. If he is going to be targeted that many times in Week 2 against the Bengals (or the 1985 Bears for that matter), sign me up every time.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: In a bad start for the offense, Odell Beckham Jr. was not very impressive. I expect a bounce back week for the entire Giants offense, including Beckham Jr. Last week Jordan Matthews had his way with the Falcons secondary, hauling in 10 grabs for 102 yards. Why would anything be different this week with a better receiver and a better quarterback at home? This is an ideal matchup for Beckham Jr. to break into the end zone for the first time this year, and rack up some big yards.

Tight Ends

Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers: Greg Olsen didn’t have the start to the season everyone was expecting last week against the Jaguars, with just one catch for 11 yards. However, the Jags are sneakily good at defending TEs, while the Texans got smoked by Chiefs TE Travis Kelce for 102 yards and two TDs last week. There’s no reason to believe Olsen can’t have a similar line against Houston in Week 2.

Tyler Eifert, TE, Bengals: A favorite sleeper pick, Tyler Eifert did not disappoint in Week 1 against the Raiders, grabbing nine receptions, 104 YDs and two TDs. At the same time, the Saints surrendered 82 YDs and a TD to Darren Fells of the Cardinals. With so much attention being paid to AJ Green and Jeremy Hill, Eifert will be free to roam and have another big day.

Defenses

Tennessee Titans: For one, you have to be encouraged about their performance against Tampa Bay last week: Two INTs, 92 rushing YDs allowed, 273 total YDs allowed and four sacks. Add in the fact that they get to face a hapless Browns offense and fantasy owners should be salivating at the match up.

Potential Busts for Week 2

Tom Brady, QB, Patriots: After last week’s four TD performance, it may seem like blasphemy to bet against Tom Terrific this week. That said, being on the road against a Bills team that held Andrew Luck in check, this is a bad matchup. If you have Brady, you probably aren’t benching him, but don’t expect a repeat performance from him or the Pats offense.

Nick Foles, QB, Rams: Nick Foles put up a respectable game against the Seahawks defense last week, but the Redskins passing defense also did a good job of limiting QB Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins last week as well. After a big divisional win in Week 1, I predict a very average to below average game for Foles and the Rams in Washington this week.

Running Backs

Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins: Alfred Morris got a ton of touches last week and produced well, with 121 rushing YDs. After the Rams performance last Sunday against Seattle, where they held Marshawn Lynch to 73 rushing yards and no scores, it’s hard to envision Morris doing better. You probably have to start him if you own him, but I’d bet the house he is held under 100 yards and out of the end zone this week.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers: Not only is this a less than ideal matchup against a Bengals team that allowed just 63 rushing YDs a week ago to the Raiders, but Melvin Gordon is not even the clear cut starter. Danny Woodhead got nearly as many carries, was targeted more in the passing game and scored on a goal line touchdown. Until he can begin commanding a larger share of the backfield touches, it’s hard to trust Gordon as anything more than a flex play.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina: Although he got the touches last week against the Jags, a 3.1 YPC is not very inspiring. The Texans did a great job of holding Jamaal Charles in check, holding him to 57 rushing YDs and 3.6 YPC. Charles did catch a TD, but Stewart is not the receiving back that Charles is and, Houston has a very good front seven. Proceed with caution.

Wide Receivers

Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers: With the return of Mike Evans, the emergence of Austin Seferian-Jenkins and a rookie quarterback at the helm, there doesn’t appear to be enough targets for VJax. The Saints certainly don’t have a lockdown secondary, but as maybe the third or fourth offensive option on the team, it’s hard to picture Jackson having a big game.

Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders: Fantasy owners of Amari Cooper were likely encouraged by his Week 1 performance, but expecting the rookie to build on it this week is foolish. Cooper will be lining up against CB Jimmy Smith and facing a Ravens defense that just shut down Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos passing attack. If you can, hold him out for the week.

Tight Ends

Larry Donnell, TE, Giants: A lot of fantasy owners invested in Larry Donnell this season in hopes that he could build on the promise he showed in 2014. That may happen at some point, just not this week against the Falcons. Atlanta gave up just four touchdowns to TEs in 2014, and just three receptions to Zach Ertz on Monday night.

Jared Cook, TE, Rams: Don’t let his Week 1 production fool you into starting him this week in Washington. With TE Lance Kendricks also commanding snaps and targets, Cook is too inconsistent to trust in any size league.

Defenses

Cincinnati Bengals: After the amount of yards the Chargers racked up a week ago, you really have to believe in the Bengals to start them this week. The Bengals have a good defense, but Phillip Rivers dropped 404 passing yards against a good Lions defense, and the Chargers look like they will be a difficult offense to reckon with this season.

San Francisco 49ers: They looked great on Monday night against the Vikings, but Pittsburgh will be at home and looking for a bounce back performance. Remember, this is a Niners defense that was decimated in the offseason. Don’t let their stellar Week 1 performance trick you into trusting them against Big Ben and the Steelers.

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