Evan Engram's Usage Too Concerning to Trust Against Colts
Evan Engram (calf) is expected to suit up for Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts after leaving the opener with a calf contusion. Engram's usage before the injury was concerning, as he played just 44% of the snaps overall and was on the field for only 56% of Denver's passing plays. Adam Trautman, the more experienced blocker, was featured more heavily in Sean Payton's game plan. The much-hyped "Joker role" for Engram in Payton's offense appears overstated based on Week 1 usage. While the Colts were vulnerable to tight ends in 2024, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position, Engram's limited playing time keeps him off the fantasy radar for now.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Denver Broncos tight end Source: Pro Football Reference
Drake Maye Has Big Upside Against Struggling Defense
Drake Maye has top-12 fantasy upside heading into Sunday's Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Maye was solid with 287 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the season opener last week, but he has the potential to take a bigger leap this weekend given the Dolphins' struggling defense. Miami was decimated by Daniel Jones last weekend, as the Indianapolis Colts quarterback finished with 272 passing yards, 26 rushing yards, and three touchdowns. Even if Maye doesn't quite match Jones' stat line, there's still a strong chance he finishes as a QB1 this Sunday.
Source: RotoBaller
New England Patriots quarterback Source: RotoBaller
Dolphins Haven't Received Calls for Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill and have shown no interest in moving their star playmaker. Hill is coming off a down 2024 season, posting his lowest per-game receiving numbers since his rookie year. Trade speculation intensified after Hill pulled himself from the Dolphins' Week 18 game last season, declaring, "I'm out!" Miami's Week 1 loss to the Colts only fueled rumors, but for now, a trade remains unlikely given Hill's contract and the team's stance. If the Dolphins continue to struggle, a deadline move could resurface as a topic of discussion, although the financial hurdles are significant. In fantasy, Hill profiles as a low-end WR2, while Jaylen Waddle's fantasy stock will continue to drop as long as Hill remains in Miami.
Source: Adam Schefter - ESPN
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Miami Dolphins have not received any trade inquiries for wide receiver Source: Adam Schefter - ESPN
Quinshon Judkins Expected to Play Against Ravens
Quinshon Judkins is expected to make his debut in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. Judkins missed all of training camp due to off-field issues and a contract holdout before finally signing his rookie deal just before Week 1. He also met with the NFL this week regarding a potential suspension, but no discipline has been announced. With limited practice time and no preseason action, Judkins is likely to see a scaled-back role in his debut. Facing a Baltimore defense that ranked among the league's best against the run in 2024, both Judkins and Dylan Sampson are tough to trust in fantasy lineups this week.
Source: Jeremy Fowler - ESPN
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Cleveland Browns rookie running back Source: Jeremy Fowler - ESPN
Sean Payton Wants to Get Two Backs Involved
J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey were involved in the Week 1 win over Tennessee, though Dobbins clearly led the way. Dobbins handled 16 carries for 63 yards while playing 53% of the snaps, compared to Harvey's 6 carries for 70 yards, which included a 50-yard burst in the fourth quarter, on just 29% of snaps. The usage indicates a strong lean toward Dobbins, who profiles as a mid-range RB3 in Week 2 against the Colts. Harvey remains more of a developmental stash than a fantasy starter.
Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton stressed his comfort with using a two-back system, telling reporters Friday, "I think the moral of the story always is that I've had a lot of experience feeding two (backs)." Both Source: Zac Stevens - DNVR
Zay Jones Remains Unstartable in Week 2
Zay Jones didn't play much of a part in the passing game during the Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints. The 30-year-old caught his only target for four yards despite playing 47% of the snaps. When it comes to pecking order in the passing game, Jones was tied for sixth. Backup tight end Elijah Higgins and James Conner both saw more targets. So, even though their headed for a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, Jones can either remain on the waiver wire in average-sized leagues, or just be left on the bench.
Source: RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Source: RotoBaller
Titans D/ST Face Tough Matchup Against Rams
Matthew Stafford has thrown just one interception over his last 10 games, limiting turnover opportunities. On top of that, Tennessee struggled against the run in Week 1 and will be without 2024 second-round pick T'Vondre Sweat, leaving them vulnerable to the Rams' ground game. Despite the promising Week 1 showing, the Titans' D/ST is best left on the bench or the waiver wire this week.
Source: Pro Football Reference
The Tennessee Titans' defense turned in a strong fantasy performance in Week 1, forcing four turnovers against the Denver Broncos while allowing 20 points to finish as the 10th-ranked D/ST. However, their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams is far less favorable. Source: Pro Football Reference
Joey Slye On The Fantasy Radar in Week 2
Joey Slye delivered a huge performance in Week 1, drilling all four of his field goal attempts in a 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos. The seventh-year veteran, now on his sixth NFL team, accounted for every point the Titans scored. Slye finished with the second-most fantasy points among kickers in the opening week, despite the tough matchup against Denver's defense. In Week 2, the Titans host the Los Angeles Rams, who just allowed Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn to hit three field goals and finish as a top-five kicker in Week 1. While Slye wasn't on the fantasy radar entering the season, he's emerging as a viable streaming option you can trust this week.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Tennessee Titans kicker Source: Pro Football Reference
Michael Wilson Off of the Fantasy Radar in Week 2
Michael Wilson received the third most targets on the team in Week 1 but could only manage to turn that into one reception for five yards. The third-year wideout will remain behind Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. in the pecking order and may even fall behind some of the running backs in any given game. Despite the Carolina Panthers' defense not looking too great in Week 1, Wilson doesn't seem to be much of a fantasy option until he can prove to be a more reliable pass-catcher. In most leagues, Wilson isn't on the radar for Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Source: RotoBaller
Marvin Harrison Jr. Holds High-Level WR2 Value in Week 2
Marvin Harrison Jr. delivered a WR10 finish in half-PPR leagues against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. Many expect the second-year wideout to break out after he failed to reach some lofty expectations in his rookie season. While Trey McBride still commands more targets, Harrison wasn't too far behind. The Carolina Panthers don't present much of a threat defensively in Week 2, so there should be room in the passing game for Harrison to replicate what he did in their last game. While the game script will likely lean towards the ground game since the Panthers gave up 200 yards to the Jacksonville Jaguars, fantasy managers can look to Harrison as a WR2.
Source: RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Source: RotoBaller
RJ Harvey Carries Flex Value in Week 2
RJ Harvey carries flex value heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. While Harvey was competing for the starting job during training camp, the Broncos opted to lean on their veteran, J.K. Dobbins, in the season opener. During their victory over the Tennessee Titans, Dobbins carried the ball all 16 times while Harvey took just six carries. Despite the smaller workload, Harvey was every efficient in his role, totaling an impressive 70 yards, which led the team. Through the air, Harvey caught his lone target for -1 yards. While the No. 3 option, Tyler Badie, could also take opportunities away from Harvey, given his elite efficiency, the rookie should still provide low-end flex value in 12+ team leagues this weekend. However, Dobbins still figures to lead the team in carries.
Source: RotoBaller
Denver Broncos rookie running back Source: RotoBaller
James Conner Primed to Find More Success in Week 2?
James Conner salvaged his fantasy week against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 with a four-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter. Outside of that, he saw 12 carries for only 39 yards while Trey Benson took eight carries for 69 yards. We may have finally hit the timeline where Benson takes more and more touches away from Conner. The good news, for both backs, is that they're going up against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. They just gave up 143 yards to Travis Etienne and 200 rushing yards overall. So, even though Benson will likely get some more opportunities, Conner remains an RB2 given that he sticks as the number-one guy in the backfield.
Source: RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals running back Source: RotoBaller
Marvin Mims Jr. a High-Risk Play Facing Colts
Marvin Mims Jr. is best kept on the bench and projects to be a high-risk WR3 facing the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. During the preseason, Mims appeared to be on the fast track to a breakout season as he was given opportunities playing alongside Courtland Sutton as the team's WR2. However, during their season-opening victory against the Tennessee Titans, Mims appeared to be pushed to the No. 3 spot, as second-year wideout Troy Franklin was given more opportunities. In this game, Mims caught just three of his four targets for 12 yards, while Franklin caught four of his targets for 44 yards. During the final weeks of the 2024 regular season, Mims appeared to be claiming a significant role in the offense, but may be destined for a depth role in 2025. As a result, he projects to be a high-risk WR3 in Week 2.
Source: RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Source: RotoBaller
Kyler Murray Holds QB1 Value Again in Week 2
Kyler Murray finished just outside of QB1 territory in Week 1 after throwing two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. His accuracy looked good most of the time, but the passing attack didn't gain many yards (163), and he was sacked five times. Fortunately, for Murray and company, the Carolina Panthers gave up 378 total yards and didn't register a single sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. With the Panthers' run defense especially looking horrendous, Murray gains even more value given the report that the team has tried to scheme more scrambling opportunities. Fantasy managers can look to Murray as a QB1 heading into Week 2, hoping that he gains even more chemistry with Marvin Harrison Jr.
Source: RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Source: RotoBaller
Troy Franklin Looking to Claim Starting Job in Week 2
Troy Franklin was given a starter's workload in Week 1 and is looking to build on that performance in Week 2 when the Broncos travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts. In their season-opening victory over the Tennessee Titans, Franklin saw six targets and was able to bring in four of them for 44 yards. This is important to note, as Marvin Mims Jr. was deployed as the WR2 opposite of Courtland Sutton during the preseason, but Franklin's recent usage suggests he may have jumped ahead of him on the depth chart. In this same game, Mims saw just four targets and caught only three of 12 yards. While Franklin carries low-end WR3 value in this contest, if he were to see another starter's workload, he could be worth a look on the waiver wire in deeper three-WR formats heading into Week 3.
Source: RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Source: RotoBaller