Kaleb Johnson Will Hope For More Opportunities Against Seattle
Kaleb Johnson was hardly involved in his regular-season debut and will likely operate as the team's RB3 again this week against the Seattle Seahawks. Fantasy managers who drafted Johnson with high expectations must exercise patience with the rookie if they plan to keep him rostered. Johnson played just two offensive snaps last week and primarily operated as a kick returner. However, his utilization could see an uptick soon if Kenneth Gainwell continues to struggle with inefficiency as he did in Week 1. For the time being, Johnson is a bench stash with the potential to serve as a complement to Jaylen Warren later in the season. He should not be considered in fantasy lineups on Sunday.
Source: RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Source: RotoBaller
Jaylen Warren Has RB2 Upside In Week 2
Jaylen Warren found the end zone in the season opener and will look to build on that success in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle's run defense was middle-of-the-pack in 2024 and surrendered a big fantasy performance to Christian McCaffrey in Week 1. Warren may not be the offensive threat that McCaffrey is, but he has proven to be effective both on the ground and through the air as the clear leader of the Steelers' backfield. Rookie Kaleb Johnson has seemingly yet to carve out a role in OC Arthur Smith's system, and while Kenneth Gainwell handled 10 touches last week, he was largely inefficient with them. Though this matchup isn't expected to be high-scoring, Pittsburgh is coming off an impressive 34-point showing led by a motivated Aaron Rodgers and will look to stay hot in its home opener. Warren projects as a low-end RB2 or strong flex option for Sunday's contest.
Source: RotoBaller
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Source: RotoBaller
Derrick Henry has Plenty of Bulletin-Board Material vs. Browns
Derrick Henry doesn't have anything to prove when it comes to his overall career. After last week, however, he'll look to bounce back after fumbling during a key moment in the fourth quarter, which eventually led to a loss. Then, while talking to the media, Grant Delpit from the Browns responded to a question about how hard it was to tackle Henry with "not hard." As if the 10-year vet already didn't run with a purpose. Last season, he collected 211 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries combined between the two games against the Browns. They saw his third-highest yards per carry mark (6.81) out of all of the teams he played that year. RotoBaller currently has him ranked the RB1 in half-PPR leagues, so make sure he isn't on the bench.
Source: RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens running back Source: RotoBaller
Riley Patterson Likely to be Elevated Again in Week 2
Riley Patterson reverted to the practice squad after his Week 1 promotion, but he's expected to kick for the team again in Week 2 since Jason Sanders (hip) is still sidelined and on IR. Patterson was signed to the practice squad and promoted in Week 1, but the offense struggled badly in a loss to the Colts and never called on him to even attempt a field goal or extra point. When they finally did find the end zone, they went for a two-point conversion. This week, the Dolphins will try to get their offense on track at home against the Patriots. If they do, Patterson could get some work, but the struggles of the offense have Patterson ranked as the No. 28 kicker for Week 2 in the RotoBaller rankings.
Source: NFL.com
Miami Dolphins kicker Source: NFL.com
Dolphins D/ST a Tough Play vs. the Patriots
Daniel Jones in Week 1, allowing 33 points to the Colts on the road. They'll come home in Week 2 to take on the Patriots and Drake Maye in a divisional matchup. In Week 1, the Patriots only managed 13 points against the Raiders, but Maye did throw for 287 passing yards, along with an interception. The Patriots gave up four sacks in Week 1, while the Dolphins had just one sack and no takeaways in their disappointing showing in Indianapolis. The Dolphins do have some playmakers on defense, but they'll be without Storm Duck (ankle), who is a key cornerback in their defensive backfield. The Dolphins have potential but are a very difficult option to play with any confidence in Week 2, so they're only the DST No. 30 in the RotoBaller rankings for this week.
Source: NFL.com
The Miami Dolphins defense was torn up by quarterback Source: NFL.com
Jonnu Smith Leads NFL in Designed Targets in Week 1
Jonnu Smith led the team in designed targets in Week 1, per Fantasy Points Data. Despite an inefficient outing, he salvaged his day by scoring on an end-around from inside the five-yard line. Smith drew four designed looks, ranking ahead of notable receivers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers, and Travis Hunter. The Steelers acquired Smith this offseason, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who helped rejuvenate his career during their time together in Atlanta. In Week 2, Smith draws a matchup with Seattle -- a defense that finished middle of the pack against tight ends in 2024. With Pat Freiermuth still in the mix, Smith's role remains capped, making him difficult to trust outside of deeper leagues. He's more of a touchdown-dependent flier than a reliable fantasy starter heading into Pittsburgh's home opener.
Source: Fantasy Pts Data
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Source: Fantasy Pts Data
Browns Defense Draws Tough Matchup vs. Ravens in Week 2
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. That being said, the Browns surprised in Week 1's one-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals as they held them to just 17 points and only one touchdown in the contest. Cleveland will look to keep it going against Baltimore, but they are still not a recommended fantasy option heading into Week 2.
Source: NFL.com
The Cleveland Browns defense will head on the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. The Ravens boast one of the top offenses in the league, led by Source: NFL.com
Lamar Jackson Sets Sights on First Divisional Matchup
Lamar Jackson is leading the team into their first divisional matchup with the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 after a devastating loss to the Buffalo Bills. Even though Jackson turned in a great performance, the team gave up 22 points in the fourth quarter to eventually lose by one. The Browns don't present nearly the same level of talent on offense, but they do have one of the more tantalizing defensive units. Last year, Jackson's second-worst completion percentage was against the Browns at 55.71% in two games. With that being said, he still amassed 506 yards and four touchdowns through the air with 109 yards on 17 carries. This is also his first home game of the year, which gives another reason for Jackson and company to be amped up for this matchup.
Source: RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Source: RotoBaller
Tanner Conner Set for Expanded Role in Week 2
Tanner Conner will be in line for more playing time in Week 2 against the Patriots since Darren Waller (hip) will miss a second straight week. In Week 1, Conner split time evenly with Julian Hill, each playing 58% of snaps. Conner was much more involved as a receiver, though, drawing four targets compared to zero for Hill. Conner only had two catches for 20 yards, though, as the Dolphins' offense sputtered in their loss to the Colts. Conner could be a short-yardage option for the Miami again this week, and the Patriots were a good matchup for tight ends in Week 1. However, he is still a very unproven option in a struggling offense, so he's not a strong play in Week 2. In the RotoBaller rankings, he's TE48.
Source: NFL.com
Miami Dolphins tight end Source: NFL.com
Kareem Hunt Remains Short-Yardage, Third-Down Back in Chiefs Backfield
Kareem Hunt remains locked into the short-yardage role to open the 2025 season. In Week 1's loss to the Chargers, Hunt logged five carries for 16 yards and added two receptions for 10 yards while splitting work with Isiah Pacheco. Notably, Hunt dominated the high-leverage snaps, playing 15 of 17 opportunities on third and fourth down, while Pacheco handled 19 of 25 first-down snaps. The committee approach makes it difficult to trust any Chiefs running back in fantasy, and Week 2 brings a brutal matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles defense, which allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2024. Hunt is unstartable in most formats, though his goal-line role gives him deep-league FLEX appeal.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Kansas City Chiefs running back Source: Pro Football Reference
Andre Szmyt Looks to Shake Off Brutal Week 1
Andre Szmyt will take on the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2. Szmyt did not impress in his first game with the Browns last week, missing one of his two field goals and also misfiring on an extra point in a one-point loss. With many putting at least some of the blame on Szmyt's shoulders for the loss, he will look to bounce back against a Ravens defense that allowed the 14th-most fantasy points per game to the position back in 2024. Szmyt has a lot of pressure on him to improve from last week, but he is too hard to trust in fantasy at the moment.
Source: NFL.com
Cleveland Browns kicker Source: NFL.com
David Njoku Hoping for More Work in Week 2
David Njoku will head on the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. Njoku turned in a quiet performance in a Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, catching three of his six targets for 37 yards to finish fifth on the team in receiving. He also had to contend with third-round rookie Harold Fannin Jr., who had a strong pro debut, pulling down seven of his nine targets for 63 yards. Despite Fannin's solid debut, Njoku should still continue to operate as the Browns' top tight end going forward. That puts him on the map as a low-end TE1 in fantasy leagues heading into the weekend.
Source: NFL.com
Cleveland Browns tight end Source: NFL.com
Julian Hill Lined Up for a Big Role?
Julian Hill will be atop the depth chart for a second straight week with Darren Waller (hip) ruled out against the Patriots. In Week 1, the third-year tight end split snaps right down the middle with Tanner Conner, each playing 28 snaps in Waller's absence. While he did not get a single target in Week 1, he did catch a two-point conversion. It doesn't count as an official reception, but the conversion did give his fantasy managers something to show for Week 1. Hill will probably play plenty of snaps again in Week 2, but he is not involved enough in the offense to be a fantasy factor. He can be left on the waiver wire in all formats at this point and is the TE43 in RotoBaller's Week 2 rankings.
Source: NFL.com
Miami Dolphins tight end Source: NFL.com
Jerry Jeudy a WR3 in Week 2 Matchup vs. Ravens
Jerry Jeudy will take on the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2. Jeudy had a solid game in Week 1's one-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, catching five of eight targets for 66 yards to lead the team. The veteran wideout now draws a fantastic matchup against a Ravens secondary that allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to fantasy wideouts last season and struggled to contain the Buffalo Bills' pass-catchers in last week's loss. Jeudy settles in as a high-end WR3/flex option in fantasy heading into Week 2.
Source: NFL.com
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Source: NFL.com
Hunter Henry Remains Top Target for Drake Maye
Hunter Henry profiles as one of the better tight end options for Week 2. In the season-opening loss to Las Vegas, Henry caught four of eight targets for 66 yards, leading the team in looks. His chemistry with rookie quarterback Drake Maye is well established, as Henry has seen 8+ targets in five of Maye's last seven starts. Usage was also encouraging, as Henry played 93% of the snaps in Week 1, his second-highest rate in a game since 2022. He now draws a favorable matchup against Miami, which just allowed Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren to erupt in Week 1. Given his target volume and snap share, Henry enters Week 2 as a solid low-end TE1 and remains Maye's most reliable pass-catching option.
Source: Pro Football Reference
New England Patriots tight end
Source: Pro Football Reference