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Frank Ammirante's five fantasy football bold predictions for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Expert predictions for Jaxson Dart, Aaron Jones, Brian Thomas Jr., Matthew Golden, and Harold Fannin Jr.
The 2026 NFL season rolls on to Week 2, so it's time to continue my weekly bold predictions column. This is where I'm trying to predict which players will hit their ceilings this week. I'll focus on players who you're likely on the fence with in start-and-sit decisions.
On this page, you're going to find five players who I'm ranking well above consensus for Week 2. We're going to mention player props to give you a baseline to see how bold the prediction actually is, since those odds are based on median projections.
Last week, I said that Jordan Love would throw for 275+ passing yards and 2+ touchdowns. He went for 387 yards and two touchdowns. That was my lone win of the week. With that in mind, find out why my Week 2 bold predictions include Jaxson Dart, Aaron Jones, Brian Thomas Jr., Matthew Golden, and Harold Fannin Jr.
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Jaxson Dart Throws For 275+ Passing Yards
I came into the season fading the New York Giants. I wasn't a fan of John Harbaugh hiring Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator. It made me worried that Harbaugh to the Giants could end up similar to Pete Carroll to the Raiders. That is, a highly successful coach struggling in a new destination. But after what I saw in the win over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, I've already moved off that take.
One of the biggest reasons for that was Jaxson Dart, who was terrific against the Cowboys, completing 23-of-29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards. He looked poised and decisive in the pocket.
“He was probably the guy of everybody in the league that surprised me the most at how well he played in Week 1.”
—@kurt13warner on Jaxson Dart against the Cowboys 🌟 pic.twitter.com/5XXqxTKjj8
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 16, 2026
In an indoor game against a Rams team coming back from Australia where the Giants are seven-point underdogs, this feels like it could be a shootout where the G-Men are forced to air it out. That bodes well for Dart getting to my bold prediction of 275+ passing yards. His prop is currently at around 213 yards, so this would certainly qualify as bold.
To be honest, I think the Giants have a chance to pull off the upset here, with Dart carrying the offense. This team looks much better than expected, with Dart already looking like a steal at ADP. I'm boldly ranking Dart as my QB4 for Week 2.
Aaron Jones Rushes for 100+ Rushing Yards
Aaron Jones is going to be forced into a larger role with Jordan Mason placed on injured reserve. The Vikings have very limited running back depth, so in the first game without Mason, expect them to lean on the veteran Jones. Perhaps down the road, DeeJay Dallas or Demond Claiborne will mix in more, but that's unlikely for this week.
That puts Jones in a high-volume role in a projected shootout against the Bears. The total for this game is at 48.5 points. We could see Jones get close to 20 carries if the Vikings are able to hold a lead or keep this one within striking distance.
Aaron Jones Sr. Now the Clear RB1 for Vikings After Teammate's Injury https://t.co/WKBFMjA5K5
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 16, 2026
We just saw Chuba Hubbard rush 10 times for 49 yards (4.9 YPC) vs. the Bears. The only reason that he didn't get more usage is that the Bears were blowing out the Panthers. I don't think that the Vikings-Bears game will be a blowout, so there should be plenty of opportunities for Jones to get to 100+ yards.
While Jones' rushing yards prop isn't out yet at the time of this article, expect it to be around 65-70 yards, so 100+ would definitely qualify as a bold prediction. If you have Jones, make sure to get him in your lineup this week. He's my RB23 for Week 2, and I may go even higher by kickoff.
Brian Thomas Jr. Puts Up 75+ Receiving Yards
Everyone was already down on Brian Thomas Jr. coming into the season. This was because he was coming off a disappointing year where he was a massive fantasy bust at ADP. Add in the fact that Parker Washington tore it up down the stretch and then was the talk of training camp. Public sentiment on Thomas couldn't be lower.
That's why it's completely hit rock bottom heading into Week 2. We just saw Thomas put up only 40 yards while Washington had a big game. Fantasy managers are shockingly dropping Thomas, let alone benching him. Don't do that. Be patient. Plus, if you dig under the hood of last week's result, we can see that it's better than it looks on the box score.
Brian Thomas Jr. had 40 receiving yards in the 1st quarter.
Then he got banged up and didn't return until late in the 2nd quarter.
But by that time, the Jaguars were up 24-0.
From that point onward, Trevor Lawrence attempted only five more passes.
Food for thought.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 17, 2026
If Thomas didn't get hurt and the Jags weren't blowing out the Browns, there's a chance that he would have gotten 75+ yards. Don't give up on a player who put up 1,200+ yards in his rookie season. The Jaguars offense is humming, so there are good times ahead.
While the matchup is tough on paper against the Broncos, the Jags offense is good enough to put up points against anyone. With a 34.5 receiving yards prop, 75+ yards from Thomas would qualify as a bold prediction. I'm not ready to give up on him just yet.
Matthew Golden Puts Up 100+ Receiving Yards
Matthew Golden had a huge game against the Vikings, catching 6-of-12 targets for 95 yards. As expected, the Packers went more pass-heavy without Josh Jacobs. We can expect that to continue going forward.
What's good about Golden is that he had the fourth-most air yards on the week.
Matthew Golden: Breakout Meter 3/5
Saw a team-high 11 targets on a team-high 40 routes run in Week 1
Also led all Packer pass-catchers in target share and first read target share
Had three red zone targets and a whopping 20.4 expected fantasy points
(data via @FantasyPtsData) https://t.co/ijTfJ1nWst
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 16, 2026
If you have Golden on your team, he's likely your WR3 or WR4, so you're probably debating whether or not to start him. Make the move. With this kind of usage, he's a must-play in your lineups.
His receiving yards prop is at 48.5, so 100+ is definitely bold. But with the Packers going more pass-heavy, it's definitely within range.
Harold Fannin Jr. Puts Up 75+ Receiving Yards
Harold Fannin Jr. is coming off a dud against the Jaguars, but I'm hopeful that we can get a bounce-back game from him here.
We already saw Bucs head coach Todd Bowles speak highly of Fannin this week.
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles says they know that Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. is going to get his catches. He’s a dangerous player.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) September 16, 2026
We just saw Mike Gesicki go off for 78 yards and a touchdown against this Bucs defense. It wouldn't surprise me to see a similar line from Fannin in this spot.
His receiving yards prop is at 34.5, so this makes the cut as a bold prediction. With the Browns likely playing from behind, Fannin is in a good spot to bounce back.
