Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. Here are some of my picks for Week 2 in the first edition of Studs, Duds & Sleepers of the 2023 season.
STUDS
QB: Jalen Hurts (PHI): Hurts did enough for the Eagles to win on the road in New England, but he left fantasy managers with an underwhelming Week 1 stat line, including averaging just 5.2 yards per attempt. Look for that to improve as the Vikings come to town. The Philly signal caller is my top-ranked QB in Week 2.
RB: Derrick Henry (TEN): Another bounce back candidate, some expressed concerns with Henry being outsnapped by Tyjae Spears (33-28), but look for the veteran to have a much better day vs. a Chargers’ defense that showed some kinks in Week 1 vs. Miami.
WR: Chris Olave (NO): For the just fourth time in his young career Olave hit the century mark in Week 1 while being peppered with 10 targets. He only managed to get that many looks in four games a year ago and two of those times came in matchups vs. Carolina, his Week 2 opponent. He tallied 14 receptions for 207 yards and a score in those meetings and is a good bet to approach similar numbers here.
TE: T.J. Hockenson (MIN): Despite only finishing with 35 yards and without a TD, Hockenson still caught eight of his nine targets and got to double digits in PPR leagues. Volume and expected game flow are in his favor again as the Vikings are a 7-point underdog at Philadelphia.
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DUDS
QB: Dak Prescott (DAL): With things well in hand early after big defensive and special teams’ plays, Prescott only attempted 24 passes in the opener and finished with just 143 yards and no touchdowns. His 54 percent completion percentage was a bit alarming and a matchup vs. a very stingy Jets’ D and a team that will shorten the game with a heavy ground attack is enough for me to put him on my bench this week.
RB: Dalvin Cook (NYJ): Some fantasy managers opted to insert Cook into their Week 1 lineups, but that was back when the Jets had a capable quarterback and Breece Hall was expected to be eased back into the mix. The split wound up being slanted to Cook 16:11 and the gap could narrow this week. Add to it all a tough matchup with a Dallas D on the road and there’s no way Cook can be trusted here.
WR: Chiefs Wideouts (KC): Whether Travis Kelce returns or not, there’s just no level of confidence in putting a Kansas City wide receiver into your lineups. I’m still holding onto Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney for the time being and interested in stashing Rashee Rice after an intriguing debut, but all of them must play their way into any of mine fantasy lineups.
TE: Cole Kmet (CHI) : Nothing against Kmet, but the Bears’ passing attack is so mediocre that it is hard to see a path to him being productive without the benefit or a random touchdown. He used garbage time last week to get to five catches on seven targets, but only netted 44 yards. You can do worse at tight end, but here’s to hoping you can do better.
SLEEPERS
QB: Jared Goff (DET): Goff posted modest numbers in the league opener at Kansas City. Expect him to build on that for Week 2 as Seattle paid a visit. The Seahawks made Matthew Stafford look good and this is a week where the Lions’ passing attack should really take off. Enjoy the ride!
RB: Tyler Allgeier (ATL): It will be hard for Allgeier to match the fantasy points he put up in Week 1 as he finished with 15 carries for 75 yards and a TD to go along with three catches for 19 yards. However, I am still projecting 12-15 touches at a pair minimum with the Packers on tap. Coupled with his TD-upside in short yardage that volume puts the second-year back squarely on the FLEX radar even with the presence of Bijan Robinson in the backfield.
WR: Zay Flowers (BAL): No rookie wide receiver made a more instant impact than Flowers did in Baltimore, catching nine of 10 targets for 78 yards. Pretty impressive when you consider Lamar Jackson only completed 17 passes. He is the best of all the Ravens’ options at wide receiver and gets on the flex radar for Week 2’s visit to Cincinnati.
TE: Hunter Henry (NE): The Patriots’ offense quietly looked good in Week 1. What a difference it makes having an offensive coordinator. Henry got targeted six times and finished with 56 yards and a TD on five catches. More importantly, he ran 38 routes compared to 23 for Mike Gesicki.
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