Who should I start in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 2 roster recommendations by position

Week 2 of Fantasy Football is here! The opening week of the 2025 NFL season brought surprise players and breakout rookies. Quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers played much better than expected and rookie J.J. McCarthy led a historic fourth-quarter comeback for the Vikings over the Bears. So let’s take a closer look at some of the players from Week 1 that deserve a start in Week 2.

NFL Fantasy Football Week 2 Start ‘Ems

Quarterback

Justin Fields (New York Jets) vs Buffalo Bills:

I’m not pleased about this one as I played against him in Week 1 and lost. But it proved that Fields is worth starting as the Jets’ new signal caller. Fields put up three touchdowns - one through the air and two on the ground - against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, putting up a total of 29.5 fantasy points, the second-most of all fantasy scorers in Week 1. He’s not likely to have quite the monster game against Buffalo, but his ability to run the ball makes him a starter for Week 2.

Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) vs New York Giants:

Prescott is healthy again and already looking better than he did last season. He had a decent showing against a tough Philly defense on Thursday despite not throwing for any touchdowns. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 188 yards and had no turnovers. He and the Cowboys are facing a Giants team that gave up 428 yards (6.6 yards per carry) and 21 points to the Commanders in Week 1. That bodes well for Prescott and the Dallas offense in Week 2.

Wide Receiver

Hollywood Brown (Kansas City Chiefs) vs Philadelphia Eagles:

Brown was already a trusted target of Patrick Mahomes, but he quickly became the top target when Xavier Worthy dislocated his shoulder early in the game against the Chargers. Mahomes threw to him 16 times and Brown caught 10 of those passes for 99 yards. In Week 2, the Chiefs face the Eagles, who showed weaknesses in their pass defense, so Mahomes and Brown will definitely look to maximize on that opportunity.

Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers) at Las Vegas Raiders:

In Week 1, Allen led the Chargers in targets against the Chiefs, catching seven of ten for 68 yards and two scores. He and QB Justin Herbert’s connection looks to be strong, so I’d expect another good outing from him against Las Vegas on Monday.

Running Back

Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars) at Cincinnati Bengals:

Etienne rushed 16 times for 143 yards and caught three passes in Week 1, making his stance clear as the RB1 in Jacksonville, especially as the Jaguars traded Tank Bigsby away to the Eagles on Monday. In Week 2, the Jags face a Bengals defense that struggled against the Browns on Sunday.

Dylan Sampson (Cleveland Browns) at Baltimore Ravens:

Sampson was not expected to play as big a role as he ended up playing against the Bengals on Sunday, but he ended up leading the Browns’ backfield with 12 carries for 29 yards, and adding eight receptions for 64 more. Keep an eye on Quinshon Judkins, who could return this week. But even if he does, Sampson made a good argument to continue playing a big role in the Browns offense, especially as a pass catcher.

Tight End

Brenton Strange (Jacksonville Jaguars) at Cincinnati Bengals:

In the Jaguars’ win over the Panthers in Week 1, Strange played a big role, catching four passes for 59 yards. He was second in receptions only to rookie Travis Hunter, but he led the team in receiving yards. It wasn’t a breakout game yet, but with Evan Engram in Denver now, he could be on his way to that.

Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts) vs Denver Broncos:

Colts QB Daniel Jones performed better than expected in Week 1, and Warren was his favorite target. He caught seven passes for 76 yards in his NFL debut against the Dolphins. The Broncos defense won’t be so simple, and it’s unlikely we’ll see another big game like that from Jones in Week 2, but Warren proved to be a reliable target, so he looks to be a valuable starter from here on.

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