Week 2 of 2025 delivered a wave of fantasy busts across QB, RB, WR and TE, forcing managers to rethink lineups and smartly pivot for Week 3. Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy faltered in prime time, while a host of running backs—Henry, Hall, Charbonnet, Pacheco, Hunt and more—never found their footing. WRs like A.J. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Drake London cooled after strong openings, and tight ends such as Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson offered limited fantasy returns. Bounce-back potential remains for several, but risk has clearly risen across the board.

Rosters should shift toward safer floors and clearer use-cases in Week 3, with attention to upcoming matchups against softer defenses and potential in-game script shifts. The busts spotlight several buy-low windows, particularly at WR and TE, where targets and red-zone usage could swing dramatically with a favorable game plan. Fantasy managers should weigh the rest-of-season trajectory against Week 2 volatility and adjust accordingly.

Overall, Week 2 underscored the value of depth and matchup-fueled decisions. Staying ahead requires identifying hidden Week 3 opportunities among RBs with clearer roles, WRs in jam-friendly offenses, and TEs who still command a red-zone presence despite rough Sundays.

Arizona faces Carolina with a plan built around run-stopping discipline and explosive back-end play. Budda Baker must anchor coverage while also thriving as a run defender, and Calais Campbell provides the interior heft to slow Carolina’s power rushing attack. Marvin Harrison Jr. adds a versatile weapon to stress Jaycee Horn and the Panthers secondary, helping Arizona sustain drives and keep the Panthers from dictating the pace.

The micro matchup matters: if Baker and Campbell control the front, Harrison Jr can create the required space for the offense and tilt field position in Arizona’s favor. This one is a defensive chess match with fantasy implications for multiple Cardinals and Panthers players alike.

Brock Purdy’s turf-toe injury sidelines the 49ers QB for up to five weeks, thrusting Mac Jones into Sunday’s matchup with New Orleans. Fantasy managers should scan the QB streamer list, with Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence, and even Aaron Rodgers cited as viable options in tougher spots.

Week 1’s injury avalanche continued with Austin Ekeler’s season-ending Achilles and George Kittle’s hamstring. Add in Xavier Worthy’s shoulder and Brock Bowers’s knee, and the waiver wire becomes a chessboard. Watch for sleepers like Harold Fannin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka to emerge for deeper leagues.