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.

Week 2 sprint of PFF game recaps centers fantasy value on efficient QB play, solid RB workloads, and late-game swings. Green Bay rides Jordan Love to a 2-0 start with a clean, multi-snap performance and sharp decision-making. Buffalo leans on James Cook’s rushing volume as their ground game anchors a win over the Jets. San Francisco survives without their starter and top TE, leaning on defense and opportunistic plays. Rams surge in the second half behind Stafford, while Baltimore dominates in Flacco’s return. Detroit explodes, Seattle leans on Walker and special teams, and Cincinnati survives Burrow’s exit. New England grinds out a Maye-led win over Miami; Dallas- New York’s OT thriller showcases massive passing totals and a game-deciding K. Indy edges Denver on a late leverage call, Arizona holds off Carolina, Philadelphia rallies in a Super Bowl rematch, Atlanta stabilizes vs Minnesota, with two late Week 2 games slated to come.

Week 2 flashed a fantasy fireworks show: Jared Goff lit up Chicago for five touchdowns and 300+ yards, Russell Wilson surged to 450 passing yards with three TDs, and Lamar Jackson turned in four passing scores. Drake Maye and Daniel Jones added big rushing and passing days, while Jonathan Taylor and James Cook topped the day at the RB position. Amon-Ra St. Brown shredded the secondary with three TDs and 9 grabs, and Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Puka Nacua paced the WRs with large yardage and scores. Tight ends delivered in spades, kickers slammed long-range kicks, and defenses topped the box score, making Week 2 a goldmine for fantasy managers.

Beyond the headline performances, the week underscored the value of dual-threat upside, high-volume passing, and even some surprise contributors. It tightened up the learning curve for lineup construction, reinforced the staying power of elite offenses, and kept sleepers in play as rosters pivot toward playoff positioning. For fantasy managers, Week 2 was a reminder: pace and opportunity often drive the best Week-to-Week gains in standard scoring formats.

Week 2 brought a brutal reality check for defenses, with six units slipping into the red and two big-name anchors—Denver and Chicago—stuck on the wrong side of the scoreboard. The Broncos allowed a prolific Colts attack to march, while the Bears could not muster anything on either side of the ball. Fantasy managers watched extra points, kicks, and turnover-free drives erase day-long projections.

Key fallout centered on receivers who cooled after Week 1 fire, and running backs whose ground games vanished against stout defenses. Fields exited with a concussion scare, Sutton saw limited downfield looks, and several pivots emerged on the bench as Week 3 approaches. The takeaway: streaming defenses and shoring up high-variance lineups are back in play.