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 WR starts and sits center on Diggs, Pittman, Olave, Evans, and Jeudy, with matchup nuance shaping lineup decisions. Diggs delivered seven targets and six catches in Week 1 and draws a favorable clash versus Miami, while Pittman is usable as a flex despite a tougher test from Denver’s Surtain II. Olave looks set to ride a high target floor in a pass-heavy Saints attack, Evans remains a steady high-floor option, and Jeudy faces a stern Denver slate but can ladder upside in the air game.

Use the Who Should I Start tool to refine rankings and optimize Week 2 lineups, balancing volume against matchup risk. The piece emphasizes looking beyond raw targets, weighing health, and leveraging current form to separate clear starts from flex plays in a pivotal early-season week.

Weekly matchup rankings guide fantasy players through a schedule-agnostic lens, emphasizing players with favorable Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (FPA) matchups across QB, RB, WR, and TE. It highlights Drake Maye vs Miami, Lawrence vs Cincinnati, Herbert vs Raiders, and Baker Mayfield vs Texans, plus RBs like James Conner, Kyren Williams, and WRs such as Ricky Pearsall and Stefon Diggs. TE targets Hunter Henry and Mo Alie-Cox are noted for favorable spots, with Warren also in play.