Welcome back to Week two of Keeping it Real With Fantasy! After a long summer The Lance is back and ready to give our Fantasy picks this week. In Week one there were many surprising outcomes, and that should be no different this week. The second week of the NFL season is full of marquee showdowns and rivalry matchups including the Chiefs taking on the Chargers to kickoff the week on Thursday night, the NFC south rivals Buccaneers and Saints face off after both starting the season with a win, and the Bengals travel to Dallas in a matchup of two playoff teams last year that similarly lost tough games in week one. Buckle up, this week is going to be just as entertaining as the first!

News/Injuries:

Dak Prescott (QB) – Prescott and the Cowboys got beat up by the Buccaneers Sunday night. The QB was hit on his thumb by a pass rusher and is in need of surgery. Prescott heads to the injured reserve and his expected recovery is supposedly 6-8 weeks. Prescott owners should start browsing the waiver wire for a Quarterback for the time being. 

Elijah Mitchell (RB) – Mitchell sprained his MCL in the season opener in Chicago. The weather conditions were terrible and so was the turf. The Niners starting running back goes on the injured reserve and will miss a significant amount of time. 

Keenan Allen (WR) – Allen’s Chargers play on Thursday Night Football against their division rival, the Chiefs. The star is OUT for Thursday’s game after suffering a hamstring injury that removed him from week one’s game against the Raiders. Allen left the game after catching four passes for 66 yards.

Starts:

Curtis Samuel (WR) – There were many positives in week one for the Commanders in their win over the Jaguars. The new quarterback Carson Wentz seems to have a favorite target in Curtis Samuel. Samuel saw eight catches, eleven targets, for 55 yards, and a touchdown. The receiver even got some touches out of the backfield, tallying four carries for seventeen yards. Curtis had a 26.3% target share, the next receiver closest to him had a 13.2% target share. There is no reason to have Samuel on your bench this week!

Kareem Hunt (RB) – The Browns won a close game in Carolina week one. In the win, Kareem Hunt saw a snap share of 57.3% slightly above Nick Chubb’s 52.3%. An almost even split with Chubb, one of the league’s best running backs, should give some Hunt owners tons of optimism for an easy matchup this week against the Jets. Hunt saw eleven rushing attempts, 46 yards, and a touchdown week one. His numbers are only expected to rise against a worse defense week two! 

Sits: 

Alvin Kamara (RB) – Kamara barely saw any touches in week one’s win against the Falcons. This is very disappointing for Kamara owners as he’s one of the most highly regarded running backs in most fantasy drafts. The back only had nine rushes for 39 yards, and three receptions for seven yards. The Buccaneers perennially have a top tier run defense in the NFL in a defense that features two premier linebackers, Lavonte David and Devin White. The Buccs defense also features Vita Vea, Akiem Hicks, and Shaq Barrett that will all help stop the run and limit yards after the catch. 

Devonta Smith (WR) –  Another disappointing player from week one. The Eagles got the win and their biggest offseason acquisition AJ Brown took the throws as Wide Receiver one with ten receptions 155 yards. Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts also recorded Touchdowns. Smith saw little to no productivity in an Eagles offense that features tons of weapons (wow, that’s weird to say). Not only is Smith in a crowded offense, but Hurts lacks passing game efficiency. It’s probably best to sit Smith for a week as he seemingly has low upside. 

Waiver Wires/Trade Targets:

Jeff Wilson Jr (RB)- With star running back Elijah Mitchell dealing with a sprained MCL, the 49ers placed him on injured reserve meaning he’ll have to miss at least three weeks. As a result, the Niners are counting on Jeff Wilson Jr, Mitchell’s backup, to take on the workload. The 49ers had one of the top rushing offenses last season, and they don’t plan to stop here. Wilson Jr will see a heavily increased amount of touches while Mitchell recovers. 

Tyler Higbee (TE) – In an embarrassing loss for the defending super bowl champions against the Bills, the ball seemed to end up near Tyler Higbee almost every other play. The Rams Tight End had five catches on eleven targets. Only behind Cooper Kupp, Tyler had a 23.7% target share, the second highest on the team. If you have been struggling at the Tight End position, Higbee could be a reliable option for some guaranteed points.