Welcome back to more “Fantasy Whiplash!,” where we floor it around the turns each Tuesday with the fantasy football news that affects your team and league.
Now that we’ve officially popped the top off of another NFL season, we’re going to speed through the news and noteworthy, taking some sharp rights and lefts to keep you guessing. Maybe we’ll even slam on the breaks for musings, waiver advice and off-the-cuff thoughts. Got it?
Buckle up, and let’s get it in gear.
Fantasy Football News & Notes for Week 2
Fantasy Football News
Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis?
#Packers coach Matt LaFleur tells reporters that Malik Willis will start this, assuming Jordan Love can’t go.
“If Jordan is not cleared, then we’ll start Malik, and Sean will be the backup.” pic.twitter.com/pg3fVPT0C0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2024
Love hurts.
It pains me (not as much as it pains Jordan Love) to say this: It’s Malik Willis season in Green Bay. Well, at least for a short time. Assuming the Liberty product can hold off third-string quarterback Sean Clifford, Willis should have the reins of the Packers’ offense until Love (sprained MCL) is ready to return. When we last saw Willis (who once accounted for seven total touchdowns in a game in college) starting in the NFL, he was under center for the Tennessee Titans. Coincidentally, he’ll make his first start against his former team, who made him a third-round pick in 2022.
There’s not much of a fantasy spin to put on this other than if you are relying on Willis as your starter now, you’re in deep shit. So, too, is the Packers’ receiving corps. Josh Jacobs remains a green light, but Jayden Reed in the slot is probably the only pass-catcher that belongs in your lineups.
Water-Cooler News Items
To help you stay up-to-date when your coworkers are talking fantasy football news this week, I’ve got your quick fix so you don’t sound like a moron. Grab a pen.
- Tyreek Hill was forced onto the ground and handcuffed while being restrained by Miami-Dade police on his way to the game on Sunday. In this video courtesy of BBC News, Hill is seen being pulled from his car after allegedly being uncooperative. The Miami Dolphins have since released a statement calling for “swift and strong action” against the officers involved.
- Deshaun Watson had yet another civil suit filed against him for sexual abuse from an accuser who filed a complaint stemming from an October 2020 incident. The NFL has yet to take action but is investigating the complaint under the personal conduct policy. The situation is worth keeping an eye on.
- San Francisco was without Christian McCaffrey on Monday and Jordan Mason went nuts in his stead. In the on-field post-game interview, Mason admitted that he knew on Friday he’d be starting but then later dodged the question in the post-game presser. The 49ers will now try to dodge questions of their own and a potential fine from the NFL for not disclosing the injury over the weekend.
- UPDATE: Per KNBR’s John Dickinson, head coach Kyle Shanahan says McCaffrey’s injury issue is actually Achilles tendonitis.
What to Watch for Around the NFL
Tighten Up
And just like that, we’re ????‼️ pic.twitter.com/cqPDUk9l3u
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 5, 2024
Fantasy football managers had a lot of “what the f*ck?” moments on Sunday, and the complete absence of tight end production (save for Isaiah Likely) was a really big one. Who had only five TEs finding paydirt on their Bingo card? It’s also a safe bet that four of those five weren’t in redraft lineups or were just sitting on the waiver wire (but not Kyle Pitts).
Speaking of Likely, remember when the Baltimore Ravens all but told us that he would be a key to the game? Check out the tweet above from Sept. 5. That’s him on the left. Sometimes, we miss the layups.
If you waited on taking a tight end in your leagues, take a long look at the Los Angeles Rams’ Colby Parkinson. He was a favorite late-round sleeper for me, and I roster him in a ton of leagues. In a Sept. 1 Twitter Direct Message (DM) conversation with “tight end whisperer” Andrew Cooper, he had this to say:
…Anyone that likes Dallas Goedert, Cade Otton, or Jonnu Smith should be in on Colby too. He has some stand alone value with big upside if EITHER top WR gets hurt.
Well, guess what? Puka Nacua is going on Injured Reserve (IR) for at least four weeks. The Rams signed Parkinson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract in the offseason. It’s a safe bet that Sean McVay checked in with former tight end coach, Shane Waldron, who coached Parkinson in Seattle. If you have a roster spot, stash him. He had four catches for 47 yards with Nacua on the field and played 78% of offensive snaps.
Don’t Panic
Of course, it wasn’t just the tight ends. A lot of “top dawgs” in the wide receiver rooms were suspiciously missing, too. Ja’Marr Chase‘s production was minimal, as was Brandon Aiyuk‘s after missing most of the offseason. Amon-Ra St. Brown totaled three catches for 13 yards and watched as Jameson Williams played the hero for Detroit.
Chalk it up to Week 1 growing pains. Every year, we somehow seem shocked at sluggish starts but pay no mind when none of the big names bother taking the field during the preseason. When will we learn? Hell, when will they? The Cincinnati Bengals are 1-10 in their opening two games under Zac Taylor. Not that that bothers me. It doesn’t at all. I swear.
Did Someone Say Waivers?
Sure, the fantasy football waiver wire is extremely important after we’ve seen some usage in the first week of the season. Everyone will run screaming for running backs like J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, Jordan Mason, Tank Bigsby and Alexander Mattison, to name a few. Dobbins is the prize here, and the others should have enough standalone value as backups to use for byes and can be solid handcuffs.
Popular wide receivers that may have gone undrafted in short bench leagues are players like Wan’Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce and Greg Dortch. The latter two will struggle to provide any level of consistency. Robinson (12 targets) looks to be the de facto WR2 in the Giants offense if you’re into that sort of thing.
And Likely, of course, if he’s available. Run, don’t walk to the waiver wire.
Meanwhile, you can set yourself free of Cam Akers, Dylan Laube, Tyler Conklin (did you really think that was a good idea?), Dontayvion Wicks and Kimani Vidal in short-bench leagues. Hang a right while nobody’s looking, and if you have open roster spots, have a gander at players like Devaughn Vele, Josh Downs and Jalen McMillan, in addition to the obvious ones above. Brandin Cooks is probably unavailable, but if he is he could be a huge boon for your FLEX.
For what it’s worth, outside of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston looks like the other wideout to roster from the Chargers. He’s at least worth a look. Gag me.
Quick Hits
- If you’re not buying what I said about the Rams’ Parkinson, Tyler Johnson (not Demarcus Robinson) should be your claim in the wake of the Nacua news.
- Don’t forget the old men: Stefon Diggs (two touchdowns) and Keenan Allen (11 targets) will look to keep producing against the Vikings and Colts, respectively.
- Don’t sweat Cincinnati this week. The Bengals have started 0-2 every year for the last five and they’re trying to do it again. Win or lose, they bring their A-game to the Chiefs. Joe Burrow is 3-1 all-time when squaring off with Patrick Mahomes. Zack Moss will have a tough time in this one, but start the passing game with confidence.
- The first tilt for supremacy in the AFC East comes under the lights of “Thursday Night Football.” The sharps like the Miami moneyline (-135 via DraftKings Sportsbook) at home, but I like the Bills to win outright in this one (+114). Either way, there are plenty of points to go around, so in fantasy, start ’em if you got ’em!
- If you like a good bloodbath, tune in for the Ravens’ home opener (coming off a loss) hosting the hapless Raiders. Fire up Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, and watch the fantasy points rack up.
- Malik Willis versus Anthony Richardson should be… something. If Josh Downs is active, get him into your flex unless you have a better option.
- The J-E-T-S just got shredded by Jordan Mason. Based on his performance between the tackles against the Bears, I’m starting Tony Pollard this week if I have him rostered.
- Buccaneers at Lions: Start everybody in a game that should go over 50 points with ease.
All Will Be Right in Fantasy Land
Week 2 is almost here! It’s time to get back to some normalcy. Better performances from quarterbacks mean your studs at receiver and tight end will reap the benefits.
Best of luck with all your waiver claims this week. “Whiplash!” will be back next Tuesday with more tasty fantasy football news, nuggets, waivers and passive-aggressive takes. Be a good person; don’t run victory laps after the first week of the season. But here’s hoping if anyone is in the way, you pass them on the left and wave. Fantasy football waits for no man or woman.
See you Sunday at 10 a.m. ET for all your start/sit questions! Let’s blow the roof off in Week 2.
Check out all of our content for Week 2 of the fantasy football season:
- Week 2 In the Scope Targets (2024)
- Week 2 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 2 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag
- NFL Week 2 Underdog Pick’Em Predictions
- Week 2 Fantasy Football Trade Targets (2024)
- Week 2 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
- NFL Week 2 PrizePicks Player Predictions (2024)
- Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 2 News & Notes (2024)
Thanks for checking out this week’s Whiplash! Track me down on X @BuyAndSellYou for more redraft and dynasty content. You’ll find me fielding your last-minute start/sit questions from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET every single Sunday!
*Photo Credit: Jessica Rapfogel – USA TODAY Sports*
