SportAI
(Athlete: Kyle Pitts Source: georgiastatesignal.com Photograph by Brandon Magnus|Atlanta Falcons, Date: November 15st, 2022)
Heading into week two of the NFL season, week one matchups have showcased many players surprising fantasy managers with their excellent performance.
For example, Kyle Pitts may finally live up to his draft expectations and teammate Bijan Robinson seems to be a dominant force in the Falcons’ offense.
Therefore, fantasy managers must know the breakout stars and underwhelming busts for Week 2 to boost their team and win.
Breakout Star QB
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24259086/1445103431.jpg)
(Athlete: Dak Prescott Source: stampedeblue.com Photograph by T. Troy Russell, Date: December 3rd, 2022)
Week one featured disappointing QB play, with many stars like Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, and Aaron Rodgers scoring under 15 fantasy points.
However, Dak Prescott can defy this trend in week two against a fabulous matchup against the Saints. On the other hand, Prescott’s week one performance was discouraging since he only had 11.5 fantasy points against the Browns.
Still, the two explosive offenses are projected to score 45 points according to Las Vegas, so Prescott will receive abundant opportunities to impress fantasy managers. Prescott also averaged almost 25 fantasy points at AT&T stadium in 2023, proving his success during home games.
Prescott has several talented offensive weapons superstar WR Ceedee Lamb, TE Jake Ferguson, and WR Brandin Cooks. Prescott has also reunited with former teammate RB Ezekiel Elliot, who still has potential since he once was a top RB in the NFL.
Prescott’s score+, a unique metric generated by SportAI algorithms that projects future fantasy performance relative to other players using advanced metrics, is 71.14, the 4th highest QB ranking, accentuating the strength of starting him in week two against the Saints.
Surprising Bust QB
(Athlete: Joe Burrow Source: espn.com Photograph by ESPN, Date: September 10th, 2020)
Despite his successful track record against the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Burrow is a wary start in week two.
Burrow has been subpar in his past six games, averaging 14.6 fantasy points. Also, his supposedly easy matchup against the Patriots in week one resulting in a loss and a terrible fantasy performance raises some concerns.
The Chiefs’ passing defense has also been unstoppable, allowing just an average of 181.4 yards in their last ten home games. The stellar defense and exciting offense of Mahomes, Kelce, and rookie Xavier Worthy also will stop Burrow from having plentiful drives on offense.
Burrow’s score+ is also only 53.5, ranking him 25th among all QBs, bolstering the case that his unfavorable week two matchup against the Chiefs and unfavorable metrics suggest he is a must-sit and bust.
Must-Start Undervalued RB
(Athlete: Rhamondre Stevenson Source: bostonherald.com Photograph by AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Date: January 10th, 2024)
After being used as a true lead back in week one, Rhamondre Stevenson should have a similar role in week two against the Seattle Seahawks, who allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to RBs in 2023.
Stevenson played 51 snaps and received 28 touches, scoring a touchdown and registering 120 rushing yards and three receptions. He was the primary running back in every situation but may lose third downs to teammate Antonio Gibson, who mainly served that role in 2023 for the Commanders.
Stevenson playing 80% of offensive snaps in week one is promising since he never hit that mark in 2023 and only reached it five times in 2022. The Patriots also have no stellar receiving options, opening up many targets and touches for Stevenson, increasing his potential fantasy output, and compelling his must-play case.
Bust RB with Tough Matchup
(Athlete: Zamir White Source: si.com Photograph by Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports, Date: February 2nd, 2024)
Coming off a shocking week one performance, RB Zamir White is not a prudent pick to outperform expectations in week two. He played fewer snaps and had fewer fantasy points than teammate RB Alexander Mattison.
He also averaged 3.4 yards per rush, which is well below the league’s worst in 2023 and is quite distressing for many fantasy managers. The Raiders also had two RBs not featured in the offense in week one, suggesting White could receive fewer touches in week two.
Also, the Raiders have offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who is implementing familiar strategies from his time with the Bears, employing one RB in the first two drives and another in the third.
The Raiders also do not trust White on third downs or during the two-minute drill, similar to the preseason, implying that White will be used less in close games. Therefore, it is likely that Mattison will lead the team in snaps in week two because of his exceptional week one game and usage in high-leverage situations.
Zamir White also faces the Ravens in week two, a top rush defense who have only allowed 19.8 points per game to running backs since 2023. Also, White’s score+ is only 23.21, 20 points lower than Mattison’s, and makes him a bottom-tier RB.
Therefore, White’s frustrating week one performance, the emergence of Alexander Mattison, and the advanced metrics disagreeing with starting White make him a likely bust in week two against the Ravens.
Intriguing Rookie WR With Amazing Matchup
(Athlete: Malik Nabers Source: foxsports.com Photograph by FOX Sports, Date: September 8th, 2024)
In his NFL Debut, WR Malik Nabers put up a solid stat line against the Vikings despite the Giants failing to score a touchdown. Nabers played 100% of the snaps, which is a reassuring sign, and dominated targets from Daniel Jones alongside WR Wan’Dale Robinson.
The Giants have no other spectacular offensive weapons proving that Jones will heavily pass in 2024, giving Nabers chances to exceed estimates.
The rookie faces the Commanders in week two, the worst defense against perimeter receivers since 2023. The Commanders’ roster remained lackluster and are poised to allow Nabers to have a breakout game in week two.
Nabers also has the third-highest score+ among rookie WRs, emphasizing his heightened potential to dominate in week two against the poor Commanders’ pass defense.
Fantasy Football 2024 Week Two Breakouts and Busts Summary
(Athlete: Bijan Robinson Source: espn.com Photograph by ESPN Sports, Date: September 8th, 2024)
Week two offers many exciting games and opportunities for fantasy managers to win with strategic starts and benches. Accordingly, fantasy managers must implement these breakout and bust picks to succeed.
Dak Prescott will play at home and face the Saints in an expected offensive shootout that could result in Prescott earning many points for his managers. Also, his myriad of weapons provides him with many possibilities to excel.
Joe Burrow’s recent record of lackluster performances, a shocking loss in week one, and a difficult matchup in week two causes him to be a cautious start in week two against the Chiefs.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s dominant game in week one and heavy usage as the primary running back make him an appealing option in week two against the Seahawks, who have a bottom-tier run defense in the NFL.
Zamir White’s subpar showing in week one and Mattison’s higher snap usage highlight that his role may be limited to early downs since the Raiders do not trust him on third downs and the two-minute drill, decreasing his value and making him a bust for week two.
Finally, Malik Nabers plays the Commanders in week two, who have the worst pass defense against perimeter wide receivers. He also got most of the targets in week one in a pass-heavy Giants offense, underscoring his limitless potential to outperform projections in week two.
Do not miss out on starting or benching these players and beat your opponents soundly!
(SportAI Inc TM)
New Free Fantasy Sports AI Tool
Looking for more rankings and free fantasy tools?
Check out SportAI.io, the all-inclusive fantasy sports app that provides the necessary tools to compare lineups and determine starting or benching a player effectively.
SportAI uses its unique Score+ metric from its in-house algorithms to project future fantasy performance relative to other players.
The statistic accounts for performance variance and goes beyond normal benchmarks, using data points such as injuries, team achievement, opponent performance, and more.
2024 League-Winning Sleepers & Waiver Wire Watchlist
Looking for League-Winning Sleepers? Read here
Looking for Savvy Waiver Wire pickups? Read here
SportAI’s Drop the Mic
“I am smarter and a better football player because I stayed in school.”-Dak Prescott
Drop the Mic is a segment that features a funny quote at the end of each blog post!
