Week 2 bold fantasy predictions: Patriot backs to have a feast in Miami
It’s 2019 — it’s a new fantasy football season, a new NFL season, so why not keep things fresh? With that said, we're gonna try something a little different this year: Every week, our Yahoo fantasy crew will unveil their boldest predictions for the action ahead. Feel free to keep score of who can tell the future most often or mock us as we go. Now, on to Week 2!
Sammy Watkins doubles-down, repeats as a WR1
OK, so maybe Watkins falls short of repeating as the overall No. 1 fantasy WR for a second straight week, but his name definitely belongs in the conversation. For however long Tyreek Hill is sidelined, this healthy version of Watkins should be regarded as a must-start in our game. Not only did he see 11 targets in Sunday's win, but he also saw eight chances in each of Kansas City's playoff games last season. You may have come to think of him as a boom/bust fantasy option, yet his recent workloads suggest he's something more. Next Sunday, the Chiefs face a Raiders defense that's coming off a short week. It's another friendly spot for Watkins. - Andy Behrens
After dismal Week 1, Big Ben snaps back with 325-plus yards and three TDs
Historically, Gillette Stadium is a house of horrors for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last Sunday, the nightmare was relived as Big Ben, for the fifth-straight game against New England, fell well short of the 19-fantasy-point mark. Surely enraged by his team's embarrassing performance, expect the QB to storm back with a vengeance at home against Seattle.
Last Sunday, the 'Hawks were dismantled vertically by Andy Dalton and the A.J. Green-less Bengals, giving up 8.2 pass yards per attempt, 418 pass yards and a pair of passing touchdowns. CB Tre Flowers was particularly toasty, surrendering 3.09 yards per snap and a 143.9 passer rating. Rageful Big Ben investors ... exhale. Your QB is set for a monster rebound. - Brad Evans
Sony Michel finishes as a Top-5 running back
He flopped last week but reportedly looked terrific (and healthy) all summer and should bounce back with New England being 19-point favorites against the tanking Dolphins. The Patriots enter with a major advantage up front (and the biggest mismatch of the week), and Michel benefits greatly from positive game script, as his YPC jumped to 5.0 while he scored all of his touchdowns during Patriots wins last season (he got 3.4 YPC during the five losses). Tom Brady has historically struggled in Miami, so New England may turn to its running back more than usual, and the prediction here is he hits pay-dirt twice, finishing as a top-five fantasy back in Week 2. - Dalton Del Don
Or is Rex Burkhead the Patriots back you want?
Obviously, New England should be able to name the score against Miami, but it’s the forgotten Burkhead who’s catching my eye right now. While Sony Michel mostly is a running threat and James White is a satellite back, Burkhead is the one prominent member of this backfield who doesn’t instantly telegraph a play’s intent to the defense. The Patriots had designs on featuring Burkhead back in 2017, but the timing has never been right. Perhaps featured is too strong a word, but I am very confident he’ll get double-digit touches here, and at least score one touchdown. Wait, this is bold predictions? Put him down for two. (And take note in Yahoo DFS, where Burkhead is the stone-minimum at $10.)
Thanks for coming, Miami. - Scott Pianowski
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Devin Singletary out-produces Devonta Freeman
While he didn’t have the touches in Week 1, Singletary’s shake was on full display. A player who earned praise for his creativity and elusiveness throughout the pre-draft process, the rookie RB averaged 10.9 yards per touch (RB1 for the week) and ripped off two runs over 15 yards. That’s not bad for a guy who tallied just four carries. He also out-snapped Frank Gore (28 percent) and T.J. Yeldon (3%) by a wide margin, staying on the field for 70% of the team’s plays. That’s largely because he was featured in the passing game, drawing six looks, which was third on team targets behind John Brown and Cole Beasley.
Quickly moving his way up Buffalo’s depth chart, the former Owl’s “motor” figures to be on full display this Sunday when he takes on a Giants defense that was just gashed by the Cowboys. He’s my RB27 for the week, just ahead of Devonta Freeman, who’s working behind a suspect line and facing a talented Philly run-defense. - Liz Loza
Derek Carr finishes as a Top-8 quarterback
Derek Carr finished Week 1 as the QB21 after an economical game against the supposedly stout Denver Broncos defense. So, on the surface, maybe it’s not such a hideous tragedy that he’s ranked as the consensus QB24 on our website. And yet, I’m here to argue it is wildly low. Carr didn’t need to push the envelope much in Week 1 with the Broncos but he was efficient, completing 84.6% of his passes. We saw enough from the offense to think they can respond if drawn out of their shell.
Here in Week 2, they’ll draw a matchup against a team perfectly equipped to do just that: The Kansas City Chiefs. Few players know that better than Carr, who unfurled three touchdowns in each of his last two homes games against the Chiefs. If a high-scoring affair ensues in Oakland, Carr can respond with a top-level fantasy performance while facing a team that just made Gardner Minshew look like this year’s version of 2017 Case Keenum. - Matt Harmon
