Top Tier
Keenan Allen, LAC - You can throw on this Dallas defense, just ask Tom Brady, or any quarterback that faced them in 2020. Keenan Allen led the Chargers with four red zone targets last week, and this game has shootout potential. If that’s the case, Allen should see plenty of targets, and perhaps even improve upon his solid Week 1 showing.
Calvin Ridley, ATL - Back to the well here with Ridley. He had a hot start in Week 1, and then cooled off as the game went on. However, the recipe against Tampa Bay has been presented. Good luck running the football, and hope to move the ball through the air. Mike Davis’ production on the ground should be minimal and Matt Ryan might get 50 passing attempts in this game, if he can move the chains. Ridley is the alpha in the passing attack, and the Tampa Bay secondary is a bit banged up. Oh, no defense allowed more fantasy points to wide receivers in Week 1 than the Bucs, you know, for what it is worth.
Cooper Kupp, LAR - Chicago’s slot coverage was horrible in Week 1, as Kupp had his way in this matchup. He received a massive 38 percent target share and Stafford loves his slot receiver. In Week 1 against the Colts, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett combined for four receptions for 53 yards with two touchdowns out of the slot against Indianapolis. Big things ahead for Kupp…
DK Metcalf, SEA - Metcalf was overshadowed by Tyler Lockett’s Week 1 performance but it’s not like Metcalf was bad by any means. The gifted wideout caught four of five targets for 60 yards and a touchdown and now gets to face a Tennessee defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers in Week 1. Arizona’s wide receivers accounted for four touchdowns against Tennessee’s porous secondary, and Metcalf is in a spot to dominate.
Mid Tier
Diontae Johnson, PIT - I think you could make the case for any Pittsburgh receiver, but I like Johnson. He led the way in red zone targets in Week 1, and Najee Harris should keep the chains moving on the ground in this contest. There’s reason for optimism for the Pittsburgh passing attack in this one, and Johnson’s ability to get downfield should play well against a Raiders defense that allowed 15.5 yards per reception to wideouts in Week 1.
Brandin Cooks, HOU - Game script should be in Cooks’ favor here in terms of volume. The game plan in Week 1 fell into place for Houston, where they could run it a lot, and Cooks just so happened to make plays downfield to boost his yardage. Cleveland has a solid secondary, and Jacksonville does not, and that will show this weekend. However, Cooks did amass 18.9 air yards per target and a 21 percent target share in Week 1, and volume like that will keep him fantasy relevant, especially if Tyrod continues to look downfield. If you’re stacking the Cleveland offense, bring it back with Cooks.
Jarvis Landry, CLE - The Cleveland offense is going to be popular this week and rightfully so. Sure, Houston picked off Trevor Lawrence three times, but they also allowed three passing touchdowns and well over 300 yards through the air. Landry has a solid matchup in the slot, as Houston’s Desmond King allowed seven of his eight targets in slot coverage to be caught, per Pro Football Focus.
Value Tier
Mike Williams, LAC - IT’S HAPPENING! It’s been talked about here at Fantasy Alarm this offseason and preseason that Williams could have a year as the “X” in Joe Lombardi’s offense. The former Clemson standout caught nine of 12 targets in Week 1 for 82 yards and a touchdown. Justin Herbert is going to continue to look his way, and the Chargers have a juicy matchup against a generous Dallas secondary. He’s way too cheap, and there’s no reason that Williams should be nearly $2,000 cheaper than Allen, but hey, we’ll take the value and run!
Anthony Schwartz, CLE - Schwartz’s speed should wreak havoc on the Houston defense, especially when the safeties and linebackers start creeping up to try to slow down Chubb. Did you know that Schwartz was the only wide receiver in Week 1 to average at least 25 air yards per target with at least five targets in the game? Well, he was, and only six defenses allowed more fantasy points to opposing receivers in Week 1 than Houston. Terrance Mitchell, Desmond King and Vernon Hargreaves do not have the speed to keep up with Schwartz, and Kevin Stefanski knows that.
Tyler Boyd, CIN - Call me crazy, but Boyd is in a nice spot this weekend. Did you see what Cooper Kupp did to Chicago out of the slot in Week 1? Chicago’s Marqui Christian allowed two touchdowns on just six targets in the slot, good for a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted, and if that isn’t enough, only one corner that was targeted at least five times in slot coverage allowed more yards per snap (4.05) than Christian, per PFF. Boyd will move the chains in this one, and I like for him to find the end zone.
Fade
Michael Pittman, IND - The Rams’ defense is legit, and playing outside, Pittman will see a good bit of Ramsey. I don’t expect Ramsey to shadow the second-year receiver, so he’ll have some opportunities away from him, but there’s more than just Ramsey in that secondary. Additionally, if Carson Wentz is going to target the running back position as much as he did in Week 1, Pittman is going to have to be uber-efficient with every target he gets, and that is hard to do against one of the league’s most menacing defensive units.