This is the Fantasy Nerd's look at the best and worst matchups for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. Analysis is aggregated from multiple sources including FN. Rankings are based upon PPR (point per reception) scoring. Given the known conditions, these matchups are the ones to watch and/or avoid.
Please Note: This list does not generally include the elite players that you are going to start regardless of matchup. You don't need us to tell you to start Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley, or CeeDee Lamb. Instead, we take a look at other players on your team that we believe either have great matchups or should be avoided for multiple reasons. Factors like opposing defense, performance trending, and peer comparisons may influence our decisions.
Start 'em Justin Herbert (LAC, QB)Justin Herbert tore up Week 1, leading the Chargers to a big win over the Chiefs in Brazil and putting up 33.9 fantasy points, and he draws a favorable Week 2 spot in Las Vegas. He was excellent at the Raiders in Week 18 last season (32.0 fantasy points), and Las Vegas recently allowed Drake Maye to throw for 287 yards, one TD and one INT while posting just 11 rushing yards on four carries. With Keenan Allen added alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, Herbert projects as a clear top fantasy QB heading into Week 2.
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8th Most Pts to QB
Start 'em Justin Fields (NYJ, QB)After completing 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and adding 12 carries for 48 yards and two rushing TDs in Week 1, Justin Fields will look to sustain his efficient downfield passing when the Jets visit Buffalo. His rushing upside - which produced two of his three scores last week - keeps a reliable fantasy floor, and the Bills, who gave up 432 yards and 40 points to the Ravens and surrendered lanes to Lamar Jackson, look vulnerable to dual-threat QBs. Given that strong debut (31.5 fantasy points), Fields projects as a usable QB1 in 12-team leagues and could be considered a top-10 option if he maintains that form.
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15th Fewest Pts to QB
Start 'em Travis Etienne (JAC, RB)After a dominant Week 1 effort - 143 rushing yards on 16 carries plus a few catches - Travis Etienne has reclaimed Jacksonville's lead-back role, especially after Tank Bigsby was dealt and the other backs combined for minimal touches. With his three-down skill set and an expected uptick in workload, Etienne presents a high floor and should be viewed as a strong RB2 option heading into Week 2 against a Bengals defense that's been closer to average against the run.
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13th Most Pts to RB
Start 'em Omarion Hampton (LAC, RB)Omarion Hampton led the Chargers in touches in Week 1 while Najee Harris dealt with an eye issue, playing roughly 80% of the snaps in Brazil against the Chiefs. He finished with 15 carries for 48 yards and two catches for 13 yards, and looks likely to remain the primary back in Week 2 vs. the Raiders. Although Las Vegas bottled up the run last week - limiting several backs to 13 carries for 45 yards and no scores - the Chargers are a tougher matchup, so Hampton could have a breakout if he sees 15+ touches again.
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13th Fewest Pts to RB
Start 'em DK Metcalf (PIT, WR)DK Metcalf showed up in his Steelers debut, finishing with 83 yards on seven targets - much of that coming on two long gains (31 and 23) thanks to his YAC ability - and he led the team in both catches and looks by a slim margin. His knack for explosive plays gives him clear fantasy upside, but it also breeds inconsistency, so he projects more as a borderline WR2 this week as Pittsburgh hosts his former team, the Seahawks. Despite drawing plenty of attention from Sauce Gardner in Week 1, Metcalf should benefit from Aaron Rodgers' passing and remains a trustworthy option in most formats.
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13th Most Pts to WR
Start 'em Tetairoa McMillan (CAR, WR)McMillan should again be the Panthers' primary passing option in Week 2 at Arizona. He was one of Carolina's few positives in the opener - nine targets and five catches for 68 yards - and is beginning to form a rapport with Bryce Young. With Jalen Coker (quadriceps) out and Carolina likely chasing points, McMillan should continue to see plenty of looks; while the Cardinals have been relatively strong against wide receivers, they still gave up 17 catches for 126 yards to the Saints in Week 1. It's a bit of a homecoming for him, and he profiles as a viable No. 2 fantasy receiver this week.
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11th Fewest Pts to WR
Start 'em Tyler Warren (IND, TE)Tyler Warren, the Colts' 2025 first-round pick out of Penn State, instantly became a focal point of Indy's passing attack, catching seven of nine targets for 76 yards in his NFL debut and leading the team in targets and receptions. He was the first read on roughly 30% of dropbacks (second among TEs in Week 1) and nearly came down with a touchdown, showing the consistent role he's earned. Denver's defense often suppresses wideout production and surrendered the ninth-most tight end catches (about 95) last season, so expect Warren to see plenty of short-target volume again in Week 2 - he's firmly in the must-start conversation.
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13th Most Pts to TE
Start 'em Hunter Henry (NE, TE)Hunter Henry looks like an ascending fantasy option after a busy Week 1 (eight targets, 66 yards) and projects as a potential top-12 play for Week 2 against Miami. He and Drake Maye already have clear chemistry - four catches on eight targets this past week and an average of 9.5 fantasy PPG in Maye's starts last season, plus roughly a 30% red-zone target share, well above any teammate. With the Dolphins having surrendered 96 receiving yards to tight ends and 17.9 PPR points to the Colts' TEs (including a recent TE3 finish from Tyler Warren), Henry's reliable floor makes him an appealing, matchup-driven option.
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11th Most Pts to TE
Start 'em San Francisco 49ers (SF, DEF)Even though Arizona's D/ST struggled against New Orleans last week, the Saints' offense remains shaky with Spencer Rattler under center. Over the eight games he's played dating back to last season, New Orleans has been limited to 13 points or fewer in five contests - exactly the kind of unit fantasy managers should consider streaming against.
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9th Most Pts to DEF
Start 'em Cameron Dicker (LAC, K)Cameron Dicker was flawless in the Chargers' Week 1 victory over Kansas City, and he should bring plenty of upside as Los Angeles prepares to face the Raiders in Week 2.
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2nd Most Pts to K
Sit 'em Tua Tagovailoa (MIA, QB)Tua Tagovailoa will look to rebound in Week 2 at home against the Patriots after a rough opener in Indianapolis - 14-of-23 for 114 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble in a stalled offense. There's reason for optimism: he threw for 317 yards and four TDs against New England last year, and the Patriots surrendered 362 passing yards to Geno Smith in Week 1. With playmakers around him and a potentially favorable matchup, he's a boom-or-bust option best reserved for Superflex or two-QB formats.
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11th Most Pts to QB
Sit 'em Trevor Lawrence (JAC, QB)Trevor Lawrence will look to rebound in Cincinnati after a subdued Week 1 showing (178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) in a game Jacksonville mostly ran out once it built a second-half lead. The Bengals, who struggled against the pass last season and yielded 290 yards to Joe Flacco in Week 1, present a favorable spot for Lawrence to push the ball downfield to a talented receiving corps led by Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter. With this matchup carrying the week's highest projected total (49.5), Lawrence is a reasonable single‑QB streamer and a high‑ceiling superflex option - a low‑end start for managers banking on a spark. If you have a better option though, we'd suggest playing it.
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4th Most Pts to QB
Sit 'em Isiah Pacheco (KC, RB)Despite playing the most snaps for Kansas City in Week 1 (about 51%), Isiah Pacheco was limited to five carries for 25 yards and just two catches on three targets, with Kareem Hunt handling short-yardage work - an assignment that feels unreliable going forward. Injuries to Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice's suspension could push the Chiefs toward more rushing attempts, but Pacheco faces a tough Week 2 matchup with Jalen Carter returning for Philadelphia. Given how little Kansas City's running backs produced against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX (seven carries for 24 yards, no TDs, and two catches on four targets), Pacheco offers few appealing fantasy-start scenarios this week.
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2nd Fewest Pts to RB
Sit 'em Jacory Croskey-Merritt (WAS, RB)Rookie Jacory McCroskey-Merritt outpaced starter Austin Ekeler in Week 1 with 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Ekeler managed 26 rushing yards on six attempts but chipped in three catches for 31 yards. McCroskey-Merritt could grab early-down work in Week 2, but a trip to Green Bay - which yielded just 46 rushing yards allowed in Week 1 - presents a tough matchup. Ekeler's receiving role preserves his PPR value, so unless the rookie finds the end zone, he's likely a risky, non-PPR flex at best.
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12th Most Pts to RB
Sit 'em Calvin Ridley (TEN, WR)Calvin Ridley was held back in Tennessee's opener by rookie QB Cam Ward's errant throws - Ward's 112 passing yards and shaky accuracy limited Ridley to four catches on eight targets for just 27 yards. While Ward projects to have long-term upside, Ridley's short-term production is constrained even as the Titans' clear No. 1 receiver, and Week 2 isn't ideal against a Rams secondary that bottled up Nico Collins for 25 yards last week. If you have better options, bench Ridley for now; he remains a potential flex if Ward shows rapid improvement.
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12th Fewest Pts to WR
Sit 'em Jaylen Waddle (MIA, WR)After a quiet Week 1 - just five targets and four catches among Tua Tagovailoa's 14 completions - Jaylen Waddle has a clear path to bounce back in Week 2. Miami's passing game funnels through Waddle, Tyreek Hill and De'Von Achane, while New England yielded 362 passing yards (9.8 yards per attempt) to the Raiders and was without cornerback Christian Gonzalez. If Gonzalez is out the matchup favors Hill and Waddle; even if he returns to shadow Hill, that could free up opportunities for Waddle to flash. Oh yeah - we also need Tua to remain upright and productive...
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14th Most Pts to WR
Sit 'em Travis Kelce (KC, TE)Kelce finished Week 1 with just four targets despite a 37-yard touchdown, which worries me given the Chiefs were trailing and both Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy were out. He should see more looks in Week 2, but the matchup is daunting: the Eagles allowed the fewest fantasy points and receiving yards to tight ends last season, held Jake Ferguson under 25 yards in Week 1, and limited Kelce to under 40 in the Super Bowl. Kelce showed last year he can produce big weeks but also has a low floor, and this feels like one of those floor matchups.
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4th Fewest Pts to TE
Sit 'em Dalton Kincaid (BUF, TE)Dalton Kincaid comes into Week 2 against the Jets riding a solid Week 1 (4 catches on 4 targets for 48 yards and a TD), but his snap and target share raise concerns. He played 41 snaps - fewer than Dawson Knox's 43 - and was one of three Buffalo tight ends to be targeted, ranking fifth in overall looks despite Buffalo throwing 46 times. With Kincaid healthy and the Jets having allowed tight ends to catch eight balls for 18.3 PPR points and a score in Week 1, he has upside, but his fantasy value looks touchdown-dependent and there are safer options.
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9th Fewest Pts to TE
Sit 'em New York Jets (NYJ, DEF)If you watched Sunday Night Football, you saw the Bills' offense tear apart a talented Ravens unit - Baltimore's D/ST finished at -3 fantasy points. There are matchups where starting a defense is a losing bet, and the Bills are clearly one of those.
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Feweset Pts to DEF
Sit 'em Matt Gay (WAS, K)Matt Gay nailed all three extra points in Washington's season-opening win but didn't attempt a field goal. With the Commanders heading to Lambeau Field in Week 2 to face a Packers unit that held Detroit to just 13 points, Gay figures to be a lower-end fantasy play if scoring chances remain limited.
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6th Fewest Pts to K
