As we enter the main portion of the NFL Week 2, there is a little clarity on The Must Starts.
New coaches and coordinators expose their offenses that were under wraps during the preseason, and now are on full display.
And just like last week, The Must Starts may appear obvious to some, but to the unseasoned manager, the light bulb has just started to shine to what plays are important to their fantasy team’s success.
Enough with the small talk!
QB Must Starts
Geno Smith, Las Vegas
Smith’s debut with the Raiders was a pleasant one in last week’s win against New England.
He threw with 362 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception and averaged 10.6 yards per attempt.
And he proved last week that he can throw to his tight ends at high rate, something he rarely did in Seattle. Smith targeted Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer at 35 percent target share clip.
Now he faces a LA Chargers defense that was prone to giving up the big play in their win against Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes completed passes of 49, 38 and 27 against the Chargers last week without his top wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who was injured on the Chiefs’ first drive.
Smith completed nine passes for 20 or more yards against the Patriots. That was a career-high in a game for Smith and tied a Raiders team record.
Honorable mention: Drake Maye, New England; and Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh.
RB Must Starts
Breece Hall, NY Jets
While most of the attention of the Jets’ loss to Pittsburgh was on quarterback Justin Fields, Hall was quietly rushing for more than 100 yards. He finished with 107 yard, averaging 5.6 yards a carry, and added 2 receptions for 38 yards. He found success on just 37 snaps and despite the repeated preseason coach speak of being in a timeshare.
However, he didn’t reach the end zone, where Fields and back-up Braelon Allen vultured three rushing TDs for the Jets.
Now, Hall faces a Buffalo defense that was just torched by Derrick Henry for 169 yards and 2 TDs.
And Hall has found success vs. the Bills in 2 games at MetLife Stadium. He has averaged 120 rushing yards and added 6 catches for 76 yards in those two games.
Honorable mention: JK Dobbins, Denver; and Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville.
WR Must Starts
Keenan Allen, LA Chargers
Allen returned the Chargers and didn’t seem to miss a beat in their opening win against AFC West Division foe Kansas City.
Allen led the Chargers with 10 targets for 7 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. He, along with Ladd McConkey and Quenton Johnston, gives quarterback Justin Herbert plenty of options.
The Raiders were able to shut down McConkey in their two matchups as he had only three receptions in the two games. Johnston had a career day in Week 18 last season vs. the Raiders with 13 catches for 186 yards. So there will be opportunities for Allen to shine for a second week with a game total up to 46.5.
Honorable mention: Keon Coleman, Buffalo; and Hollywood Brown, Kansas City.
TE Must Starts
Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh
Smith didn’t really fill up the stat sheet last week, but when you score touchdowns at the tight end position, it puts you in line for a Top 12 week.
Smith saw a 20.7 percent target share on 6 targets and received one of the Steelers’ 3 red zone targets. He finished with 5 catches for 15 yards and the one score.
The Steelers now face a Seattle defense that gave up 8 catches for 44 yards and 2 touchdowns to San Francisco TEs last week. Smith has played against the Seahawks twice in his career and has one TD vs. them.
Honorable mention: Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo; and Jake Ferguson, Dallas.
Now is the time to join our team here at Blitz Sports Media! We are offering 15 percent off of memberships using the code winnow as we offer three levels, including our premium Hall of Fame level. Check it out! This will be the area I will be also provide my spreadsheet each week for each position in DFS.
Plus, don’t forget to check out our affiliates for some bonus cash with our promos.
– Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @fantasyfbguru2 or on Bluesky @fantasyfbguru2.bsky.social and don’t forget to check our main page with coverage of college football, NFL, fantasy football and a few best bets added.
