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We take a look at our latest model projections for fantasy football in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season to give you start/sit advice, and compare our numbers to the Fantasy Football Today consensus rankings to see where you can find value. We have focused on the players that are potential bench candidates based on the FFT consensus rankings but they would be likely starters based on Inside the Lines analysis, and vice versa.
Start/Sit Decisions in Week 2
Dak Prescott (Inside the Lines QB5, Fantasy Football Today QB13)
ITL projects the Cowboys for 29 points while their odds implied team total is 25. Prescott came out firing in the first half against Philadelphia. The Eagles defense is awesome (even without Jalen Carter) and there was a long weather delay which probably impacted both teams.
In his career, Prescott has averaged nearly 30 more passing yards (272) and +0.5 more passing TDs (2.0) at home versus the road. I know the Giants have a good pass rush and rookie Abdul Carter, but oddsmakers agree Dallas’ offense should be one of the higher scoring units this week. They are tied for the fifth highest team total for the week so Prescott at QB5 seems quite reasonable. Everyone was shocked when Javonte Williams scored twice, but I do not see that happening against New York.
J.J. McCarthy (ITL QB8, FFT QB16)
Consider me a McCarthy ‘truther’. He is a great athlete who is a major threat to score on the ground as he did against Chicago and as Bo Nix did a lot early in his rookie season. McCarthy is also a great ‘tough throw’ maker in key situations. His second half success in this area will have tremendous benefits to both his confidence and the confidence the team has in him.
As Sam Darnold showed, anyone who quarterbacks for Kevin O’Connell and Justin Jefferson is going to put up good to great passing stats. You throw in McCarthy’s wheels and you have a Day 1 must start. Again, it’s very similar to Nix, who is paired with an offensive genius at head coach and has underrated rushing ability. The only difference is Nix had more pass attempts in college and was years older as a rookie than McCarthy.
Jayden Daniels (ITL QB12, FFT QB3)
I personally would never consider benching Daniels and it’s hard to imagine any fantasy manager has a backup QB projected for more fantasy points but on the off-chance you do have a week to bench Daniels outside of his bye week, it’s this one. Green Bay’s defense was awesome against Detroit and the Packers have another home game this week. Micah Parsons had two sacks in the game against Daniels in the one full game he played against Washington last year. Daniels passed for 275 yards and had three touchdowns but also had two interceptions.
Daniels averages slightly fewer passing touchdowns on the road (1.4) than at home (1.6) despite the success he had in two road playoff games last season. Daniels also averages nearly 20 fewer rushing yards on the road (43.4 vs 61.7 at home). We all know how ugly Thursday Night games can be offensively, especially for the road team traveling and playing on a short week. Last season, the Packers defense allowed just 199 passing yards per game at home (256 on the road) and allowed just 94 rushing yards (112 on the road). That was before acquiring Parsons.
Omarion Hampton (ITL RB30, FFT RB21)
Hampton got the lion’s share of RB carries (15) but the fact that Najee Harris was active and got a few touches given he was out for all of training camp indicates to me the Chargers intend to have a two-headed ‘monster’ at RB. Greg Roman did it last year with Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, and in Baltimore with Edwards and Dobbins. In other words, he’s predictable. It’ll take him months to figure out if one running back is clearly better and the ITL model sees this as a 60/40 split between Hampton and Harris whereas FFT probably sees it more of a 70/30 split.
Treveyon Henderson (ITL RB36, FFT RB22)
ITL projected Henderson for nearly 70 rushing yards in Week 1, even though his line was just 37.5. He probably should have had 50+, but the Patriots insist on giving Rhamondre Stevenson significant touches. I do not expect Henderson to get a ton of receptions like he did against the Raiders because Miami doesn’t have the pass rush the Raiders have and Drake Maye won’t have to dump the ball off to avoid the rush like he did in Week 1. Henderson had six receptions, but just 24 receiving yards. I also think Miami can’t possibly be as bad as it was in Week 1.
DJ Moore (ITL WR17, FFT WR26)
The Bears rookies did next to nothing, as we expected. Luther Burden had one catch for -3 yards and Colston Loveland had two catches for 12 yards. DJ Moore not only had 68 receiving yards in Week 1 but he also had three rush attempts. He had carries last season but Ben Johnson was lining him up as a running back like he was Cordarelle Patterson.
With the rookies not ready to cut into Moore’s usage combined with the potential he breaks one long rush in Johnson’s creative scheme keeps Moore as a solid WR1 in fantasy. Johnson liked to use Jameson Williams out of the backfield in Detroit so there is a track record of this type of role.
Drake London (ITL WR25, FFT WR7)
London’s opening ATD line averages around +145, which implies around a 40% chance he scores. London also averages a full reception less on the road (4.4) than at home (5.4). At WR25, London is still a clear start but we think he may end up closer to WR2 or WR3 than his normal WR1 status.
Mark Andrews (ITL TE5, FFT TE16)
Andrews has had a ton of success vs the Browns with 11 touchdowns in 14 career games (0.79 avg). He has averaged 0.44 TDs per game in his other 91 career games. I think the FFT guys are still feeling burnt from Andrews’ 2024 season where he did absolutely nothing for six weeks and then ended up with the most touchdowns in the league by a tight end. Once someone burns you as their “Start of the Week” multiple times, it’s hard to trust them again.
Baltimore scored 40 points against the Bills. The Browns handled the Bengals at home but even when the Browns led the league in fewest yards allowed a few seasons ago, they still allowed 30+ points per game on the road. Baltimore has to do whatever it takes to wash the bad taste of the Buffalo game out of their mouth and I like Andrews here.
Hunter Henry (ITL TE10, FFT TE18)
Sam LaPorta is FFT TE5 because he has great % of team receptions (18%), receiving yards (19%) and receiving touchdowns (24%) on a prolific Detroit offense (Week 1 struggles aside). But Henry’s rates are actually better in two of the three categories at 19% of receptions, 21% of receiving yards, and 17% of receiving touchdowns. If Henry was playing for Detroit at the same rates, he’d be TE6.
New England’s odds implied team total is 21.5 points. This is why Henry is ‘only’ TE10, but that is definitely good enough to start in fantasy leageus this week. While we don’t think the Dolphins will be as bad in Week 2 as they were in Week 1, they are unlikely to be good. Henry should have a big game.
Tucker Kraft (ITL TE14, FFT TE7)
While we’re at it, let’s look at Kraft’s % of team receiving stats: 15% of receptions, 15% of receiving yards and 25% of receiving touchdowns. While Kraft may be the obvious receiving tight end on the roster, the fact the Packers have so many solid receivers makes his share of the pie smaller.
Kraft had a good 10-point game in PPR leagues in Week 1 because he scored. He only had two catches for 16 yards. His ceiling is capped because he’s unlikely to see a 12-target, 10-reception, 100+-yard game and his floor is low because he may not catch a touchdown. He has caught a touchdown in just a third of his games.
Full Table of Rankings
These are our initial Week 2 projected PPR rankings. Players who are rostered in under 80% of CBS Fantasy leagues are noted in [brackets]. The projected PPR points are shown along with the FFT Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR).
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