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Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. is a high-end RB3/Flex candidate as his team takes on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. In its first game, Minnesota came up with a solid blueprint that the team is likely to try again, with the veteran earning the lion's share of the backfield receiving work and fellow running back Jordan Mason taking many of the tough running downs. From a fantasy perspective, Jones will get enough rushing work to pair nicely with his receiving ability to consider starting him, especially in PPR formats. The Vikings have shown they trust Jones in big passing situations, and with receiver Jordan Addison (suspension) still out, he's likely to earn at least a few key targets.

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The San Francisco 49ers have officially ruled out quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) for Week 2 action against the New Orleans Saints, according to NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco. Purdy is dealing with turf toe despite playing the entirety of the Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks last weekend. Not only will the 25-year-old miss this Sunday's game, but reports this week have suggested that he could be out multiple weeks. It's more bad news for an extremely battered Niners team early in 2025. Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is also out this weekend and will miss at least four games after being placed on Injured Reserve. Former New England Patriots QB Mac Jones will run San Fran's offense against the Saints. Expect plenty of short and intermediate throws while they lean heavily on running back Christian McCaffrey. At best, Jones is a desperation QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a high-end Superflex option as his team plays host to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Following a brutal first half in the season-opener at Chicago, the Michigan product came alive in the second half, accounting for three fourth-quarter touchdowns and his first NFL win. Now playing behind a home crowd and facing a friendlier matchup from a fantasy perspective, McCarthy has a reasonable opportunity to improve on a lackluster Week 1 from a completions and yards perspective. Attached to a strong supporting cast, McCarthy should give managers some value at the Superflex spot.

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder) is officially listed as questionable to play in Week 2 on Sunday against the hosting New Orleans Saints, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. Jennnings injured his shoulder in the Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks and did not return before missing the first two practices of the week on Wednesday and Thursday. However, the 28-year-old was able to get in a limited practice on Friday, which gives him a chance to suit up for the extremely banged-up Niners. If Jennings plays, both he and Ricky Pearsall should be peppered with targets with tight end George Kittle (hamstring) out. However, quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) is also out, which makes Jennings a pretty volatile and unpredictable fantasy option this weekend if he ends up playing. The former seventh-rounder had only two grabs for 16 yards in the opener before getting hurt.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson should be viewed as a starting option when his team plays host to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. The Iowa product had an unremarkable statistical performance in Week 1, but so did most of the Vikings, who were brutal offensively for three quarters before surging to victory in the fourth against the Bears. This time out, Hockenson faces a Falcons defense that is mid-tier against tight ends while the Vikings are still missing No. 2 wide receiver Jordan Addison (suspension) for another couple weeks. The passing game led by first-time starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy figures to see a boost behind the home crowd, and Hockenson should be one of the biggest benefactors.

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Starting Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen on Sunday would be a bet that he can recapture the magic in his first game back in Minnesota since being reacquired in a trade with Carolina, albeit one that comes with heavy risk. The Minnesota offense was brutal for three quarters in Week 1, though the Vikings did mount a dramatic comeback and go to the veteran for a key two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. However, Thielen played 57% of offensive snaps and drew only one target, which he dropped. Thielen figures to improve on the number of targets in Week 2, especially with Jordan Addison (suspension) still out, but he'll likely be in a secondary role and still attached to a first-time starter at quarterback. He should be saved for deeper formats only.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson faces a friendly matchup on Sunday with breakout potential against the Atlanta Falcons. Even in a down week for the superstar receiver in the season-opening game, he still went for four catches, 44 yards, and a touchdown, and now he takes on a Falcons defense near the bottom of the pile against fantasy wide receivers. With quarterback J.J. McCarthy making his first home start and up against a better matchup than last week, the Vikings should see a natural boost to their offense as a whole. That generally means good circumstances for their best player.

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In the first week of the season, Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason made a compelling case for more touches, which bodes well as his team takes on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. The first-year Viking helped turn the tide in last week's win at Chicago with tough running, gaining 68 rushing yards, adding a catch, and showing the setup with incumbent starter Aaron Jones Sr. can be fantasy relevant for both players. Though the Falcons' defense is mid-tier against fantasy running backs, Mason is the leading candidate to get short-yardage carries, including the valuable ones near the goal line. Though Jones is preferred as a receiver, Mason has RB3/flex potential playing on a good offense with a solid matchup.

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For the second straight day on Friday, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is not practicing with the team, according to Silver and Black Sports Network's Jesse Merrick. Bowers was forced to exit the team's Week 1 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday with a knee injury. Although the 22-year-old second-year TE downplayed the severity of his injury, the fact that he has yet to practice this week puts his status very much up in the air for Monday night's divisional tilt versus the Los Angeles Chargers. If you don't already have a viable backup, picking up Michael Mayer is a strong insurance move in case Bowers is ruled out in Week 2. Bowers had five catches for 103 yards last week before leaving, and he's a must-start everywhere when he's active. Mayer caught three passes for 38 yards in the season opener and will be an intriguing TE2 streamer if Bowers does not play.

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Former San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody is signing with the Chicago Bears practice squad on Friday, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After struggling in the Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, the Niners cut Moody earlier this week. Moody is going to need to kick better to have a shot at replacing the veteran Cairo Santos after Santos missed one of his two field-goal tries in the season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. The 25-year-old Moody missed two of his three field goals in Week 1, continuing a downward trend after a solid rookie campaign in 2023. Right now, the former third-rounder will just be insurance for Santos in Chicago, and he should remain on the waiver wire in all leagues. Moody has made 74.2% of his 62 field-goal attempts in his three years in the NFL and 97.9% of his extra-point tries.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley (oblique) has been ruled out for their Week 2 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs due to an oblique injury. Shipley was held out of practice during the entire week and will set his sights on returning in Week 3 when the Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year running back suffered this injury during the first half of their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Before exiting, Shipley took three carries for 26 yards. Fantasy managers should expect the newly-acquired Tank Bigsby to serve as the No. 2 option behind workhorse Saquon Barkley this weekend. When Shipley returns, he may face competition for the No. 2 job. As a result, he is only worth stashing in as a low-upside handcuff in deeper 16+ team leagues for the time being.

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New York Jets wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hamstring) has been ruled out for their Week 2 contest against the Buffalo Bills. Reynolds was not on the practice report on Wednesday but was listed as a non-participant on Thursday and Friday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as the 30-year-old wideout could be in danger of missing their next contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In their Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Reynolds operated as the No. 2 WR with Allen Lazard as a healthy scratch, but was unable to find much success as he caught just two of his three targets for 18 yards. Top wide receiver Garrett Wilson did most of the damage in the passing game. With Reynolds sidelined, Lazard will likely be active in Sunday's game, but he is best left on the waiver wire as Wilson is the only viable fantasy asset in this wide receiver room.

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Kicker Will Reichard of the Minnesota Vikings faces a middle-of-the-road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. The second-year kicker had a strong opening week in which he converted two field goal attempts at Chicago, including a key 59-yarder that helped Minnesota get something out of a poor first half offensively. Now back in the friendlier confines of indoor U.S. Bank Stadium, Reichard and the Vikings will take on a Falcons defense that held Tampa Bay to 260 yards of total offense in Week 1. Reichard has been solid when healthy, but the Vikings' offense is likely to be hot-and-cold as they break in a first-time starting quarterback this season.

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New York Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's divisional contest against the Buffalo Bills. The rookie tight end opened the week as a non-participant but was able to upgrade to limited participation on Thursday. On Friday, Taylor was able to log a full session, but the Jets opted to place an injury designation on him heading into the weekend. However, seeing that he was able to log a full practice on Friday is a positive sign for his status this weekend. In his NFL debut, Taylor saw only one target and was able to bring it in for 20 yards. He was able to log more snaps than veteran Jeremy Ruckert, but Ruckert saw more targets in the passing game. If Taylor were to suit up, he would have risky TE2 upside facing the Bills.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is "excited for Week 2's contents against the Kansas City Chiefs, despite his lack of involvement in Week 1. During their season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the star wideout was targeted just once. He caught this lone pass for eight yards. However, the 28-year-old wide receiver told NFL insider Jordan Schultz on The Schultz Report that he is "excited" for Week 2. Brown noted, "I got zoned the entire game. I didn't get one single am (coverage rap." Even though Brown let many managers down in Week 1, he should still be viewed as a must-start low-end WR1 heading into a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs. Last season, Brown found the back of the end zone seven times and posted his third-straight 1,000-yard campaign. When healthy, he projects to be the clear top option in the Philadelphia receiving room and carries top-10 upside at the position in all matchups.

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According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots could look to modify their backfield roles in Week 2 when they face the Miami Dolphins. Reiss noted that the team's snap distribution could change following their loss in Week 1. In this contest, veteran Rhamondre Stevenson dominated the workload while second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson was deployed as the clear No. 2. However, given that their rushing attack was unsuccessful in this contest, the coaching staff appears to be already looking for ways to improve. Head coach Mike Vrabel noted that, "We have to evaluate everything to make sure we're getting it right based on volume, who's playing, who's getting the ball." While Stevenson will likely remain the leader of the backfield, fantasy managers should expect Henderson to see more than just the five attempts he saw in the opener. As a result, Henderson carries flex appeal with upside, while Stevenson is best left as a volume play in deeper formats.

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Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Chimere Dike has been performing well and could see more opportunities. On Friday, head coach Brian Callahan said that he has liked what Dike has done and that he's earned more opportunities as a receiver. In the season opener, Dike had a limited role on the offensive side of the ball and was deployed primarily as a special teams player. In the few offensive snaps he saw, Dike saw one target but was unable to connect with it. He also took one carry for nine yards. As a returner, Dike totaled 144 yards on kickoffs and 12 on punts. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the former fourth-round pick's development as he could carve out a role in the Tennessee offense that lacks proven playmakers behind veteran Calvin Ridley. For now, he is best left as a stash option in dynasty/keeper formats. If Dike were to begin to emerge as a regular starter in Week 2, he could enter waiver wire territory in deep redraft leagues.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Goedert recorded seven catches for 44 yards in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, but also suffered a knee sprain that will force him to miss at least one game. Without Goedert in the lineup, the fantasy outlook for Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is significantly improved. In the seven games Goedert missed last season, Smith scored six receiving touchdowns. In the five games where they shared the field, Smith scored just one.

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Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) practiced in full on Friday and is "good to go" for his team's Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. Johnson missed Week 1 due to a foot injury, and in that game, D'Andre Swift was the only Bears running back to record a carry. Now that Johnson is back in the lineup, he'll battle Chicago rookie Kyle Monangai for RB2 duties behind Swift. Johnson rushed for just 150 yards on 55 carries in 2024, but he scored six rushing touchdowns and has proven to be effective in a short-yardage role. While Johnson is not fantasy-relevant himself, he threatens to vulture goal-line opportunities away from Swift, who profiles as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 against Detroit.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo is not worth rostering, let alone starting in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arroyo played just 31% of the snaps in Week 1. He is going to take time to work into the offense. The athletic and talented young rookie has a chance to push for more touches as the season wears on, but he is squarely behind AJ Barner in the tight end pecking order. However, each week fantasy managers should keep an eye on his snap share. If that rises, a substantial role in the offense will be predictable. Until then, he is better left on waivers.

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