Fantasy Football: 4 Bold Predictions for Week 2

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Football is one of the most intense, exciting sports on the planet. The source of the now-ubiquitous saying "Any Given Sunday," the NFL is a place where even struggling teams have a chance to topple the best in the league. Anything can happen when you play only 17 regular season games a year.

That uncertainty is a huge driver behind the excitement the NFL generates each and every season. What's more fun than watching something totally unexpected unfold before your eyes?

That's why, this year, we'll be bringing you some bold predictions to watch for in each week the 2024 NFL season.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 2

Jordan Mason Repeats Top-5 Positional Finish

Christian McCaffrey was a last-minute scratch in Week 1, putting Jordan Mason into the spotlight. The San Francisco 49ers' run game didn't miss a beat with Mason totaling 29 touches for 152 scrimmage yards and one touchdown. San Fran wasn't afraid to fully lean on Mason, giving him a 81.7% snap share paired with 18.4 weighted opportunities, via PlayerProfiler. For reference, both were the sixth-highest marks among his position in Week 1.

Mason would finish with 21.7 fantasy points in half-PPR leagues, earning RB3 of the week. Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that McCaffrey feels like a "long-shot" for this week's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, Mason's fantasy value will hinge on McCaffrey's status, but as of now, he seems poised for another huge week.

First off, let's look at the team that Mason just destroyed. The New York Jets are expected to be one of the league's top defenses and gave up 4.1 yards per carry a season ago (tied for the 10th-lowest mark). Mason averaged 5.3 yards per attempt while racking up 96 yards after contact, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). Minnesota brings a pretty stout defense, currently holding the best schedule-adjusted defense at numberFire, and it allowed only 3.8 yards per carry in 2023 (third-fewest). Still, how can you not have confidence after what Mason did to the Jets?

We know that the volume will be there if McCaffrey is out. The 49ers are tied for the fourth-highest implied total of the week at 26 points, and Mason had five red zone touches in Week 1 (second-most among running backs). The opportunity for more touchdowns is certainly there for the emerging back.

The biggest knock for Mason's fantasy value is he will not bring the same receiving value as McCaffrey. He had only one target and catch last week, but Mason ran 23 routes. While his receiving volume could go up some, don't expect it to rival the best receiving back in the game.

Ultimately, it's difficult not to love Mason if McCaffrey is out once again. He received 29 touches right away against a quality defense and produced. Our DFS projections have Mason finishing with the 28th-most FanDuel points (9.7) at his position for Week 2 with McCaffrey's status up in limbo. Mason's $5,500 salary brings terrific value with a good shot for a heavy workload. Another top-five weekly positional finish in fantasy football is in the cards for Mason.

J.K. Dobbins Produces Another 100-Yard Performance

One of the biggest storylines across fantasy football was how the Los Angeles Chargers' backfield shook out. J.K. Dobbins looked as explosive as ever after playing in only nine games from 2022 to 2023 (due to ACL and Achilles injuries). Dobbins totaled 135 rushing yards on 10 attempts (13.5 yards per carry) while reeling in three receptions for four yards in his Chargers debut. Thanks to a touchdown paired with several explosive runs, Dobbins was RB4 in Week 1.

Los Angeles has a juicy matchup ahead against the Carolina Panthers, who will probably be on the receiving end of a lot of blowout losses this season. Before we get too excited about Dobbins' outlook, we can't ignore the snap shares from Week 1.

Gus Edwards was still a presence with 24 snaps to Dobbins' 33, and he got 60% of the red zone work. While we can pump the brakes a bit on Dobbins' fantasy value, I still have no problem going after yardage props. Our DFS projections have Dobbins at only 53.4 rushing yards. Considering the matchup ahead, he could easily smash this total.

His advanced stats across the board from Week 1 sing his praises. For example, Dobbins totaled 7.1 yards after contact per attempt; Rhamondre Stevenson had the next-best mark for backs with at least 10 carries, logging 3.0 yards after contact per rushing attempt. De'Von Achane led the league among backs with at least 100 carries a season ago with 3.0 yards after contact per carry. Logging 7.1 yards after contact per carry is simply absurd. Can we expect this kind of production on a week-to-week basis? Probably not, but his performance should mean increased carries.

The Panthers are currently the second-worst schedule-adjusted defense paired with the seventh-worst run defense. They were shredded for 47 points and 379 yards by the New Orleans Saints, which included 180 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Coach Jim Harbaugh, who loves to run the rock, has to be licking his chops for this matchup. Give me Dobbins to reach the century mark for the second consecutive week.

Rashid Shaheed Logs At Least 70+ Receiving Yards

As previously mentioned, the Saints' offense had a heyday in Week 1. Quarterback Derek Carr impressed with a 82.6% completion percentage while amassing 200 passing yards and three touchdowns. Carr also posted +15.0 expected points added (EPA) -- the fifth-best mark in his positive group.

Rashid Shaheed was the biggest beneficiary of Carr's play, recording a team-high 73 receiving yards paired with one touchdown. As usual, Shaheed was the big-play threat as he took a catch 59 yards to the house. Carr made four deep ball attempts (seventh-most at position), logged 8.7 yards per attempt (sixth-highest), and recorded 9.5 yards in Next Gen Stats' average intended air yards (tied for third-most). PFF also awarded Carr with a 82.8 pass grade on 20+ yard passing attempts.

If Carr keeps this up, Shaheed should be in store for a big season. He posted 18.9 air yards per target (fourth-most at position) last week while leading his team in air yards share (41.7%). That's right, Shaheed received more work than his running mate Chris Olave. Carr targeted Shaheed five times (tied for the most) compared to Olave's two targets. Plus, Shaheed wasn't that far behind Olave with 45 snaps and 19 routes run while his counterpart totaled 52 snaps and 23 routes run.

This week's opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, currently tout the fourth-best schedule-adjusted overall defense and sixth-best pass defense. The pass rush figures to be a force once again with Dallas logging the fifth-best pass rush grade in Week 1. However, Carr could still have a big week ahead. The Saints posted the top pass block grade of Week 1, providing some comfort for Carr getting enough time in the pocket.

Most importantly, I'm not sold on the Cowboys' cornerbacks quite yet. DaRon Bland will be out for an extended period due to a stress fracture in his foot. This has thrust fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson into a starting role. Carson was decent in Week 1 with a 60.8 PFF coverage grade, but he was mostly unchallenged due to the Deshaun Watson's struggles. The Cleveland Browns' QB posted -9.1 EPA with 45 passing attempts. Carr will probably be a much tougher challenge for Dallas.

Considering Carr's deep ball stats in Week 1, I'll keep rolling with Shaheed, especially with the Cowboys' top cornerback Trevon Diggs likely shadowing Olave. Our DFS projections have Shaheed recording only 48.4 receiving yards, and his prop is set at 37.5. I like Shaheed to reach at least 70 yards, mirroring last week's success.

C.J. Stroud Fails to Reach 225 Passing Yards

The Houston Texans' passing attack drew a ton of praise throughout the offseason, and it should continue to do so with C.J. Stroud carrying the third-shortest odds to win the MVP award (+850) while Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell form one of the league's best receiving trios. Following Week 1, Houston has the league's fifth-best schedule-adjusted pass offense.

However, the run game's improvement was the biggest lesson from the Texans' 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Joe Mixon scampered for 159 yards and 5.3 yards per carry. The run could be a lot more prominent than expected for Houston, as it will need to be for postseason success.

This is no knock on Stroud, who posted the fourth-highest true passer rating in Week 1, but his stats could lack on Sunday Night Football against the Chicago Bears. Our DFS projections have Stroud recording the third-most passing yards this week (270.0), which is paired with a 263.5 passing yards prop while carrying -168 odds to record 250+ passing yards.

However, attacking Chicago's run defense could be the Texans' best bet for points in Week 2. The Bears currently hold numberFire's best schedule-adjusted pass defense compared to the 19th-ranked run defense. The Tennessee Titans recorded only 3.0 yards per passing attempt compared to 5.4 yards per rushing attempt in Week 1.

I'm not claiming the Titans' passing attack is comparable Houston's group; that would be the boldest take of all. Of course, Stroud and Co. are much more capable than Tennessee, but the Titans' success on the ground should be a priority for the Texans. Tennessee entered the season with PFF's third-worst offensive line, yet it still had its way on the ground. This is something worth testing, especially when Houston dominated the run game to open the season.

PFF also gave Chicago the 11th-worst run defense grade compared to the 2nd-best coverage grade. The secondary's impressive performance was evident with each starting cornerback reeling in an interception, including Tyrique Stevenson's 43-yard pick-six. Stevenson posted a 78.1 PFF coverage grade while Jaylon Johnson shined with a 92.0 grade.

Why consistently attack where the Bears look strongest? The Texans could look to prove a point by leaning on the run on SNF. With that said, my final bold prediction is Stroud doesn't reach 225 passing yards.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.