The opening week of the new NFL season saw some surprise performances from receivers. We also witnessed some injuries and other players stepping up, which gives us a better idea of who the sleeper Fantasy Football players for Week 2 could be at wide receiver.
Jameson Williams
WR2 for the Detroit Lions, Jameson Williams had a great game in the Lions’ overtime win against the Rams in Week 1. He was targeted nine times and caught five balls for a total of 121 receiving yards and one touchdown.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta commanding most of the attention from defenders, Goff is left to target other receivers such as Williams.
Detroit’s Week 2 opponents are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which should provide another favorable matchup for Williams. The Buccaneers’ defense is nowhere near the top of the league with the secondary being quite a concern.
Ladd McConkey
The Los Angeles Chargers came out in week 1 running the ball much more than passing it in a comfortable win over the Raiders. However, rookie wideout Ladd McConkey led all Chargers receivers with 5 receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown.
L.A. has a lot of expectations from their second-round pick and their upcoming game against the Panthers could be a big one for the 22-year-old, especially considering that the Panthers were atrocious on both sides of the ball in their Week 1 demolition at the hands of the Saints.
Even though the Chargers may continue to run the ball more in the initial weeks of the season, McConkey could still emerge as a leading wideout candidate, especially with Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer still looking to establish themselves.
Tyler Johnson
With Puka Nacua out injured for the Rams, Cooper Cupp and Tyler Johnson led all other Rams receivers in their Week 1 game against the Lions. Johnson could get more targets his way now that Nacua is suffering a knee injury that is set to sideline him for at least 4 games.
Johnson had five receptions for 79 yards in the game against Detroit and the Rams will next face the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona’s defense should give L.A. plenty of opportunities to throw the ball and the Rams themselves had 49 passing attempts in their previous game.
Furthermore, Arizona would be wary of the threat posed by Cooper Kupp which would give Johnson more room to work with.
Ray-Ray McCloud
Ray-Ray McCloud of the Atlanta Falcons is a definite sleeper candidate for wide receivers in Week 2. He is coming off an excellent showing in the first game where he caught five passes for 52 yards on seven attempts to lead all Falcons’ receivers.
In a team consisting of Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and tight end Kyle Pitts as go-to players for QB Cousins, McCloud’s performance was a surprise for all. Next up for the Falcons are the Philadelphia Eagles who allowed multiple receivers to get five targets.
Brandin Cooks
The Dallas Cowboys had a perfect start to their new season as they won comfortably against the Browns in their opening game. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks played well and was second only to WR1 CeeDee Lamb with 4 receptions for 40 yards.
Cooks should get much more targets in the Cowboys’ Week 2 game against the Saints whose defense is middle of the pack in the league.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here.
Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
