Fantasy Football: 4 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 2

There's nothing quite like the NFL.

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 2025 NFL season.

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

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 2

Javonte Williams Provides Top-15 Fantasy Finish

The Dallas Cowboys' backfield was one of many rooms with a load of questions surrounding how the workload would be split. Week 1's results didn't provide much drama with Javonte Williams taking the lion's share.

Jaydon Blue wasn't even active, and Miles Sanders had only a 14.3% snap share. Meanwhile, Williams posted an 80.4% snap share, 83.3% red zone share, and even touted a 62.9% route share. This translated to taking 15 of Dallas' 22 rushing attempts paired with three targets and two receptions. The veteran tailback enjoyed 21.0 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) with the next-highest mark at only 6.0 from Sanders. It's safe to say this is Williams' backfield -- for now at least.

His fantasy value was carried by two rushing touchdowns, leading to 19.4 fantasy points and a RB3 finish to open 2025. While his 54 rushing yards and 3.6 yards per rushing attempt were meh, Williams still provided solid efficiency with 0.15 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) per carry -- per NFL Next Gen Stats. Furthermore, Pro Football Focus awarded Williams with 2.1 yards after contact per carry and a 73.6 run grade.

Week 2's opponent is a great opportunity for Williams to keep posting excellent fantasy numbers. The New York Giants allowed a whopping 220 rushing yards and 6.9 yards per carry against the Washington Commanders. They ceded the fourth-highest rush success rate and third-most expected points added (EPA) per rushing attempt.

This is nothing new with the Giants allowing the eighth-most yards per carry last season. Williams should have more scoring chances as New York gave up the 13th-highest rushing touchdown percentage in 2024, and the Cowboys' 25.5 team total suggests plenty of red zone trips.

Considering Williams' upcoming matchup, I expect another strong fantasy performance thanks to his RB1 workload from Week 1.

Tyler Warren Continues His Top-5 Production

The season-opener was a dream come true for the Indianapolis Colts. Daniel Jones flourished with 0.40 expected points added per dropback (EPA/db), leading to a 33-8 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Tyler Warren's debut as a Colt was another massive win as he recorded seven catches for 76 receiving yards on nine targets. Fantasy managers were giddy watching the performance thanks to an exciting workload; Warren led the team with a 31.0% target share while ranking second with a 25.7% air yards share and 25.0% downfield target share.

While he failed to score a touchdown, his 100.0% red zone snap share and 66.7% red zone target rate suggest finding the end zone should happen sooner rather than later. Even his efficiency was electric with an 11.7% catch rate over expectation (CROE) and 18.5 receiving yards over expectation (RecYOE).

Facing Miami -- which has one of the NFL's weakest secondaries -- played a major part in the strong start. Week 2's opponent in the Denver Broncos brings a stark difference, for this is one of the best defenses in football.

Led by cornerback Pat Surtain II, this defense tied for allowing the third-fewest yards allowed per passing attempt and finished with the second-fewest EPA/db allowed in 2024. It picked up right where it left off by holding Cameron Ward of the Tennessee Titans to 112 passing yards and 4.0 yards per passing attempt. Indianapolis' receiving corps and Jones will likely come down to Earth.

However, I still believe in Warren's workload. Someone has to step up in this matchup, and Warren could be Jones' safety blanket against an elite defense. Considering his efficiency and target share from Week 1, this is exactly what I expect from Warren in 2025. In a receiving corps full of inconsistencies, Warren can be the steady piece that the Colts desperately need.

After finishing as TE5 in Week 1 while failing to score a touchdown, Warren could be the next rookie tight end to become a major fantasy piece. Look for Warren to repeat his top-five production in Week 2.

Michael Penix Jr. Is Held to Under 10 Fantasy Points

In his first game as the Atlanta Falcons' full-time starter, Michael Penix Jr. aced the test by totaling 298 passing yards and 0.27 EPA/db. However, concerns remain about this offense.

The run game stumbled to 2.5 yards per rushing attempt in Week 1. Plus, wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney are dealing with shoulder injuries. Right tackle -- which is Penix's blindside -- will likely be a problem spot this season as Kaleb McGary (leg) is out for the season. Elijah Wilkinson is filling in the spot, and he posted a 56.1 pass blocking grade in Week 1.

Facing an exceptional defense in the Minnesota Vikings spells trouble for Penix's fantasy stock in Week 2. The Vikings have a pair of productive pass rushers in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel -- who could expose the RT weakness. Van Ginkel is in concussion protocol, which could mean former first-round pick Dallas Turner will start. He showed some improvement in Week 1 by logging two quarterback hurries.

Furthermore, I'm expecting the Falcons to go under their 20.5 team total. They converted only 6 of 15 third downs last week, Minnesota gave up a 25.0% third-down conversion rate in Week 1, and the Vikings surrendered the second-lowest third-down conversion rate in 2024. If the Atlanta run game continues to struggle paired with injuries at wide receiver, plenty of third and longs could be ahead.

Fading the Falcons' offense as a whole should mean a frustrating day for Penix. After posting 24.0 fantasy points last week, our projections have him in line for 16.0 points. Look for Penix to finish far under his projections, failing to reach 10.0 fantasy points.

Brian Thomas Jr. Bounces Back With a Top-Three Outing

Rounding out our bold predictions of Week 2, Brian Thomas Jr. seems poised for a big bounce back. A part of our top WR-CB matchups for Week 2, Thomas has plenty of support to feast against the Cincinnati Bengals. Let's jump into the numbers.

The Thomas and Trevor Lawrence connection simply wasn't there last week. Some of the numbers from Week 1 are difficult to believe, including Lawrence logging a 26.7 passing grade on throws of 20 or more yards awhile Thomas posted -54.0 RecYOE. Positive regression should be imminent as Lawrence logged an 88.7 passing grade on passing attempts of 20 or more yards while Thomas recorded a 96.3 receiving grade on targets of 10 or more yards in 2024.

Cincinnati faced an underwhelming passing attack in the Cleveland Browns, allowing only 5.9 yards per passing attempt. The unit gave up the 4th-lowest average depth of target (aDOT) and 10th-lowest EPA/db in Week 1, but this doesn't feel sustainable for this vulnerable Bengals secondary. Even with some impressive numbers, Cincy still ceded the 11th-highest passing success rate.

With the Bengals featuring the same secondary pieces as a season ago, I'm leaning on Cincinnati allowing the second-most deep yards per target in the 2024 campaign. Thomas has the opportunity to take the top off this defense.

Plenty of passing opportunities should be present, too, as our Brandon Gdula projects this game with the sixth-quickest adjusted pace for Week 2. Don't expect another dud for Thomas. I expect him to smash his WR7 projection, vaulting into the top three receivers for Week 2.

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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.