Sample sizes are about to go from small to slightly-less-small. Schematic anomalies might become patterns of behavior, for better or worse. And, always, the injury reaper with his scythe raised high, the primetime moonlight glancing off the blade. As an aggregate repository of players, the fantasy football pool limps into Week 2, a bit—no? Injuries are the stories of the 49ers (again! Sorry; I’m sick of it.). Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles clean in a blowout, and Jacory/Bill Croskey-Merritt season awaits us in Week 3. Are the Packers this good? I digress. As ever, we remain on the panhandling beat for stashes, dart throws, breakouts, and, probably most importantly, running back sleepers.
The refrain remains the same—All I want is for you to be better than your friends. You’re going to be surrounded by them on Sunday, probably. How sweet would it be if you could be sure you’ve checked every box possible that might guarantee you a resounding victory this week? Some kick-your-feet-up insights? I’ve got some. And I know my audience. The smoke-break audience. The quick-scan-of-the-phone-on-the-way-to-the-fridge audience. The I-ain’t-reading-all-that-but-good-luck folk. I’m a man of the people.
And so: the Five Lists of Five series. Think of these as byte-sized, two-minutes-to-yourself lists to scan during your weekend as you foam at the mouth for any competitive fantasy edge. As much relevant analysis as I can fit into, like, ~250 words per player.
Below: Top five smash starts for fantasy football Week 2. Must-starters based on matchup and sky-high ceiling.
Here are the other offerings from my 2025 Fantasy Football Five Lists of Five: Week 2 edition:
- Top five WR/CB matchups to target in 2025 fantasy football Week 2
- Top five breakout running backs for Week 2 of 2025 fantasy football
- Top five breakout wide receivers for 2025 fantasy football Week 2
Follow my handle @dansby_edits for all of my fantasy football content—as well as plenty of NFL and College Football betting goodies—all season long.
Top five smash starts for Week 2 of 2025 fantasy football
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants (vs. Cowboys)
I’m locking Nabers into every lineup this week. Dallas played zero man coverage in Week 1, living in zone. That structure funnels quick-game volume and YAC chances to Nabers’ hands. I expect manufactured first reads and constant motion to free clean releases. Fifteen targets are in play against those zone shells and off-coverage cushions. Trailing scripts only push volume higher if Dallas controls tempo. The total sits 44.7, with Dallas 62% to win; that supports sustained pass rate. I want that PPR floor and spiky ceiling in one profile. Nabers’ throttle control punishes cushion; hitches, slants, and glance routes become chain-moving staples. He stacks corners early, then wins back-shoulders and whip routes inside the red zone. The history fits, too. Dallas shadowed Nabers twice in 2024; he delivered 23.1 and 14.9 PPR points anyway. That’s bankable resilience versus travel assignments and rolled help.
The Giants will attack with tempo and quick hitters to blunt Dallas’ rush. That turns six-yard slants into 18-yard bursts after the catch. If Dallas squeezes the boundary, bunch and stacks manufacture free access underneath. Nabers’ stop-start burst turns those freebies into chunk gains. I’m projecting double-digit receptions as a median outcome here. The red-zone work follows if New York sustains drives. He boxes out on crossers and wins with body control at the pylon. I’m comfortably ahead of ECR on him this week. Role, coverage, and projected script all align. I’m talking 12–15 targets, 9–11 receptions, 100–125 yards, with prime touchdown equity if Russ can sustain drives (not sure he can, to be honest). Plant the flag and let the catches avalanche.
Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)
Little bit of an early preseason victory lap, here—I really didn’t buy into his decline, mostly because I couldn’t buy into Tank Bigsby’s ascendance. Look how that went. ETN looks like a possible RB21 (my preseason ranking) season for him is easily in reach.
The role is everything and his role screams bellcow. Week 1 delivered 19 touches and 156 scrimmage yards on top-tier usage. He played 61% of snaps, led Jacksonville’s backfield in routes, and owned 64% of the rush share; Tank Bigsby is gone and Bhayshul Tuten barely saw the field. The runway for consolidated touches sits wide open. The matchup turns great usage into week-winning production: Cincinnati allowed the 10th-highest missed tackle rate and 12th-highest rushing success rate in Week 1. Etienne created after contact at an elite rate, posting a 19% missed-tackle rate and 5.31 yards after contact per rush. Those are sledgehammer efficiency signals when volume is steady.
Jacksonville features him at the goal line and in the screen game; first reads scheme him space in the flats and seams. Jacksonville’s design leverages his acceleration and lateral cuts; he erases angles when linebackers overrun the alley. Cincinnati rallies late, but tackling suffers at the second level, and backs get receiving layups versus base looks—cheap PPR points that raise his floor. The ceiling arrives when inside-the-ten work converts; he owns that work right now. I want 20 touches and multiple high-value touches again; that recipe produces top-five outcomes consistently. I am aggressively ranking him ahead of ECR this week (my RB5). Usage, efficiency, and matchup perfectly align. You start Travis Etienne everywhere and never look back, especially in a game with an implied total as high as 48.5.
Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions (vs. Chicago Bears)
I guess, after last night’s obliteration of the Commanders, we might be able to chalk up LaPorta’s quietish Week 1 to this ferocious Packers defense. I’m happy to do so.
For I’m treating LaPorta as set-and-forget. The usage profile is elite and bankable weekly. He ran a route on 88% of Detroit dropbacks; only Trey McBride topped him among tight ends. That route share secures targets and red-zone opportunities. Detroit funnels high-value looks through LaPorta and Amon-Ra; over Detroit’s last ten games, LaPorta handled 20.9% of targets, with St. Brown at 25%.
The Week 2 environment boosts his projection further. Chicago posted the fourth-lowest pressure rate in Week 1 and allowed elevated accuracy and yards per attempt. Goff thrives when protected and throws in rhythm; that rhythm feeds LaPorta on crossers and seams, with motion isolations against safeties. His first-read usage is sticky in the red area; he converts in-breakers before contact consistently, then adds yards after catch with balance and contact strength. If Chicago squeezes perimeter windows, the funnel tilts inside and LaPorta’s volume spikes. He’s been on my must-start board for Week 2 since preseason for this game; role insulation plus matchup equals positional leverage. I am comfortably ahead of consensus on him this week. You never bench a tight end running every route, commanding designed targets, and living near the stripe. Lock LaPorta in and steal the weekly edge.
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Carolina Panthers)
Carolina is going to do nothing but open the entire toolshed for Conner to be Week 2’s marquee backfield hammer. The role is trustworthy and sticky where it matters. Week 1 delivered 16 opportunities and ~64% of snaps; he handled goal-line work and multiple carries inside the ten, ran 19 routes, and caught four-for-four. He posted 12-for-39 rushing with a receiving score, which understates the usage quality. Arizona now draws a green-light home matchup, favored by 6.5 points; positive script supercharges second-half carry volume. Carolina just let Travis Etienne gash them for 143 rushing yards, exposing run-fit and tackling issues at the second level. We know how poorly they cover the run.
Arizona’s offense condenses through Harrison, McBride, and Conner; safety help tilted to Harrison widens lanes while McBride stresses linebackers, yielding light boxes. Conner also owns the two-minute and screen work, padding PPR scoring and spiking weekly ceilings. He earns dump-offs when Kyler resets versus split-safety looks. The Cardinals lean on Conner to close games; I project 20 touches with multiple high-value touches again. That profile lives in the RB1 weekly range. Start him confidently over fringe options; workload and matchup form a perfect storm. Bet on touchdowns and grindy fourth-quarter yardage here.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Texans)
I am starting Evans everywhere, even with a likely Stingley shadow. He is a lineup lock on my board. Houston used Derek Stingley Jr. in shadow on Davante Adams and held him to 7.2 PPR points; expect similar travel toward Evans. I respect Stingley’s technique, but Evans beats shadows with frame, leverage, and pacing. He remains Tampa’s back-shoulder and end-zone alpha. Baker Mayfield’s red-zone profile turbocharges Evans’ touchdown ceiling; last season, 34.5% of Mayfield’s red-zone passes became touchdowns, and the efficiency persisted in Week 1.
Tampa’s implied total sits modest, which concentrates value around scoring plays; that’s fine, because Evans’ target share near the stripe remains elite. I expect stack, motion, and bunch to free releases and create inside leverage on slants. Evans punishes single coverage when leverage tilts inside and functions as Mayfield’s hot-route outlet versus pressure. End-zone fades and back-shoulders are automatic between these two. Even if Stingley caps yardage, red-zone equity wins weeks. You do not sit touchdown magnets with this profile. He’s going to get that end-zone target. We all know it.
