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 players to stash in fantasy football Week 2. End-of-bench dart-throws to consider if you have someone ruled out on Friday. Guys for whom you should drop backup QBs and TEs.
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 must-start players for Week 2 of 2025 fantasy football
- 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 preseason and fantasy draft kit content—as well as plenty of NFL betting goodies—all summer long. All my other fantasy football draft kit content is at the bottom of this list!
Top five players to stash for Week 2 of 2025 fantasy football
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (RB37)
I’m stashing Benson everywhere he’s available because the path is clean and the profile fits Arizona’s run menu. James Conner owns the present, but this staff mixes duo, counter, and mid-zone with condensed splits that create downhill lanes. Benson’s acceleration and balance translate immediately when touches appear. He’s outside the flex cutline by FantasyPros ECR, which is exactly where I hunt contingency backs with three legitimate paths: injury, role creep, or late-season fresh-legs packages. Arizona’s offense condenses through the stars, which quietly boosts running back touchdown equity when drives sustain. If Benson inherits even 10–12 touches in a given week—five to seven on early downs, two to three screens, and a couple of inside-the-ten chances—he lands in usable PPR range.
The near-term thesis is simple: protect Conner’s mileage, spell him in the two-minute and screen game, and let Benson hit the gas against light boxes created by safety attention elsewhere. I’m projecting 8–10 rookie-ramp routes and 6–9 carries right away if the game tilts positive; if Conner leaves even briefly, the workload can jump to 12–15 touches. In that contingency, he carries a very real shot at six on gap runs from condensed formations. I don’t need college tape citations here; I need a staff that leans run in the low red and a rookie with burst waiting behind heavy usage. That’s this situation. Stash him now before the first double-digit touch game makes it obvious.
Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills (RB51)
I’m adding Davis in every PPR league because the opportunity runway is as live as its yet been this short season, and the role is valuable. With James Cook popping up on the injury report, Davis becomes the direct contingency for both early-down volume and premium red-zone work. He sits outside weekly starter range by FantasyPros ECR, but that’s mispriced for a back who can realistically command 12–15 touches the very first week Cook is limited: 8–10 carries, 3–5 targets, and one to two inside-the-five snaps. Buffalo’s red-zone identity funnels to backs when spacing tightens; that’s where Davis’ pad level and vision matter. In neutral scripts, the Bills use duo and split-zone to stress linebackers, then leak backs into flats and arrows for cheap PPR.
If the Bills play from ahead, Davis’ clock-killing carries stack quietly; if they trail, his screen and checkdown diet keeps him viable. I’m not giving touchdown decimals; with Cook limited or inactive, Davis would carry a slightly-better-than-a-coin-flip chance at paydirt on pure role. Without that contingency, he’s still a stash with weekly stash-and-hold utility: 6–8 carries, 2–3 targets, and clear first-man-up status. That’s exactly what we want at the end of benches—clean depth chart, bankable red-zone pathway, and receiving relief if the game goes sideways. Add him now; if Friday’s reports lean pessimistic on Cook, he graduates from stash to flex and your league scrambles on waivers you already beat.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (WR74)
The hot names are Dont’e Thornton and Jack Bech—both Five Lists of Five pieces in Week 1—and were coming into the entire season, but Tre Tucker might be the real stash. The Raiders’ target tree is tightening and vertical speed wins jobs. FantasyPros ECR keeps him outside routine start territory, but the context screams “pre-breakout monitor.” Jakobi Meyers is the WR1 and vacuuming volume; behind him, the staff is searching for a weekly second option while the tight end room deals with uncertainty. That’s Tucker’s opening. He can play on the perimeter or in motion/stack looks, which matters because this passing game lives on rhythm throws and manufactured leverage. I’m projecting 24–30 routes per competitive script right now, with two to three schemed touches and one to two deep shots baked in. If his route rate climbs into the mid-30s and the deep targets hit, he detonates matchups that tilt single-high.
You’re not stashing him for eight catches; you’re stashing him for a three-play sequence that changes a week and for a mid-season promotions arc when the staff locks a role. If the tight end room stays dinged or the WR3 rotation narrows, Tucker’s first-read share can jump to 16–18% in a hurry. In that scenario, he carries a live outside shot at six from stacks and reduced splits that isolate corners without help. End of bench is for asymmetric payoffs. This is asymmetric: clear athletic trump card, clear role-growth path, and a quarterback comfortable throwing the verticals Tucker runs. Add him before the first 60-yard strike turns him into a FAAB war.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (RB48)
This is another chorus play, as Tuten’s not only been on this list before, but has even more dazzling light shining on him after Liam Coen & co. shipped Tank Bigsby to the Eagles to return kicks. If you didn’t know about this guy’s potential at Virginia Tech, you know it now because you play fantasy football. So let’s shake it down again.
I’m adding Tuten as direct contingency to Travis Etienne and as a quiet passing-down plug if usage creeps. He’s well outside weekly starter lanes by FantasyPros ECR, which suppresses his cost, but the role math is clean. Etienne owns the backfield, yet Jacksonville still sprinkles rotational touches and always protects itself with a true two-minute back. Tuten fits both levers. If Etienne ever needs a breather—or the staff caps him during stretches—Tuten can immediately handle 10–12 touches: 6–8 carries in early downs, 3–4 targets on screens/angles/outs, and one high-leverage snap near the goal line when tempo forces substitutions.
Jacksonville’s structure is friendly to backs: they use RPO glance and play-action slide to widen second-level fits, then leak the back into space against man-match rules. That creates cheap PPR that travels regardless of script. If Jacksonville trails, Tuten’s routes spike; if they lead, his clock-kill carries stack. I’m not pretending he’s an every-week play; I’m telling you he’s one Etienne ankle tweak away from 12–15 touches and a real weekly decision. In that contingency, he carries a more-likely-than-not shot at six if the Jaguars live inside the ten. The end of your bench should house backs with clean ascents and multidimensional usage when called. That’s Tuten—pass-game competence, enough burst to punish light boxes, and a staff that won’t hesitate to use him if needed.
Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders (TE36)
I’m stashing Mayer because tight end leverage flips fast when routes consolidate, and Brock Bowers’ knee status is the catalyst. If Bowers is limited or sits, Mayer’s routes jump and his red-zone leverage spikes immediately. FantasyPros ECR has him outside the top-20 tight ends, which misprices a clear, role-based runway. The current usage already supports a stash: according to PFF, Mayer played roughly a sixty-plus percent snap share in Week 1, ran about half of the dropback routes, and produced four targets, four catches, and 38 yards on 16 routes. That’s a live baseline before contingency effects.
The Raiders condense targets to Jakobi Meyers, which drags coverage into slant/choice, then opens seams, drifts, and leak for the tight end. Geno Smith is comfortable firing those rhythm throws off play-action. In competitive scripts, I’m projecting 26–32 routes and 4–6 targets for Mayer right now. If Bowers is out or clearly snap-managed, the projection lifts into the high-30s routes with a clean first-read share on drift, stick, and quick outs. The low red is where he prints: compressed formations create natural rubs, and his body control turns contested windows into catchable balls. This isn’t a bet on long speed; it’s a bet on snap volume, alignment variety, and quarterback trust between the numbers. Whether Las Vegas lives in 11 or toggles heavier, Mayer stays on the field and releases. In either script he carries a real chance at six on play-action inside the ten. Stash now before Monday clarity turns into competition.
Truly? This is a Bowers handcuff stash, more than anything.
