NFL Fantasy Preview, Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs took on a tough Jaguars defense and lost arguably the most electric WR in the NFL, early in the game. That, nor the 104 degree temperature on the field, seemed to have an effect on the prolific Chiefs offense.
The Oakland Raiders were coming off a tumultuous (to say the least) offseason. They had traded of third and fifth-round draft picks for Pittsburgh Steelers' star WR, Antonio Brown. That did not turn out so well and became as big of a distraction as you could possibly have during camp. The Raiders showed their resolve by coming out and earning a nice victory over the division rivals Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes - Last season's MVP's number one target, Tyreek Hill, has been ruled out for this game. Mahomes still has plenty of weapons and as we saw last week, Sammy Watkins stepped in nicely as the top wideout. In two games against the Raiders last year, Mahomes put up 576 yards and six TDs with only one pick. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game. You start him regardless of match-up.
Derek Carr - Many people are happy for Carr and the Raiders getting a win out of the gate in week one. Unfortunately, he has an unproven receiving core and you should have better options to start this week, despite the great match-up.
Running Backs
Damien Williams' value spent the off-season swelling to a back-end first-round pick, then plummeting several rounds. The addition of LeSean McCoy scared a lot of people away from Williams in week one, but Williams' familiarity with the offense was enough to keep him heavily involved.
The production wasn't as much as owners would have liked, but the touches were there. Williams ended the day with 13 carries and seven targets. You've got to love any player getting that much opportunity on the most explosive offense in football. For that reason, Williams makes a good flex this week against a weak Raiders defense.
LeSean McCoy also qualifies as a lower-end flex play. He will have another week to get up to speed, but should already have an idea of how the Andy Reid run system is put together. If McCoy is looking at 10-15 touches a game, he's not a bad flex either.
Josh Jacobs looked every bit of the workhorse the Raiders claimed he'd be. Jacobs ended his first career NFL game with 23 carries, two TDs and a 28-yard reception. With the surprising exit of Antonio Brown, he becomes their most important play maker. It looks like this offense is currently running through the rookie running back.
Wide Receivers
This game has shootout potential. A pair of WRs that were considered second on the team depth charts heading into the season, will now face off as the top guys. Sammy Watkins and Tyrell Williams should both be in your lineups.
Tight Ends
Both Darren Waller and Travis Kelce should be in your lineups. Waller looks like he has stepped right into Jared Cook's role from last season. Unless you have one of the top three TEs then it's likely you'll have Waller in your lineup to get in on this potential shootout.