As we head into the second week of the 2026 fantasy football season, savvy managers know not to overreact too much to what we witnessed in NFL Week 1. We may see some players who didn't produce much last week provide more fantasy production in Week 2.
Our lineup targets for this week include players that should stay active on your team or are the better pick in many tight lineup calls. Our analysis leans to Point Per Reception (PPR) formats.
NFL Week 2: Running Backs To Start
START David Montgomery, HOU: In his first game as a Texan, Montgomery rushed for two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. This week, Houston faces a Bengals defense that was very aggressive in its Week 1 win over the Buccaneers. Running the ball effectively can control the clock more against the Bengals while also easing pressure on C.J. Stroud.
If Texans-Bengals does become another shootout, though, Montgomery might rush for more than one TD again as the unquestioned drive finisher for the Houston offense.
START Rhamondre Stevenson, NE: In New England's season opener, Stevenson functioned as the offense's best playmaker. He totaled 95 yards from scrimmage and caught five passes. Expect him to be busy again in the home opener vs. the Steelers.
A.J. Brown is out with an ankle injury, so the Patriots may have to lean on familiar offensive cogs such as Stevenson, Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas against Pittsburgh.
START Bhayshul Tuten, JAC: In Week 1, Tuten carried 15 times for 66 yards, and the numbers don't show how decisive and elusive he was on many carries. The game plan against Denver will often be to run the ball well and not test the secondary more than an offense should.
After former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III rumbled for 173 yards against the Broncos, the Jaguars will likely test Denver's defensive front frequently this week.
START Chuba Hubbard, CAR: While we have seen many roster changes around him over the past five years, Hubbard has remained a trusted staple in the Carolina offense. In the season opener vs. Chicago, he totaled 87 yards from scrimmage, rushed for a TD and caught a scoring pass.
In NFL Week 2, the Panthers face Atlanta, which is dealing with issues on both sides of the ball. Carolina's offense was more productive than expected in Week 1. Against a vulnerable Falcons defense that might spend too much time on the field this week, Hubbard may find the end zone again.
Fantasy Football Running Back Quick Hits: Jadarian Price averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his Seahawks debut, and many of his touches generated excitement from 'Hawks fans and fantasy players.
For longtime Seahawks followers, I will dare to say that Price does conjure up some memories of franchise legend Curt Warner with his excellent vision and nifty cutback moves. As he becomes more comfortable at the pro level, Price will emerge as a consistent fantasy starting option in your flex spot.
RBs to watch this week as potential trade or free agent acquisitions include D'Andre Swift (CHI), Travis Etienne Jr. (NO), RJ Harvey (DEN), Kaytron Allen (WAS) and Keaton Mitchell (LAC).
Your fantasy league platform usually will have a Watch List option when browsing through league player stats and free agent lists. Make good use of it to quickly refer to players you want to target going forward.
NFL Week 2: Wide Receivers To Start
START Jaylen Waddle, DEN: The former Dolphin was statistically quiet in his Broncos debut, which means that Bo Nix will likely try to get his newest playmaker more involved against the Jaguars. Turning Waddle loose canbenefit the entire Denver offense.
Waddle was acquired to operate as the big-play threat that the Broncos were missing in the passing game. If Nix can click with him often enough this week, the Denver offense will display better overall form. Look for the Denver QB and coaches to make it a point of emphasis to get their new WR rolling.
START Quentin Johnston, LAC: Ladd McConkey is dealing with a rib issue, so Johnston might be pressed into an expanded role against the Raiders. Even if that is not the case, Justin Herbert will likely test the Las Vegas secondary with his favorite downfield weapon.
Miami's Caleb Douglas, who may be the best big-play option in the passing game for his team right now, caught five passes for 95 yards in his pro debut vs, the Raiders last week. Johnston is obviously more seasoned, and the Chargers might aim to test the Las Vegas pass defense with some aggressive deep shots.
START Matthew Golden, GB: The second-year Green Bay WR started off what may be a promising season by catching six passes for 95 yards against Minnesota. He led all Packers receivers with 12 targets.
Golden was drafted in the first round by Green Bay last year and certainly seems ticketed for many regular opportunities to prove himself in 2026. Jordan Love totaled 42 passing attempts last week and may continue to gun the ball often against the Jets in NFL Week 2.
START Deebo Samuel Sr., SF: The 49ers have been plagued with notable offensive injuries since the preseason, and Samuel will be required to play a prominent role in the offense. He was targeted seven times in Week 1 and caught a TD pass, showing he can still be an essential offensive contributor for the Niners.
This week, San Francisco takes on Miami, and outside of Christian McCaffrey, Samuel might be the busiest offensive playmaker for the 49ers.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Quick Hits: Another established WR who was statistically silent in Week 1 was Washington's Terry McLaurin. Against the Dallas pass defense this week, a bounce-back performance is possible. The Commanders-Cowboys matchup might generate a lot of offense.
WRs to watch this week as potential trade or free agent acquisitions include DeVonta Smith (PHI), Luther Burden III (CHI), Josh Downs (IND), Demarcus Robinson (SF), DeMario Douglas (NE).Malachi Fields (NYG) and Tre Harris (LAC).
NFL Week 2: Quarterbacks To Start
START Justin Herbert, LAC: Expect to see the better version of Herbert against the Raiders in NFL Week 2. Even with McConkey hurting, other targets such as Johnston, Tre Harris and David Njoku can challenge the Las Vegas pass defense.
START Brock Purdy, SF: In the first week of the new season, Purdy reminded fantasy leaguers that he can be a good option when he is used as a starter. Purdy threw for three TD passes against the Rams and will draw Miami this week.
The Dolphins' defense will get overworked by the Niners' playmakers, because the Miami offense will force the unit to spend too much time on the field.
Fantasy Football Quarterback Quick Hits: Trevor Lawrence (JAC) cannot be reserved in any matchup right now, even against Denver this week. Matthew Stafford (LAR) might deliver a rebound performance vs. the Giants. Bryce Young (CAR) is a viable QB2 in superflex formats, where you can start two QBs.
NFL Week 2: Tight Ends To Start
START Dallas Goedert, PHI: The Philadelphia TD magnet is looking like a top 3 fantasy starter right now. He caught two TD passes in the opener against Washington and is a good bet to land in the end zone vs. Tennessee.
Goedert is the ultimate scoring weapon for the Eagles. Including last season, 11 of his 13 TD receptions have been red zone scores, inside the 20-yard line.
START Pat Freiermuth, PIT: Last week, the Steelers TE caught all five of his targets and he logged a 72.1% snap share, per FantasyPros. The TE may become a more consistent target under Mike McCarthy, and Freiermuth caught his first scoring pass of the season last week.
The New England secondary might lock up the Steelers WRs often this week, so Aaron Rodgers may turn to Freiermuth on some key passing downs.
Fantasy Football Tight End Quick Hits: Colston Loveland (CHI) did not post any fantasy points in Week 1, so expect frequent targets this week vs. Minnesota. Travis Kelce (KC) can still help your fantasy team, as evidenced by his 59-yard reception on Monday.
Evan Engram (DEN) caught a TD pass on Monday and should be added to your free agent Watch List. He might become more involved in the Denver offense this year.
Scott Engel's *Week 2 Fantasy Football rankings are available at RotoBaller.com.* Scott is a member of the inaugural class of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's (FSWA) Hall of Fame. He has been the official Fantasy Football writer for Seahawks.com since 2012 and has contributed to game coverages and special projects such as the *Top 50 Seahawks of All Time*. Scott is a Senior Writer at *RotoBaller.com* and a host on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. His work has regularly appeared at CBSSports.com, ESPN.com and The Athletic.
Check out photos of the Seahawks 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
This is a 2026 photo of DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Neal of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Julian Neal (1)
This is a 2026 photo of Drew Lock of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3)
This is a 2026 photo of Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4)
This is a 2026 photo of Jason Myers of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Milroe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6)
This is a 2025 photo of Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 9, 2025 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7)
This is a 2026 photo of Jadarian Price of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8)
This is a 2026 photo of Cooper Kupp of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10)
This is a 2026 photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11)
This is a 2026 photo of Ernest Jones IV of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13)
This is a 2026 photo of Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14)
This is a 2026 photo of Tory Horton of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15)
This is a 2026 photo of Elijah Arroyo of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20)
This is a 2026 photo of Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21)
This is a 2026 photo of Rashid Shaheed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22)
This is a 2026 photo of Emanuel Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23)
Seahawks cornerback Avery Smith (27).
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Avery Smith (36) runs during an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
This is a 2026 photo of Nehemiah Pritchett of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jobe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29)
This is a 2026 photo of AJ Finley of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety AJ Finley (30)
This is a 2026 photo of Drake Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32)
This is a 2026 photo of George Holani of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back George Holani (36)
This is a 2026 photo of Brady Russell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks fullback Brady Russell (38)
This is a 2026 photo of Ty Okada of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39)
This is a 2026 photo of Chris Stoll of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41)
This is a 2026 photo of Chazz Surratt of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44)
This is a 2026 photo of Tyrice Knight of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48)
This is a 2026 photo of Patrick OíConnell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52)
This is a 2026 photo of Olu Oluwatimi of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (55)
This is a 2026 photo of Dante Fowler of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56)
This is a 2026 photo of Connor OíToole of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57)
This is a 2026 photo of Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Sundell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61)
This is a 2026 photo of Christian Haynes of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64)
This is a 2026 photo of Charles Cross of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67)
This is a 2026 photo of Beau Stephens of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Beau Stephens (70)
This is a 2026 photo of Abraham Lucas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jones of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Josh Jones (74)
This is a 2026 photo of Anthony Bradford of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75)
This is a 2026 photo of Grey Zabel of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76)
This is a 2026 photo of Eric Saubert of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81)
This is a 2026 photo of Montorie Foster of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87)
This is a 2026 photo of A.J. Barner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Kallerup of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Nick Kallerup (89)
This is a 2024 photo of Jarran Reed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90)
This is a 2026 photo of Byron Murphy II of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91)
This is a 2026 photo of Mike Morris of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94)
This is a 2026 photo of Brandon Pili of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Pili (95)
This is a 2026 photo of Rylie Mills of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98)
This is a 2024 photo of Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99)
