If you had a chance to check out my fantasy football WR sleepers article from Week 1, you may have had the chance to sneak Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua and his 21.9 fantasy points in PPR leagues into your lineup.
Well, Nacua headlines three sleeper options I have at the WR position heading into Week 2 of NFL action. Let’s take a closer look.
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Week 2 Fantasy Football WR Sleepers
Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams vs. SF
Apparently, not everyone is buying Nacua’s Week 1 performance quite he still ranks outside of the top 40 at the WR position according to FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR).
I’ll admit, when the Rams head coach said Nacua was going to be an “immediate contributor” to this offense, I was optimistic but still a bit skeptical.
Well, after 15 targets, 10 receptions, and 119 receiving yards in his NFL debut, don’t blame anyone but yourself if you choose to remain a non-believer in Nacua.
The Rams’ matchup against the 49ers’ defense isn’t exactly ideal, but Nacua’s formation versatility, understanding of route concepts and when to throttle down against zone coverage, and playmaking ability after the catch all make Nacua a viable flex option for Week 2.
Nico Collins | Houston Texans vs. IND
Did you know there were only three teams in the league that threw the ball more than the Texans in Week 1? Shocking, right?
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t exactly have a monster fantasy outing in his NFL debut, but he did manage to generate 242 passing yards against a stingy Ravens defense.
MORE: 2023 WR Fantasy Football Rankings
In an offseason where many wondered who the leading man in the Texans’ passing attack would be, it was Nico Collins who finished as the highest-scoring Houston pass catcher in Week 1.
Collins was one of nine wide receivers to see more than 10 targets last week.
While it is reasonable to hesitate to insert a Texans pass catcher into your fantasy lineup, he is certainly worth a spot start in deeper leagues to see if he can build off a very encouraging start to the season.
Kadarius Toney | Kansas City Chiefs @ JAX
If you are capable of overlooking his three crucial drops in the Chiefs’ upset loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions to start the season, then perhaps you can see the opportunity that is still sitting there for Kadarius Toney to seize.
Sure, his three drops were inexcusable, but at least Patrick Mahomes was looking his way.
If Travis Kelce misses any more time due to injury, Toney should get another shot at earning Mahomes’ trust with an offense ripe with scoring opportunities and in desperate need of a difference-maker at the wide receiver position.
Which Sleepers Should You Start in Week 2?
Should You Start Puka Nacua or Marquise Brown?
The Arizona Cardinals offense didn’t give us a whole lot to get excited about. Zach Ertz doubled Brown in both targets and receptions against the Commanders and could still struggle to find significant success through the air against the Giant’s defense with Joshua Dobbs or Clayton Tune under center.
Nacua, on the other hand, finished in a tie with Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill for the most targets in the league in Week 1.
I’ll roll with Nacua who has far more reliable quarterback play over Brown in Week 2.
Should You Start Nico Collins or JuJu Smith-Schuster?
The New England Patriots and Houston Texans threw the ball a combined 96 times in Week 1. However, the target shares for these two players looked vastly different through one week of action.
Juju produced four receptions for 33 yards on seven targets, while Collins registered six receptions for 80 yards on 11 targets. Do we think both of these teams will continue to throw the ball more than 40 times a game this season? Probably not.
However, Collins’ early connection with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud bodes very well for his role in this passing attack moving forward, while I expect the Patriots to run the ball far more often in Week 2 against a Miami Dolphins team that gave up over 200 yards rushing in their season opener.
I’ll give the starting nod to Collins in Week 2.
