Week 2 of 2025 delivered a wave of fantasy busts across QB, RB, WR and TE, forcing managers to rethink lineups and smartly pivot for Week 3. Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy faltered in prime time, while a host of running backs—Henry, Hall, Charbonnet, Pacheco, Hunt and more—never found their footing. WRs like A.J. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Drake London cooled after strong openings, and tight ends such as Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson offered limited fantasy returns. Bounce-back potential remains for several, but risk has clearly risen across the board.

Rosters should shift toward safer floors and clearer use-cases in Week 3, with attention to upcoming matchups against softer defenses and potential in-game script shifts. The busts spotlight several buy-low windows, particularly at WR and TE, where targets and red-zone usage could swing dramatically with a favorable game plan. Fantasy managers should weigh the rest-of-season trajectory against Week 2 volatility and adjust accordingly.

Overall, Week 2 underscored the value of depth and matchup-fueled decisions. Staying ahead requires identifying hidden Week 3 opportunities among RBs with clearer roles, WRs in jam-friendly offenses, and TEs who still command a red-zone presence despite rough Sundays.

Baltimore elevates Zaire Mitchell-Paden to the active roster for Week 2 against Cleveland, adding depth at tight end behind Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar while Isaiah Likely is out. The move reinforces the Ravens’ reliance on blocking and special-teams versatility from their tight ends.

Mitchell-Paden, undrafted from Florida Atlantic, spent 2024 on Baltimore’s practice squad after a brief stint with Cleveland. He logged 11 preseason yards on one catch and delivered a key block on Derrick Henry’s 30-yard opener TD, underscoring his potential as a size-speed blocker and depth option in a run-first offense.

Fantasy takeaway: limited immediate upside unless injuries strike, but the transaction preserves flexibility in Baltimore’s TE usage and special-teams role, a quiet reminder to monitor depth charts week-to-week.

Joe Flacco returns to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2, facing the Ravens during Baltimore’s 30th season celebration. The Browns’ veteran quarterback Believes he still has a live arm and big-game poise, a nod to his XLVII MVP run and playoff prowess. The reunion with Harbaugh and the Ravens’ alumni adds a charged backdrop to a game that doubles as history and fantasy intrigue.

Flacco’s Week 2 assignment centers on leveraging play-action and efficient, intermediate throws to Amari Cooper and David Njoku, with his ceiling tied to protection from Baltimore’s pressure and smart distribution. The matchup also fuels nostalgia around Ravens legends and the evolving AFC North narrative, a subplot for fantasy managers monitoring Browns pass-catchers and Browns’ attack tempo.

Amid anniversary pomp, the Browns’ offense shapes around Flacco’s strengths, while Baltimore leans on Jackson’s dynamic dual-threat profile. For fantasy judges, this is a storyline-driven game with potential upside for Browns weapons if Flacco hits timing, and a floor-tilting display from Ravens veterans who remember Flacco’s peak moments in Charm City.

Seattle’s backfield is unsettled after Week 1, with Charbonnet thriving on early downs and Walker III’s snap share slipping. Week 2 against Pittsburgh could tilt toward the rookie, making Walker more of a high-end FLEX than a locked RB2. Conner’s heavy committee in Arizona raises red flags; Week 2 hosts Carolina, a tough matchup that could cap his volume. Indianapolis’ Downs disappointed again Week 1 as Pittman Jr. dominates targets, while Warren’s 9 targets signal a TE/H-back heavy approach that could squeeze Downs. Baltimore’s Andrews was TD-dependent in Week 1 and needs red-zone chances to pay off. QB volatility showed with Burrow and Prescott being outperformed by Spencer Rattler in Week 1, a fluky outlier that should settle, but Week 2 still demands cautious rostering.