It's Week 2, and we're dealing with a ton of fantasy football injuries already. Seemingly every day, we get more and more reports of players getting banged up and being held out of practice. Let's look for some under-the-radar players who are due for larger roles this week.
Some of these injuries could change come Sunday, so be sure to double-check last-minute news and reports before lineups lock.
*Streamers are players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo! leagues.
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers posted a whopping 37 points in Week 1, and Young looked really good with a 361/3/1 line. Yes, he played a terrible Bears' defense, but Young was solid with a 0.27 EPA/play and 9.3 yards per attempt. He's up against the Atlanta Falcons this week, who looked OK in Week 1, but it was against the Steelers,
who don't have as much offensive talent compared to the Panthers. The duo of Tet McMillian and Jalen Coker provides plenty of scoring upside for Young.
Running Backs
Woody Marks, Houston Texans
The Texans wide receiver room is a disaster right now. They lost Jayden Higgins before the season started, and now - as of Thursday, Sept. 17 - Nico Collins is dealing with a hamstring injury that could sideline him for Week 2. They would likely be down to Xavier Hutchinson and newly acquired Kayshon Boutte in two wide receiver sets.
This doesn't present a ton of passing upside for their offense, so to the ground we turn! David Montgomery was great in Week 1, but Wood Marks actually played on more snaps. Yes, it was Marks on 51% of the snaps and Montgomery on 49%, and Marks didn't do a whole lot with those snaps, but if the split is still there against the Bengals, the second-year running back could be in for decent production this week.
Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
Another team dealing with massive wide receiver injuries is the Ravens, who put rookie Ja'Kobi Lane on IRand could be without Zay Flowers in Week 2. This could push them to be more of a run-heavy offense against the Saints, which opens up some chances for Justice Hill.
Hill played on 46% of the snaps in Week 1 against the Colts, though it should be noted that the game did get a bit out of reach in the 4th quarter, so it made sense for them to ease off of Derrick Henry. If the Ravens are down to Rashaod Bateman, Devontez Walker and Elijah Sarratt as wide receiver, Henry and Hill could be the duo they rely on to power the offense.
Wide Receivers
Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
Are the Dolphins good? No, but that means they're going to be throwing the ball a ton when playing from behind. In Week 1, Douglas had 16.7 air yards per target, which was the 8th highest in the NFL. He ended with seven targets, five receptions and 94 receiving yards for 14.4 PPR points. He ran 32 routes in Week 1 and had a 25.9% target share. The Dolphins are 13.5-point underdogs against the 49ers this week; they're going to pass the ball a ton.
Kayshon Boutte, Houston Texans
I mentioned the Texans' wide receiver issues above with Wood Marks, and Boutte is in the mix to be a streamer this week. The Texans went out and traded for Boutte right before the season started, so they should be inclined to utilize him in the offense.
He played on 46% of the snaps in Week 1, ran 27 routes on 42 dropbacks, but only had one catch for 21 yards. He's healthy and can catch the ball; sometimes it's that simple when looking for a streamer.
Tight End
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
A.J. Brown is on IR, Romeo Doubs looked terrible in Week 1 and Drake Maye has to pass the ball to someone. In 2025, Hunter Henry had an 18.1% target share and a massive 35.5% red zone target share. Those are some serious numbers for a tight end who is widely available right now. 10+ PPR points are on the table for Henry, considering his red zone usage.
Defense
Carolina Panthers
Yes, the Panthers got absolutely worked in Week 1 vs. the Chicago Bears, but they're not going to give up 59 points every week. They still managed 3 sacks and 1 interception, and in Week 2, they get to take on the Atlanta Falcons, who could be starting Cooper Rush again. The Falcons' offense was anemic in Week 1 and doesn't pose too much of a threat overall.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Week 2 sleepers: 7 streamers to target
