Have you fully recovered from the chaos of week 1?

From injuries to struggling veterans and disappointing rookies, we head into Week 2 with potentially even more questions than we had going into Week 1! Players we thought were clear starters are now huge question marks, and Week 1 was so shocking that I honestly could have written an entire “make or break” article just on players who were drafted only in the first two rounds.

Despite the underwhelming performances of superstars in Week 1, we’re still starting our stars. With significant injuries in the NFL, we’re turning our attention to those borderline players who can make or break your fantasy lineup. Starting the right or wrong player can define your fantasy week. Which players should you use in week 2 and which players should you leave?

The Steelers are expected to start Justin Fields in Week 2, and the big question is whether we can trust him from a fantasy perspective. Starting Fields was automatic in 2023. His rushing upside meant all it took was one passing touchdown and boom, instant QB1 magic. Fields has just one start under his belt with Pittsburgh, but this feels different.

In Week 1, Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and had 14 carries for 57 yards — plus one fumble, which is normal. That’s a completion percentage of 73.9%, a far cry from his career high of 60%.

Will Velden to make or break Your line-up in week 1?

The Steelers have a very defined, run-oriented identity and likely won’t ask Fields to do much more than be efficient — a different approach than his time in Chicago. That means we have to approach him differently from a fantasy perspective. While we want to target pass-friendly defenses for the majority of quarterbacks, a run-friendly target might be better for Fields.

This week’s matchup against Denver is perfect. Denver’s defense is strong against the pass and fails miserably at stopping the run. Geno Smith had four carries for 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground last week against Denver. Fields could make your fantasy week with a strong performance on the ground this week and minimal production through the air.

At this point, JK Dobbins is a clear starter and top-24 back. Dobbins looked fantastic in his debut with 10 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown. When healthy, Dobbins has been a clear starter his entire career. Ride the wave, however long it takes.

Dobbins’ teammates, however, are a little more ambivalent.

Edwards was the projected RB1 for Week 1 and had 11 carries for just 26 yards while being outgained by Dobbins. Logic dictates that Edwards will clearly take a backseat to Dobbins, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t provide fantasy value. Giving Dobbins an aggressive workload early in the season would be a recipe for disaster given his injury history. Expect the Chargers’ backfield to remain a committee and for Edwards to see enough volume to warrant weekly consideration.

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Will Edwards to make or break Your line-up in week 2?

Carolina’s defense is an unmitigated disaster. The Panthers allowed 32.20 fantasy points to running backs, the second-most of any team in Week 1. Alvin Kamara had 19.5 fantasy points and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. To understand how incredible that number is, I had to go all the way back to 2020 to find a game where Kamara’s YPC was that high. Even Jamaal Williams was in on the action. Edwards will still see 10-15 touches in this matchup and should be much more productive this week. He’s a solid player and could make your fantasy lineup.

Herbert’s Week 1 performance wasn’t anything special, but it was encouraging from an overall offensive perspective. Herbert completed 17 of 26 attempts for 144 yards and one touchdown to McConkey. All three starting receivers contributed against an improved Raiders defense, and the Chargers group felt cohesive.

McConkey was one of the few rookie receivers in Week 1 to immediately lead his receiver corps in targets and has a clear connection to Herbert. Against the aforementioned Panthers’ defensive layup, Herbert could produce QB1 numbers even in a low-volume effort and McConkey should benefit as his WR1.

Will Herbert and McConkey to make or break Your line-up in week 2?

It’s highly unlikely that Herbert will see a significant increase in passing volume this week and the Chargers will need to lean on the ground game. However, Herbert could run the same script as Derek Carr from Week 1 — very efficient with a strong touchdown upside. The Chargers will move the ball well and this is an excellent opportunity for new head coach Jim Harbaugh to have Herbert test his receiving corps in a friendly matchup. Both Herbert and McConkey have slick upside in this matchup and would be solid streaming options for Week 2.

In PPR — and I refer to PPR because you’d be traumatized if I gave you half the PPR stats — Denver’s running back group had fewer than 12 fantasy points combined. Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos backfield with 10 carries for 27 yards, while Williams had just eight carries for 23 yards. McLaughlin had the upper hand in receiving with five receptions, but neither back was impressive or productive.

Will Williams to make or break Your line-up in week 1?

The good news for Williams is that he wasn’t outclassed by McLaughlin and, despite having fewer touches, Williams outpaced McLaughlin and remains the lead back. The bad news is that the Broncos’ offense is…well, bad…and Williams’ play doesn’t benefit from scenarios where the Broncos play from behind. This week’s game against Pittsburgh is a trap. The Steelers will attack on the ground — Denver’s big weakness — and control the game with strong defensive play. Take a hard pass to Williams in all formats.

Kirk’s Week 1 performance was a bit of a confirmation bias. Brian Thomas Jr. was listed in my Make or Break column last week as a “make,” and the rookie came through with four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. Kirk had just one reception for 30 yards, but we don’t write Kirk off after one poor performance, especially in a game where Trevor Lawrence completed just 12 passes for 162 yards.

Will Kirk to make or break Your line-up in week 2?

Kirk was outscored by Thomas and Gabe Davis in scoring, but will still need to push for targets in good matchups.

This week just isn’t a good match.

Dallas managed just two offensive touchdowns against the Browns and even CeeDee Lamb had a mediocre game. Pass on Kirk against the Browns and reevaluate in Week 3.