Fantasy: Buy McLaurin, sell Rice among 10 moves to make ahead of Week 2

With Week 1 in the books, we learned a lot about the teams and players that can help us improve our fantasy teams. That said, it's important to determine what matters and what doesn't to avoid overreacting to a single game.

Below, we'll highlight 10 moves to make ahead of Week 2, recommending who you should start, sit, add, and drop, along with players to buy low and sell high in the trade market.

🤝 Buy - Terry McLaurin

The Week 1 matchup for Terry McLaurin couldn't have been worse. The Eagles may have the best duo of shutdown corners in the league in Riq Woolen and Quinyon Mitchell, whom McLaurin lined up against most of the game, and the Eagles' pass rush was too much for the Commanders' offensive line. Jayden Daniels was only blitzed seven times yet faced pressure on 19 of his 38 dropbacks. Daniels had no time to allow McLaurin's routes to develop, leading to his two-catch game with an average depth of target of 5.5 yards. Historically, McLaurin's average depth of target is roughly 13 yards.

Philadelphia shutting down McLaurin allowed Stefon Diggs to receive nine targets and rookie Antonio Williams to earn four targets on 11 routes. Week 1 will be a rare scenario where McLaurin doesn't lead Washington pass-catchers in targets.

The Commanders have the Cowboys on deck in Week 2, so the window to buy low on McLaurin may shut quickly. Dallas' defense pales in comparison to Philadelphia's, and the Commanders should be able to feature McLaurin far more prominently in their passing attack.

👋 Sell - Rashee Rice

Rashee Rice salvaged his Week 1 performance with a touchdown, and that may provide the last bit of leverage you'll have to sell the Chiefs wideout. Rice earned two targets Monday night for an 8% target share, a huge drop from his 28.68% target share last year and 25.44% in 2024. Rice also had the second-worst average separation score among receivers in Week 1, according to Fantasy Points Data - a metric you do not want to be near the bottom of.

It's only one game, but the Chiefs appear to have changed their offensive approach now that they have Kenneth Walker III.

Rice was previously used as an extension of the running game while the Chiefs trotted out plodders like Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco to man the backfield. But now that they have Walker and rookie Emmett Johnson, all those short-yardage catches and crossing routes that allowed Rice to rack up receptions may be a thing of the past.

❌ Drop - Bo Nix

Bo Nix's Monday night start against the Chiefs was highly concerning. Sure, opening the season on the road in Kansas City is tough, but Denver couldn't get anything going on offense in Davis Webb's first game calling plays for the Broncos.

Nix was inefficient, completing 17 of 28 passes for 131 yards. He took four sacks and lost one of three fumbles. His minus-20.05 total EPA ranked last among all quarterbacks, according to SumerSports. A lot of Nix's fantasy value comes from his ability to run, but he didn't appear eager to take off in his first start since breaking his ankle last postseason. Nix had a 3.03% scramble rate and recorded 2 yards rushing.

Nix is 90% rostered in Yahoo leagues, but you're better off playing matchups with Jordan Love (68%), Baker Mayfield (56%), and Tyler Shough (43%) for the time being.

🟢 Start - Jalen Coker

We were high on Jalen Coker before the season, targeting him as a sleeper late in drafts. Through one game, Coker is looking like a steal. He hauled in eight of nine targets for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, the Panthers faced the Bears, who could have one of the league's worst defenses, but it was still an impressive performance from a player pegged as Carolina's WR2.

Coker has closed the gap to the Panthers' top receiving option considerably. Over the last eight games, including the playoffs, Coker has 39 receptions to Tetairoa McMillan's 26. McMillan still has an edge in target share, but these two wideouts should be viewed more as WR1a and WR1b.

Carolina visits Atlanta in Week 2 to take on a Falcons defense that shouldn't scare you away from locking Coker into your lineup.

🔴 Sit - Kyle Pitts

I liked Kyle Pitts' chances of having a good game in Week 1 against a Steelers defense that struggled to defend tight ends last season. Boy, was I wrong. Pitts earned one target on Cooper Rush's 26 dropbacks, and Rush underthrew it after Pitts beat his one-on-one coverage. The Falcons' quarterback play is simply too unpredictable to trust Pitts. The only name that can save his season right now is Michael Penix Jr.

Additionally, as bad as the Panthers' defense was in Week 1, the unit didn't allow Colston Loveland to record a catch despite the Bears scoring 59 points. If Penix starts, maybe you can put Pitts in if you're desperate. But if Rush or Jack Strand is under center, you're better off with Pitts on your bench.

🤝 Buy - Colston Loveland

Speaking of Loveland, a manager in your league may be panicking after his Week 1 goose egg. It's almost impossible to believe that in a game where the Bears nearly scored 60 points, Loveland was held without a reception on two targets.

That will be the worst performance of Loveland's season. The Bears appear poised to lead the league in points, and the second-year tight end will eventually become heavily involved, just as he was late last season. It may be hard to pry Loveland away from his current manager, but maybe someone is willing to part ways with him for a package that includes Dalton Kincaid or Isaiah Likely, two tight ends who popped off in Week 1.

👋 Sell - Chuba Hubbard

Like Coker, Chuba Hubbard also benefited from playing the Bears' defense, but in this case, it's a perfect opportunity to sell high. Hubbard scored 22.2 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring, which will likely be the best game of his season. Don't forget that he was one of the league's least effective and least explosive runners last season, and Jonathon Brooks is still threatening to take away Hubbard's playing time.

If you can flip Hubbard for Travis Etienne Jr. or Bhayshul Tuten, two backs who underperformed in Week 1, do it in a heartbeat.

➕ Add - Emmett Johnson

As noted above, the Chiefs may have a new offensive philosophy, and they have no reason to change it until defenses start to adjust to their run-heavy approach. Walker looked incredible in his Chiefs debut, but so did Johnson in his limited work. He had 68 yards on 10 total touches.

The Chiefs rookie is Walker's clear handcuff and is one injury away from being a weekly starter. Walker doesn't have the best track record of staying healthy: He played his first full season last year in a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet, and we've yet to see him handle a full year as a bell cow. Even if Walker does play all 17 games, Johnson's explosiveness could still force Andy Reid to get the ball to his rookie running back, which could give him some standalone value.

🟢 Start - Aaron Jones

Jordan Mason is sidelined with a thumb injury, opening the door for Aaron Jones to take on a huge workload in Week 2 against the Bears. The Vikings also have DeeJay Dallas, who dressed last week mainly to play special teams, and rookie Demond Claiborne, who was a healthy scratch in Week 1. This is Jones' backfield for the time being. The Bears just allowed Hubbard to score over 20 fantasy points and appear prepared to play in shootouts all season. You likely drafted Jones to provide depth for your bench, but this is the perfect week to give him the nod.

🔴 Sit - Harold Fannin Jr.

You may be inclined to start Harold Fannin Jr. against a Buccaneers defense that got shredded by Mike Gesicki last week, but resist the temptation. The Browns' offense is a disaster with Deshaun Watson at the helm. Watson was 16 for 22 for 205 yards (46 of which came on one play), threw a pick, and took five sacks. Fannin received only three targets, ending his day with two catches for 21 yards.

Had it not been for three Mayfield turnovers, the Bucs' defensive effort would have looked a lot better. Tampa Bay kept Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in check and pressured Joe Burrow on 24.3% of his dropbacks. Watson and Co. are in trouble once again on the road in Tampa, and you'll have better options than Fannin at tight end.