Week 2 Preview + Road to Rebuild

Week 2 begins tonight and we have some things to watch for that may or may not mean its time to make a big move. Also, for all our rebuilding teams out there, we’ve got some guys to get after before it’s too late… Let’s hit the Detour.

-- Dynasty Detour Ryan

🔮 Traffic Forecast

After a LOW scoring Week 1, it’s time to check the Week 2 forecast. Which lanes stay clogged, and which players are revving up for a rebound?

🚧 Danger Zone in San Fran

The oft-injured 49ers are already swerving into trouble. Brock Purdy ‘could miss a few weeks’ and George Kittle was just placed on IR. This leaves Patriots legend Mac Jones in line for a start with not-so desirable weapons outside of Christian McCaffrey.

Here are the moves to make:

• In Superflex leagues, check your waiver wire for Mac Jones. While not a sexy option, a starting QB (even for 2 weeks) is worth rostering. He could be good trade bait to a Purdy owner. Or could he pull a Baker and leverage an injury into a starting role? Doubtful, but not impossible.

• Although not ideal for Pearsall owners, he is fine to remain in your lineups. We saw BTJ put up monster numbers with Mac Jones last season, and the Kittle injury opens up even more targets. Not that this needs mentioning, but CMC remains a SIAFI (set-it-and-forget-it).

• Want to get freaky? Jake Tonges stepped in for Kittle and caught 3 balls for 15 yards and a TD. In a bind with Kittle hurt? Maybe try to make a trade for Jonnu or one of my personal favorites, Brenton Strange, but it wouldn’t hurt to grab Tonges if available. The 26 year old has bounced around a few practice squads, so don’t set your hopes too high.

The panic around the 49ers is justifiable, but let’s not get too crazy. CMC is still CMC, and Mac Jones was able to support a WR1 in fantasy last season (I see you Pearsall owners). Let’s hang tight and hope Purdy returns soon, but if you have a deeper roster, look to claim 1. Mac Jones and 2. Jake Tonges (if your TE room is in dire, dire need).

 🐦️ Making Sense of the Ravens Flock

The Ravens looked like they had Week 1 in hand before it all unraveled in Buffalo. A late-game collapse turned what could’ve been a statement win into a gut punch, but it wasn’t all bad news for fantasy. Zay Flowers flashed big-time upside while Mark Andrews struggled to make his mark — two very different storylines for dynasty managers to digest. Let’s discuss how this is going to play out in week 2 and beyond:

• Zay Flowers - Week 1 was about as loud an opening statement as you could hope for. Flowers led the Ravens with 7 catches on 9 targets for 143 yards and a touchdown, showing both efficiency and explosiveness. What makes the performance even more encouraging for dynasty managers is that it didn’t come in a fluky game script. Lamar Jackson only completed 14 passes on 19 attempts with Flowers dominating the target share. On the flip side, a 50% target share is far from sustainable, and despite MVP caliber seasons from Lamar, we’ve only seen Flowers turn in finishes as the WR 25 and 31. Look to sell high on Flowers in exchange for a Rashee Rice or re-roll with a mid 2027 first.

• Mark Andrews - In a game where Baltimore hung 40 points on Buffalo, Andrews was surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) invisible. He managed just 1 catch for 5 yards on a night when Lamar, Henry and Flowers all neared 30 fantasy points, leaving dynasty managers scratching their heads. Some of this could be tied to rust — Andrews missed the entire preseason with a lingering, undisclosed injury, and he didn’t look like his usual reliable self. What stings more is that this was a golden opportunity: with Isaiah Likely sidelined by a foot injury, Andrews had the runway to dominate tight end usage but never got going. Ever since the drop, Ravens fans seem pretty displeased with Andrews performance. Check out this tweet of Andrews showing a lack of effort on a potential game clinching play:

With all of this being said, the door seems to be open for Isaiah Likely to take the reigns of the TE1 role in Baltimore. Now… a TE timeshare in a run heavy offense where Zay Flowers seems to be the #1 target? Maybe not the most desirable. But with the bleak tight end landscape and the explosivity (this feels like a word) of the Ravens offense, Likely possesses weekly TD upside and is a fine option for your lineups (when healthy). With Andrews in the last year of his contract, Likely - 25 years old - has the ability to be a more prominent fixture in 2026 and beyond

-- Dynasty Detour Tom

🛣️  Road to Rebuild

Some guys to buy now or keep your eyes on for the coming weeks that will have you rounding out a championship roster in no time ⬇️ 

🟢 Go Get ‘Em - Guys to Buy NOW

🐆 Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen

Tank Bigsby traded for scraps with Travis Etienne on the last year of his deal? These rookies could be the whole run game for Jacksonville this time next year. While obviously Tuten received the higher draft capital and was a much more touted prospect, the team did draft Allen for a reason, and I was a massive fan of his all offseason. Obviously the NFL disagreed and he slipped to the 7th round, but he did touch the ball twice before Tuten or Bigsby got any work in Week 1, and that is definitely not nothing. Could the team re-sign Etienne? Absolutely, but this is one of the clearer paths to future work in the league.

Tuten was going around the 20 mark in superflex rookie drafts this year, and though he had a lackluster Week 1, the departure of Tank Bigsby will make some people intent on holding him. If you can get him for a mid to late 2026 2nd rounder (NOT your own if you’re rebuilding), I pull that trigger every time. If not, hope for a few quiet weeks and try again.

Allen is likely on your waivers (available in 63% of leagues) and could be worth the pickup now (16% of leagues picked up this week alone). If he survived getting picked up after the early work and Bigsby’s departure, maybe you can wait. In deep-ish leagues, though? Absolutely worth the roster spot.

🔴 Michael Penix

Penix wasn’t perfect against a spotty Bucs secondary this last week, but I saw enough to decide I am all the way in on the Falcons’ signal caller at cost. I actually watched in person as Penix looked decisive and comfortable extending plays. I think the infrastructure surrounding him is good with the potential to get even better, and I want in.

The going rate for Penix is north of a late 2026 1st, but I’m coughing it up if the extra isn’t too steep (I’m monitoring the Twitter this week, feel free to ask about trades). Odds are whoever has him just waited all year to see him in action, and may be hesitant to part, but this is going to be your last chance to pry him away.

🟡 Any Minute Now - Guys to Watch for a Few More Weeks

🐂 Keon Coleman

Coleman finds himself on this part of the list because a performance like that is going to spike his value for the next couple of weeks. Obviously I believe in him, so we run the risk of his price continually going up, but when you’ve played fantasy as long as I have, you’re not much more convinced by a three game streak than one big game. Dynasty Detour Tom wrote about Coleman two days ago here, and he gave him a yellow light for the same reasons I’m okay waiting rather than paying the Week 1 big performance premium, but this guy genuinely could become the number one in Buffalo very quickly.

I do believe he has a ceiling, even if everything were to click, so don’t spend too much, but if he ever becomes available for a swap with an aging player you’re offloading, I love a 1 for 1 for guys like D.J. Moore, Courtland Sutton, etc.

🐻 Caleb Williams

Caleb was on the receiving end of some serious ridicule after his Ben Johnson offense debut on Monday night, and for good reason. He was missing routine throws, holding the ball way too long on some reps, and not super comfortable in pretty clean pockets. I couldn’t help but notice, though, that when he took off he looked like a serious weapon. The throws could come with more timing practice, as could the comfort dropping back. If I see week over week improvement, I’m pulling this trigger very fast.

Right now a late 2026 1st and late 2026 2nd do the trick. A really good week or two shoots that up really quickly, so hopefully Caleb’s maturity shows more on the tape than the box score, but make sure you’re tuning in to see if he puts it together.

-- Dynasty Detour Ryan

We’re officially in the swing of things, so be sure you follow us for all the must see events and reactions of every week. Follow us @dynastydetour on Instagram and X/Twitter to get our reactions and opinions in between write-ups, as well as email us with any questions at [email protected]. See you out on the road 🚘️.