Week 2 Projections For Fantasy Football: Jadarian Price, Michael Mayer & More

The first week of NFL action is in the books, and there were plenty of surprises. Ben Johnson said he wanted his offense to set a new record for points, and then they dropped 59 on the Panthers. The Cardinals had a win total of just 3.5 for the full season, so naturally, they beat the Chargers in Los Angeles. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson both got back to business as usual, while the preseason favorites struggled mightily in Australia.

Plenty of surprising fantasy performances also popped up, and as the schedule flips to Week 2, it’s our job to separate what was real from what was fluky. Fortunately, we have the Fantasy Life fantasy football projections to help. Each week, I’ll dive into some of the projections that stand out to me for one reason or another.

Here are four guys whose projections caught my eye for Week 2.

Fantasy Football Projections Standouts For Week 2

Caleb Williams, QB, CHI

Projection: 17.3
Rank: QB11

How can you not be bullish on Williams at the moment? Their offense was ridiculously efficient in Week 1, and Williams was a massive part of it. He racked up 269 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added another 65 yards and two scores on the ground. He ultimately finished with 37.3 fantasy points, making him the highest-scorer in Week 1 regardless of position.

With that in mind, you may find it shocking that Williams is down at just QB11 in our projections for Week 2. All of our expert rankers have him at QB8 or higher, with Kendall Valenzuela ranking him as high as QB4 in our consensus fantasy football rankings.

So why the discrepancy? It has a lot to do with the matchup. The Bears will square off with the Vikings this week, which means a date with Brian Flores. Flores is known for his aggressive defenses, and he dialed things up to 11 in their first game of the year:

The Vikings blitzed on 55 of 67 plays in Week 1 😳 pic.twitter.com/DOk17n50UP
— PFF (@PFF) September 15, 2026

That creates a wide range of outcomes for Williams for fantasy purposes. Williams was elite against the blitz last season, trailing only Lamar Jackson in EPA per play in those situations, but doing it against Flores is an entirely different animal. Williams was mediocre in his two matchups vs. the Vikings last year, averaging 201.5 passing yards per game. He also accounted for just two total touchdowns, one with his arm and one with his legs.

Ultimately, it’s still very fair to be bullish on Williams for the year. It’s possible that he’s ready to put together an MVP-caliber season. But expectations should be tempered just a bit for this matchup.

Jadarian Price, RB, SEA

Projection: 12.1
Rank: RB18

Price’s NFL debut was a bit of a mixed bag. His utilization numbers left plenty to be desired, finishing with just a 50% snap share and 50% carry share. Those numbers were just slightly better than George Holani (44% and 40%, respectively).

The good news is that Price looked the part with his opportunities. He averaged 5.2 yards per attempt, despite facing a Patriots’ defense that was pretty stout against the run last season. He also caught both targets and finished with an 8% target share overall.

While Holani is going to continue to be a factor, there is no doubt that Price is the team’s best runner for the time being. He’s in a great spot to put that on display in Week 2. He’s taking on the Cardinals, and while Arizona pulled off an upset in Week 1, the Seahawks are still comfortable road favorites. If they can play from ahead, Price should be able to surpass last week’s totals.

Our projections are more bullish on Price than our rankers. The projections have him at RB18, making him a pretty comfortable RB2. Our rankers have him at RB22, making him more of a low-end RB2 or flex option. I personally liked what I saw from Price in Week 1, so I’m starting him with confidence in leagues where I have him.

Drake London, WR, ATL

Projections: 10.6
Rank: WR19

As bad as things were expected to be for the Atlanta passing attack this season, they were somehow even worse in Week 1. Cooper Rush got the nod at quarterback, and outside of Bijan Robinson, the offense was completely lifeless. Robinson accounted for 83 yards on the ground, and he also tallied 90 of Rush’s 143 passing yards.

That didn’t leave much for the rest of the offense, including London. He had just four targets, and he caught just two passes for 29 yards. His 18% target share was tied with Jahan Dotson, while his Utilization Score was a paltry 42.

There will be better days ahead for London. Michael Penix Jr. will eventually be at the helm, and London has historically feasted with Penix under center. But until that happens, it’s hard to start London with any degree of confidence. Our projections have him at just WR19, and that might end up being generous.

It’s always difficult to bench your “studs” early in the year. You likely drafted London in the second or third round, so it’s hard to imagine sitting him if he’s healthy. But don’t become too attached to your priors. There’s a chance that someone you drafted much later has a better outlook for Week 2; don’t be afraid to pull the trigger.

Michael Mayer, TE, LV

Projection: 9.5
Rank: TE3

One of the most shocking Week 1 developments was the absence of Brock Bowers. He had knee surgery seemingly out of nowhere, which caused him to miss the team’s win over the Dolphins. While the procedure isn’t expected to cost him too much time, he might be out of the lineup again in Week 2. He was a DNP at Wednesday’s practice.

Bowers’ loss would be Mayer’s gain. The Raiders have arguably the worst group of receivers in the NFL, so Mayer is their best option with Bowers sidelined. He filled Bowers’ shoes admirably against the Dolphins, posting a 24% target share while being targeted on 29% of his routes run.

Our projections are extremely bullish on Mayer, pushing him all the way up to TE3. He’ll get to take on the Chargers, who were just gashed by Trey McBride last week. While Mayer is certainly not McBride, he looks like a clear-cut TE1 for fantasy purposes if Bowers were to miss another contest.