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Did anything interesting happen this week? Week 2 was a bloodbath for fantasy owners. Losing Big Ben and Drew Brees certainly hurt a lot of fantasy teams, but luckily QB is deep and there are plenty of good options on the waiver wire. Some of these players are good for the short-term, while others have more long-term value. You have to make the call on what your team needs. Immediate help to start this week, or a player to stash on your bench and hope he breaks out. Let's get started.
QB
Josh Allen: He's available in 70% of ESPN leagues, and he's recorded a rushing TD in both games already. Plus, he already has 17 rushing attempts. Keep in mind he's thrown for over 250 yards in both games, so he can get you points through the air too. He gets the Bengals this week, so the matchup is good.
Matthew Stafford: You can get him in 74% of ESPN leagues, and he's a Top 5 QB in PPR leagues after the first 2 games. He has to go to Philly this week, but Matt Ryan put up big numbers against them in week 2. Ryan threw 3 picks, but also put up over 300 yards and 3 TDs. Stafford should be a pretty reliable option this week and going forward if you need him.
Jimmy Garoppolo: He's rostered in only 24% of leagues, and had a nice performance against the Bengals on Sunday with 3TDs. He faces the Steelers at home, and should have a lot of opportunities to put up points if Mason Rudolph can't keep the offense on the field.
RB
Carlos Hyde: Hyde has looked good so far this year, and he's still available in 55% of ESPN leagues. The Texans love to run the rock, and the offense should be good despite their performance against the Jags. Kerryon Johnson had 150 total yards and a TD against the Chargers, so Hyde certainly has a chance to do something against them this Sunday.
Darwin Thompson: If he ends up with a starter's role in this offense, he could be a league winner. LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams both were injured against the Raiders on Sunday, so you'll have to check the injury report this week to see if they're out. Thompson has a tough matchup against the Ravens this week, but that shouldn't matter in this offense. He's only rostered in 18% of ESPN leagues, so pick him up. McCoy reportedly has no structural damage in his ankle, but Thompson should have a role if Williams is out and McCoy returns.
Jaylen Samuels: Samuels certainly lost some value when Big Ben went down, but with James Conner dealing with a knee issue he should be a good option until Conner returns. He showed he could be productive filling in for Conner last year, so he's definitely worth a shot. He's available in 75% of ESPN leagues.
Raheem Mostert: It's hard to get too excited about Mostert since the 49ers like to use several RBs, but he got 16 touches last week, and we know Breida has trouble staying healthy. He's out there in 89% of ESPN leagues.
WR
Demarcus Robinson: Wow, that was an impressive performance against the Raiders. You can't expect him to have over 100 yards and 2 TDs every week, but Mahomes is going to air it out, and they have some injuries at RB that may lead to them throwing more. He gets the Ravens this week who are dealing with some injuries in the secondary. He's available in 99% of ESPN leagues. He's a veteran, so we'll give him the nod over Hardman.
Mecole Hardman: Hardman has speed to burn, and he got a lot of reps with Mahomes this offseason because of Tyreek Hill's suspension. Anybody with a role on the Chiefs should be added. He's rostered in 38% of ESPN leagues.
Nelson Agholor: The Eagles are dealing with injuries to their top 2 pass catchers and Carson Wentz has to throw the ball to someone besides Zach Ertz. Jackson and Jeffery will likely return sooner than later, but if you need a WR this week Agholor can help you. He's only rostered in 4% of leagues.
Marquise Goodwin and Deebo Samuel: It's hard to know which guy is the better start from week to week, but it's worth picking them up and watching how their roles evolve over the course of the year. This offense should be good, so they have value. Goodwin is available in over 95% of ESPN leagues while Samuel is only rostered in 13% of leagues.
TE
Will Dissly: It appears Dissly is the TE to have in Seattle. He came away with 2 TD grabs against the Steelers, so pick him up if you need some help at the position. You can get him in 98% of leagues.
Jason Witten: I know, he's a thousand years old and can't really run anymore, but Dak Prescott looks for him in the red zone and let's be real. Unless you have an elite TE, you're just hoping for a TD and Witten has scored two weeks in a row. He's only rostered in 18% of ESPN leagues. Also, he's playing the Dolphins this week. If there's ever a week to start him, this is it.
Jordan Reed: He'll return at some point from the concussion protocol, and he can help you out until he gets hurt again. If you're desperate, you can roster him and Vernon Davis playing Davis until Reed returns to action.
Defense
Who's playing the Dolphins this week? That's what you should be asking every week. This week the Cowboys have the honor of playing Miami, so they're a great start obviously.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter or listen to my radio show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo Sundays from 10-noon on ESPN 97.5 FM. We talk all things fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
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The Astros are making noise again — not by bludgeoning teams with a powerhouse offense, but by grinding through games and getting elite production from a patched-together pitching staff. It’s a testament to their depth and resilience that they went 4-2 on a tough road trip while averaging just 3.6 runs per game. Even more impressive? The staff allowed just 2.3 runs per game during that stretch.
It’s fair to be impressed. This is a team still missing key pieces and leaning heavily on unproven arms, yet they’ve built a 2.5-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. If the rotation keeps performing like this, that cushion might not just hold through the All-Star break — it could grow.
Houston's pitching has been the great stabilizer. The Astros rank 1st in strikeouts, 9th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, and 2nd in batting average against. The numbers aren’t carried solely by the stars either. Youngsters like Brandon Walter and Colton Gordon have stepped in admirably. Walter has allowed just two runs combined across his first two starts (6 IP and 5 IP), while Gordon has quietly gone five innings in three straight outings, giving up 1, 4, and 3 runs. Ryan Gusto has been inconsistent — failing to get through five innings in his last three starts — but has kept the damage manageable (3, 2, and 2 runs in those outings).
Meanwhile, the top of the rotation has been lights out. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have become one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in baseball, and Lance McCullers Jr. is starting to look like a real contributor again. It’s a staff carrying the team while the bats slowly try to catch up.
That offense, while mediocre overall — 15th in OPS, 20th in runs, 19th in homers, and 18th in slugging — has shown signs of life in recent days. Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers have provided much-needed sparks. Peña is hitting .370 over the past week with an .851 OPS, while Meyers has been even hotter, posting a .381 average and .934 OPS.
The biggest news off the field this week was the potential end of the Forrest Whitley era. The former first-round pick was designated for assignment, a move that answers an early-season question: Who’s more likely to contribute this year — Whitley or McCullers? The answer is now clear.
Whitley’s DFA also serves as a reminder that not even elite GMs like Jeff Luhnow are immune to draft misses.
The Astros' last four first-round picks of the Jeff Luhnow era show how much of a crapshoot drafting can be.
2016: Forrest Whitley
2017: J.B. Bukauskus
2018: Seth Beer
2019: Korey Lee
Bukauskus and Beer did help land Zack Greinke, which certainly can be justified.
— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) June 8, 2025
As the Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan points out, Luhnow’s final four first-round picks with Houston all fell short: Whitley (2016), J.B. Bukauskas (2017), Seth Beer (2018), and Korey Lee (2019) have yet to become meaningful pieces for any club. The draft remains a gamble — even for the best.
Still, the Astros are finding answers. Despite an offense that’s still searching for consistency, their pitching — both from the top and the bottom of the depth chart — has been dominant. If that continues, this club won't just hold the lead. They’ll have momentum heading into July.
There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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