🏈 Thursday Night Football Preview

Each week, the WalterPicks projections team also updates the rest of the season rankings at every position.

Some notable players whose fantasy value increased after Week 1 include Ricky Pearsall (+22), Jacory Croskey-Merritt (+21), and Keenan Allen (+14). To see the full rest of season rankings, make sure to sync YOUR league to the WalterPicks app.

Thursday Night Football Preview

Matchup: Washington Commanders vs. Green Bay Packers

Time: 8:15 PM ET

Where to Watch: Prime Video

Spread: GB -3.5

Total: 48.5

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Week 1 Sleepers and Fades

We're focusing on the borderline players who could make or break your Week 2 lineup. The obvious stars like Josh Jacobs, Jayden Daniels, and Terry McLaurin are automatic starts.

So, let’s look at some fringe players and decide whether they should be in fantasy lineups or not in Week 2.

Start: WR Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel put together a strong performance in Week 1, hauling in seven catches for 77 yards while adding 19 rushing yards and a touchdown on one carry. That all-around production helped him finish as the WR6 in PPR formats.

Samuel's 10 targets led all Washington receivers last week, and he should continue to be a focal point of this offense. With his ability to impact the game both as a receiver and runner, he's an excellent flex option this week. He checks in as the WR32 in WalterPicks’ latest rankings for Week 2.

Start: TE Tucker Kraft

While Green Bay's passing attack spreads targets around, Tucker Kraft offers decent upside in deeper formats. The third-year tight end managed just two catches for 16 yards in Week 1, but he found the end zone on a 15-yard score that salvaged his fantasy day with 9.9 PPR fantasy points.

Despite seeing only four targets in last week’s win, Kraft ran routes on over 75% of Jordan Love's dropbacks and accumulated 51 air yards. In what should be a competitive game on Thursday, he could see increased opportunities in the passing game. He's currently ranked as the TE13 in the WalterPicks app for this week.

Sit: All Green Bay WRs

Love's tendency to spread the ball around makes Green Bay receivers tough to trust week-to-week. 10 different players caught passes in their opener, with no receiver hauling in more than three catches. Romeo Doubs caught two passes for 68 yards, Jayden Reed totaled three catches for 45 yards and one touchdown, and Matthew Golden had just two catches for 16 yards in his NFL debut.

As a result, it’s hard to really predict how the targets will shake out in this game. This unpredictable target distribution makes the Packers' receiving corps risky fantasy plays in Week 2, especially since WalterPicks has Doubs, Reed, and Golden all ranked outside the top 35 at the WR position this week.

Sit: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

It’s only a matter of time until Croskey-Merritt overtakes Austin Ekeler for the starting job in Washington. For now, though, Ekeler appears to have the upper hand over the rookie. He only played 33% of the team’s offensive snaps, saw just 10 touches, and ranked as the RB35 in rush share (31.3%) last week.

Even though the seventh-round rookie totaled 82 yards and a touchdown in that game, this is a tough matchup against a very good Packers defense. Green Bay allowed just 2.1 yards per carry to the Detroit running backs a week ago. So, the 24-year-old comes in as the RB36 in the WalterPicks app this week.

Things to Watch Closely For Fantasy:

• Does any GB WR separate themselves as the clear WR1?

• Does Croskey-Merritt see more opportunities?

• Will McLaurin be more involved in Week 2?

Free TNF Prop Pick

Prop: Tucker Kraft OVER 30.5 Receiving Yards (-120 on PointsBet)

Reasoning: Kraft has gone over this line in six of his last seven regular season games dating back to last season. He was tied for second in targets on this Packers team last week, and this game could become a passing affair. With a 14.5% EV Edge, Walter loves this bet for Thursday night. WalterPicks projects him for 45.9 receiving yards in this contest.

My Final Score Prediction

Winner: Packers

Spread Winner: Packers

OVER/UNDER: Over

Prediction: Packers win 31-23

Last week’s recap: We went 2-1 by correctly guessing the Eagles would win and the Cowboys would cover the spread. Unfortunately, the over did not hit.

Season Record: 2-1