Admin September 15, 2024
NFL Week 2 picks, predictions and best bets
USA TODAY Sports’ Lorenzo Reyes is back with his NFL best bets for week 2 games of the NFL season.
Week 2 of the NFL season brought a series of surprising games. The Las Vegas Raiders taking down the Baltimore Ravens. The Minnesota Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints decimated the Dallas Cowboys.
Surprise victories bring surprising performances though. Some rookies finally broke through for their first big games of their careers. Meanwhile, some veterans that weren’t expected to do much at all suddenly had impactful performances of their own. Here are the five biggest breakout stars from Sunday’s slate of games.
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NFL Week 2 breakout performers:
*all point totals listed are PPR
RB Braelon Allen, Jets (19.6 points)
Although it is clear that Allen is the No. 2 running back behind Breece Hall, Allen put together a very strong performance against Tennessee, and was arguably the reason his team emerged victorious. Allen tallied two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, as he was responsible for half of New York’s points in this game. It appears Allen will be decently involved in this Jets’ offense for the entirety of the 2024-25 season.
WR Malik Nabers, Giants (28.7 points)
After a promising debut in Week 1, Nabers recorded his first massive game in his first divisional matchup. Nabers led the Giants in receptions (10), receiving yards (127), and scored a touchdown. Although his team lost to Washington, Nabers’ performance is a great sign for Giants’ fans who have been praying for a true No. 1 receiver for the last decade, ever since Odell Beckham Jr. left for Cleveland.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals (29 points)
It didn’t take long for the 2024 fourth-overall pick to make an impact in his first divisional game. Within the first quarter, Harrison had two touchdowns and over 100 yards through the air. This performance yielded a massive sigh of relief from everyone who drafted Harrison after he put up a massive dud in Week 1, tallying only one reception.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks (23.7 points)
Many people anticipated a breakout season from former first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, with star receivers like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett still in the fold, it was likely going to take some time for JSN to establish himself as ahead of them. Nobody expected it to happen this fast though. The Seahawks moved to 2-0 on the season, in large part thanks to JSN’s career-high 12 receptions and 117 yards.
This was Smith-Njigba’s first career game with double-digit receptions and his first career game with more than 100 receiving yards. Given the stoutness of New England’s defense, Smith-Njigba’s massive performance is a good sign that he’s primed for a serious role in Seattle’s offense moving forward.
TE Hunter Henry, Patriots (18.9 points)
While nine-year prop Hunter Henry has seen his fair share of big games throughout his career, no one expected him to match his career-high in receptions (8) in this atrocious New England offense. Henry didn’t just match his best in receptions though. He also set a new career-best in yards (109). This was just the second time in his career that Henry eclipsed the century mark through the air, and to do so nearing 30 years old, with Jacoby Brissett under center is no easy task.
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