NFL Week 2 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, fantasy tips

NFL Nation, ESPN Sep 13, 2024, 06:50 AM ET

The Week 2 NFL schedule for the 2024 season is stacked with great matchups, and we’ve got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend.

Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, and analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each matchup. The ESPN Stats & Information team provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, while our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a game projection. Fantasy analyst Eric Moody finds fantasy football X factors, and three analysts — Kalyn Kahler, Moody, and Walder — give us final score picks for every game. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let’s get into the full Week 2 slate, including the Buccaneers’ quest for revenge against the Lions and a classic QB showdown between Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. It all culminates with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Falcons and the Eagles on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)

Thursday: BUF 31, MIA 10

1 p.m. ET | Fox | ESPN BET: DAL -6 (46.5 O/U)

Saints storyline to watch: Starting Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore exited the Week 1 win against the Panthers early with a hamstring injury. Rookie corner Kool-Aid McKinstry, a second-round pick, took his place and would likely be on tap to start if Lattimore can’t go. The Saints also could be bracing for more offensive line shuffling after starting left guard Lucas Patrick injured his toe against the Panthers, which isn’t ideal timing going up against a Cowboys defense that had six sacks in Week 1. — Katherine Terrell

Cowboys storyline to watch: The last time the Cowboys played at AT&T Stadium, they suffered one of their worst playoff defeats in team history, 48-32, to the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 14. But they carry into Sunday’s game a 16-game winning streak at home in the regular season. It’s the second-longest home winning streak in team history (1979-81). Last season, they outscored opponents by 172 points at home, the largest single-season differential in team history. If the Cowboys get to 17 straight home wins, they would be 2-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-08. — Todd Archer

Stat to know: The Saints and Cowboys have forced multiple turnovers in three straight games dating back to last season, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind the Giants (four games).

Bold prediction: Saints quarterback Derek Carr will throw for 300-plus yards. No, the bombastic performance in Week 1 was not just about the woebegone Panthers defense. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak dialed up the motion, play-action, and rollouts for Carr — tools he badly lacked before — and it worked. The Saints’ offense is better than you think. — Walder

Injuries: Saints | Cowboys

Fantasy X factor: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. While the Saints’ defense managed to hold QB Bryce Young to just 9.6 fantasy points in Week 1, it’s unlikely to have the same success against Prescott on the road. Prescott didn’t need to do much in Week 1 against the Browns since the Cowboys had a huge lead in the second half, finishing with 11.4 fantasy points. However, he averaged 25.2 fantasy points per game at home last season. See Week 2 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Saints are 27-13 against the spread as road underdogs since 2014 (5-4 ATS under coach Dennis Allen). Read more.

Kahler’s pick: Cowboys 28, Saints 20 Moody’s pick: Cowboys 23, Saints 14 Walder’s pick: Saints 27, Cowboys 24 FPI prediction: DAL, 62% (by an average of 4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Saints emphasizing offensive continuity after routing Panthers … With QB Prescott’s extension, Cowboys legacy is on the line … Viewing contract saga as ‘business’ helped Prescott stay positive