The second week of the 2020 NFL season is set to begin and there are quite a few intriguing matchups to keep an eye on. For Fantasy Football players, there will be quite a few adjustments to lineups after seeing the production in Week 1. In some situations, the debate between whether or not to be a rookie will be a big one this week.
Speaking of rookies, the wide receiver position is full of first-year talent. In the first-round alone, there were six wide receivers taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Looking at the matchups this week, there are a few rookie wideouts who should have big games. There are also a few who are risky plays. We are going to break down all of those matchups for you and tell you who you should and shouldn't play if you have a rookie first-round receiver on your roster.
All of that being said, what should you be expecting from each first-round rookie wide receiver in Week 2? Should you play one of them in your fantasy football lineup?
Henry Ruggs III, Los Vegas Raiders
After catching three passes for 55 yards in his NFL debut against the Carolina Panthers, Ruggs will be asked to handle a much larger load this week. The Raiders are going up against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints and will need their offense to put up much bigger numbers if they want to move to 2-0 on the young season.
Ruggs is the true No. 1 wide receiver for Derek Carr due to the injury suffered by Tyrell Williams. With more experience, the No. 12 overall pick will continue improving. A bigger game this week would be a more than reasonable expectation.
If you have him on your roster, Ruggs is worth playing as a WR3 option. He should end up catching six or seven passes for 70 to 80 yards and a touchdown against the Saints.
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
The second wide receiver drafted in the NFL Draft this year was Jerry Jeudy. Drew Lock and the Broncos ended up losing to the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Jeudy put together a solid performance with four receptions for 56 yards in his debut.
This week, the Broncos will be taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last week, the Steelers made Daniel Jones and the New York Giants' offense look extremely inconsistent. Denver will have their work cut out for them, but Jeudy is still worth playing as a WR3 option with some upside.
Jeudy should be able to record six receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown this week. In a PPR format, that would equate to 18 points. That kind of production is worth the risk in the lineup.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Another intriguing rookie wide receiver play this week will be CeeDee Lamb going up against the Atlanta Falcons. After seeing Russell Wilson and the Seahawks throw all over the Atlanta defense, Lamb seems like a worthy play as a WR3 or FLEX option.
Lamb caught five passes for 59 yards against the Rams last week. The Dallas offense as a whole struggled and ended up losing by a final score of 20-17. With extra motivation to prove themselves this week, the Cowboys are going to look to get Dak Prescott and the passing game going early.
Atlanta will be focused on shutting down Amari Cooper. That should leave Lamb an opportunity for a big game. Around seven catches for 70 yards and a touchdown would be reasonable to expect from the rookie in his second NFL game.
Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles
Now we're getting into the second half of the first-round wide receivers and Jalen Reagor is an intriguing Fantasy Football option. In Week 1, he was only targeted four times. On those four targets, Reagor caught one pass for 55 yards.
Reagor is too risky to play this week against the Rams. He could have a surprising game, but more than likely it will be a similar amount of production to what he put up last week.
Keep him on your bench for now. That may change later in the season, but playing him is just a bit too risky. Reagor should end up with two or three catches for 35 to 40 yards in Week 2.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
When the Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson with the No. 22 overall pick, many thought he would be the surefire No. 2 wideout in Minnesota. That was not the case in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Jefferson was only targeted three times and made two catches for 26 yards.
Those numbers are not worth plugging into your Fantasy Football lineup. Jefferson's role should increase as the season moves forward, but for now it is not worth the risk.
Bisi Johnson and Adam Thilen appear to be Kirk Cousins' top two options to begin the season. Minnesota also loves utilizing their tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. That won't change this week, so keep Jefferson on your bench, as he should end up with another three catches for 35 yards.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Even though Aiyuk was the last wide receiver taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he could end up being one of the most productive in year one. Deebo Samuel is out for another week or two at least and Aiyuk is set to make his return to the field this week. Jimmy Garoppolo could not be more excited to have his rookie wideout available.
As mentioned, Aiyuk did not end up playing in Week 1. He is expected take the field for his NFL debut this week against the weak New York Jets' defense and is worth throwing in as a WR3 or FLEX option.
Aiyuk will be the No. 1 wideout for the 49ers alongside newly-signed veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. He is going to have a big game and Kyle Shanahan will look to get him the ball early and often. It would be reasonable to expect seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown for the rookie wide receiver in Week 2 and Fantasy Football players should absolutely give him a chance.
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