After an exciting Week 1 that featured plenty of outlier performances, we’re betting on things to get back to normal in Week 2. Our staff is locking down some action on five NFL player props for Week 2’s afternoon slate. OddsShopper’s model has identified plenty of other options as well. Here are the players to watch and picks to make on the NFL player prop betting markets for Week 2, including Derrick Henry, for Chargers-Titans, Packers-Falcons, Giants-Cardinals and more.
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NFL Week 2 Player Prop Bets: Picks for Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley
Packers-Falcons Player Prop Bet
Expert: Isaiah Sirois
Watch: FOX
When: Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Who: Jordan Love at DraftKings
It’s time to sell high on Jordan Love. The quarterback exploded to lead the Green Bay Packers to a big-time win over the Chicago Bears last week, but his stats weren’t all that impressive — he completed only 55.6% of his passes for 9.1 yards per attempt, most of which were generated after the catch. With Christian Watson likely still sidelined, Aaron Jones nursing an injury and a tougher Atlanta secondary on the schedule, he’ll have a tough task replicating last week’s big performance. Of Love’s 245 passing yards, a whopping 86 (35.1%) went to Jones.
Atlanta’s secondary is underrated because of the unit’s unimpressive numbers from last season. But the Falcons got exposed primarily because they lacked a viable pass rush, and they’ve made some moves to fix that problem while bolstering their secondary. They added a veteran defensive lineman in David Onyemata during the offseason along with star safety Jessie Bates III. Onyemata recorded two quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and a 89.8 PFF grade in Week 1. Bates racked up a team-high 10 tackles, two passes defended and two interceptions, earning him a 94.5 PFF grade.
The Falcons defense caused major problems for rookie quarterback Bryce Young in Week 1. He faced pressure on 33.3% of his dropbacks, which helped Atlanta’s secondary limit him to only 146 passing yards. He completed only 52.6% of his passes as well. While it’s much easier to cause problems for a rookie quarterback in his debut than a player with actual NFL experience, Love has a shaky supporting cast, and Atlanta’s defense should be much better than Chicago’s. Bet on him to record fewer than 220 passing yards for -106 at Caesars.
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Best Packers-Falcons NFL Player Prop Pick for Week 2: Jordan Love Under 219.5 Passing Yards -106 at Caesars
Chargers-Titans Player Prop Bet
Expert: Justin Martin
Watch: CBS
When: Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
Who: Derrick Henry at BetMGM
Derrick Henry had an underwhelming Week 1. Henry saw just 17 total touches while backup rookie running back Tyjae Spears out-snapped Henry due to a pass-heavy game plan. The Titans found success on their second drive of the game, with Henry running the ball five times for 39 yards, resulting in a field goal. More of that, please.
The Titans will battle it out with the Los Angeles Chargers, who may be without star running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler missed back-to-back practices early in the week due to an ankle injury that lingered in their defeat in Week 1. Without Ekeler, the Chargers’ offense takes a hit and could have trouble moving the ball — resulting in the Titans’ offense seeing the field more, and, more importantly, a high usage of Henry.
Last season, Henry was a monster on the ground when called upon. He rushed for 90-plus yards in nine of 16 games, including 104 against the same Chargers team. The Titans could be without wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who wasn’t seen at practice on Thursday. If the Titans want any chance to win on Sunday, it starts with Henry getting the ball in the backfield.
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Best Chargers-Titans NFL Player Prop Pick for Week 2: Derrick Henry Over 85.5 Rushing Yards -110 at BetMGM
Colts-Texans Player Prop Bet
Expert: Isaiah Sirois
Watch: FOX
When: Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
Who: Dameon Pierce at BetMGM
Sunday’s Colts-Texans game is a great buy-low spot for running back Dameon Pierce. The second-year player struggled in Week 1, but he had a matchup with the always-tough Baltimore Ravens rushing defense, and the Texans needed to pass after they fell behind early. Houston is a 1.5-point home favorite for Sunday’s contest, so if this game is as close as the books anticipate, the game script should favor the ground game. Pierce started 14 games in his rookie season and averaged 72.2 yards per game, beating his prop total (54.5 at BetMGM) nine times.
Pierce also draws a matchup with the not-so-great Indianapolis Colts defense. The Colts rank 18th in expected points added (EPA) allowed per rush attempt after Week 1. They ranked 13th in rushing yards allowed per game to running backs last year (98.2) as well. Jacksonville’s backfield did plenty of damage on the ground against them last week, with Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby combining for 90 yards and two scores on 25 attempts. Indianapolis’ defense lost its second and third leading tacklers, linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Rodney McLeod, in the offseason, which may explain some of their struggles on the ground.
Although there is a new coaching staff, quarterback and running back in Houston, Pierce is still the clear top dog, and the rushing attack has a big role in this offense. Pierce dominated the carries early in the game, racking up six before Devin Singletary got his second. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik told reporters that Pierce should “touch the ball more,” in Week 2, adding that the Texans “want to be, ‘we’re here to run the ball,’ and everything kind of plays off that.” Let’s take Slowik at his word and trust Pierece to clear a relatively low number.
Best Colts-Texans NFL Player Prop Pick for Week 2: Dameon Pierce Over 54.5 Rushing Yards -115 at BetMGM
Seahawks-Lions Player Prop Bet
Expert: Justin Martin
Watch: FOX
When: Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
Who: Jahmyr Gibbs at DraftKings
Jahmyr Gibbs did not disappoint in his rookie debut in Detroit’s win over last year’s Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Gibbs may not have had the touches many anticipated, but he made them count. He ran the ball seven times for 42 yards while reeling in two catches for 18 yards. Could we see more at home against the Seattle Seahawks this week? I’m banking on it.
While David Montgomery found the endzone to ice the game, he could have been more efficient from a rushing standpoint. He carried the ball 21 times for 75 cards, good for only 3.5 yards per carry. While Montgomery saw 10 carries in the fourth quarter, Gibbs broke off an 18-yard run with five minutes left in a one-point game. The coaches trust the rookie to deliver, and I expect a much bigger workload come Sunday.
The Seahawks were embarrassed at home against the Los Angeles Rams last week but held the Rams running backs in check. Kyren Williams and Cam Akers ran for just 81 yards on 37 carries, but Gibbs is much more explosive and talented than both of those backs. Detroit’s offensive line is as good as it gets, and a runner like Gibbs can break off a big one at any point. It won’t take a significant workload for Gibbs to crush this line like in Week 1.
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Best Seahawks-Lions NFL Player Prop Pick for Week 2: Jahmyr Gibbs Over 36.5 Rushing Yards -120 at DraftKings
Giants-Cardinals Player Prop Bet
Expert: Justin Martin
Watch: FOX
When: Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3:05 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ari.
Who: Saquon Barkley at DraftKings
It’s time to unleash the beast in Saquon Barkley. Barkley ran the ball just 12 times in the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Falling behind early didn’t help much — coughing up touchdowns because of mistakes on offense and special teams can’t happen again. This week should look much different from a game script perspective. The Giants will battle the woeful Arizona Cardinals, who are eyeing the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
If we look at New York’s wins last season, Barkley was heavily involved, especially early in the season. Barkley combined for 70 rush attempts in the Giants’ first three wins, surpassing the NFL player prop line for his rushing attempts (16.5) in all three. The trend continued throughout the season, with Barkley running the ball an average of 20 times per win.
The Cardinals allowed a much less explosive Brian Robinson Jr. to rush the ball 19 times for an inefficient 59 yards in Week 1. The Commanders took control of the game with a time of possession of over 31 minutes in large part due to the Cardinals going 4-for-14 on third down. I expect much of the same from the Cardinals, led by quarterback Josh Dobbs and running back James Conner, who was limited in practice this week. This is an excellent game for the Giants to feature their star running back heavily.
Best Giants-Cardinals NFL Player Prop Pick for Week 2: Saquon Barkley Over 16.5 Rush Attempts -120 DraftKings
Today’s Top NFL Week 2 & Sportsbook Promotions
