Week 2 NFL player-prop picks: Flacco, Lawrence, Hunter among top bets in early market

Erich Richter, the New York Post betting columnist, unveiled his Week 2 NFL player-prop recommendations on Sunday, leaning into matchups he views as exploitable after a profitable opening weekend in the prop market.

Richter said his model and discretionary reads produced a 3.9-unit profit last week on eight bets, including a long-shot win on Bijan Robinson to catch six passes. For Week 2, he identified several quarterback and skill-position props he believes carry value based on defensive trends and expected game plans.

Among the headline recommendations is Baltimore Ravens veteran Joe Flacco over 279.5 passing yards (DraftKings, +198), with an additional long-shot option of 400-plus yards (DraftKings, 27-1). Richter cited Baltimore’s Week 1 performance against the pass — yielding the most passing yards in the league — and he pointed to a game last week in which Flacco came up short of a big yardage total partly because of dropped passes and what the columnist described as fluky interceptions.

Richter expects Flacco to attack a Falcons defense that allowed heavy passing yardage in Week 1 and said Flacco’s experience and willingness to "air it out" make the yardage number a realistic target.

In Jacksonville’s matchup with Cincinnati, Richter recommended several Jaguars props. He listed Travis Hunter as an anytime touchdown scorer (ESPN BET, +250) and backed Trevor Lawrence to reach the end zone himself (BetMGM, +550) while taking Lawrence’s rushing line over 10.5 yards (BetRivers, -114). Richter argued that Cincinnati’s secondary was vulnerable in Week 1 — citing how Cedric Tillman worked the slot successfully — and noted that the Bengals surrendered significant rushing yardage to opposing quarterbacks last season.

Richter said Jacksonville’s scheming, including coordinator Liam Coen’s willingness to get his quarterback moving, should create opportunities for Lawrence to pick up yards on designed runs or scrambles, and that Hunter’s work out of the slot makes him a likely red-zone target.

For Detroit, Richter highlighted rookie Isaac TeSlaa after a one-handed touchdown grab in Week 1, recommending him to score (ESPN BET, +500) and noting a speculative long shot for multiple touchdowns available at steeper odds. Richter emphasized that TeSlaa’s snap count is limited but that coach Dan Campbell’s postgame praise suggested an expanding role.

Richter’s column reiterated a broader thesis that player props remain one of the more beatable betting markets in early-season NFL play. He said his Week 1 approach went 4-4 on eight bets, with the Bijan Robinson long shot among the profitable outcomes, producing the 3.9-unit gain on $10-sized bets.

The columnist framed his Week 2 slate around defensive tendencies exposed in Week 1 and personnel usage expected to change as offenses adjust. He cited Baltimore’s susceptibility to the pass, Cincinnati’s historical difficulty containing mobile quarterbacks, and Detroit’s inclination to reward playmakers after eye-catching plays.

Richter’s track record was also noted in the column: he has concentrated on the player-prop market during the football season and reported a 30.15 percent return on investment at The Post since 2022. The column also referenced his background in combat-sports betting as context for his broader wagering experience.

Sportsbooks quoted in the column included DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers and ESPN BET, with specific lines varying across books. As with any wagering advice, actual odds can move and bettors should confirm current lines and consider bankroll management and the risks associated with gambling.

NFL Week 2 lines and player usage are subject to change with injury news, coach decisions and in-game adjustments. Richter’s selections reflect his assessment of matchups and recent game film through the close of Week 1 and were presented as part of the New York Post’s ongoing player-prop coverage.