NFL Week 2 picks, fantasy advice | Inside Lane Kiffin's highly anticipated return to Ole Miss

Good morning, everyone! It's amazing how quickly we fall back into the rhythm of a football week. As we hit Wednesday, the focus shifts from the week that was to the schedule that lies ahead, and as such, it's time to prepare for the second slate of NFL games and Saturday's drama-filled battle between LSU and Ole Miss.

Carter Bahns here, and in addition to the football lookaheads, I'll walk you through everything Adam Silver said about the NBA's hot-button issues, the winners of our 2026 golf awards and more.

Let's go.

1. Take a first look at the NFL Week 2 picture. In the wake of all the nonsensical season-opening results, our John Breech is going out on a limb and predicting more chaos in the second week of the campaign. We placed the Seahawks on the injury panic meter with Sam Darnold at risk of missing Sunday's game against the Cardinals, and that factors into why Breech foresees Arizona pulling off a second stunning upset in as many weeks to begin the season. Meanwhile, I'll have my eyes on three specific games with Super Bowl implications. The first one comes tomorrow night in what could be a shootout between the Bills and Lions.
2. LSU vs. Ole Miss takes center stage in Week 3. It's the second top-10 matchup of the season, and it features two of the highest-graded teams in Tom Fornelli's power ratings. But even more tantalizing than the football itself are the narratives surrounding these programs. Oxford police called in reinforcements to manage what should be a raucous environment for Lane Kiffin's return to campus. This game is that big of a deal. Kiffin's Tigers square off against the program he left, and on the other sideline are some of his former players. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has an opportunity to give his old coach a not-so-welcome back.
3. Adam Silver weighed in on the NBA's most pressing offseason issues. Two weeks after the league levied punishment on the Clippers for their salary cap circumvention, Silver defended the sanctions and the cap structure itself. He also indicated where things stand with potential expansion into Seattle and Las Vegas, and speaking of the West Coast, the commissioner expressed his staunch desire for the Trail Blazers to remain in Portland amid their battle with local government over arena upgrades.
4. Arch Manning apologized for laughing about an offensive AI-generated video. Texas' star quarterback brought attention to a doctored video of coach Steve Sarkisian, in which he was made to slap sideline reporter Holly Rowe in the face. Manning initially called the video "hilarious," but after he received backlash for his reaction to the repulsive clip, he apologized specifically to Rowe and vowed to be "more thoughtful going forward."
5. Make these fantasy football moves ahead of Week 2. Before you do anything else, you should see if these waiver wire targets are still available in your league. Next, if you have Dak Prescott or Justin Herbert on your team, our weekly quarterback preview tells you why there should be no panic about their long-term viability. At running back, multiple premier handcuff options emerged in the season openers. And believe it or not, the Dolphins have a couple of wide receivers worth picking up.

React to the first week of the NFL season, but don't overreact to it. That's the message from Pete Prisco, who took a calculated approach to his power rankings for Week 2. You might think that by dropping the Cowboys a whopping 12 spots after one loss is a bit drastic, but in this case, their defensive woes were an example of a glaring weakness carrying over from one year to the next. That is a massive problem that warrants real concern about Dallas' chances to reach the playoffs.

Dallas is the biggest faller in this week's rankings. On the other hand, each of these five teams climbed by exactly six spots from their preseason positions:

4. 49ers
7. Eagles
9. Bears
16. Giants
24. Cardinals

That's right: No. 24 for the Cardinals. Might Arizona not be in the running for the No. 1 draft pick after all? It was universally accepted as a bottom-dweller heading into the year but is surprisingly off to a 1-0 start.

• Prisco: "Give new coach Mike LaFleur credit for pulling off the upset of the Chargers. Maybe this team will be better than expected."

Scottie Scheffler flat-out dominated the PGA Tour in 2026. So when our Patrick McDonald named the top superlatives from this past season, there was no debate as to who would secure the title of Player of the Year. Leading the tour in wins, scoring average, official money and 10 other measurements made it no contest.

There were some more competitive awards categories, though.

Across 34 FedEx Cup events, players combined to take hundreds of thousands of shots. A large number of them were impressive or even legendary, like Aaron Rai's birdie putt on the 71st hole at the PGA Championship. The most memorable, and the winner of Shot of the Year, were actually three shots: The strokes Ryan Fox took on the 72nd hole at The Open.

• McDonald: "Needing a par to force a playoff with Cameron Young, who made bogey on the hole hours before, Fox stepped to the plate on the par-4 18th and stacked three good shots together to claim the title of Champion Golfer of the Year. A blistered drive. A laser approach and a putt that found the middle of the bottom of the cup to win his first major in major style."

Speaking of Young, he took home one of our awards, too. Check out McDonald's picks to see which superlative belongs to the former Rookie of the Year.

• Here's how MLB's most disappointing team can turn things around for 2027.
• Pete Alonso punctuated his return to Citi Field by hitting his 300th career home run against his former team to lift  Orioles past Mets.
• Ryan Day has one key regret from Ohio State's loss at Texas.
• The Phillies placed Jesús Luzardo on the injured list, which raises questions about his postseason availability.
• Lionel Messi set the date for his final match with the Argentina national team.
• Former USC basketball star Chad Baker-Mazara filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging missed NIL payments and a racist tirade from coach Eric Musselman.
• Get ready for UFC 331 with the five biggest storylines to follow on the card, which includes the Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja rematch.
• There are four reasons why the Dodgers are not destined for their third consecutive World Series title.
• Clemson vs. North Carolina was supposed to be a marquee matchup. Instead, Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick will coach against each other in the midst of turmoil.
• The PGA Tour announced its eligibility requirements for the restructured 2028 season.
• Todd Monken responded to Mike Tomlin invoking the infamous "Browns is the Browns" quip.
• The Jared Curtis era is upon us. Vanderbilt is expected to start the five-star freshman quarterback against NC State.
• When the Europa League kicks off today, these USMNT players will take center stage.

⚽ Europa League: Celta Vigo at Omonia Nicosia, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ White Sox at Guardians, 1:10 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Europa League: Benfica at AC Milan, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ US Open Cup semifinal: Orlando City at Crew, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ Orioles at Mets, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ US Open Cup semifinal: St. Louis City at Rapids, 9:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ Marlins at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited