As always, Week 1 was a mixed bag full of surprising studs and duds. Now that you’ve had a few days to recover and recalibrate your expectations, it’s time to take a look at Week 2. As always, I’ll be bringing you names at every position that I believe will exceed expectations or fall flat. Let’s get into the picks.
Starts – Quarterbacks
Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ Seahawks
After a disappointing Week 1, you might be looking to replace Ryan Tannehill in your starting lineup. Give it one more week. Chandler Jones and J.J. Watt chased Tannehill all over the field, but he should find more success against the Seahawks’ defense. He still has some of the best weapons in the league and that sneaky rushing ability that we covet in fantasy football.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. Lions
There’s no denying it: the Packers looked flat-out terrible in Week 1. But now you’ve got an angry Aaron Rodgers in a home matchup against the Lions, who just allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to throw for over 300 yards with ease. This is a classic “relax” situation.
Starts – Running Backs
Aaron Jones, Packers vs. Lions
Aaron Jones barely touched the ball in Week 1. In fact, he was outproduced by AJ Dillon. But I’m not especially worried about Jones and the Packers. They clearly weren’t prepared, and the game got out of hand early. Playing at home against the Lions in Week 2, I expect the entire offense to get back on track.
Elijah Mitchell, 49ers @ Eagles
I have no idea how we got here, but sixth-round rookie Elijah Mitchell will enter Week 2 as the 49ers’ starting RB. He showed out in Week 1, rushing 19 times for 104 yards and a TD after Raheem Mostert went down with a knee injury. Moving forward, Trey Sermon should be active and gradually worked into the RB rotation, but Mitchell will probably lead the way for now. He’s worth starting against the Eagles.
Ty’Son Williams, Ravens vs. Chiefs
Ty’Son Williams was efficient in his first start. He was able to break off two big runs on just nine attempts, and he caught three passes. Latavius Murray and other backs will continue to be involved, but Ty’Son should have a safe role moving forward. He’s a Flex play this week against the Chiefs, who allowed Nick Chubb to rack up a healthy 5.5 YPC and two rushing TDs in Week 1.
Starts – Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton, Broncos @ Jaguars
For nearly three quarters, Jerry Jeudy was the clear top receiver in Denver. Jeudy racked up six receptions for 72 yards before going down with a high ankle sprain, while Sutton managed just 1 reception for 14 yards. Moving forward, Sutton should absorb a lot of Jeudy’s opportunities. Look for Sutton to bounce back against the Jaguars, who allowed Brandin Cooks to go over 130 receiving yards in Week 1.
Mike Williams, Chargers vs. Cowboys
In 2019, Mike Williams recorded a career-high 16.5% target share. In Week 1, Mike Williams recorded a 26.1% target share. The difference between 2019 and 2021? Average target distance. In 2019, Mike Williams’ 17.4 average target distance led the NFL. In Week 1, his average target distance was just 9.3. In this new role, Williams is going to be peppered with targets from one of the league’s best young QBs. He’s an every-week start moving forward.
Marquez Callaway, Saints @ Panthers
After a ton of offseason hype, Marquez Callaway fell flat in Week 1. Don’t despair. The Saints got out to a big lead early, so Jameis Winston only attempted 20 passes. Furthermore, Marquez Callaway had a tough matchup against Green Bay corners Jaire Alexander and Kevin King. Callaway isn’t a must-start against the Panthers, but he’s still a viable flex play.
Starts – Tight Ends
Jared Cook, Chargers vs. Cowboys
Jared Cook didn’t have a flashy stat line in Week 1, but he got the job done with five receptions for 56 yards. Perhaps more importantly, he out-targeted the other TEs eight to three. Cook will face the Cowboys this week, who were repeatedly torched by Rob Gronkowski in Week 1. In this high-scoring matchup, Cook is a quality spot-start at a shallow position.
Sits – Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan, Falcons @ Buccaneers
If the Falcons could only manage a couple of field goals against the Eagles’ defense, how are they going to fair against the Buccaneers’ ferocious front seven? We shouldn’t overreact to one game, but Matt Ryan might have a tough time adjusting to life without Julio Jones. Keep him on the bench until this offense shows some signs of life.
Tyrod Taylor, Texans @ Browns
Tyrod Taylor was shockingly good in Week 1, displaying the mobility and efficiency that has made him a viable fantasy QB in the past. However, that was against the Jaguars. With an underwhelming arsenal and below-average offensive line play, Tyrod could really struggle against Myles Garrett and the Browns’ defense in Week 2. Don’t chase the points here; there are likely better options available.
Sits – Running Backs
Saquon Barkley, Giants @ Washington
Putting Saquon Barkley on this list brings me no joy, but he simply did not look like himself in Week 1. He rushed for a measly 2.6 yards per carry behind New York’s ineffective offensive line and could only bring in one of three targets for one yard through the air. Coming off the short week, Barkley will likely see a reduced workload once again. In this terrible matchup against Washington, you should consider other options.
James Robinson, Jaguars vs. Broncos
Despite his incredible rookie season, James Robinson appears to be in a full-blown committee with Carlos Hyde. In Week 1, Hyde out-touched Robinson 11 to eight. Robinson does seem to be the primary pass-catcher, which is encouraging, but it’s hard to trust a part-time running back in one of the league’s worst offenses. He’s best left on the bench in a tough matchup against the Broncos.
Sits – Wide Receivers
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers @ Eagles
The mysterious disappearance of Brandon Aiyuk was one of Week 1’s biggest surprises. For reasons we still don’t fully understand, he played on just 47% of the offensive snaps and didn’t receive a target. Aiyuk showed a ton of promise during his rookie season, but you simply cannot trust him in your starting lineup until we see that he’s part of the game plan.
Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Rams
The good news for Michael Pittman Jr. is that he played 97% of the offensive snaps. The bad news is that he could only manage an 11% target share in the Colts’ offense, which amounted to three receptions for 29 yards. Pittman is supposed to be the alpha in this passing game, but the early indication is that Carson Wentz is content to spread the ball around and check it down to the running backs. I don’t expect that trend to change when Pittman is matched up against Jalen Ramsey in Week 2.
Sits – Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs. Bills
Mike Gesicki’s Week 1 performance was highly discouraging. He saw just 7% of Tua Tagovailoa’s targets, a total that was matched by blocking tight end Durham Smythe. Dropping Gesicki after one game might be an overreaction, but you definitely don’t want to trust him in this tough matchup. Look to the waiver wire for a streaming option this week.
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