I hope you all had an excellent start to the Fantasy season. Most of the week-one starts and sits were primarily based on matchups and last year’s performance. Now, we move to week two, and we have a little more information available at our fingertips. There were some disappointments and potential room for growth. As we look to get our fantasy lineups in top shape, let’s dive into my week two starts and sits!
WEEK 2 starts: Quarterbacks
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Vs. Houston Texans
I’m brave enough to admit when I’m wrong, and I may have been a little too low on Anthony Richardson. My biggest concern was that Richardson would struggle to throw the ball, and he proved me wrong. He faces a below-average Houston Texans defense. If he can stay on track from last week, he’s got a real shot at another top-5 week.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Vs. Atlanta Falcons
Jordan Love arguably had the best debut of any quarterback last week. I’m curious to know if the Bears’ defense is that bad or if Love is good. Atlanta’s defense shut down the number one overall pick, Bryce Young, but Green Bay is a much better team. While Aaron Jones is still under evaluation, they could rely on Love even more in this game. Fire up, Jordan Love.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Lions ran the ball 34 times against the Chiefs. The Eagles led the league with 33.2 rushing attempts per game last season. Expect some regression and more passing volume for Goff this week. Matt Stafford just threw for 300 yards against Seattle last week—solid upside for Goff and his offensive weapons.
WEEK 2 Sits: Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Vs. San Francisco 49ers
I have to take my fan hat off for this one. The 49ers made Kenny Pickett look like Ryan Leaf last week. Although Stafford just threw for 300 yards against the Seahawks, San Francisco has the best defense in the league, and to me, it’s not close. If you have another option at QB, I would use it. It‘s looking to be a rough day for Stafford and the Rams.Â
Any Jets QB
Vs. Dallas Cowboys
Aaron Rodgers left his week one matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the first half with an apparent ankle injury. Zach Wilson took over and picked up exactly where he left off last season. If Rodgers plays, his mobility will be severely limited, and If Wilson plays… Well, I Don’t Think I need to dive into that. Avoid that QB situation against an elite Cowboys defense.Â
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Vs. Washington Commanders
In his first game under new Head Coach Sean Payton, Russell Wilson threw 27 completions for 177 yards. No interceptions is a positive, but it’s still not the performance we wanted to see from Wilson in the opener. Is Russ cooked? They play an even better defense in Washington this week. Look for another option on the waiver wire. It could be time to start panicking in Denver.Â
WEEK 2 Starts: Running Backs
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Vs. Cleveland BrownsÂ
Najee was a major disappointment in week one. It was unfortunate the Steelers got down the big early. A positive note for Harris managers is that Kenny Pickett played terribly. Look for the Steelers to get back to basics and establish the run early and often. Stay patient.Â
Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
Vs. Carolina Panthers
The Saints will face a much more giving defense in Carolina this week. Williams saw a 76% snap share and 20 total touches last week. Look for some improved efficiency and more work in the passing game as he gets acclimated into the New Orleans System.Â
Brian Robinson Jr, Washington Commanders
Vs. Denver Broncos
In fantasy, volume is king. I’m buying the hype on Brian Robinson this season. He wasn’t the most efficient player on the field, but Ron Rivera likes him more than Antonio Gibson. He’s had 20 touches or more in five of his last six games. The touchdowns will come; keep him in your lineups for when that inevitably hits.
AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers
Vs. Atlanta Falcons
This one comes with a caveat, but I felt it required special attention. Monitor Aaron Jones this week. He left week one with a hamstring injury. If Jones cannot suit up this week, Dillon will be one of the few RBs in a workhorse role. After seeing 13 carries and two targets last week while splitting duties, Dillon could end up in RB1 territory.Â
WEEK 2 Sits: Running Backs
Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
Vs. Detroit Lions
It was not a good first game for the rookie out of UCLA. Charbonnet saw a 24% snap share, three carries, and zero targets. His usage should increase, given his Draft capital, but it’s impossible to tell when that will happen. The mind of Pete Carroll is a mysterious one. You can keep him on the bench for the time being.Â
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
Vs. Minnesota Vikings
I think coaches are just messing with us fantasy players at this point. The Eagles spent a third-round pick to acquire Swift via trade this offseason. Yet he saw just under a 30% snap share. I expect Swift to eat into the workload much more to keep up with a high-powered Minnesota Offense. Don’t get fooled by the one-game wonder. We still need to see how this backfield plays out.Â
Dalvin Cook, New York Jets
Vs. Dallas Cowboys
I was surprised to see Breece Hall get so much work on Monday night. Running Backs not named Adrian Peterson tend to start much slower after an ACL tear. Dalvin was very ineffective running the ball Monday, averaging 2.5 YPC. It’s not going to get any easier against a stout Dallas defense. Consider him to be TD-dependent this week.Â
WEEK 2 Starts: Wide ReceiversÂ
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
Vs. Kansas City ChiefsÂ
It was a rough start to the year for Kirk, finishing with one catch for nine yards on three targets. Please don’t get too down on him, though. He’s one year removed from breaking the WR market and putting up over 1100 yards. He’s got a nice matchup against a high-powered KC Offense. Look for him to bounce back this week.Â
JuJu Smith-Schuster, New England Patriots
Vs. Miami Dolphins
This deeper, sneaky play could net solid gains for fantasy managers. As much as Coach Belichick doesn’t want to, he must let Mac Jones cook in this one. Tyquan Thornton and DeVante Parker are still sidelined, which should provide significant volume for Smith-Schuster. He’s easily the most talented WR in New England, and this game is a prime opportunity to showcase that.
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Rumble, young man, rumble! I was hesitant last week about Addison’s immediate role in the offense. He caught four of his six targets for 61 yards and a 39-yard touchdown. Darius Slay Jr. could shadow Justin Jefferson all game. If that happens, Addison could see much more volume and have a coming-out party.
WEEK 2 Sit: Wide ReceiversÂ
Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Vs. Green Bay Packers
I no longer trust Arthur Smith to give the ball to his best WR. London finished week one with one target and zero receptions. I believe London has all the talent in the world. Unfortunately, his situation is atrocious for fantasy production. Sit him until further notice.Â
Courtland Sutton, Denver BroncosÂ
Vs. Washington Commanders
Sutton got a major fantasy boost by scoring a Touchdown in week one. I’m not expecting him to score another this week. If you take away the touchdown, he had four catches for 32 in a week with Jerry Jeudy inactive. If Russell Wilson’s deep passing game struggles continue, it will be hard to view Sutton as anything more than touchdown-dependent. I think the Broncos hype about signing Sean Payton was unwarranted.Â
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Vs. New York Giants
I’m sorry, but Joshua Dobbs looked terrible. I underestimated how bad the Cardinals passing game was going to be this offseason—three catches for 28 yards on five targets. My Marquise Brown shares are in shambles. The calling card of drafting Brown was the volume he would receive in this dumpster fire of an offense. After week one, we were left feeling bamboozled. Avoid the pass catchers in Arizona entirely.Â
Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys
Vs. New York JetsÂ
A surprising takeaway from Dallas’s week one performance was that I was unimpressed with the offense. Luckily, their defense and special teams more than made up for it. The Jets just made Josh Allen and the Bills look like slight work. I’m intrigued by their week two matchup. Cooks caught two of four targets for 22 yards in week one. I think it’s best to avoid Cooks and see how the offense plays out this week.Â
WEEK 2 Starts: Tight Ends
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kmet caught 5 of 7 targets for 44 yards in week one. Last week, I started Kmet based solely on the theory he would be more involved in the offense. This week, I’m excited to see Kmet and Fields continue building their chemistry. They face a Buccaneers defense that allowed eight receptions to T.J. Hockenson. Expect Fields to look for Kmet in the red zone this week.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Vs. Seattle Seahawks
Laporta looked excellent in his NFL debut against Kansas City. He caught all five targets for 39 yards and showed he can be a reliable new target for Jared Goff. Look for that trend to continue this week against a mediocre Seattle defense. Finding the end zone is just a matter of time at this point. Consider him a low-end TE1 this week with touchdown upside.
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Vs. Denver Broncos
I wanted to see how the snap count would play out between Logan Thomas and preseason darling Cole Turner. Thomas led the commanders and targets and had an 82% snap share in week one. I don’t expect that to continue, but he should see a handful of targets moving forward. As long as he’s healthy, he should provide low-end TE1 production.
WEEK 2 Sits: Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Vs. Green Bay Packers
I gave it a solid shot in week one, but like Drake, London Pitts now finds himself on the sit list. Don’t trust Arthur Smith. Pitts only saw four targets and 62% of snaps last week. I’m not sure if he’s the focal point of the passing game or not, but it doesn’t look like it. He showed a glimpse of his talent, but it’s impossible to trust any Falcons pass catchers. Leave him on the bench until further notice.
Hayden Hurst, Carolina Panthers
Vs. New Orleans SaintsÂ
Hurst led all Panthers pass catchers in targets, receptions, and yards this week. The Saints are known to be stingy against Tight Ends in recent years. Although defenses vary from year to year, They just blanked Chigoziem Okonkwo. I foresee Hurst being heavily involved in the Panthers’ offense throughout the season. However, you might be better off finding another option this week.Â
Kylen Granson, Indianapolis Colts
Vs. Houston Texans
Granson was a favorite target for Anthony Richardson in week one. He caught four of six targets for 39 yards in week one. I wouldn’t count on that production to continue against a Houston defense that held Isaiah likely to only one target last week. There are better matchups in the future, but this week is not the week for Granson.
WEEK 2 Starts: DST
Washington Commanders
Vs. Denver Broncos
Russell Wilson and the Broncos struggled to score against an average Raiders defense week. Washington looks to be a better DST. Denver’s struggles make Washington a juicy week two streaming option.
Tampa Bay BuccaneersÂ
Vs. Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is struggling to put the ball in the air right now. Whether it’s his fault or not is a moot point for this article. Chicago looked bad against an average Green Bay Packers defense. The Buccaneers held the Vikings in check on the ground. This one is a solid matchup in favor of the Bucs.
New Orleans SaintsÂ
Vs. Carolina Panthers
I will admit that I love DST’s playing against a rookie QB. Bryce Young is excellent, but he showed against Atlanta that he will have some growing pains. The Saints have one of the best defenses in the NFC. He could struggle more than he did last week. Saints are a solid streaming option yet again.
WEEK 2 Sits: DST
Jacksonville Jaguars
Vs. KC
Jacksonville was a start last week and is on the opposite end of the stick this week. I don’t want any part of any DST going against KC. Mahomes is Defense proof.
New England Patriots
Vs. Miami Dolphins
New England is good on defense, as always. However, Tua is an early MVP candidate after his 466-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Chargers. He may be unable to recreate that this week, but I’m certainly sitting the defense he plays. Maybe next week.
Cincinnati Bengals
Vs. Baltimore Ravens
I’m anticipating Baltimore to come out swinging in this matchup. Lamar did not have a good against the Texans last week, and now JK Dobbins is done for the year. Jackson should be putting on his superhero, Cape. I’m projecting this one to be one of the higher-scoring matchups of the week.
Last week, the NFL certainly taught us a lot of things. Mixing overreaction and new information is a science and not a perfect one. Let’s take that information and use it to our advantage. Once again, I wish you all the best of luck this week.Â
I find true enjoyment in sharing my experience and helping others. So, I’m always more than willing to answer any fantasy football questions via Twitter @FF_Reez. Thanks for reading! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
