Kick off Fantasy Football Week 2, sit down
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Kick off Fantasy Football Week 2, sit down

Posted on by James Nelson


Fantasy football sit-and-start advice should always be relative and league-dependent. Many starts and seats are also obvious, so we'll instead focus on the fringe options in this column, which do the actual thinking. Good luck with your Week 2 lineup!

Expect a nice bounce back game from Mark Andrews, but he and possibly both could be top 10 fantasy tight ends this season. Probably the real deal and was able to post an 8-88-1 line with Andrews on the field last week. Moreover, Baltimore used 12-personnel on more than 50% of snaps in Week 1, when Andrews and possibly 39 plays combined (they had 16 in a game last year). Perhaps suddenly Andrews looks like a weekly fantasy starter regardless of his health.

Sit Zamir White, who was out-snapped and out-produced by Alexander Mattison last week, and get a tough matchup Sunday (Las Vegas has a league-low 16.5-point underdog).

Few players have seen their fantasy value rise more than Dobbins in the first week. He led the league in rush yards more than expected, while Gus Edwards was in the bottom five. Despite being caught from behind on two different would-be long touchdowns, Dobbins tied for the fastest RB ball career pace. He has also seen work in the passing game and owns the highest explosive run rate (9.4%) of all running backs since entering the league in 2020.

The Panthers gave up the sixth most fantasy points to RBs last year and lost Derrick Brown, the team's best defensive player. Durability could eventually become an issue for Dobbins as he returns from Achilles surgery, so an opportunity to trade high could present itself after another big Week 2 performance.

Prescott is coming off a tough matchup but is linked to fantasy lineups back in Dallas in Week 2. He had 8.6 YPA last year at home (compared to 6.8 on the road), averaging 308.8 passing yards with a 22:3 TD:INT ratio through eight games. New Orleans' big increase in pre-snap speed could keep this game competitive, leading to more Dallas passing volume. The Cowboys have the fourth-highest implied team total (26.5 points) this week, so fire Prescott with confidence.

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Goff owns the most extreme split among quarterbacks, averaging 5.8 more fantasy points at home than on the road since joining Detroit. The Lions remain a run-first team, but Tampa Bay has been a pass-funnel defense, allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to running backs but the eighth-most to QBs last year. Jameson Williams' breakout gives Goff another legitimate weapon. Detroit sports the highest implied team total so far this week (29.5 points), so consider Goff a top-10 QB.

Jalen McMillan quietly led the Buccaneers in his NFL debut last week. The rookie is a fantasy sleeper in this indoor and fast-paced matchup.

Jaden Reed is tough to sit considering he's the No. 1 fantasy WR at 0.5 PPR scoring after Week 1, but he also needs to be downgraded to a flex option at best. Starting with Malik Willis, Green Bay's entire passing offense will suffer, as he owns a career 5.2 YPA mark with a 0:3 TD:INT ratio. Willis had the lowest catchable ball rate during his last extensive action, and his low aDOT won't help Watson.

Reid excels against zone coverage (the Colts used that coverage at the league's fourth-highest rate in Week 1), but Kenny Moore is also one of the league's best slot corners; Reed ran 82% of his routes from the slot in Week 1. Green Bay will be slower than usual on offense projected to score fewer than 20 points this week, so all Green Bay wide receivers are worthy of bench consideration in Week 2.

However, Josh Jacobs should start with confidence.

Start: Amari Cooper

Cooper is coming off a rough Week 1 that featured a tough matchup and a missed easy 36-yard touchdown. His 16 receiving yards came along with an NFL-high 170 air yards. Deshaun Watson obviously needs to play better, but Cooper should see David Njoku get double-digit targets. Star Jacksonville corner Tyson Campbell was placed on IR, so don't hesitate to go after Cooper last week.

Purdy had a slow fantasy game as expected last week vs. the Jets, Jordan Mason had as many touches (29) as Purdy had pass attempts. Whenever Christian McCaffrey steps up, Mason should be considered a top 10 fantasy RB regardless of matchup. But in one short week he's carrying the most of his career (including college), and one tough Brian Flores run defense is not a favorable matchup.

Enter Purdy, who just posted the best YPA in NFL history last year and comes into Week 2 with a fully loaded passing offense (sans CMC). Brandon Aiyuk will improve after a rusty Week 1 performance, and Purdy should have a big game indoors against a pass-funnel defense with a bagged-up Harrison Smith. Purdy is off to a strong Week 2 fantasy start.

New England has a low total again, but I have Stevenson ranked as a top 15 fantasy pick this week anyway. He looked terrific in Week 1, dominating New England's backfield in touches while recording the fourth-highest RB route share in the league. Stevenson gained 118 of his 120 rushing yards After communication sunday Seattle showed a much-improved run defense against Denver in Week 1, but the Seahawks allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs last season. Stevenson looks like a big win for whoever drafted him.

Downgrade DK Metcalf, who will be overshadowed by Christian Gonzalez (and Seattle will have to stay run-heavy).

Will Levis first game under Brian Callahan was a disaster, resulting in 4.0 YPA and an ugly pick six. The Titans were slow on offense and posted a -3.5% passer rating than expected. DeAndre Hopkins is off the injury report and is expected to play more snaps this week, and the Jets gave up the fewest fantasy points to a wide receiver last season. Ridley could sit against a solid secondary in a slower matchup.

Robinson scored a touchdown and was stopped at the one-yard line twice more in Week 1 while dominating Washington's backfield. Robinson had 15 of 17 RB opportunities before the fourth quarter (Austin Ekeler had a carry and a target).

Robinson is an underrated receiver and should benefit from Jayden Daniels' running ability. This matchup can be sneaky and fast-paced, so keep Robinson in your fantasy lineup during the rare game where the Commanders are favorites.

Robinson stepped into a bigger role than Puka Nakau He had a 92% route participation mark last week, when he posted a much higher average depth of target than Tyler Johnson. The Rams are the best offense for fantasy wide receivers, and Robinson recorded 100% of his production last week against man coverage, which Arizona used at the league's seventh-highest rate. The Rams may struggle against the run with so many injuries to their offensive line, so Robinson is a fantasy sleeper this week.

Burrow will improve as the season progresses, and that's good news Cincinnati finished with a higher passer rating than expected in Week 1 (Casey was second). This game should also be fast-paced, but Barro's passes were short of the stick on nearly 70% Third lowest rate of his career At week 1; Baro has become a check-down artist since opposing defenders began employing two-high protections at a higher rate. The Bengals used pre-snap motion at the league's fourth-lowest rate during Barro's first game without OC Brian Callahan.

Burrow will likely continue to miss Tee Higgins this week against a Chiefs defense that allowed just 6.0 YPA and the sixth fewest fantasy points to a QB last season. L'Jarius Sneed is gone, but only Cleveland allowed fewer yards per game (4.5) last year than Kansas City. Burrow can be used if needed, but I ranked 15 fantasy quarterbacks higher this week, so you may have better options.

Isiah Pacheco is in a devastating spot and deserves DFS consideration.

Harris saw 22 of 30 RB opportunities for Pittsburgh last week, while the Steelers had a lower pass rate than expected. Justin Fields looks set to start again Sunday, and the Broncos allowed the most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to a running back last season and the fifth most in Week 1. Be very favorable. Jaylen Warren may see more work, but Harris has a strong fantasy start this week.

George Pickens is a bench candidate in a tough matchup with Patrick Surtain.

Williams posted an anemic 3.2 YPA (!) and a CPOE (-19.7) in the third percentile during an NFL debut to forget. He joins Desmond Ryder as the only two QBs in modern history to attempt more than 25 passes and throw for less than 100 yards in their debuts. Williams had as many fumbles as (one) rushing attempts, which fantasy managers don't want to see.

Better days ahead, but Williams' transition to the NFL (along with a shaky coaching staff) will apparently come with some major hurdles. The Titans' defense may be legitimate, but Williams now has to go to Houston to play his first road game in primetime. Keenan Allen and Rome Odung didn't practice again Thursday, so the Bears will likely be short-handed at wideout as well. Sit Williams this week.

Smith will be busy Monday night. AJ Terrell will shadow AJ Brown, while Atlanta has a stout run defense. Smith hasn't exploded in Week 1, but his fantasy value is on the rise. He was used more in the slot as expected, running 74% of his routes there in Week 1.

Additionally, the Eagles used speed on 48 of 73 plays (65.8%) during Kellen Moore's first game as OC, their highest mark in a game since 2020. Philadelphia used the pace at the lowest rate in the league last year, and the offense will continue to do so. To benefit from change.

Smith is a top-15 WR this week.



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