Week 2 Start/Sit Suggestions for Your Lineup

Week 1 is in the books and it did not disappoint. We saw surprise breakouts, frustrating duds, and several injuries that already have fantasy managers scrambling. Now comes the hard part of separating real trends from one week mirages as you set your Week 2 lineup.

In this Start Sit guide I am not going to tell you to start your studs or sit your deep bench players because you already know that. Instead we will focus on those borderline options who are right on the edge of your lineup. These are the decisions that could swing your Week 2 matchup.

Quarterbacks (QB)

Week 1 delivered some surprising quarterback performances but there is no reason to panic if your starter underwhelmed. Matchups and game scripts matter more than one week of stats so streaming options can be very useful early in the season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans – Monday 7:00PM EST

Last week, Mayfield finished as a low-end starter against a Falcons team that has had the Bucs number for a while in preventing high-scoring games. This week, Mayfield is going to be on prime time against a weak Houston Texans team and I fully expect him to have a true bounce back game.

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons – Sunday 8:20PM EST

It sure did look good for the NFC Offensive Player of the Week didn’t it? He finished as QB11 last week, just above Baker Mayfield. However, most of that came in the second half of the 4th quarter. Through 7/8ths of that game, JJ and the Vikings did not look great. Now, facing the Atlanta Falcons, who was able to temper the expectations of Mayfield last week, I don’t see that as a great positive for McCarthy. I’d look to not starting him this week if there was any question as to whether he was going to back up his performance.

Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos – Sunday 4:05PM EST

What a game from Indiana Jones last week! Daniel Jones has people in Indianapolis believing that this could be the year – it’s not. He did play against the Miami Dolphins who has one of the worst defenses in the league, so that already went into his favor. This week, he’s going up against the Denver Broncos who allowed a league low of 2.5 points to the quarterback position. Jones will play a lot better at home than rookie Cam Ward did in Denver. I feel comfortable rolling the dice on the QB2 of the season so far and starting Jones, mostly because Tyler Warren and Michael Pittman Jr decided they were going to be dominant.

Green Bay Packers vs Washington Commanders – 8:15PM EST

I hate Thursday Night Football for fantasy. Players typically underperform unless they are the highest of high profile players (ie. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson). Jordan Love is good, but he’s not on that tier and he doesn’t really have the supporting cast around him to elevate into being a top 12 on a short week. I’d fade Love this week and go with another option.

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Running Backs (RB)

Injuries and usage shifts are already changing the running back landscape. Volume remains the most important factor and in Week 2 several backup running backs may be stepping into fantasy relevance.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Jacksonville Jaguars – Sunday 1:00PM EST

The Bengals offense was not humming on all cylinders last week, but when was the last time it was in Week 1. This week, they are facing a team that allowed 19.4 points to the running back position against the Carolina Panthers. Chase Brown has the ability to be a top 10 running back in fantasy because of the talent around him, disallowing teams to stack the box. I’d expect a huge game from him this week.

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons – Sunday 8:20PM EST

Down the stretch, the Vikings leaned on Jordan Mason, who had 4.5 yards per attempt in the Week 1 win against the Bears. Again, they are going against a stout defense who only gave up 14.8 points to the position. With the Vikings using two backs, there is not enough to go around to make Mason a useful option in fantasy this week. Until he takes full control over the Vikings backfield, he’s a week-to-week play for me, and this is not the week.

Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos – Sunday 4:05PM EST

There was a brief, and I mean BRIEF, injury concern for Jonathan Taylor at the end of Week 1. Head coach Shane Steichen put that to bed as he said Taylor could have gone back into the game, but they decided not to risk it being up by so much. That gave rookie DJ Giddens an opportunity to show his talent. I’d expect Taylor to be a driving force for the Colts this week, considering the last time they played, he dropped the ball at the endzone and that was the turning point for the game. Expect him to find the endzone in Week 2.

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions – Sunday 1:00PM EST

Do the Bears know what they are doing? It didn’t seem like it down the stretch and they could not get D’Andre Swift going. A homecoming for both Swift and head coach Ben Johnson this week against the Lions on the road. I don’t expect Swift to have a huge game, in fact, I’d expect him to have a similar or worse game scoring under 10 points this week. I’d sit him out of your lineup this week. He is a 3rd flex at best.

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Wide Receivers (WR)

Target share tells the story at wide receiver. Some players who did not score in Week 1 still showed strong usage and that type of volume should guide your lineup decisions.

Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns – 1:00PM EST

You gotta start the WR1, right? There is likely some doubt in Flowers able to repeat his performance, from me included. Flowers has never been that receiver to be an absolute stud in multiple weeks and I’m not entirely sure that will happen again this week. The Browns were able to shut down both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but that was likely due to poor offensive line play more than anything. Zay will have a good game this week. It won’t be top 5, but it won’t be out of the top 24. Feel confident in starting him this week.

New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers – Sunday 1PM EST

Chris Olave didn’t seem to be the main guy in New Orleans this past week with new quarterback Spencer Rattler. Juwan Johnson seems like he was the main target, leading the team in fantasy points. Olave ended up with just 12.4 points, which is respectable, but he’s going up against a tough 49ers defense who doesn’t allow a ton of points to the position. Olave is a fade for me this week, mostly because I want to see the Saints offense actually do some real work, before believing he can do it consistently.

Green Bay Packers vs Washington Commanders – 8:15PM EST

See the above about Jordan Love… I hate Thursday night football players. Jayden Reed is dealing with a foot fracture that is going to keep him limited all season, which is not great for his explosiveness. Mix that in on a short week, I’d be shocked if Reed was able to catch more than 3 or 4 receptions.

Washington Commanders @ Green Bay Packers – 8:15PM EST

Okay, I spent how much time talking about not starting Thursday night players? You can on this one. Deebo finished toward the top last week at WR6 and that’s because the offense used him to the best of his ability. I think Deebo is an integral part of that offense and don’t see that going away. So long as Deebo is healthy and playing the role he should be playing (a utility player), he’s going to be in starting lineups.

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Tight Ends (TE)

After the opening week it is clear the position remains volatile outside the elite tier. Matchups and red zone opportunities are the keys to finding value with fringe options.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins – Sunday 1PM EST

This might be the lowest ranked start of the week. Look at what rookie tight end Tyler Warren was able to do to the Dolphins last week. The defense is picked a part and the secondary is just bad. Outside of Mathew Judon, there is not a ton of play stoppers on that side of the ball. Hunter Henry should see starting lineups everywhere this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks – Sunday 1PM EST

THIS IS THE YEAR. Kyle Pitts might actually do something with having a real quarterback to play with! He didn’t find the endzone and managed to get 13 points last week in fantasy, but he’s going up against a defense that shut down Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. This could be a tough pill to swallow, but I’d still start Pitts this week. It seems Michael Penix Jr does favor him in the passing game. Considering Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and basically every wide receiver hit the injury report this week, this could be good for Pitts.

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens – Sunday 1PM EST

We hyped him up all week, told you to get him on Waivers, and now I am hear to tell you: Sit him this week. He might be a favorite target on the Browns offense, but the Ravens defense is much better than the Bengals defense and I would not anticipate a strong game from Fannin. I would almost expect a stronger performance from David Njoku, knowing how this Ravens defense works. Sit him this week, but he will be back, soon.

San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints – Sunday 1PM EST

You probably rushed to the waiver wire to pick up Jake Tonges, or you got him free after waivers cleared like me. But sit him this week. I know he is replacing George Kittle, but all signs lead to a Mac Jones start this week with Brock Purdy expected to miss 2-5 weeks also. Too much is going on in that offense for me to feel confident in such an unknown. I’m fine if I miss out on this one, but the floor is very low and the ceiling is not that high.

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Defense/Special Teams (DST)

You do not need to stick with one defense for the entire season. Streaming is often the smarter move. Look for opponents with turnover prone quarterbacks or offensive lines that struggle in protection when making your Week 2 choice. Here are two defenses that could be good options at starting this week.

Houtson Texans vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Monday 7:00PM EST

I have the Texans as my 12th ranked defense this week and I know at the top of this article I said to start Baker Mayfield. But there will be mistakes from the Bucs and I’d expect DeMeco Ryans to have some plays schemed up that will favor their defense. The Texans do well because of their defense, not because of the offense and I fear people may have forgotten that.

Indianapolis Colts vs Denver Broncos – Sunday 4:0PM EST

After Lou Anarumo got ran out of Cincinnati after having what was one of the worst defensive seasons a team could have and the main reason the Bengals did not make the playoffs, I was skeptical. Then he had what seemed like a near perfect game against the Miami Dolphins, only allowing 8 points in a 33-8 win. He pressured, was able to create turnovers, and had an all-around memorable performance in his debut with the Colts. The Broncos offense couldn’t get going against the Titans and I’d expect that to be similar this week.

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Kickers (K)

Consistency is rare at kicker. The best approach is to target offenses that move the ball effectively but stall in the red zone. That is where fantasy kickers rack up points.

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons – Sunday 8:20PM EST

Reichard had a great game making some much needed field goals when it mattered last week against the Bears. He finished as K13 last week, but I’d expect him to finish in the top 12 this week. I have a feeling there will be more field goal attempts this week than there was against the Bears on Monday Night Football.

Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings – Sunday 8:20PM EST

Younghoe Koo commented about how the Falcons told him they’d start bringing in kickers to workout if he can’t turn it around. We aren’t that far away from Koo being such a clutch kicker to now almost being bounced out of Atlanta. I expect the struggles to continue and since most people likely stream kickers, I’d be dropping him for someone else this week. The good thing for him this week is that it is in a dome. The bad thing is that he’s just not that good anymore.

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Fantasy football is full of difficult lineup calls, and no article can cover every possible scenario. If you are still debating a decision or want real time feedback, join our FantasyNow+ Discord community. We are talking starts, sits, trades, and everything in between all week so you will never have to set your lineup alone.

Each week I will also share my individual position rankings from the previous week so you can see exactly how my picks stacked up. Here is how my Week 1 rankings performed:

QUARTERBACK	DECISION	RESULT
Trevor Lawrence	START	QB23 – MISS
Brock Purdy	SIT	QB14 – MISS
Dak Prescott	SIT	QB29 – HIT
Bryce Young	START	QB25 – MISS
		Record: 1-3

RUNNING BACK	DECISION	RESULT
Tony Pollard	START	RB34 – MISS
Austin Ekeler	SIT	RB28 – HIT
Rhamondre Stevenson	SIT	RB43 – HIT
Dylan Sampson	START	RB9 – HIT
		Record: 3-1

WIDE RECIVER	DECISION	RESULT
Garrett Wilson	SIT	WR7 – MISS
Jerry Jeudy	SIT	WR32 – HIT
Emeka Egbuka	START	WR4 – HIT
Jaylen Waddle	START	WR54 – MISS
		Record: 2-2

TIGHT END	DECISION	RESULT
Tucker Kraft	START	TE17 – MISS
Tyler Warren	START	TE3 – HIT
Dallas Goedert	SIT	TE14 – HIT
Dalton Kincaid	SIT	TE4 – MISS
		Record: 2-2

I will be holding myself accountable all season by posting my running record for these picks. Follow along every week to see how I am doing and how I can help you win more matchups.