Who To Start, Sit, Scoop Up, And Not Sleep On For Your Week 2 Fantasy Lineup

The one thing you can expect from football is the unexpected, and plenty of unexpected things happened in Week 1. Injuries have taken out Chargers WR Keenan Allen and Browns QB RGIII, first round players played like third round players, and some offenses may be useless in fantasy, for the time being *cough* Bills *cough*. However, we now have a better idea of how teams are going to be using certain players (depending on game flow) and the first snap counts are in. So let’s use this information to make the best possible decisions we can.

Here are your the players you should start, sit, scoop up and not sleep on in Week 2.

Start of the Week

A.J. Green: The guy had a 43 percent target share. Everyone knew Dalton would be throwing to him, and they still couldn’t stop him. Green had 13 targets, caught 12, and had the easiest 180-yard day in the history of the NFL. It was a thing of beauty, and there’s no reason to think that these targets will lessen against the Steelers.

Can you explain this catch? I can’t. No one can.

https://twitter.com/nfIupdates/status/775060096447492096

Start/Sit

QUARTERBACK STARTS:

Matt Ryan: He’s at Oakland which gave up a monstrous game to Drew Brees in Week 1. While Ryan is no Brees, he still has Julio Jones and now Mohamed Sanu in what looks to be a revitalized offense overall. In Week 1, he was on point going 27 of 39 for 334 yards and 2 scores. That’s something you can expect again this week. Ryan’s schedule is about to get tough with Carolina, Denver and Seattle on deck, so for now, enjoy what should be a high-scoring affair.

Eli Manning: It’s the Saints. They gave up 7.6 yards per play to Oakland, so you better believe Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard (and maybe others) will eat up the yards and find the end zone often. This should be a shootout.

Drew Brees: From Eli to Drew. This game should supply fantasy points in great abundance to at least eight fantasy players (Brees, Manning, OBJ, Rashad Jennings, Shepard, Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, Brandin Cooks, Mark Ingram and maybe even Fleener). Just, play everyone you can in this game. It’ll probably be one of those games where OBJ and Cooks are showing off with dueling 60-yard touchdowns.

https://twitter.com/SheHatesJacoby/status/775049624419565568

QUARTERBACK SITS:

Russell Wilson: A mobile QB with a potential ankle sprain? No thanks. Even if he plays, and throws the ball a ton (he threw the ball an unprecedented 43 times against Miami), it’s just not worth having him in your lineup just in case something happens.

Cam Newton: Hot take alert! Cam Newton is a total baller who also takes unneeded punishment. He’s good and banged up from Week 1, and we just saw the 49ers look like a revitalized defense that’s hungry for the souls of quarterbacks. If you drafted him, you’re playing him — the Panthers are not the Rams — but if you have a second option, why not sit? Why not be safe?

Jameis Winston: Jameis Winston is the real deal. But, he’s playing at Arizona, and the Cardinals probably want to make things right at home after dropping a gimme to the Patriots. Yes, that defense was also “exposed” by a team with far less weapons than Winston. And hell — even if the Cardinals do win, Winston can do work in garbage time, but until we see him head across the country and put up big numbers against a good D, it’s probably best to temper expectations. Let’s watch this magnificent replay, though!

RUNNING BACK STARTS:

Rashad Jennings: He got 18 carries in the season opener, and seems to have a lock on the job despite Shane Vereen getting a good amount of work. He won’t be good for you in PPR leagues, but he’s facing New Orleans in Week 2 and should see the red zone work against a soft defense.

Jeremy Langford: Rumors of his lack of usage in the offseason were greatly exaggerated. While he didn’t get a massive workload, he’s basically a 2016 bell cow and should average 20 or so touches going forward. In Week 2, he faces the Eagles that gave up 5.7 YPC to the Browns.

Matt Forte: While he looks like the Forte of old between the 20s, he also looks like the Forte of old at the goal line. Still, it’s clear the Jets want to use the veteran while mixing in Powell, so get on the Forte train while it’s still running. Forte had 22 carries and 5 catches against the Bengals, and out-touched Powell 27-6.

RUNNING BACK SITS:

Melvin Gordon: You probably want to play Gordon after he scored two touchdowns against the Chiefs on Sunday (that’s two more than his career total), but just stay away for now.

If you drafted Gordon, you can probably go without him for another week, even if you went Zero RB. Why? Because he might be a trap!

Justin Forsett: Kind of a no-brainer here, but it needs to be said — sit him. He’s in an even timeshare with Terrance West and his situation is too unpredictable to rely on.

Jonathan Stewart: The Niners shut down Todd Gurley on Monday Night to just over 3 YPC. Stewart will probably average his usual 4.0, but with Cam potentially vulturing TDs and with Stewart catching the ball out of the question, you might as well avoid him again.

WIDE RECEIVER STARTS:

Tajae Sharpe: He’s clearly the number one in an up-tempo Titans offense. He saw 11 targets on Sunday, caught 7 and totaled 76 yards. It’s only a matter of time until he sees the end zone on top of those numbers.

Will Fuller: If you’re in 3 WR leagues or have an open flex, Fuller needs to be considered. Hopkins is drawing the coverage and it’s clear Osweiler trusts the rookie. Fuller saw 11 targets against a soft Bears defense, and to be fair, the Chiefs are better, but the Texans will likely keep throwing the ball his way because he’ll continue to be open.

Kelvin Benjamin: The big guy looks healthy, and he was by far the most targeted player in the Panthers offense. His 12 targets made up 38.7 percent of the Panthers target share, and there’s no reason that should change unless Cam Newton continues to get beat up and eventually has to miss a game. Even then, he’s the guy in this offense.

WIDE RECEIVER SITS:

Dez Bryant: Like the Gungans and the Naboo, Dez Bryant and Tony Romo form a symbiotic relationship. Dez simply can’t get it going with any other QB. And so, just stay away from him until Romo makes his way back. This really sums it up:

Travis Benjamin: He’s basically Torrey Smith, and you can’t depend on Torrey Smith, even without Keenan Allen. Benjamin is the definition of boom or bust, and while he’ll stretch the field, his 7 catches only yielded 32 yards on Sunday. Of course, if you sit him, he’ll likely score two 70-yard touchdowns. This is the way of the fantasy gods.

Tyler Lockett: He couldn’t get anything done with 8 targets, hauling in only 3 of them for 17 yards. If Wilson is hurt and staying in the pocket, it further affects Lockett’s big play ability. Let’s wait and see, although he’s truly a wonderful football player.

TIGHT END STARTS:

Gary Barnidge: Last year’s TE surprise laid a goose egg in Week 1, but RGIII is likely out for the season, so in comes Josh McCown with whom he had undeniable chemistry. Barnidge averaged over 14 fantasy points a game while McCown was in the lineup, and there’s no reason for this to change.

Jason Witten: The old guy still has it, and Dak Prescott is currently most comfortable making intermediate passes. Witten saw 14 targets, and like the days of old — didn’t see the end zone. But that will have to change, and he’s game flow-proof.

https://twitter.com/3lone/status/775080876367421441

Rob Gronkowski: Out of respect for Gronk, we’ll put him here and assume he’s ready to go against Miami. Even on a snap count, he has the Dolphins’ number and you can almost automatically mark him down for a touchdown.

TIGHT END SITS:

Richard Rodgers/Jared Cook: I saw plenty of people flirting with the Green Bay TEs in Week 1, and after Week 1 it was clear, once again, that they shouldn’t have gone near them. They combined for 5 targets and 2 catches. Don’t bother.

Martellus Bennett: He’s not looking like the TE we were hoping he’d be for the Patriots. He had 5 targets, yes, but only caught 3 of them for a measly 14 yards. Right now the Patriots have a healthy Edelman, Chris Hogan and a shockingly healthy Danny Amendola. Not to mention James White. Lots of mouths to feed and Bennett doesn’t need to be one. He can catch a TD at any time, but let’s not worry about that. Just sit him.

Dwayne Allen: You felt clever playing him in Week 1 and it paid off, now sit him. He’s not worth it against the top D in the league.

Waiver Wire

ATL RB Tevin Coleman: Coleman and PPR darling Devonta Freeman basically split snaps in Week 1, with Coleman out-performing Freeman on the ground. Remember that before Coleman got hurt last season, he had excellent grades across the board and was expected to have a huge role in the Atlanta offense. Now, he’s finally getting a bigger piece of the pie while Atlanta keeps Freeman fresh for the red zone and plays designed to have him run free in space.

SD WR Tyrell Williams: He should be sliding into Keenan Allen’s role, and while it’s still to be seen whether he can step up to be a fantasy starter, he’s definitely worth stashing in deep leagues. He has WR 3 potential.

NYJ WR Quincy Enunwa: The slot is a nice place to be in the Jets offense, and Enunwa cleaned up by catching 7 of 8 targets against the Bengals on Sunday. It remains to be seen if he can keep up that pace, but for now, he’s worth stashing if you’re a desperate Sammy Watkins owner with low waiver priority that wants a piece of that hot Ryan Fitzpatrick action.

ATL WR Mohamed Sanu: Who had a 21 percent target share, the same as Julio Jones, and did better with his targets? Mohamed Sanu. I’m not saying he’ll be better at the end of the year, but there are targets to be had in Atlanta, and coverage shifting to Julio will keep Sanu in favorable matchups.

PIT WR Eli Rogers: Yeah, his touchdown came on a fluke play, but he also looked like the second-best WR in Pittsburgh. He ended with a 6-59-1 line and that’s all you need for a waiver wire pickup. Who knows when Wheaton will be back and Sammie Coates is currently unreliable.

DAL WR Cole Beasley: Last week I suggested Lance Dunbar, but it looks like he’s still hurt, so Beasley is going to be the short pass catcher in Dallas. Dak Prescott seems to have no issue managing the game with short, high-percentage passes, so you PPR league managers should have no issue nabbing Beasley. There’s a countdown until Dez Bryant demands more targets, however.

Bonus: You can yell out, “Pam! Pam! Pam!” whenever Cole catches a pass because he and The Office‘s Pam Beesly share the same last name and the longer this sentence goes, the dumber I feel about how I do this alone when I watch football. I’m so sorry.

BAL WR Mike Wallace: He had six targets and caught one of the prettiest passes of Joe Flacco’s career. He won’t be seeing a lot of high-volume games, but he can certainly be an Eric Decker type who finds the end zone often.

https://twitter.com/NFL_GIF/status/775031005375856640

SD WR Dontrelle Inman: He’s got the slot in an offense that will be throwing the ball a ton (until they realize they have Melvin Gordon).

DEN WR Emmanuel Sanders: Demaryius Thomas had an MRI on his hip, and may be limited, so Sanders demands attention. I know it’s odd to place Sanders as a sleeper, but he was being drafted as a No. 3 receiver and despite the good Week 1 play of Trevor Siemian, there are questions about the Denver passing game. He can easily crack the top 20 in Week 2 against the Colts secondary, however, since they’ve lost two more defensive players to injury. It’s time for Sanders.

ATL TE Jacob Tamme: He had the same amount of targets as Sanu and Jones? What? He may be a sneaky, sneaky play.

Josh McCown: I know what you’re thinking: McCown is a loser. He went 1-7 with the browns last year. It was awful. Yes, but in that time he also threw for 2,109 yards, 12 TDs and 4 picks. If you want a cheap DFS option or are the Tyrod Taylor/Russell Wilson/Tom Brady owner, there are worse pickups. Right?

Flex Options

MIA WR Jarvis Landry: He’s as consistent as it gets in PPR leagues, and he saw 10 targets in Week 1, and he’ll see that many or more in Week 2. Tannehill to Jarvis, like clockwork.

Spencer Ware: As long as Jamaal Charles is out, Ware is going to be a great option, but very few teams picked him up to be one of their starters. Be like me, play him in your flex spot and enjoy.

IND WR Donte Moncrief: Someone is going to catch the ball against Denver in Week 2, and it’ll probably be Moncrief. Denver’s D is stout, but Luck is going to keep throwing the ball 40-50 times a game, so there are points to be had.

SD RB Danny Woodhead: Check downs all day, baby! Also, see: Gordon, Melvin.