Week one of the NFL season came with some exciting surprises and disappointing fantasy performances. That often happens in week one as we don’t know as much as we think going into the season. The one thing we can’t do is overreact to anything that happens in week one and just wait it out. No worries if you lost in Week 1, we will help you navigate your lineup for this upcoming week. Without further ado, here are the fantasy football starts and sits for Week 2.
READ MORE: Running Back Rankings | Week 2 Stream Team
Fantasy Football Week 2 Starts and Sits
Quarterback Starts: Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins
In Week 1, Matthew Stafford finished as QB29 with one touchdown and three interceptions vs the Buffalo Bills. The Bills also sacked Stafford seven times. Looking ahead to Week 2, Stafford has a juicy matchup vs the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 1, the Falcons were dead last in DVOA adjusted sack rate so Stafford should have more time to throw this week. With the lack of targets received by Allen Robinson in Week 1, look for Stafford to aggressively target him early and often in Week 2. Stafford averages over 300 yards per game in his career vs the Falcons.
Kirk Cousins in prime time are words you never want to hear together. But his Week 2 matchup is too good to pass up, the Vikings play the Philadelphia Eagles. Cousins finished as QB12 in Week 1 in a game where Minnesota had the lead for most of the game. The point total for this game is 50.5 which is the third highest this week so lots of points are expected in this game. The Eagles play a vanilla zone defense and that will fit right in with the way the Vikings use their wide receivers.
Matt LaFleur brought this up after the game, and it really showed up on the field. Kevin O'Connell did a masterful job aligning and motioning Justin Jefferson away from Jaire Alexander in the Packers' zone-heavy defense. Based on my charting, Green Bay defenders vs. Jefferson: pic.twitter.com/sqbOYD8KGi
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 12, 2022
The Eagles are strong at cornerback but their weakest spots are linebacker and safety, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Cousins will look to exploit that.
Last season, Justin Jefferson saw 24% of his targets against a linebacker or safety in primary coverage.
In Week 1, that number was 60% — those targets turned into 5 receptions for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
Okay, Kevin O'Connell, we see you.
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) September 13, 2022
Quarterback Sits: Tom Brady
In Week 1, Tom Brady was QB26 and struggled to generate yards vs the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 2, the Bucs travel to New Orleans, a place Brady has struggled since joining the Buccaneers in 2020.
Since joining the Bucs, Tom Brady against the Saints in the regular season:
99-162 (61%), 8 INT, 6 TD’s
QBR 71.95😬😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/ZCQbGC9GPX
— Boot Krewe Media (@BootKreweMedia) September 13, 2022
Brady is 0-4 vs the Saints since joining the Bucs and has six touchdowns with ten turnovers and has been sacked 13 times in those games. The Bucs enter this game with injuries on the offensive line and in the receiving core. Brady’s number one receiver Mike Evans struggles against the Saints as well and with Chris Godwin being out this week that becomes an even bigger blow to Brady’s fantasy outlook for Week 2.
Running Back Starts: Antonio Gibson and Javonte Williams
In Week 1, Antonio Gibson was RB10. With the unfortunate situation with Brian Robinson, Gibson made the most of his opportunity. Gibson had eight targets and 72 yards in Week 1, and in Gibson’s career when he has at least five targets he averages over 18 PPR points per game. Gibson faces the Detroit Lions this week who surrendered over five YPC to Eagles running backs last week.
Javonte Williams was on the start list for Week 1, he disappointed as a rusher but he made up for it as a receiver with 12 targets and 65 yards. He also had a costly fumble but that is in the past now. In Week 2 Williams will face a Texans defense that surrendered 161 rushing yards from Jonathan Taylor and 13 combined targets between Taylor and Hines. Williams should see more carries this week and that may help him find the endzone in week two.
Running Back Sits: David Montgomery and Najee Harris
David Montgomery was a sit in Week 1 and there’s no reason to change that in Week 2. Montgomery averaged under two yards per carry vs the 49ers. He faces a Packers team that is favored by more than a touchdown vs the Bears. If the game goes that way Montgomery won’t have many opportunities to touch the ball. Montgomery has just one touchdown and averages 54 yards per game vs the Packers in five career games.
Najee Harris was a first-round pick in many fantasy drafts so if you drafted him you are most likely playing him vs the Patriots this week. Harris is nursing a foot injury that he suffered against the Bengals. Before his exit, he was averaging just two yards per carry. He faces a Patriots defense that allowed just 41 yards on 17 carries in Week 1. Also, with Harris being injured there is talk of him having a reduced role this week and there is always the chance of him reinjuring it during the game.
Wide Receiver Starts: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Terry McLaurin
Amon-Ra St. Brown was WR11 in week one with 64 yards on 12 targets. He enters Week 2 with a great matchup vs the Washington Commanders. St. Brown, primarily a slot receiver, has a great matchup in the slot. In Week 1, Christian Kirk had 117 yards on 12 targets playing out of the slot.
Christian Kirk had Washington's slot defenders in hell pic.twitter.com/BWGo9r3k1A
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 13, 2022
With this expected to be a high-scoring game, St. Brown has top-12 potential vs a Commanders team that struggles in the secondary.
In the same game, Terry McLaurin has a great matchup on the other side. McLaurin was WR27 in Week 1 and had just 58 yards on four targets. McLaurin averages over 80 yards per game vs the Lions for his career. The Lions were bottom five in Week 1 in adjusted sack rate and gave up 155 yards on 13 targets to A.J. Brown. If McLaurin sees that kind of target share he is sure to crush it this week.
Wide Receiver Sits: Mike Evans and Robert Woods
With Tom Brady being a sit it only makes sense that his number one receiver is too. Mike Evans was a sit last week as well but he proved me wrong. This one has history on its side so I am rolling with the sit this week too. In Week 1, Evans had 71 yards on seven targets and a touchdown. The biggest reason why Evans is a sit is Marshon Lattimore. Lattimore is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and shadows Mike Evans each time they face off. Since Tom Brady joined the Bucs, Evans has just 128 yards on 15 targets vs the Saints. Since Lattimore entered the NFL in 2018 Evans averages just 10 PPR points per game vs the Saints.
Robert Woods played just 71% of the snaps for the Titans in Week 1 and had just 13 yards on two targets. That was against a Giants team with a bad secondary. This week Woods sees the Buffalo Bills who consistently limit wide receivers. Not to mention the Titans run-heavy offense and the Bills great pass rush, throwing Woods in your lineup this week seems like a risk not worth the reward.
Tight End Starts: Dalton Schultz and OJ Howard
Dak Prescott broke his hand in Week 1 and will miss some time. The one Cowboy who still has a decent fantasy outlook is Dalton Schultz. Schultz was one of Dak’s favorite targets, in Week 1 Schultz had 62 yards on nine targets. The Cowboys will start Cooper Rush in Week 2,
Rush started in one game last season, and in that game Schultz had 11 yards on seven targets. In Dak’s injury season in 2020, Schultz averaged six targets per game in games without Prescott. This week Schultz has a matchup against the Bengals who surrendered 115 yards on 12 targets in Week 1.
OJ Howard had two catches for two touchdowns in Week 1, games like these are often fluky. I usually don’t buy into these performances but the matchup this week is too good to pass up. The Broncos gave up over 120 yards to tight ends in Week 1 on ten targets. Howard is a waiver wire candidate and should only be started if you feel iffy about your current tight end starter.
Tight End Sits: Mike Gesicki and Pat Freirmuth
Mike Gesicki was a sit last week vs the New England Patriots, Gesicki was held to one catch in that game. He has another brutal matchup this week vs the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 1, the Ravens gave up 14 yards on seven tight end targets. In two career games vs the Baltimore Ravens, Gesicki has two catches on 13 targets. Gesicki only played in 25 offensive snaps compared to 52 by Durham Smythe in Week 1.
Pat Freirmuth opened the season with 75 yards on ten targets against the Cincinnati Bengals. This week he sees the New England Patriots who have a historical track record of being great versus tight ends. Freirmuth should still see a decent target share but Pittsburgh’s shaky offensive line may be cause for Freirmuth to stay in to block more this week vs a good Patriots pass rush.
READ MORE: Running Back Rankings | Week 2 Stream Team
