CLEVELAND, OH – There were plenty of injuries and storylines during Week 1 of the NFL season, which makes lineup decisions even more challenging. Stars like Tyreek Hill and Hunter Henry are going to miss significant time. There’s no reason to panic, even if you lost your first matchup of the season. Don’t overthink it – stick with stars like Mike Evans and Brandin Cooks.
The tough part about Week 2 is buying into John Ross, Marquise Brown and other players who had breakout performances. Feel free to send me your fantasy questions on Twitter or Instagram.
Here are the players you should start this week:
Start 'Em
Lamar Jackson – Fantasy owners should continue to roll with Jackson after his stellar performance in Week 1. The second-year quarterback posted a perfect quarterback rating, tossing five touchdowns against the Dolphins. Arizona’s defense leaves plenty to be desired. Matt Stafford threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Cardinals. Jackson is a QB1 with as much upside as any fantasy quarterback in Week 2.
Tom Brady – Brady is suddenly in the QB1 conversation after being selected late in most fantasy drafts. The Antonio Brown situation needs to be resolved, but even if he doesn’t play, it’s hard to envision Brady not posting QB1 numbers against Miami. The Patriots’ wide receivers are as talented as they’ve been in a decade, which bodes well for Brady’s upside moving forward.
Derek Carr – Carr was efficient last week, completing 22-of-26 passes for 259 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers should go up in Week 2, in what could be a shootout against the Chiefs. Carr looked comfortable with Tyrell Williams as his number one wide receiver and Darren Waller looked the part at tight end. Carr is a QB2 with streaming potential and is worth a look in daily leagues.
James Conner – The Steelers’ offense only scored three points against the Patriots in Week 1. That’ll change in a big way against a Seattle defense that gave up multiple big plays to the Bengals. The Seahawks were committed to stopping Joe Mixon last week, but they won’t be able to do that against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense. Conner averaged 21 touches-per-game last season. He should get the ball early and often in this one. Conner is a weekly RB1 and has plenty of upside against Seattle.
Mark Ingram – Ingram ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in his Ravens debut. That success should continue against an Arizona defense that allowed 25 rushing touchdowns last season (most in the NFL). Baltimore wants to run the ball consistently, regardless of the matchup. Ingram will get plenty of chances to continue his hot start.
Matt Breida – Breida makes this list for a second straight week. He should get plenty of touches with Tevin Coleman injured. Seahawks running back Chris Carson had 81 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against the Bengals defense in Week 1. Cincinnati’s linebackers leave a lot to be desired. Expect Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers to take advantage of their weakness and get Breida involved on the ground and in the passing game. He’s a top-20 option in Week 2.
Sammy Watkins – Watkins was a steal for fantasy owners in drafts. He had a huge Week 1, finishing with nine receptions, 198 yards and three touchdowns. With Tyreek Hill injured, Watkins has WR1 upside on a weekly basis for the first time in his career. He should be a starter in all formats.
Tyler Boyd – Boyd caught 8-of-11 passes from Andy Dalton in Week 1, but was overshadowed by John Ross’ breakout performance. The 49ers’ secondary is suspect, which means Boyd is a safe WR2 option with upside. He has great chemistry with Dalton and is as sure-handed as anyone on the Bengals’ roster. Boyd gets a boost if Joe Mixon is unable to play.
Tyrell Williams – Stacking Carr and Williams in daily leagues is tempting after what the duo did against the Broncos on Monday night. Williams caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. He looked like a legitimate WR2 with plenty of upside. He was taken late in fantasy drafts, but is worth plugging in this week against the Chiefs.
Mark Andrews – Andrews had eight receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown against the Dolphins. He’ll look to duplicate that this week against a poor Arizona defense. He’s a TE1 with plenty of upside in Week 2.
T.J. Hockenson – The rookie had six receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. He looks the part and could finish as a top 5-fantasy tight end this season. Don’t hesitate to plug him in your lineups this week against the Chargers.
Nick Chubb – Chubb quietly had 20 touches in Week 1. The fantasy production should follow, as long as the volume stays the same. Chubb is extremely talented and going up against a Jets defense that gave up 98 yards from scrimmage to Devin Singletary last week. New York will be without linebacker CJ Mosley and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Chubb was already an RB1 this week, but he could end up being the number one running back in all formats for Week 2. Start him in all formats and consider him in daily leagues.
Sit 'Em
Russell Wilson – Wilson threw for 196 yards in Week 1 and has to face a hungry Steelers team on the road. He’s a talented quarterback and will likely finish as a top-12 fantasy option this season, but he should be avoided this week. Wilson didn’t run the ball much against the Bengals and only threw 20 passes. Wilson is more of a QB2 with limited upside. Avoid him in daily leagues.
Kyler Murray – The Cardinals face a tough Baltimore defense this week, which could prevent Murray from posting big fantasy numbers. The rookie signal caller had a great fourth quarter against the Lions in Week 1. Murray could still produce based on sheer volume of offensive plays he’ll be apart of, but this is one of the rare weeks where it’s better to avoid the rookie.
Kenyan Drake – Drake finished with 12 yards rushing and 15 yards receiving last week against the Ravens. It’s hard to envision a scenario where Miami keeps it close enough for Drake to get 15-20 touches, which means he’s better left on the bench in Week 2.
Adrian Peterson – Peterson will start this week against Dallas with Derrius Guice out due to a knee injury, but that doesn’t mean he should be in your lineup. Chris Thompson got off to a good start last week and that should continue, assuming the Redskins are trailing in this game. Peterson isn’t worth using in PPR leagues and is nothing more than a desperate flex option in standard formats.
Kyle Rudolph – Rudolph didn’t have a catch in Week 1, finishing with just one target. Kirk Cousins only threw the ball 10 times, which should change against the Packers, but it’s still hard to imagine Rudolph being anything more than a low-end TE2 without much upside.
Sleepers
Giovani Bernard – Bernard is a RB2 if Mixon (ankle) can’t play this week. The veteran running back is dynamic out of the backfield and would be in line to get the majority of the carries. Bernard scored at least 19 fantasy points in PPR leagues in the two games Mixon missed last season.
Chris Thompson – Peterson might be starting with Guice injured, but that doesn’t mean he’s the running back to own in Washington. Thompson finished with seven receptions on 10 targets for 68 yards. Case Keenum will play it safe and check it down when necessary, which makes Thompson an RB3 with upside in PPR leagues.
Jamison Crowder – Crowder had an impressive Jets debut, finishing with 14 receptions for 99 yards. He had 17 targets, which won’t be the norm, but his rapport with Sam Darnold could pave the way for fantasy relevance. He’s a WR3 moving forward and is worth starting, especially in PPR leagues.
John Ross III – Ross exploded onto the scene last week with seven receptions, 158 yards and two touchdowns. The scary thing is his week could’ve been even bigger, but he had two drops. With A.J. Green out, Ross has a high ceiling, but he’s still a boom-or-bust fantasy option. Treat him like a high upside WR4 in all leagues.
A.J. Brown – The rookie wide receiver had an impressive NFL debut, finishing with three catches for 100 yards. Brown had receptions of 51 and 47 yards last week. His run after catch ability should earn him more opportunities in Week 2 against the Colts.
Darren Waller – The Raiders will likely be in a shootout against the Chiefs. Waller had seven receptions for 70 yards last week. He might not have been drafted early in your fantasy draft, but he offers plenty of upside. Waller is a TE1 and could be the number two option in the passing game for the Raiders.
Josh Allen – The second-year quarterback is a sneaky fantasy option in daily leagues this week. He’s going up against a weak Giants’ secondary that was carved up by the Cowboys. Allen is a threat with his arm and his legs, which makes him a legitimate streaming option in Week 2.
