The NFL boasts some interesting matchups this Sunday in Week 2.
But the matchups you really care about pertain to your fantasy league.
And who can blame you?
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With that in mind, which players are set for a big Week 2? Who should you be starting? And who should you be sitting?
Here is a roundup from some of the top fantasy football experts around, including ESPN, CBS Sports and our own expert.
QUARTERBACK: START ‘EM
Here are some quarterbacks you should start this week
NJ Advance Media: Jalen Hurts, Eagles. What a Week 1 showing for Hurts — 264 passing yards and three touchdowns, with 62 rushing yards. Against the 49ers this week, look for him to take advantage of cornerback Jason Verrett (torn ACL) being out for the season.
ESPN: Aaron Rodgers, Packers. In Week 1, Rodgers finished as QB35 in fantasy. There are only 32 NFL teams. Taylor Heinicke, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Marcus Mariota -- four quarterbacks who didn’t even start for their own NFL teams on Sunday -- would have been better fantasy starters for you in Week 1. Heck, Rodgers barely outscored his own backup, Jordan Love, edging him out, 1.32 to 0.72. But don’t worry. We don’t have a quarterback controversy in Green Bay. In fact, you don’t have a quarterback controversy on your fantasy team if you have Rodgers. Hear me now, believe me later: Rodgers is coming back in a big way in Week 2. Are you kidding me? At home, against Detroit, on Monday Night Football? Did I mention he’s playing Detroit, which just gave up 314 passing yards to Jimmy Garoppolo?
CBS Sports: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers. I have to be honest, I never expected to use Roethlisberger as the Start of the Week this season. I wasn’t even sure he’d be playing this year. But here we are, and I like his situation for Week 2 against the Raiders at home. Let’s start with the setup for the Steelers. The Raiders have to travel to Pittsburgh for a 1 p.m. ET start after playing an overtime game on Monday night. This should be a tired defense making a long road trip. This is also the Steelers home opener, and Roethlisberger has thrived in these games. In the last five home openers that he’s finished -- he left the 2019 game against Seattle in Week 2 with an elbow injury -- he’s averaged 29.6 Fantasy points per game.
QUARTERBACK: SIT ‘EM
Here are some quarterbacks you shouldn’t start this week
NJ Advance Media: Derek Carr, Raiders. After what the Steelers’ defense just did against the Bills’ Josh Allen in Week 1, you should be wary about starting Carr. The Steelers beat the Bills in the opener largely by limiting Allen to 270 yards, one touchdown, and a 79.7 quarterback rating.
ESPN: Baker Mayfield, Browns. OK, quickly -- look, before Cleveland fans fly into a rage and congregate outside of my house with torches, demanding I show respect to their quarte- ... dammit, too late, they’re already out there. CAN YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN? I’M TRYING TO WRITE A COLUMN. (sigh) HONEY, CAN YOU GRAB MY TOOTHBRUSH? WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO SNEAK OUT THE BACK AGAIN. Anyway, where was I ... ah, yes ... Mayfield’s inclusion on the Hate list isn’t about me thinking he isn’t good or that he’ll have a bad game. This is about expected game flow. I just think everyone is going to see “Texans” on the schedule and assume he’ll go off. And sure, that’s always a possibility. But the Browns have a good defense. This is unlikely to be a shootout, and Cleveland is almost a two-touchdown favorite. Last season, in games in which the Browns were at least a touchdown favorite, Mayfield averaged just 25 passes per game and never ranked above QB20 in a week.
CBS Sports: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars. Cornerback Ronald Darby (hamstring) is out for the Broncos, but pass rusher Bradley Chubb (ankle) could return this week. Even if Chubb is out, it should be tough for Lawrence to have a big game against Denver. The Texans were able to get three interceptions against Lawrence last week, and the Broncos are a much tougher opponent, even at Jacksonville.
RUNNING BACKS: START ‘EM
Here are some running backs you should start this week
NJ Advance Media: Melvin Gordon, Broncos. The Jaguars couldn’t handle the Texans’ running backs in Week 1, so look for Gordon to have a big day. Ditto for the Broncos’ other running back, Javonte Williams.
ESPN: Najee Harris, Steelers. Did I predict that Harris would get a lot of work last Sunday? Yes, yes I did. Did I predict he would have fewer yards than fellow rookie Elijah Mitchell? No, no I did not. Was I disappointed in Harris’ Week 1 fantasy performance? Yes, yes I was. Did I love the fact that Harris played 100% -- you read that right, 100% -- of the Steelers’ offensive snaps last week? Yes, yes I did. Will I stop this annoying asking myself questions and then answering them bit? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s the only thing I can say for sure: The Raiders are now traveling across the country for a 1 p.m. ET game on a short week. Considering how Ty’Son Williams and the Ravens just carved up the Raiders on the ground, do I believe all that playing time will result in Harris’ first big fantasy performance as an NFL back on Sunday? Why yes, yes I do.
CBS Sports: Darrell Henderson, Rams. Henderson dominated snaps in Week 1 against the Bears, playing 94 percent to just 6 percent for Sony Michel. I’d be fine with that continuing all season, and Henderson will eventually become a guaranteed starter in all leagues moving forward if the Rams trust him to that degree. Against Chicago, Henderson had 16 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 17 yards on one target. I’d like to see more work in the passing game, but maybe that comes with more comfort with Matthew Stafford. Last week, the Colts allowed Chris Carson to gain 117 total yards, including three catches.
RUNNING BACKS: SIT ‘EM
Here are some running backs you shouldn’t start this week
NJ Advance Media: Mark Ingram, Texans. The Browns will pose a much tougher test than the Jaguars for Ingram, who also has to split action with David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay.
ESPN: James Robinson, Jaguars. It’s not yet Week 2 and already I want to get off the James Robinson fantasy roller coaster. A clear top-12 running back exiting last season, Robinson’s stock dropped precipitously after Jacksonville used a first-round pick on Travis Etienne Jr. Then Etienne’s injury saw Robinson shoot back up the RB ranks. Then Week 1 came and Robinson saw just 42.1% of Jacksonville’s running back touches. He was even out-touched by Urban Meyer’s former Ohio State Buckeyes back, Carlos Hyde, 11-8.
CBS Sports: Mike Davis, Falcons. The Buccaneers have the best run defense in the NFL, and they have allowed just one rushing touchdown to a running back in their past eight games in the regular season. Dalvin Cook in Week 14 last year is the lone running back with over 100 rushing yards against Tampa Bay in the last 25 outings in the regular season. Davis faced this defense once last year as the starter for the Panthers and had 44 total yards on 11 total touches (four catches). In his first game with Atlanta in Week 1 against the Eagles, Davis struggled with 15 carries for 49 yards, along with three catches for 23 yards on six targets. He’s a flex option at best in PPR.
WIDE RECEIVER: START ‘EM
Here are some wide receivers you should start this week
NJ Advance Media: DeVonta Smith, Eagles. He had 71 yards in his first NFL game, plus a touchdown. Look for another big game for him, with Verrett out.
ESPN: Antonio Brown, Buccaneers. Am I going to remind you every opportunity I get this year that I was banging the Antonio Brown drum all offseason? Yeah. Of course I am. Did you not read the part earlier in the column about Jalen Hurts? Pay attention! Except when I get stuff wrong, like David Montgomery on the Hate list last week. Yeesh. Anyway, dating back to last season, Brown has touchdowns in four straight regular-season games. He also averaged 28.5 PPG last season against a Falcons defense that, last week, gave up the highest catch rate in the NFL to wide receivers. I have AB as a top-20 play this week.
CBS Sports: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers. I love all three Steelers receivers this week with Ben Roethlisberger as the Start of the Week, and Smith-Schuster should take advantage of his matchup with Raiders rookie cornerback Nate Hobbs. Dionate Johnson is the best Fantasy receiver for the Steelers this week, and Chase Claypool will also be heavily involved. But use Smith-Schuster as a No. 2 PPR receiver and a high-end No. 3 option in non-PPR leagues.
WIDE RECEIVER: SIT ‘EM
Here are some wide receivers you shouldn’t start this week
NJ Advance Media: Laviska Shenault Jr., Jaguars. A solid opener for him (nine targets, seven catches 50 yards in Houston). But Broncos slot cornerback Bryce Callahan is really good. And so is the Broncos’ entire secondary, for that matter. Not a favorable matchup for Shenault.
ESPN: Julio Jones, Titans. When Jones was traded to Tennessee this summer, Titans fans were happy. Ryan Tannehill was happy. Mike Vrabel was happy. AJ Brown was ecstatic, as his social media recruitment seemed to have paid off. But those who rostered him in a dynasty league or planned on drafting him this year were, well, less so. At 32 years old and having missed seven games the previous season (plus leaving two other games early due to injury), going from a team that was top five in pass attempts to a team that was bottom five was, well, #lessthanideal. Then Week 1 happened and I gotta say, while I don’t think Julio has hit a wall, I do think it’s not getting better this week.
CBS Sports: Corey Davis, Jets. Davis was great last week against the Panthers with five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets, but I want no part of the Jets offense this week. Bill Belichick is notorious for shutting down rookie quarterbacks, and he should make it tough on Zach Wilson, especially with left tackle Mekhi Becton (knee) out. The only silver lining for Davis is Stephon Gilmore (quad) is out for the Patriots, but I don’t expect Wilson to have much time to connect with Davis this week.
TIGHT ENDS: START ‘EM
Here are some tight ends you should start this week
NJ Advance Media: Noah Fant, Broncos. No Jerry Jeudy, since he’s on injured reserve (ankle), so expect Fant to get a bunch of targets. Against the Giants in Week 1, he was targeted eight times and had six catches for 62 yards.
ESPN: Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers. Speaking of older Tampa Bay players who were once the best players in the universe at their position and still have lots of value, last week Gronkowski had the most targets, receptions and fantasy points he’s had since coming out of retirement. He also played on 84% of pass plays in the opener and looked like, well, young, healthy Gronk. Fire emoji. He’s a very big part of this high-scoring Tampa offense, and the surge he made in the postseason last year was not an aberration. This week, he’s in line for another big game against a Falcons team that gave up 20 fantasy points to Eagles tight ends in their Week 1 loss. Get excited. Vintage Gronk appears to be back, which means two things: fantasy points galore and the Gronk Cruise should be setting sail any day.
CBS Sports: Dallas Goedert, Eagles. Zach Ertz (hamstring) could be out this week, which could open up more targets for Goedert. He started the season strong with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown on five targets at Atlanta, and this week he’s facing a 49ers defense that struggled with T.J. Hockenson (23 PPR points) in Week 1. Goedert could be a top-five Fantasy tight end this week.
TIGHT ENDS: SIT ‘EM
Here are some tight ends you shouldn’t start this week
NJ Advance Media: Eric Ebron, Steelers. He got just 27 snaps at Buffalo in the opener, so he perhaps won’t have a big role this season. The Steelers gave 29 snaps to tight end Pat Freiermuth. Hard to put up big numbers in just 27 snaps.
ESPN: Mike Gesicki, Dolphins. Mike Gesicki? More like I get sick(i) when I put this guy in my fantasy lineups! (That terrible joke was submitted by the Bear of Bad News from The Fantasy Show on ESPN+.) But my failed comic bear friend has a good point: Gesicki has been essentially unusable since Tua Tagovailoa took over the starting job in Miami, scoring fewer than 10 points in seven of the nine games they’ve started together. And it was even worse in Week 1. Gesicki played 17 fewer snaps than Durham Smythe and only two more than Hunter Long. So if you want a tight end who has a floor of Hunter Long and a ceiling of Durham Smythe ... by all means, start Mike Gesicki.
CBS Sports: Austin Hooper, Browns. Hooper wasn’t even the featured tight end for the Browns in Week 1 at Kansas City, with David Njoku getting more targets (5-3) and yards (76-27) on the same amount of receptions (three). I doubt that happens on a regular basis moving forward, and Hooper could have a good game in Week 2 against the Texans, who struggled with Jacksonville’s tight ends last week as James O’Shaughnessy and Chris Manhertz combined for seven catches, 70 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. But I don’t want to trust Hooper just yet, so he’s only a starting option in deeper Fantasy leagues for Week 2.
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Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com.
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