Our weekly fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em series features your best bets at the skill positions and players you should avoid. We also include our start of the week for the player who is guaranteed to produce that week.
Below is our week 2 edition and as per usual I picked these players based on the Half-PPR scoring system. Be sure to check out our fantasy football section for fantasy football advice and much more!
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em
Justin Herbert (@ CAR) – It was the J.K. Dobbins show for the Chargers offense in week 1. Dobbins finally looks healthy and is showing that he can be a top-10 running back. He provided most of the Chargers offense while Herbert was OK in his week 1 debut.
Herbert finished with just 144 passing yards in week 1 with a touchdown. That stat line will change when the Chargers hit the road to take on the Panthers this Sunday.
The dreadful Panthers defense was shredded early and often last week by Derek Carr. Carr finished with 3 passing touchdowns and a 142.5 QB rating. I expect similar numbers for Herbert and a bonus rushing TD in this week 2 game.
Sit ‘Em
Kirk Cousins (@ PHI) – Week 1 was not kind to Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. Cousins looked slow coming back from his Achilles injury and never found his rhythm in this new look offense. He finished the day with just 155 yards and 2 interceptions in Atlanta’s loss to the Steelers.
Up next Cousins will get to face Philadelphia on Monday Night Football. Cousins has never been good in primetime games and I expect that to continue vs. this Eagles defense.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em
Tony Pollard (vs. NYJ) – During training camp there was some chatter that Pollard would be splitting time with Tyjae Spears in a 50/50 split. I wasn’t buying it as Pollard was brought in this offseason to be a game changer for the Titans offense.
As expected, Pollard saw the majority of the carries for the Titans and out-touched Spears 19 to 8 in week 1. This week he will face a Jets defense that struggled to stop Jordan Mason on Monday. I expect Pollard’s early success to continue on Sunday.
Sit ‘Em
Chase Brown (@ KC) – What do we make of the Bengals backfield? Many thought that Brown would have a lead role for Cincinnati but that certainly was the case in week 1. Zach Moss had the majority of the touches for the Bengals (11) and looked the more elusive back. It’s hard to trust either of these 2 until we see more of how this plays out.
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em
Terry McLaurin (vs. NYG) – Don’t panic yet on McLaurin’s usage in the Commanders offense. McLaurin only had 2 receptions on 4 targets in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs. Some of that was due to the pressure the Bucs were generating on rookie Jayden Daniels. Daniels dazzled with his legs on Sunday but struggled to get his receivers the ball.
Expect that to change on Sunday when Washington gets the Giants at home. McLaurin will get to feast on the poor Giants secondary and Daniels should look much more comfortable in this offense.
Sit ‘Em
Jayden Reed (vs. IND) – Reed was an absolute stud in week 1 and finished as WR1. He showed off his speed multiple times in the game and also picked up a rushing touchdown. Unfortunately for Reed and the Pakcers, Jordan Love went down late with a knee injury that will cause him to miss some time.
In steps Malik Willis who has struggled as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Packers offense as a whole will look different and will now focus more on running the ball. This will downgrade Reed and the Packers receivers until Love comes back.
Tight Ends
Start ‘Em
Colby Parkinson (@ ARI) – If you need a replacement for David Njoku or Jake Ferguson, Parkinson is your guy. Parkinson is the new TE1 for the Rams and his role should increase with Puka Nacua landing on the IR. Parkinson has a plus matchup this week against the Cardinals and should put up favorable numbers.
Sit ‘Em
Cole Kmet (@ HOU) – Kmet and much of the Bears offense were non-factors last Sunday vs. the Titans. Expect this to continue as quarterback Caleb Williams works out his rookie struggles. There is also the Gerald Everett factor who will continue to take targets away from Kmet. I would sit both of these guys for the foreseeable future.
Start of the Week
J.K. Dobbins (@ CAR) – We talked about him briefly above but Dobbins was one of the most impressive running backs in week 1. He finished with 135 yards on just 10 carries, including 2 explosive runs.
I see the workload increasing this week against the Panthers who just lost their best defensive player Derrick Brown for the season. If you were lucky enough to grab Dobbins on waivers put him right in your starting lineup.
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