Some norms were shattered in Week 1 of the NFL season, and I'm not talking about playing in front of few or zero fans. Teams who were believed to be run-heavy like the Packers, Bills, Seahawks and Titans wound up impressing with their passing attacks. And teams who figured to be reliant on the pass like the Texans, Chiefs, Cowboys, Panthers and Rams had a running back total big numbers (some of their quarterbacks weren't so bad either). Early-season games teach us about how teams see themselves. We should believe them and apply the lessons learned to upcoming matchups when trying to figure out our Fantasy lineups.
Here are my start, sit, sleeper, and bust calls for every game in Week 2 based on what we've learned, and if you need more lineup help, check out Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em, plus Heath Cummings' Week 1 previews for quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. And, if you need to make a trade, the trade values chart can help make sure you're a winner.
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Them
Projections powered by
Sportsline
| ||||||||||||||||||
The Browns secondary is a mess, with their second- and third-best cornerbacks on the shelf and all kinds of question marks at safety. There's a chance the Bengals' O-line might keep them from being effective running the ball, so the matchups for both starting receivers are particularly juicy. Burrow's mobility will be an asset (he qualifies as a terrific DFS sleeper). Boyd in the slot against Tavierre Thomas, assuming he doesn't get benched, is especially good.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Hunt played one more snap, had three more carries and saw five more targets than Chubb last week. It's a nice selling point in Hunt's favor, but the truth is that Week 1 proved both guys will play plenty. This is a terrific spot for both of them to rack up numbers — the Bengals' run defense will be without behemoths Geno Atkins and Mike Daniels, plus fellow big man D.J. Reader might not be quite at 100 percent after leaving early last week. The Bengals' linebackers aren't bad but they can be exploited in the passing game, something that didn't happen last week. Expect Cleveland to give their run game more work in an attempt to bring home a short-week win.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Flex Starter
Projections powered by
Sportsline
I'm not sure what else you need to see from Slayton to be convinced that he's a capable receiver. He has 10 touchdowns in 15 NFL games, half of which came from 30-plus yards away. He's easily the Giants' best downfield threat, a staple in Jason Garrett's offenses. And, the Giants figure to be in a competitive game this Sunday and will line up Slayton a bunch against Bears rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who did well last week against the Lions but might have a tough time keeping up with Slayton's speed.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Bank on the Giants going right back to Engram despite his struggles last week. His size and speed matches up really well with a pack of Bears linebackers who had a hard time defending anyone in the pass game. That doesn't include safety Tashaun Gipson, who allowed the touchdown to T.J. Hockenson last week. Engram is also an excellent DFS play.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Risky Starter
Projections powered by
Sportsline
We just saw Benny Snell tear through the Giants defense on Monday, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect situation for Montgomery. Snell was explosive and agile and benefitted from a very good offensive line. Montgomery did a lot of cutting and pausing in the backfield last week against the Lions and needed to power through tackles and fall forward just to make good gains. Montgomery also played one fewer snap than Tarik Cohen and both backs saw Cordarrelle Patterson take touches away. The Bears offensive line also didn't run block very well. Montgomery is barely a No. 2 running back this week on the hope he finds the end zone.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Flex Starter
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Miller made three really great catches last week, including reeling in the dime by Mitchell Trubisky (did I really just write that?) to put the Bears in the lead late. He's Chicago's slot receiver, and he'll draw a fantastic matchup against Giants nickel Darnay Holmes, who couldn't slow down JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday. Miller's playing time is definitely concerning (just 41% of the snaps), but the reality is that outside of Allen Robinson, the Bears don't have anyone who can make plays like Miller can. He's flex worthy in non-PPR.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Them
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Goff stinks when he's up against a dangerous pass rush, but when he's not, he can be amazing. If Philadelphia is without top pass rusher Brandon Graham, they'll be left with guys like Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett along the edge. It's an easier matchup than what the Rams O-line dealt with last week, and they should give Goff enough time to make reads and deliver strikes against suspect defensive backs not named Darius Slay and Rodney McLeod.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Brown didn't look like "just a guy" against the Cowboys — he flashed lateral agility on top of power, leading the Rams run game playing 60% of their snaps and 51% of their running back carries. No doubt he will share with Cam Akers, but Brown's the one playing in the two-minute offense and at the goal line. After Peyton Barber cut and strutted his way into the end zone on short-yardage jaunts against the Eagles last week, don't be surprised to see Brown hit pay dirt again. His work in the passing game (31 receiving yards last week was a career-high) is a bonus.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start Him in PPR
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Obviously, Zach Ertz is a must-start, but there's no denying Goedert's role. Dating back to last year he's had at least six targets in nine straight games including the playoffs. The results? 10-plus PPR points in 8 of 9 with five games of at least a dozen. The non-PPR results aren't as good (six games with at least six points, including each of the past four), but Goedert figures to get matched up against the Rams linebackers. That's a win for Philly, who need short-area targets to emerge so that the Rams pass rush doesn't crush Wentz like Washington's did last week.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
I'm definitely not giving up on Lamb after a quiet start in Week 1, and certainly not in a game with a point total north of 50. Losing Blake Jarwin stinks for the Cowboys, but it opens up the middle of the field for Lamb to run routes and pick up targets. He should find plenty of open space in the Falcons zone defense — it's simply a matter of Dak Prescott finding him enough. All three of the Falcons' starting cornerbacks graded poorly against Seattle in Week 1 and allowed 17 completions from 20 targets with two scores (safety Ricardo Allen allowed another two scores on his own).
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Hurst deserves at least one more week in your lineup and maybe two or three more weeks on your roster. He ran a slew of routes for the Falcons and got a couple of deep tosses his way along with a two-point conversion target. His speed is evident, but it's his contested catch work that might leave a little to be desired. The Cowboys secondary isn't stout and Hurst could be a nifty catch-and-run teammate for Ryan to lean on against Dallas' strong pass rush.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
We're so used to calling Anderson a deep-ball receiver, something he justified against the Raiders. But the Panthers are also using him in their short-area quick-game and even using his route-running skills to fool defenders into thinking he's staying short before putting on a double-move, which was also how he scored. I think his targets will stabilize closer to six or seven per game but for the time being, the Panthers figure to chase points frequently. Anderson's speed, be it on go routes or on catch-and-runs, will be problematic for the Bucs secondary.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
DFS Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Whether George Kittle plays or not, the 49ers need speed on the field to take advantage of the Jets' awful secondary. Aiyuk offers plenty of that along with run-after-catch ability. Starting him in Week 2 isn't for the faint of heart, especially since he missed Week 1 and plenty of training camp with a hamstring injury. That's why he might be best as a play in DFS. He's also worth stashing just to see how he plays in his debut. He's out there in 66% of CBS Sports leagues.
| ||||||||
Start Him in PPR
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The Jets run game? A total mess. The Jets' matchup? Horrible for running backs. The Jets outside receivers? Unlikely to evoke confidence in even the die-hardiest fan of Gang Green. What's left? The middle of the field, where Crowder figures to get peppered with targets. San Francisco's cornerbacks have been serviceable but can be beaten. With at least 10 targets on deck for Crowder, he's someone who should be in every PPR lineup.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Fant's play from Week 1 was great, and his outlook for 2020 is still very strong. But the secret's out on him just in time for a short-week road game against a Steelers defense that muted Evan Engram and has typically done amazing against tight ends. It's not only a tough matchup for Fant but also for his quarterback and his offensive line.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Them
Projections powered by
Sportsline
| ||||||||||||||||||
Tannehill picked up where he left off last season, dodging pass rush pressure and throwing on target downfield against a suspect secondary. Wash, rinse, repeat against the Jaguars. The 43 pass attempts were a welcome surprise, suggesting that maybe Tennessee won't be uber-reliant on Derrick Henry after all. I doubt he needs that many attempts this week, but close to 30 should be a gimme. Smith isn't Tennessee's only catch-and-run phenom but he's an impossible player for defenses to match up with because of his size and speed. He should be fine this week against the Jaguars, but he could really take off (figuratively and literally) with A.J. Brown not expected to play.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Risky Starter
Projections powered by
Sportsline
This might be Davis' last opportunity to truly prove he's a No. 1 receiver. There's no A.J. Brown, the Titans have a favorable matchup against Jacksonville, and Davis has the massive size to be some kind of version of Derrick Henry, albeit at wide receiver. You've got to love how he overpowered two Broncos defensive backs last week for a pass sent behind him for a first down, among other zone-coverage-busting receptions. However, last week was only his third 100-yard game of his career and his first since 2018, and he followed up his previous games over the century mark with total duds (under 50 yards). So forgive me for not going all-in on Davis. Carry him on your bench, or take a chance on him as a flex? Sure. Start him in a matchup where Tannehill might throw just 25 times? Can't feel great about that.
| ||||||||||
Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
You can't help but come away impressed with Robinson's play. Chris Thompson was right — his vision is fantastic and he has very good agility for a bigger, physical back. Robinson lacks a second gear and is a definite work-in-progress as a passing-downs player, but he's got a lot of positives that the Jaguars can work with. Taking on a Titans team that played on Monday and didn't quite throttle Melvin Gordon does lend some optimism that Robinson can find the end zone and maybe get north of 80 yards.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sleepers
Projections powered by
Sportsline
| ||||||||||||||||||
The Lions defense is wrecked. The pass rush is tame, the cornerbacks are beat up and the linebackers and safeties struggled against Jimmy Graham. Aaron Rodgers should have another amazing game. Lazard was a steady target for Rodgers, playing 89% of the snaps with Rodgers, but received just four targets. Valdes-Scantling saw more targets but made more mistakes (two drops, including one on a deep ball for which he atoned later on). If I were convinced the Packers defense would allow a bunch of points, both receivers would border on being starts. Since they're not, consider Lazard the safer of the two and MVS the higher-ceiling option.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
I wish I could tell you that Singletary has an easy matchup, or that he has a locked-in role. But the Dolphins were mostly gashed on the ground by Cam Newton and the Bills barely ran the ball in their win over the Jets. Singletary had 14 touches in the game for 53 yards on 59% of all snaps. It's a big risk to count on Singletary (or Zack Moss) since we can't say for sure the Bills have a good O-line or a good matchup in Week 2. Here's one hint, though: The Dolphins allowed 15 of 19 passes attempted by the Patriots to be completed, so it's probably a safe bet that the Bills will attack the defense through the air.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Him in PPR
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Last week wasn't the first time Hines had eight receptions in a game, but it was just his second career game with 15 or more touches. As giddy as the Colts may be with rookie rusher Jonathan Taylor, coach Frank Reich confirmed that Hines will still have a significant role. That role, as has been established for years, includes passing downs and the two-minute offense. But expect the Colts to mix Hines in a little bit more in non-obvious passing situations just to keep defenses honest. Minnesota boasts good linebackers and safeties capable of covering running backs out of the backfield, but Philip Rivers' tendency to target running backs as an extension of the run game is very real. Look for Hines to continue being a factor through the air.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Deep Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
This will prove to be an interesting litmus test for Thomas fresh off of the best week of his career. The Cardinals pass defense has struggled to cover tight ends for years and may have only held up against George Kittle last week because he got hurt early in the game. Thomas figures to match up well with the Cardinals linebackers and is sure to see at least one end-zone target on top of the other looks from Dwayne Haskins. Remember, Washington's O-line is a work-in-progress, so any short-area options for Haskins will be leaned upon. Thomas qualifies as that -- but he's only a low-end starter for those who are looking for streaming help in seasonal leagues.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
You can't feel great about Ingram's chances to put up big numbers if he continues to split touches. He played two fewer snaps than J.K. Dobbins with neither of them seeing even 25 plays (not touches, actual plays on the field). Ingram didn't look horrible, he just wasn't seen very much. That includes the passing game, by the way -- neither he nor Dobbins saw a target. At this point, you have to treat him as a touchdown-or-bust running back. It's possible he scores and still doesn't register 10 Fantasy points.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Last week it looked like Tyrod Taylor had better chemistry with Mike Williams. I'm not saying Williams will be better than Allen this week, but I am saying that Allen's situation still isn't great, even if the Chiefs' secondary is down to backups, and even if the Chargers figure to play from behind. Taylor's 53.3% completion rate definitely doesn't help things. If the Bolts insist on giving Allen the same target share as Williams and Hunter Henry, which was the case last week, then his chances of having a massive game narrow considerably. I think you should be able to find a better receiver to start over Allen, who has flex appeal but that's about it.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Don't fall for this again. Watkins was fantastic in Week 1, but it had a lot to do with the kind of coverage the Texans played. They didn't want to give up the deep ball, so Watkins picked up plenty of short- and mid-range throws. The Chargers can afford to play a little bit differently because they have very good cornerbacks and a fierce pass rush. It means Watkins could see more man coverage than he did last week (Chris Harris should stick him when he's in the slot). It's too risky to trust Watkins, particularly since the over/under has slid three points since opening earlier this week. That suggests the game won't be as high-scoring as a typical Chiefs matchup.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
It sure looked like the Patriots deployed Newton the same way the Panthers did for years: Lean on the run, set up easy throws and keep him protected. That's a scheme the Seahawks are extremely familiar with as their coaching staff and a few starters have played Newton over the course of his career. The only time Newton was successful against the Seahawks was in 2018, when the Seattle defense had young cornerbacks and the Panthers had Christian McCaffrey get over 100 yards receiving with a score. This is a better run defense unit than the Dolphins, too — expect the Seahawks to limit Newton's effectiveness and match up well with his receiving options.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
It's hard to envision Brees playing well without Michael Thomas. Over the past four years, Thomas has seen 28.8% of Brees' targets with fantastic results. Try and find any matchup where Brees has 300 yards and multiple scores without Thomas contributing at least 100 yards and/or a score. Last year he had 100 yards in seven of Brees' eight games (and a score in 6 of 8) with 300 yards and/or three scores. In 2018, Thomas only had 100 yards in half of Brees' eight games with the big numbers, but scored in five of them. Now he must compete without him for the first time since 2016. It's hard to expect Brees to put up huge numbers throwing to Tre'Quan Smith, Emmanuel Sanders, Jared Cook and Alvin Kamara. Maybe it's those latter two who help Brees finish with respectable stats in a favorable road matchup, but you should be able to find better quarterbacks with healthy receivers to use instead.
| ||||||||||||||||||
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 2 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
