Fantasy Football Week 2 Starts, Sits: Advice For Toughest Decisions
Week 1 of the NFL season didn’t do much help for fantasy football owners. Typically strong fantasy players like Tom Brady and Drew Brees struggled, while Alex Smith and Sam Bradford shined in their first games of the 2017 NFL season. With question marks aplenty heading into Week 2, there will be several tough decisions to make when arranging your fantasy lineup.
With that in mind, here are our starts/sits for Week 2:
START
Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals will have to revamp their offense heading into their second game of the 2017 season. David Johnson sustained a wrist injury in Week 1, which reportedly will sideline the star running back for two to three months. With not much depth behind Johnson, expect Palmer and the Cardinals to take to the air Sunday. And luckily for Arizona, its Week 2 opponent will be the Indianapolis Colts, who looked horrendous last Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. If Jared Goff can torch the Colts’ defense, Palmer certainly can as well.
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs had an impromptu bye week in Week 1, so fans will get their first look at the club this Sunday against the Chicago Bears. With starting running back Doug Martin serving a four-game suspension, expect Rodgers to get the majority of the touches out of the backfield in Week 2. The Bears feature a relatively underwhelming defense, and Rodgers’ pass-catching abilities should translate into a nice chunk of points.
Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Williams is one of the more underrated wideouts in all of football. The Chargers receiver posted a strong Week 1 performance, hauling in five catches for 54 yards against a very tough Denver Broncos defense. Williams’ job will be much easier in Week 2, as the Miami Dolphins feature a rather underwhelming defensive backfield. With Keenan Allen likely seeing a fair amount of double coverage, expect Williams to get a number of targets from Philip Rivers.
Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders
Cook never got in a groove with Aaron Rodgers in his lone season with the Green Bay Packers, but the veteran tight end got off to a strong start in his first year with the Raiders. Cook corralled five catches for 56 yards in Week 1 against a respectable Tennessee Titans defense. The Raiders should cruise to victory in Week 2, as the Black and Silver will take on the lowly New York Jets. The Jets lack the personnel strong enough to take Cook out of the game, so look for the tight end to get his looks, especially in the red zone.
Terrance West, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were poised for a lethal rushing attack in the 2017 season. West was supposed to be a part of a three-headed monster in the backfield alongside budding star Kenneth Dixon and veteran Danny Woodhead. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Dixon sustained a season-ending knee injury in the preseason and Woodhead suffered a hamstring ailment in Week 1 that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. Now, most of the load will be shifted onto West, who will go up against a less-than-stellar Cleveland Browns defense in Week 2.
SIT
Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions
Stafford shined in Week 1 against the Cardinals, completing 29 of his 41 pass attempts for 292 yards with four touchdowns. Don’t expect the Lions quarterback to post similar numbers in Week 2, though, as he’ll go up against a very tough New York Giants defense at MetLife Stadium. The G-Men will be itching to avenge their season-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which means it could be a long day for Stafford.
Carlos Hyde, RB, San Fransisco 49ers
Hyde was one of the top running back options in fantasy this year, but the power back faced a tough Week 1 matchup going up against the Carolina Panthers’ defense. Well, things will get even tougher for Hyde and the 49ers in Week 2, as San Fran will travel to Seattle for a showdown with the Seahawks. Seattle boasts a terrifying front seven, so it’s hard to imagine Hyde putting up big numbers Sunday.
Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Now that Jordan Matthews has moved on to Buffalo, it looks like Agholor is the go-to man in the Eagles’ receiving corps. This was manifested in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins, as the third-year wideout grabbed six catches for 86 yards with a touchdown. Agholor was a popular waiver wire pickup this week, but he’s probably best served on your bench in Week 2 as the Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Agholor is capable of taking the top of the defense, but he probably won’t be doing any of that while being covered by Marcus Peters.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Cook did not look like a rookie in Week 1. The Florida State product ran all over the New Orleans Saints, amassing 127 yards on 22 carries. Cook will be hard-pressed to post similar numbers in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose defense isn’t nearly as porous as the Saints. Cook surely is riding high after his debut performance, but he’ll likely be brought back down to Earth on Sunday at Heinz Field.
T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have absolutely no identity on offense without Andrew Luck. The star quarterback will be sidelined again for Week 2 and could be out of action for quite some time with his nagging should injury. Whether it’s Scott Tolzien or Jacoby Brissett at the helm for Indy on Sunday, don’t expect the team’s offense to amount to much. Hilton typically is a fantasy lock, but current circumstances have made him ineffective.
Thumbnail photo via Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports Images
