Starts/Sits for Fantasy Football Week 2

It was a rough week for many in fantasy football last week. Defenses reigned supreme, and star players laid goose eggs. It’s time to rebound! Here are my starts/sits for fantasy football in week 2.

Starts/Sits In Fantasy Football Week 2

It is often hard to make sweeping claims about one week. If you’ve played fantasy football for any period of time, you know there is a player who has an amazing Week 1 and then doesn’t do anything the rest of the season. The hardest thing to do in fantasy football is to stick with a player that you know is going to produce (looking at you Dallas Goedert and Tee Higgins). Onto the list!

Bills RB James Cook (4) – Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY

Start: RB James Cook (vs. Raiders)

The Bills have been talking up Cook all offseason, and Week 1 didn’t produce results, but the matchup was brutal. What was positive was the volume. He played 60% of the snaps and got 12 of the 15 running back carries. He also got a whopping six targets in the passing game, catching four of them. These are the types of numbers that you want to see if you own Cook. Furthermore, he is facing a Raiders defense that allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to RBs last season. I like for Cook to break out of this game after a tough Week 1 matchup.

Bears RB Khalil Herbert (24) – Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Sit: RB Khalil Herbert (vs. Buccaneers)

The numbers are good for Herbert in terms of volume. He had nine carries and five targets last week against the Packers. While this isn’t huge, this is the kind of production you want to see out of a flex back. The matchup this week is brutal. Tampa Bay has always been stout against the run, and I would expect that to continue against a weak offensive line. Find another flex play for the week.

Lions WR Josh Reynolds (8) – Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Start: WR Josh Reynolds (vs. Seattle)

The number to get to here is six targets. Going back to last season, Reynolds now has six games with at least six targets, and he scored at least 12 PPR points in five of them. That is a nice floor. Last week against the Chiefs, he saw seven targets, catching four of them for 80 yards. With Jameson Williams still out, Reynolds is a nice option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and the running backs. The Seattle defense also allowed Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell to carve them up. I like Reynolds a lot this week.

Steelers WR George Pickens (14) – Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Sit: WR George Pickens (vs. Browns)

Cold water got thrown on the Steelers’ offense on Sunday. They looked downright bad. There is most likely a temptation to start Pickens because of the injury to Diontae Johnson. I would avoid Pickens because of the matchup. Last week, the Browns defense allowed five catches for 39 yards on 17 targets to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Furthermore, Kenny Pickett seemed to favor Allen Robinson in the passing game, giving him the most targets in Week 1. Pickens is the deep threat, and I don’t think that Pickett is going to have time to get any passes deep. It feels bad but sit Pickens this week.

Patriots TE Hunter Henry (85) – Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Start: TE Hunter Henry (vs. Dolphins)

Henry was one of the few tight ends that scored points on Sunday but makes it on the list of starts/sits for week 2. Five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown made Henry the top-scoring tight end last week. Miami allowed the third-most fantasy PPG to tight ends last season, and this season looks to have a high-powered offense. This means that the Patriots will likely be throwing it more as they are playing catch-up. This gives Henry plenty of opportunities in the game. If your tight end situation is still murky, start Henry this week.

Panthers TE Hayden Hurst (81) – Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Sit: TE Hayden Hurst (vs. Saints)

It seems that Hurst is a favorite target of rookie quarterback Bryce Young. However, this matchup could not be worse for Hurst. The Saints allowed the fewest fantasy PPG to tight ends last year. This year, they look to be continuing that trend. Chigoziem Okonkwo was completely shut down last week, catching only three passes for 44 yards. It feels bad sitting Hurst, especially after he was the TE2 last week. If you have to start him, lower your expectations.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson (5) – Adrian Kraus/AP

Start: QB Anthony Richardson (vs. Texans)

If you rolled the dice on drafting Richardson, you have been rewarded. He looked good in Week 1 from a fantasy football perspective. He led the Colts with 40 rushing yards and got two of the team’s three goal-line carries. He didn’t look bad throwing the ball, either! 223 yards and a touchdown with only one interception is great for the raw rookie. Furthermore, the Texans gave up the most rushing yards in the NFL last year. I’d start Richardson with confidence.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (4) – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Sit: Dak Prescott (vs. Jets)

I’m not going to belabor this point. Did you see what the Jets did to Josh Allen last week? The Jets are a defense that I am avoiding like the plague unless I have someone like Patrick Mahomes or Justin Jefferson. There are usually plenty of quarterbacks out there. Pick one with a more favorable matchup.

That is my list of starts/sits for fantasy football in week 2. Good luck to all as the season begins to ramp up!