Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Decisions for Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Fantasy managers who didn't get off to a fast start in Week 1 shouldn't be discouraged. It's always a tricky slate to navigate since roles, game plans and player rotations are completely unknown.

Seriously, who anticipated the Philadelphia Eagles essentially ignoring their wide receivers against the rival Dallas Cowboys?

Week 2 may also be challenging, but we at least have a better idea of how teams plan to use their players—the Jacksonville Jaguars, it would seem, have decided they don't want to use Tank Bigbsy at all.

It's always worth leaning on the big names, though. Players like A.J. Brown and Ja'Marr Chase will bounce back. Here, you'll find start/sit recommendations for some of this week's fringe starters.

Start: Cedric Tillman at Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/David Richard

To the surprise of exactly no one, the Cleveland Browns found a way to lose in Week 1. However, their passing attack actually looked potent against the Cincinnati Bengals—aside from the multiple drops that led to turnovers.

Cedric Tillman, who is rostered in only 28 percent of Yahoo leagues and 43 percent of ESPN leagues, has established himself as the No. 2 wideout in that passing attack. He had five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

As long as he is healthy, and Joe Flacco is behind center for the Browns, Tillman has legitimate flex/fringe value.

Now, there's a good chance that Cleveland feels the wrath of the Baltimore Ravens this week—the Ravens, if you weren't aware, blew their Week 1 game in Browns-ian fashion—and loses convincingly. However, that doesn't change the fact that Tillman has a high ceiling against a Baltimore defense that struggled against the Buffalo Bills.

Baltimore allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in Week 1.

Sit: Rashid Shaheed vs. San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

The New Orleans Saints also lost in Week 1 but didn't look half-bad against the Arizona Cardinals. Spencer Rattler played anything but a perfect game but spread the ball around well and gave New Orleans a chance to win it at the end.

In other words, the Saints did not look like the worst team in football, as many might have expected.

This doesn't mean that New Orleans will be a fantasy gold mine this season. Alvin Kamara is a must-start when healthy, but managers probably shouldn't expect huge production from the Saints' receivers each and every week. This week, they should be out on wideout Rashid Shaheed.

While Shaheed had six catches in Week 1, he also had just 33 yards. This week, he'll face a much tougher matchup with the San Francisco 49ers coming to town. San Francisco's defense has been re-energized by the return of coordinator Robert Saleh, and it showed on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

Start: Travis Etienne at Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/John Raoux

With Bigsby now in Philadelphia, the Jaguars are poised to lean even more heavily on Travis Etienne Jr.—rookie Bhayshul Tuten is also worth a serious look on the waiver wire.

Following a 156-yard outing against the Carolina Panthers, Etienne will be a top waiver target in leagues where he's available, roughly 12 percent of Yahoo leagues and 20 percent of ESPN leagues. However, managers may be wary about this week's matchup.

The revamped Bengals defense looked quite good against the run in Week 1. It limited the Browns to just 49 yards rushing on 24 attempts. Cincinnati will also have the benefit of home-field advantage.

Managers should trust Etienne's ability to add receptions in Week 2. He only had three catches against Carolina, but the Panthers were also ahead throughout the game. The Bengals, meanwhile, allowed Browns rookie back Dylan Sampson to tally eight receptions and 93 scrimmage yards. Etienne should be a strong start in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues.

Sit: Isiah Pacheco vs. Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Last Thursday, the Eagles surrendered 119 rushing yards to a Cowboys team that simply couldn't move the ball on the ground a year ago. Therefore, managers may feel confident in Kansas City Chiefs back Isiah Pacheco at home against Philly this week.

It shouldn't. While the Eagles did allow Dallas to compile yards, it only allowed a handful of chunk plays. 49 of those 119 yards came on a single Miles Sanders run.

Pacheco, meanwhile, simply didn't see a ton of work in Kansas City's opener. He logged a mere five carries s the Chiefs took a pass-first approach, and he only caught two passes. Kareem Hunt saw the exact same number of carries, receptions and targets (3).

While Kansas City might not maintain a 50-50 backfield split all season, it's impossible to trust Pacheco's workload heading into Week 2. It's also hard to trust Kansas City taking a run-heavy approach against a defense with a top-tier defensive front. The Eagles still have questions in their secondary. The Chiefs, despite some questionable receiver depth, should look to take advantage there.

*Fantasy roster and scoring information from FantasyPros.