Fantasy Football Week 2: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

Well, Week 1 in fantasy football was…something.

At running back, chalk mostly ruled the day. Four of the top five backs taken in most drafts amassed stat lines worthy of their slot. As to the one who didn't (Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants), better days are all but certainly coming.

At wide receiver, the word of the week was "ouch." Not only did Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints catch just three passes for 17 yards, but he also suffered an ankle injury that could cost him multiple games. Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is in the concussion protocol, and it's currently unknown if he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

At least Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers went off, catching 14 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

It was a typical Week 1, in that it was anything but typical. For every thing that went according to plan, two did not. And that left many fantasy managers looking at a 0-1 hole as they ready themselves for Week 2.

Well, I'm here to help you get the season back on track. To navigate the injuries and dud performers to set a lineup that will get your fantasy squad back to .500.

Or help keep it undefeated. Don't brag. It's unseemly.

As I do every week during fantasy football season, I have combed through user questions on the Bleacher Report app to single some out that will help you identify which player should be in starting lineups and who should be holding the proverbial clipboard.

Let's get to it, starting with a wide receiver question that frankly made me a little jealous.

2 from 4

From the Bleacher Report App

As problems go, this isn't a bad one to have.

Admittedly, Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals and Marvin Jones of the Detroit Lions didn't do a lot for fantasy managers in Week 1. The pair combined for just eight catches for 88 yards in their respective season openers.

But with Kenny Golladay banged up, Jones is the No. 1 wide receiver for a Lions team that will likely be playing from behind in Green Bay on Sunday. Boyd has topped 1,000 receiving yards each of the past two years and may just need some time to build a rapport with rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.

With that said though, that pair of receivers should both be glued to this particular bench in Week 2, because the other two options are spicy.

D.J. Chark of the Jacksonville Jaguars was only targeted three times in last week's stunning win over the Indianapolis Colts. But one of those catches went for a score, and he's the unquestioned No. 1 receiver for the Jags.

Calvin Ridley, on the other hand, went off in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Atlanta Falcons wideout reeled in nine of 12 targets for 130 yards and two scores.

Those are every-week, must-start numbers.

The Call: D.J. Chark (DraftKings DFS Value $6,000), Calvin Ridley (DraftKings DFS Value $6,800)

The Injury Blues

From the Bleacher Report App

Injuries are an unfortunate fact of life in both the NFL and fantasy football. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles, who are already reeling from a dizzying array of them heading into what's now something of a must-win game against the Los Angeles Rams.

According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, there is "decent hope" running back Miles Sanders will be able to play against the Rams. Even if he does go, though, Sanders could be on a snap count as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. Still, it's hard to sit a second-round pick if he's active this early in the season.

For argument's sake, we'll work here under the assumption that Sanders misses another week, leaving us with three backs who were all pleasant surprises in Week 1.

James Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars had a decent NFL debut last week against the Colts, and the Tennessee Titans are at least a slightly favorable fantasy matchup for running backs. But if the Jags fall behind, Robinson could cede touches to passing-down back Chris Thompson. So we'll pass on him.

Pass on Malcolm Brown of the Los Angeles Rams, too. Brown emerged as the top back in L.A. last week, scoring twice against the Dallas Cowboys. But the Philadelphia Eagles are much easier to throw on than run against. Look for the Rams to attack the Eagles through the air.

That leads us to Nyheim Hines of the Indianapolis Colts. With Marlon Mack out, Jonathan Taylor will draw the start for Indy against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.

But as his 15 touches last week against the Jaguars showed, Hines is going to remain an important part of the Colts offense, especially if this game turns into a shootout.

It's close, but Hines is the play here.

The Call: Nyheim Hines (DraftKings DFS Value $5,300)

Mo' Money

From the Bleacher Report App

My man Lunch_Money has problems.

This isn't a terrible list to pick from, for what it's worth. There are two players we can nix from consideration fairly quickly: Washington running back Antonio Gibson and Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley.

Both rookies had their moments in their first game in the pros. But the Chargers will likely be forced to go pass-heavy against the Kansas City Chiefs, and while the Washington offense looked better than expected against the Eagles, the backfield remains a major question mark.

Benny Snell of the Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, is a go. With James Conner sidelined by injury, Snell gained 113 yards on 19 carries against the New York Giants and looked good doing it. The Denver Broncos are a decent defensive football team, but they did just allow over 100 rushing yards to Derrick Henry.

That leaves a trio of wide receivers vying for the final spot. DeVante Parker of the Miami Dolphins would normally be an easy call, but he's banged up and about to face a Buffalo Bills team that gave up the fourth-fewest PPR points to wide receivers last year. Allen Lazard had a good game for the Packers last week against Minnesota, but the target share for Green Bay's secondary receivers can fluctuate wildly from week to week.

That leaves Parris Campbell of the Colts, who led the team with nine targets last week and draws a Vikings secondary in Week 2 that looked all kinds of terrible against the Packers.

The Call: Benny Snell (DraftKings DFS Value $4,500), Parris Campbell (DraftKings DFS Value $4,500)

Don't Overthink

From the Bleacher Report App

One of the easiest pitfalls early in the fantasy football season is to overreact to what happens in Week 1.

That's what this feels like.

Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a down (by his standards) Week 1: one two-yard touchdown catch on four targets. But Evans was on the field for 65 of 70 snaps, which should allay concerns about his hamstring pull. And per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, head coach Bruce Arians indicated that getting Evans more involved in the offense this week is a priority.

Michael Gallup of the Dallas Cowboys is a talented young receiver coming off a career year. But Evans is one of two players in NFL history to top 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons. He also faces a Carolina Panthers defense Sunday that allowed the eighth-most PPR points to wide receivers in 2019.

The call at running back is another case of not overthinking things. Yes, David Johnson had a decent debut with the Houston Texans. Yes, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns has to share backfield work with Kareem Hunt.

But Chubb was second in the NFL in rushing last year and faces a Cincinnati Bengals team Thursday night that is so far fielding the league's 28th-ranked run defense. Johnson gets a Baltimore Ravens team that jackstomped the Texans 41-7 last season.

Enough said.

The Call: Nick Chubb (DraftKings DFS Value $6,200), Mike Evans (DraftKings DFS Value $6,400) 

Killing Me with Kindness

From the Bleacher Report App

First off, in all the time I've been doing this column, this has to be the most polite question I have ever received. People are usually more, um...yeah.

It's both refreshing and a little unsettling.

Second, Boston Scott over Calvin Ridley? That's going to leave a bruise on the old ego.

Still, all you do after a gaffe is dust yourself off and move on. So here we go.

This is actually a relatively easy call, even if Miles Sanders sits again in Week 2. Last week demonstrated pretty vividly just how much all the injuries have impacted the Philadelphia Eagles. Unless his name is Zach Ertz or Dallas Goedert, just about every player in Philly is a fade until that offense gets in gear.

Terry McLaurin's Week 1 stat line wasn't especially impressive: five receptions for 61 yards. But the second-year pro from Ohio State led all Washington wideouts with seven targets, and this week, "Scary Terry" draws an Arizona Cardinals team that was a top-10 fantasy matchup for wide receivers a year ago.

It's not hard to imagine Washington falling behind again this week. If that's the case, that 5/61 line is closer to McLaurin's floor than his ceiling.

The Call: Terry McLaurin (DraftKings DFS Value $5,900)

Living the Stream

From the Bleacher Report App

This is my kind of question. I've long been a proponent of taking advantage of the depth available to fantasy managers at the quarterback position and being patient in drafts. An extension of that is being really patient and just streaming matchup options like many folks do with defenses.

There are a few options available in the majority of fantasy leagues that have intriguing upside in Week 2.

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (DraftKings DFS Value $5,500)

Trubisky looked terrible for three quarters of Week 1's win over the Lions—right up until he peeled off three fourth-quarter touchdown passes. The Bears' Week 2 opponent, the New York Giants, allowed three scoring throws from Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1, and in 2019, the G-Men surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts (DraftKings DFS Value $5,900)

Rivers didn't look good at all in his Colts debut, throwing for 363 yards but just one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. With that said, the new-look secondary for the Minnesota Vikings looked even worse at home against the Packers. This has the makings of a "get right" game for the veteran.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (DraftKings DFS Value $5,600)

Given how bad Mayfield looked against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, this is not a call for the squeamish. But if ever there was a week for Mayfield to actually show up, it's Thursday night's tilt with a banged-up Cincinnati Bengals defense that gave up the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season.

Living the Stream, Part 2

From the Bleacher Report App

All right, all right, all right…more streaming questions!

This is the smart play with defenses. Wait until the end of drafts, grab a defense with a good matchup in Week 1 and then turn and burn off the waiver wire. That the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts both choked in favorable matchups in Week 1 doesn't change the soundness of the strategy.

The Washington defense looked fantastic against the Eagles on Sunday, sacking Carson Wentz eight times. Their Week 2 opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, also represented a favorable fantasy matchup for defenses in 2019, albeit only slightly.

Still, there are a couple of options that stand out in Week as potentially better plays than the WFT given how sharp Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense looked in San Francisco.

Arizona Cardinals (DraftKings DFS Value $3,000)

The Cardinals played pretty well defensively against the 49ers in Week 1, but this play is all about the matchup. I'm not ready to trust the NFC's worst offense in 2019 after one comeback win over an injury-ravaged Eagles team.

Los Angeles Rams (DraftKings DFS Value $2,800)

The Rams didn't pile up a ton of splash plays in their Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but they did hold the No. 1 offense in 2019 to just 17 points. The Eagles are a mess offensively due to injuries, and the team could be short a handful of starters again Sunday in their home opener.

Trapped in a Glass Case of Emotion

From the Bleacher Report App

If you don't get that joke, then I don't know what to tell you.

Stay classy.

The fiasco that was Wentz's performance against the Washington Football Team wasn't wholly his fault. Or even mostly his fault. There have been a ridiculous number of injuries in Philly, and Wentz was short his top two tackles, his starting running back and a pair of receivers.

The Eagles should have at least some of those players back against the Rams. But even if Philadelphia was at full strength, Wentz would be a sit in Week 2. The Rams did a good job defensively against Dak Prescott in Week 1, limiting him to 266 passing yards and one score.

That was against 2019's No. 1 offense  at full strength. Start Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, who faces a Denver Broncos team that's been hit by injuries to some key contributors on defense.

At tight end, it's premature to anoint Detroit's T.J. Hockenson or Tennessee's Jonnu Smith as matchup-proof every-week starters after just one game. Neither young tight end has a great matchup this week, but the Lions are more likely to be throwing a lot against a Green Bay Packers defense that allowed the 11th-most PPR points to tight ends in 2019.

If one of those tight ends shows the ability to consistently post top-10 numbers, then consider trading the other. But for now, just be glad to have depth at a position where it can be hard to come by.

The Call: Ben Roethlisberger (DraftKings DFS Value $6,300), T.J. Hockenson (DraftKings DFS Value $5,200)

DraftKings DFS Question of the Week

From the Bleacher Report App

There's going to be no shortage of DraftKings lineups in Week 2 with either Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys or Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills under center.

In Week 1, Allen (DraftKings DFS Value $6,700) lit up the New York Jets for 312 yards and two scores while adding another 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In some scoring systems, he was the No. 1 quarterback for the week.

Prescott (DraftKings DFS Value $6,800) didn't enjoy the same success, posting a relatively modest 266 yards passing with one touchdown and 30 rushing yards in a Sunday night loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But Week 2 sets up great for a bounce-back game when the Cowboys host an Atlanta Falcons team that was just embarrassed at home by Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.

That tilt with the Falcons is tempting; the Cowboys are desperate to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole and will likely come out guns blazing as a result. But as tasty as that matchup is, Allen's is even better. No team in the AFC gave up more fantasy points to quarterbacks last year than the Miami Dolphins.

The last time that Allen visited South Florida, he threw for 256 yards and three scores, ran for 56 yards and another touchdown and posted his biggest fantasy stat line of the 2019 campaign.

Plus, he's cheaper. That $100 could come in handy somewhere.

The Call: Josh Allen

Rapid Fire

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Now it's time to kick things into hurry-up mode and bang out some more questions rapid-fire style.

The only thing better than being wrong is being wrong and fast.

Slaussboss has a question at quarterback. "Should I start Matt Ryan or Cam [Newton]?"

If Week 1 is any indication, the New England Patriots are going to use Newton as a runner quite a bit. That doesn't hurt his fantasy value even a little. But Matt Ryan of the Falcons (DraftKings DFS Value $6,600) just topped 450 passing yards and travels to Dallas this week in a game with more than a little shootout potential.

It's flex help that mwin20 is looking for. "Kareem Hunt, D.J. Chark or Emmanuel Sanders?"

Not that long ago, Chark would have been the guy here. He's capable of a big week at any time and should see a bump in targets against the Titans. Kareem Hunt of the Browns is the high-floor play after getting 17 touches against the Ravens in Week 1. But I'm going to roll the dice here and say Emmanuel Sanders (DraftKings DFS Value $5,800), who will serve as the No. 1 receiver for the Saints against the Las Vegas Raiders with Michael Thomas on the shelf.

javontaelamar is looking for some assistance at wide receiver. "Robert Woods or Will Fuller PPR?"

There's no wrong answer here. Fuller showed his upside when healthy last week with eight catches for 112 yards on 10 targets last week against the Chiefs, while Robert Woods of the Rams caught six passes for 105 yards against the Cowboys. The edge here goes to Will Fuller (DraftKings DFS Value $6,300)—both receivers face tough challenges from Pro Bowl cornerbacks in Week 2, but Fuller is more likely to be force-fed targets by Deshaun Watson as the Texans play catch-up against the Ravens.

BayLegend is choosing between youth and experience in the backfield. "Should I start Melvin Gordon or Jonathan Taylor?"

Gordon was better than some expected in his debut for the Denver Broncos, and with Phillip Lindsay nursing a bum toe, he could see a featured back workload in Week 2. The problem is that workload comes against a Pittsburgh defense that just held Saquon Barkley to six yards on 15 carries. Jonathan Taylor (DraftKings DFS Value $5,700) of the Colts doesn't have a great matchup against the Vikings, but it's certainly better than six yards on 15 freaking carries.

Jonnypro is dealing with injuries at wide receiver. "If [Chris] Godwin is out with a concussion, Stefon Diggs or Sterling Shepard?"

That Godwin didn't show symptoms until Wednesday isn't a great sign for his Week 2 availability. If Week 1 was any indication, Darius Slayton (and not Shepard) is Daniel Jones' preferred target in New York. The Miami Dolphins have a solid pair of cornerbacks, but Buffalo's Stefon Diggs (DraftKings DFS Value $6,500) should get his after posting eight grabs for 86 yards on nine targets in his Bills debut.

killa_cam needs one of wide receivers to rebound in Week 2. "[Michael] Gallup or OBJ?"

As a Browns fan, it would be great if I could tell you that Odell Beckham was going to rebound after catching just three of 10 targets for 22 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. But at this point, we shouldn't believe a rebound is coming until we by-golly see it. Roll with Michael Gallup (DraftKings DFS Value $5,600) of the Cowboys in what could be Week 2's highest scoring game. The defense for the Atlanta Falcons is...not good.

mattynice1711 is in "tight end hell" (his words). "[Mike] Gesicki, [Chris] Herndon or pick up [Jonnu] Smith?"

After Tennessee's Jonnu Smith (DraftKings DFS Value $4,200) posted four catches for 36 yards and a score in Week 1, he's worth a look over Herndon—it's not a bad idea to divest as many shares of the putrid New York Jets offense as possible. Not only that, but Smith also is worth the Week 2 start against the Jaguars over Gesicki, whose Miami Dolphins face a Buffalo Bills team that gave up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2019.

DFS player salaries courtesy of DraftKings.

Fantasy scoring data courtesy of FFToday.

Fantasy points against data courtesy of My Fantasy League.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year.