Fantasy Football Week 2 Start Em Sit Em: Who Plays and Who Rides the Bench?

The first week of the NFL season had fantasy football owners singing the praises of some like Kenny Britt, while cursing the names of others like Chris Johnson.

There were a ton of surprising performances in the fantasy landscape for the season's inaugural week, and there's no doubt that there will be a new wave of them in the following week of action as well.

With some ready to buy into the hype of breakout performers and others ready to write off those that laid an egg, there's still plenty of time left in the season, and it's far too early for any owner to turn against a player.

Here's some names to gravitate toward, as well as stay away from, as we roll forward in the 2011-12 NFL campaign.

Start 'Em: Ben Roethlisberger, QB Pittsburgh

Week 2 Matchup: Seattle (home)

Roethlisberger looked miserable against a tough Baltimore defense that swallowed the Steelers whole, but it's a good bet that he'll bounce back against the Seahawks in the next one.

Pittsburgh is going to be looking to come out and make a statement after taking a shellacking at the hands of its division rival, and the Seahawks looked miserable against San Francisco in the team's first game of the season.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Roethlisberger fire upwards of 250 yards and three touchdowns in his next one, so make sure you think twice about having him riding pine.

Sit 'Em: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago

Week 2 Matchup: New Orleans (road)

I know that a lot of owners with Cutler on the bench this week are kicking themselves right now, but let's be honest—on what logical ground did Cutler provide us to grant him a place in the starting lineup based on what we saw last season?

That's what I thought.

The much-maligned quarterback showed that he could be the man for the Bears, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns against Atlanta, but it's going to be tough for him to repeat those numbers when the Bears march into New Orleans with the Saints sill looking for the first win of the season.

Start 'Em: Jahvid Best, RB, Detroit

Week 2 Matchup: Kansas City (home)

A lot of owners were taking a wait-and-see approach with Best as he came off a concussion from the preseason, but he didn't show any ill effects against Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Best got a total of 25 touches on the afternoon and piled up 114 total yards on the afternoon. When Matthew Stafford throws for over 300 yards and Best is still that involved, it's a good sign for his fantasy stock going forward.

With the Lions going up against a Chiefs team that looked absolutely pitiful in front of its home crowd against Buffalo, look for Best to come out of the gates running as the Lions debut in front of the Detroit faithful.

Sit 'Em: LeGarrette Blount, RB, Tampa Bay

Week 2 Matchup: Minnesota (road)

There were a lot of high hopes being pinned on the shoulders of Blount after he was a pleasant surprise for Tampa last season, but he really disappointed owners that invested highly in him.

Blount wasn't even the leading rusher on his own team (that honor went to QB Josh Freeman), managing just 15 yards on the ground without a single reception.

He's not an explosive runner and his running the football isn't essential to Tampa's success, so his playing time dwindles with the team trailing.

Jared Allen is waiting for Blount in Minnesota in licking his lips in the process.

Start 'Em: Mario Manningham, WR, New York

Week 2 Matchup: St. Louis (home)

Manningham was one of the most popular sleepers coming out of the preseason, but he snoozed through Sunday's matchup against Washington and managed just 49 receiving yards.

In his defense, the entire Giants offense was less than inspiring outside of Hakeem Nicks' performance, but that isn't a trend that should carry over for an extended period of time.

Eli Manning is going to have to air out a lot this season for the Giants to remain competitive, and a tasty matchup against St. Louis should be exactly the medicine that Manningham needs to re-vitalize his stats and make fantasy owners happy.

Sit 'Em: Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee

Week 2 Matchup: Baltimore (home)

Britt's stat line from Sunday against Jacksonville may be one of the most misleading in an extremely long time.

The charismatic wide receiver got extraordinarily lucky on his 80-yard touchdown "reception," and QB Matt Hasselbeck didn't look like a gunslinger that was capable of utilizing Britt's downfield speed.

The Titans might be looking for the first win, but it's almost certainly not going to come against a Baltimore defense that appears to be on a major mission this season.

Some owners may not want to bench Britt coming off of a huge week, but if you decide to leave him active, just be prepared for a potential serious decrease in production.

Start 'Em: Fred Davis, TE, Washington

Week 2 Matchup: Arizona (home)

While several were fixated on the status of Chris Cooley for this game, his presence on the field was incredibly overshadowed by fellow tight end Fred Davis.

Clearly Rex Grossman's go-to receiver throughout the game, Davis stepped up in a big way for the Redskins and hauled in five balls for an impressive 105-yard effort that helped guide his team to a win.

Davis has clearly asserted himself as the tight end to own in Washington, and owners are encouraged to hit the waiver wire with aggression to land Davis, who has serious TE1 potential as the season progresses.

Sit 'Em: Marcedes Lewis, TE, Jacksonville

Week 2 Matchup: New York Jets (road)

Some owners were looking from a strong initial showing from Lewis after he came on strong for the Jaguars last season, but his effort fell a little short against Tennessee.

He caught just two balls for 28 yards before being forced from the game in the third quarter due to cramps, but the injury was later revealed to be a potential calf strain.

If the latter diagnosis is accurate, Lewis' status for the second week of the season could be in serious question, but even if he plays, it sounds like he'll be less than 100 percent.

With all of that in mind and going up against an intimidating Jets defense, owners should look elsewhere to see if there's a better bet for production.

Start 'Em: Billy Cundiff, K, Baltimore

Week 2 Matchup: Tennessee (road)

Cundiff gets overlooked by some owners because he isn't the "sexiest" of picks, but he has really seemed to have found a home with the Ravens.

Looking locked in, Cundiff knocked in two chip-shot field goals and three extra points against the Steelers, and that should be considered a conservative estimate for what he should produce on a week-to-week basis.

Going up against the Titans in Tennessee next week, the Ravens might have a few more field-goal opportunities than they did in a lopsided game against Pittsburgh, and that would bode very well for Cundiff's owners.

Sit 'Em: Adam Vinatieri

Week 2 Matchup: Cleveland (home)

The Colts offense looks miserable (putting it lightly) with Kerry Collins at the helm, and only Reggie Wayne escaped the Houston beat down with serviceable fantasy value for owners.

Vinatieri missed his only field goal attempt against the Texans, and just one extra point isn't going to cut it for fantasy owners looking for crucial points from the kicker position.

There should be a ton of other kickers that present more tantalizing matchups, and Vinatieri's shot of having fantasy value went out the window with Peyton Manning's most recent neck surgery.

Start 'Em: Pittsburgh Defense and Special Teams

Week 2 Matchup: Seattle (home)

I'm well aware that the Pittsburgh defensive unit was eaten alive by the Ravens offense in Week 1, but this unit is simply too talented to be torched like that on a regular basis.

With the team seeking its first win of the season and making its home debut, the Steelers defense should be fired up and ready to eat Tavaris Jackson alive when the Seahawks come to town next week.

Pittsburgh is going to be looking to send an emphatic message to Seattle, Baltimore and the rest of the league that has any inclination to believe that they're over the hill, and I have a ton of confidence that they will bounce back very favorably for owners.

Sit 'Em: Chicago Defense and Special Teams

Week 2 Matchup: New Orleans (road)

The Chicago defense had an impressive day against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, but that doesn't mean they're going to be this good consistently.

There's plenty of talent in this unit, but they've got an awfully big test in front of them against a dynamic Saints offense that is not going to back down from anyone lining up against them.

Brees torched a very skilled Green Bay defense for 419 yards and three touchdowns, and I just don't see a scenario where a questionable Chicago secondary can keep up with the incredible depth that the Packers boast in the receiving corps.