Fantasy Football Start Em Sit Em Week 2: Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin a Smart Start?

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered from a lack of targets in the team's Week 1 win over the St. Louis Rams. The former first-round pick caught just one pass for 20 yards, despite being on the field for the entire game.

The Eagles are easing Maclin into their offense gradually after he missed all of training camp and the preseason. However, this might not be the best strategy for the team, or for Maclin.

As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, Maclin might just be the most important receiver on the team:

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"Yes, DeSean Jackson stretches the defense and can score from almost anywhere on the field. But it's Maclin's precise intermediate routes that force safeties to play up and make the home run to Jackson possible."

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In 2010, Maclin led the Eagles receiving corps in every significant statistical category other than yardage. However, in Week 1, he was targeted less than both DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant.

That being said, starting this week against the Atlanta Falcons, his numbers should go up.

Quarterback Michael Vick completed just 44 percent of his passes in Week 1, and the lack of targets to Maclin are definitely a significant factor.

While it is a risky play to start Maclin this week, I believe it will pay off. If you have a three wide receiver league, putting him as your WR3 would be a smart move.

In their last two meetings, Maclin caught 11 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, with those TDs coming in their most recent go. Look for him to have similar success against Atlanta this week; it is doubtful that his targets will remain as low as they did in Week 1.