Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 2

Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 2

Fantasy Football doesn’t really get going until we get to see a full week of real NFL action with the starters. But the goal for week two is not to overreact to rust and sloppy performances from the week before. The knee-jerk reaction can force fantasy managers to mess up their team fast. Make changes, but stay calm and trust your guys. You drafted them for a reason; there is no need to panic. 

Start ‘EM

Tyler Shough

Week 2 Matchup: at Ravens

Tyler Shough put together a career day in the Saints’ overtime loss to Detroit, completing 35 of 56 passes for 410 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s a big arm on display in a genuine shootout, and it’s the kind of week that tends to repeat itself when the surrounding roster isn’t good enough to hold leads.

New Orleans looks like a team that will trail often in 2026, and that usually means plenty of garbage-time volume for whoever is throwing the ball. Shough travels to Baltimore in Week 2, and his fantasy outlook is trending up.

Jadarian Price

Week 2 Matchup: at Cardinals

Price, the Seahawks’ first-round back, was the most effective runner on the field in the opener against New England, breaking off gains when sometimes holes weren’t even there. With Darnold sidelined, expect Seattle to lean more on the ground game to protect the backup quarterback, and that points toward a real breakout opportunity for Price against an Arizona front that was already a target for opposing rushers in Week 1.

J.K Dobbins

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Jaguars

Denver’s Week 1 performance was ugly across the board, and Dobbins was limited to eight touches in the loss to Kansas City. The bigger story might be off the field. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb took heavy criticism for his play-calling debut, and there’s real chatter that Sean Payton could take back play-calling duties if things don’t improve fast. Don’t bench Dobbins against Jacksonville. Bad opening scripts get overcorrected more often than not, and a bounce-back game at home is very much in play.

Chuba Hubbard

Week 2 Matchup: at Panthers

Offseason chatter pointed to Hubbard losing his grip on the Panthers’ backfield. Week 1 said otherwise. He handled 13 touches and scored twice against Chicago, and he looked every bit the clear starter in Carolina’s offense. Trust that role again against Atlanta in Week 2.

Jaylen Warren

Week 2 Matchup: at Patriots

Warren didn’t deliver the ceiling game some were hoping for in the opener, but he still averaged a healthy 4.6 yards per carry and drew 6 targets in the passing game. That’s a real role in both facets of Pittsburgh’s offense, even on a day that didn’t fill the box score. Start ‘Em Week two

Matthew Golden

Week 2 Matchup: at Jets

Golden played 82 percent of Green Bay’s offensive snaps and led the team with 12 targets in the opener. He and Christian Watson are quickly becoming the focal points of this passing game, and that kind of role travels well to New York in Week 2. The Matthew Golden fantasy trajectory is pointing toward a true WR2 role in Green Bay sooner than expected.

Dontayvion Wicks (Flex)

Week 2 Matchup: at Titans

Wicks was one of our recommended sleeper starts that actually panned out in Week 1, playing 91 percent of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps in his first game with the team. That kind of playing time confirms he’s the clear No. 2 receiver in this offense, not a one-week fluke. Start him against Tennessee.

Devaughn Vele (Flex)

Week 2 Matchup: at Ravens

An extra overtime quarter padded the stats, but the role behind those stats is real. Vele played 91 percent of New Orleans’s offensive snaps and drew 9 targets in the loss to Detroit. This Saints offense looks like it’s going to throw a lot and trail often, which is a good combination for fantasy production across the passing game. Vele heads to Baltimore in Week 2 as part of that equation.

Stefon Diggs

Week 2 Matchup: at Cowboys

Philadelphia’s cornerbacks made life difficult Week 1, yet Diggs still found the end zone in his Commanders debut. The matchup in Week 2 against Dallas is huge in terms of the NFC East standings, and Diggs should see the target volume needed to build on a solid first showing.

Juwan Johnson

Week 2 Matchup: at Ravens

Johnson played 84 percent of New Orleans’s offensive snaps and drew 7 targets in the opener, capping the day with a touchdown catch in the final minutes. That’s the kind of workload that matters more than the box score line on any given week. If a tight end is needed off the waiver wire, Johnson’s volume makes him worth a look heading into the Baltimore game.

Bengals

Week 2 Matchup: at Texans

C.J. Stroud holds the ball too long, and he already put two fumbles on tape in Houston’s Week 1 loss. Cincinnati’s pass rush is built to take advantage of exactly that kind of hesitation. Expect pressure to translate into sacks and forced mistakes, with a real shot at multiple takeaways against a quarterback who is prone to them.

Sit ‘EM

Drake Maye

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Steelers

A.J. Brown’s high-ankle sprain is expected to sideline him for roughly a month plus, and that’s a serious blow to New England’s passing game. Maye is a talented young quarterback with a real future, but he hasn’t yet shown he can operate this offense at a high level without his top receiver on the field. Sit him until he proves otherwise.

Jeremiyah Love

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Seahawks

If Love is filling a flex spot, look elsewhere this week. He didn’t see much playing time in Arizona’s opener, and the matchup against a Seattle defense that got extra rest off a Wednesday season opener doesn’t look favorable for a bigger role to suddenly show up.

Devin Singletary

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Rams

Singletary was a factor in the passing game last week and found the end zone, but he’s currently ticketed as the Giants’ third option in the backfield. That’s not a role you can trust as a weekly starter

Rashee Rice

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Colts

Rice was on the field for Kansas City’s opener, but he didn’t do much with it, managing just two targets in a game where the Chiefs leaned heavily on the ground. This week brings an even tougher assignment against Sauce Gardner, who has already shown in Indianapolis that he’s capable of shutting down a team’s top receiving option. Between the coverage and Kansas City’s apparent run-first approach, this isn’t the week to trust Rice.

Oronde Gadsden

Week 2 Matchup: vs. Raiders

Gadsden is being started in roughly 10% of leagues right now, and that number should be closer to zero. Los Angeles has a crowded tight end room, and nothing from Week 1 suggests he’s carved out the kind of role that justifies a fantasy start. Let him prove it on the field first.

Disclaimer: A note before you dive in: every league is different. Scoring formats, roster sizes, and starting lineup requirements all vary widely from one league to the next, and a matchup that looks unplayable in a standard format might be an easy start in a shallow league with a thin bench or a unique scoring setup. Treat everything below as a directional guide built on real matchup analysis, not a set of rules, and weigh it against your league’s specifics before making a call.