All in all, Week 1 of the 2023-2024 season was most likely a very stressful time for a ton of fantasy football managers. Starts and sits will be more valuable than ever in the next few weeks.
With players like Drake London and Tee Higgins each having the same amount of points as myself, what is to make of them? Kyren Williams outplayed and out-snapped Cam Akers in Week 1. There is so much to take away from the first week of the regular season.
I, along with Fantrax Senior Writer, Michael Quintero, will deliver the best possible starts and sits to dominate Week 2 and have league-mates stressed.
Week 2 Starts and Sits
Quarterback Sits
Anthony Richardson @ Houston Texans (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Fantasy Football changes on a week-to-week basis. Not being biased and trusting your gut can go a long way. Last week, Anthony Richardson landed on the starts and sits but the better side of it. He delivered a QB4 performance in his first regular-season start.
Richardson had a 64% completion percentage with 40 rushing yards, two total touchdowns, and one interception. This was a nice sight to see for Richardson managers in dynasty leagues and for the bold ones who took him as their QB1 in redraft.
With that being said, Richardson is a sit for me this week due to the matchup in store. The Houston Texans allowed the fewest fantasy ppg to Quarterbacks last season and it continued in Week 1. The Texans gave up just 7.6 fantasy points to the former league MVP, Lamar Jackson.
Give credit to the Texans’ defense as this will continue all season. Richardson might be able to do something with his rushing ability, though. The Texans gave up the sixth most rushing yards to Quarterbacks in Week 1 and over 29 fantasy points on the ground.
Expect Richardson to have his first tough game of his young NFL career.
Dak Prescott vs. New York Jets (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Dak Prescott, welcome to starts and sits. It is safe to say that Josh Allen is a better Quarterback than Dak Prescott. The only problem is that the New York Jets in Week 1 forced four Josh Allen turnovers. Prescott has an all-time defense behind him and will not need to do much all season long, but Week 2 is different.
It is safe to say that even without Aaron Rodgers, the Jets will still be a tough win to get every single week. Prescott delivered a 6.3-point performance against the Giants in Week 1. He can thank his defense for the stellar performance. A QB29 finish lands Prescott as a sit.
The New York Jets will pose tremendous issues for Prescott as they did for Allen. Expect a defensive-minded battle with Prescott being outside the top 12 Quarterbacks once again in Week 2.
Running back sits
Brian Robinson @ Denver Broncos (@BrandonBlancoFF)
First of all, am I hurt because Antonio Gibson will most likely ever be a thing? Chances are yes. That does not change the fact that the Denver Broncos stuffed Josh Jacobs up in Week 1. Jacobs had 48 yards on 19 carries with an average of 2.53 YPC (yards per carry).
In Week 2, Robinson has to deal with a defense that, in general, allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to the position and just 50 total rush yards allowed to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Robinson delivered a top-15 finish in Week 1, but is an easy sit in what should be a low-scoring affair in Denver.
Breece Hall & Dalvin Cook @ Dallas Cowboys (@BrandonBlancoFF)
After Week 1, Breece Hall looks like Adrian Peterson when he took less than a year to come back from an ACL injury. Dalvin Cook looked average with 33 yards on 13 rushes. Hall on the other hand had over 100 rushing yards on just 10 carries (12.7 YPC) and was RB11 in Week 1.
The issue is that the Dallas Cowboys are their next opponent. Yes, with no Aaron Rodgers, the Jets will presumingly lean on both their running backs in Week 2. The Cowboys on the other hand stuffed up the New York Giants running game. They gave up just 51 yards on 12 carries to Saquon Barkley (RB31).
With a blowout, Barkley could not be used as much and the same will happen in Week 2. Daniel Jones did not get anything moving against the Cowboys. There is no way that Zach Wilson will do any differently which in the end, will slow down the Jets’ running backs.
Isiah Pacheco @ Jacksonville Jaguars (@BrandonBlancoFF)
The hype was never a thing to me. I think we all have been searching for the Chiefs’ next Kareem Hunt, but I think we will never get it. The offense is lethal WHEN Travis Kelce is on the field. Even with that, Pacheco does not warrant a start for me in any given week.
A 9.4-point performance with an RB30 finish against one of the better run defenses from last season was alright, but will never be enough. Pacheco runs extremely hard as if his job is on the line. That is because as a seventh-round running back, it probably is.
Now, in Week 2, the Chiefs face a team that allowed JUST 25 rushing yards and 8.7 points to the position. In what should be a high passing volume game for both teams, sit Pacheco confidently in Week 2.
Khalil Herbert @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@WeekendMike)
I was high on Khalil Herbert this year, but after seeing how the Bears used him in Week 1, he will not be a fantasy impact player this year. Herbert only had 27 snaps last week and that evens out to 36%. Meanwhile, Roschon Johnson had 29 snaps. So, it seems this will be a 50/50 committee, with Justin Fields taking all the rushing attempts.
I knew Fields was the number one running back on the Bears. But, I still thought Herbert could be explosive, as we’ve seen in the past. And it only gets worse for Herbert this week. Tampa Bay looked elite at stopping the run game last week. Holding the Vikings to a total of 41 rushing yards and no touchdowns. Alexander Mattison did score, but it was on a receiving touchdown. So, all signs point to Fields scrambling all game and playing catchup, while Herbert and Johnson split carries.
Wide Receiver sits
Garrett Wilson @ Dallas Cowboys (@BrandonBlancoFF)
A week into the NFL season and I will already get labeled a crazy man. Garrett Wilson gets the sit in Week 2 simply because of who his Quarterback is. Wilson, is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL, but only so much can be accomplished with Zach Wilson as the starting Quarterback.
Garrett Wilson finished as the WR22 in Week 1 because of a game-tying touchdown near the end of regulation. A 14.4-point performance does not move the needle for a receiver who most had as a top-five wide-out for the new season.
With Zach Wilson now under center due to the Aaron Rodgers season-ending injury, Garrett Wilson will no longer be a lineup lock this season. It starts with Week 2’s matchup against the number one fantasy defense from Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys gave up just 41 yards to the Giants’ receivers in Week 1 and allowed Daniel Jones to have just 110 passing yards and 4.7 fantasy points. Daniel Jones is a better Quarterback than Zach Wilson.
Let’s say a prayer for Garrett Wilson and Zach Wilson. It is going to be a long Week 2 and Garrett Wilson, painfully makes the sits in starts and sits.
Courtland Sutton vs. Washington Commanders (@BrandonBlancoFF)
The Washington Commanders allowed just 80 yards to receivers in Week 1 and the Denver Broncos ended up losing to the Las Vegas Raiders. No Jerry Jeudy means Courtland Sutton gets an uptick in volume, or does he?
Sutton was tied for second in targets and had one touchdown. That touchdown was nice but his numbers were not. A touchdown helped Sutton finish as the WR27. Without the five-yard score, plus the point for a catch, Sutton would have been the WR68.
Now, enters a stiff Commanders defense all around. Lower expectations for the Broncos in Week 2 and keep Sutton on the bench.
Drake London vs Green Bay Packers (@BrandonBlancoFF)
It is safe to say that Arthur Smith does not care about our fantasy teams and another year of Drake London might as well be labeled lost already. In Week 1, London saw ONE target with ZERO catches. A good, old donut for the second year wide-out.
In Week 2, it does not get any easier as Jaire Alexander will be on London. The same Packers secondary who allowed just two catches on two targets to DJ Moore. The Packers allowed just 92 yards to receivers and will be more focused on the Falcons run game than a receiver who will likely get less than two catches.
Drake London was one of the breakout candidates this season and after Week 1, Drake London might never see anyone’s starting lineup for the rest of the NFL season.
George Pickens vs. Cleveland Browns (@WeekendMike)
I have to admit, I was not on the George Pickens hype train this year. I knew Diontae Johnson would be the prime receiver, but now it looks as if he will miss the next couple of weeks. So that means we should start Pickens? No, the answer is to sit him.
I will say the Browns caught the Bengals off guard last week, but this Browns defense is no joke. Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit and Greg Newsome II are all lockdown defensive backs along with the pass rush of Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith. The Steelers are running into another San Francisco type of defense and we all saw what the 49ers did to the Steelers.
Pickens saw seven targets, while Allen Robinson II saw eight and Calvin Austin III saw six. So the ball is getting spread around and there is no number-one receiver on this team. I would sit Pickens, given he is going against an elite defense.
Tight-end sits
Kyle Pitts vs. Green Bay Packers (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Just like Drake London, another season of Kyle Pitts might be lost. Arthur Smith is a run-heavy coach, but I think he even enjoys throwing to this running back more than generational tight-end, Kyle Pitts.
Pitts saw just TWO catches on four targets. A player selected in the top FOUR should have TE1 numbers, but with Arthur Smith, I do not think that will ever come true. Pitts now faces a Packers team who gave up 9.4 fantasy points in Week 1 to tight ends.
The issue I have is the Packers can’t ever stop the run. They allowed 33.3 fantasy points to the Chicago Bear running backs and the Atlanta Falcons possess the better running back room.
Expect Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to have monstrous games while the rest of us stress over Kyle Pitts receiving less than five targets with two catches in Week 2.
Two weeks into the NFL season and the questions of if you should bench Kyle Pitts have already started. The answer is yes, bench Kyle Pitts not because of his talent, but because of the system he is in. Do not have hope like last season. Realize the pain and grow from it.
Tyler Higbee vs. San Francisco 49ers (@BrandonBlancoFF)
This week starts and sits features yet another player on the wrong side of it. Tyler Higbee had a real good shot at a nice Week 1 against a Seattle Seahawks team who gave up the second most fantasy ppg to TE’s last season. This past week, things went completely opposite of that.
Higbee finished as the TE14 and finished fourth in targets for the Rams. Rookie receiver Puka Nacua led the way with 15 targets, followed by Tutu Atwell and then Van Jefferson. With just three targets and three catches for 49 yards for Higbee, it does not get any easier in Week 2.
The Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners just dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers and held Pat Freiermuth to just 7.3 points (TE17). With the linebacker crew of the 49ers, fade Tyler Higbee and pick up one of these two sleepers you can find in the tight end start section for Week 2’s starts and sits.
Quarterback starts
Brock Purdy @ Los Angeles Rams (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Now, I am a Trey Lance believer, but also a realist. Lance was not up to par for the 49ers and that is why they eventually moved on and stuck with Brock Purdy as the starting Quarterback.
With good reasoning, Purdy, coming off elbow surgery was surgical, no pun intended vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. Purdy ended the matchup with two touchdowns, a 111.3 Quarterback rating, and 220 yards (QB10). The weapons in this 49ers offense help a tremendous amount.
Christian McCaffrey is RB3 and Brandon Aiyuk is WR2 after the dominant Week 1 win. Then, there is George Kittle and Deebo Samuel who still had a 20% and 24% target share, just quiet outings. The 49ers get the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 and this is a much better offense than what the Rams faced in Week 1.
Purdy is currently the QB14 on the Fantrax Quarterback weekly rankings and I expect him to deliver another QB1 performance. Fantrax senior writer, Lauren Auerbach pointed out that Brock Purdy has thrown under 250 passing yards in all but one game since Week 13 of last season, but has thrown at least two touchdowns in that seven-game span including last week.
Start Brock Purdy in confidence and watch one of the more consistent Quarterbacks go to work in his first ever regular season matchup against the Rams.
Geno Smith @ Detroit Lions (@BrandonBlancoFF)
A tough Week 1 outing for Geno Smith (QB25) has managers worried, but they should not be. I think the Rams surprised a ton of teams with the performance they put on without Cooper Kupp.
Now, the Seahawks get another challenge in Week 2. They face off against one of the more exciting teams dating back to last season, the Detroit Lions. The same Lions team that gave up the eighth-most fantasy points to Patrick Mahomes in Week 1.
Look for Geno Smith to have a bounce-back game in Week 2 and not write back to the haters who think last year was a fluke.
Running back starts
Tyler Allgeier vs. Green Bay Packers (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Once Bijan Robinson got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, consensus, including myself, thought this was the end of the road for Tyler Allgeier. A Week 1 where both Allgeier and Robinson each finished as a RB1, there is hope after all.
Arthur Smith is a run-first coach. We can go back to his time with the Titans and the King of running backs, Derrick Henry. Now, he has Robinson and Allgeier. This is like having a cupcake with frosting and adding extra frosting and I mean a whole lot of extra frosting.
Both of the Falcons’ running backs can both produce starting numbers for Fantasy Football teams and the party continues in Week 2 against my GreenBay Packers.
The Packers truly cannot even stop a parked car. The running game has been an issue for years and it was the same issue in a Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears.
The Packers stood strong in defending the pass but allowed 33.3 fantasy points (fourth most) in Week 2 to the Bears’ running backs. Now, with a better rushing attack, Allgeier is set to deliver another top-15 performance in Week 2. Start him even with Bijan Robinson there and be confident that this run-first offense delivers another great running performance.
Deon Jackson @ Houston Texans (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Deon Jackson was not very efficient in his 18 touches during the Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars. With that being said, the volume was still there, and with a Zack Moss return, this can mean good things. Jackson was top five in opportunity share in Week 1 even with the terrible rushing stats.
Moss possibly returning can mean good things for Jackson. The last time both of them were on the field together was against the Texans in last season’s finale. Both Moss and Jackson were able to finish as an RB1. In Week 2, against the same Texans team who just gave up 29 fantasy points and three rushing touchdowns against the Ravens running backs.
In their last matchup against the Texans, Moss finished as RB2 and Jackson was the RB8. Both of them deserve a start in what should be a tough outing for Anthony Richardson.
Jamaal Williams @ Carolina Panthers (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Once again, a player from the sits in Week 1 has found themselves in the starts section of starts and sits in Week 2. Jamaal Williams had a tough experience vs the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. An RB38 finish with 45 yards and 2.5 YPC (yards per carry) leaves room for a bounceback in Week 2.
Williams faces a Panthers team that just allowed the Falcons’ two running backs to each finish as an RB1 to kick off the new NFL season. Now, in a Monday night matchup for rookie Bryce Young, I expect the Saints to be all over the Panthers from the start of the game.
Start Williams with another week of no Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller easing his way into a role. Williams should deliver a top-24 performance with a touchdown as well to make up for his poor Week 1 performance.
James Conner vs. New York Giants (@WeekendMike)
James Conner didn’t have a spectacular Week 1 performance, but he did have the volume. He still had 14 rushing attempts for 62 yards and also hauled in all five of his targets for 8 yards. The Cardinals couldn’t move the ball, but it is Week 1 and to know that Conner is going to be the workhorse, is promising. Conner also played 52 snaps last week which came out to 84% of the Cardinals drives. The only other running back that had a higher percentage was Christian McCaffrey.
This week Conner has the Giants, who just got blown out by the Cowboys. I expect the Giants to play better this week, but they did give up 24.4 fantasy points to the Cowboy running backs last week. And if Conner is on the field 85% of the time, then his fantasy points will skyrocket this week. Make sure to start and not sit Conner this week. He is a high-end RB2 for Week 2.
Wide Receiver starts
Zay Jones vs. Kansas City Chiefs (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Before the season started, the thought was that Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram were the top three options for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After Week 1, things look fairly different.
Kirk had just one catch in the Jaguars Week 1 victory. Calving Ridley led the way with a 34% target share, followed by, not Evan Engram or Kirk, but Zay Jones with a 21% target share.
Now, the Jaguars host the defending champions after they just suffered a Week 1 loss. It is safe to say that Mahomes and the rest of his team will be coming with one mindset which will be to dominate.
Chris Jones also signed a one-year deal to be back with the Chiefs as well. Safe to say that this Week 2 matchup of the Chiefs against the Jaguars has all the making of game of the week.
Set Zay Jones in your lineup and expect Ridley to be the obvious number-one target for Trevor Lawrence, but keep Jones in mind when he delivers another 7-plus target game with a top-24 finish.
Josh Reynolds vs Seattle Seahawks (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Josh Reynolds and every other Lions’ receiver not named Amon-Ra St. Brown does not get that much recognition, but Reynolds performed well in Week 1. A WR30 finish sits well with me as Reynolds was outside the top 36 to start the NFL season.
With Marvin Jones not capitalizing on his targets in Week 1, Reynolds stepped in as the teams WR2 and should continue to see decent volume until Jameson Williams returns from suspension.
The Seahawks got torched by Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua and allowed 46.2 fantasy points with over 260 yards to the Rams’ receivers in Week 1.
Nico Collins vs. Indianapolis Colts (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Nico Collins saw a team-high 25% target share and a career-high 11 targets in CJ Stroud’s debut. It is safe to say that this is the best Quarterback Nico Collins has ever played with and the Texans are set to be playing from behind in almost every game this season.
In return, this means high passing volume which translates into targets for Nico Collins that will translate into fantasy points. A WR24 finish in Week 1 is Collins’ highest finish since Week 10 of last season.
Facing a Colts team that just gave up over 42 fantasy points to receivers in Week 1, I would start Collins at the FLEX spot and enjoy the top 24 numbers he will put again in Week 2.
Mike Evans vs. Chicago Bears (@WeekendMike)
Everyone thought Mike Evans was done this year. They said he is too old and doesn’t want to play for Tampa Bay. Well with Baker Mayfield throwing the ball, Evans led the team with 10 targets. Chris Godwin was second with six targets.
Evans caught six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. In PPR scoring he had 19 fantasy points leaving him as the WR14. The Bears just let Jordan Love dominate their secondary with Romeo Doubs hauling in two touchdowns.
I expect Evans to be a focal point in this offense and will have a huge game this week. Mayfield likes to throw it deep and Evans is that deep threat receiver.
Tight-end starts
Luke Musgrave vs. Atlanta Falcons (@BrandonBlancoFF)
The tight-end position after Week 1 was such a mess that the top 12 did not feature Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, George Kittle, and Dallas Goedert.
The top 12 had players like Adam Trautman, Blake Bell, and Darnell Parham Jr in it after Week 1. It also had nice debuts for rookies like Sam LePorta and Luke Musgrave. In 2022, there were only three tight-ends to post a 10.0 plus ADOT and a 14% plus target share. Musgrave did this in his DEBUT, positing 18.o ADOT and a 14.8% target share.
This is very enticing for a Week 2 matchup against the Falcons who just allowed Hayden Hurst to finish as the TE2 in Week 1 with 15.1 points. Fire up Musgrave especially with Christian Watson missing another practice once again.
Hunter Henry vs. Miami Dolphins (@BrandonBlancoFF)
Since last season, the Dolphins simply cannot cover tight ends. They just allowed Darnell Parham Jr finish as the TE4 and he was not the first, second, or third option for the Chargers.
The Patriots truly have no real top option in the passing game and this is where veteran Hunter Henry comes into play. Henry delivered a veteran performance with the overall TE1 finish on five catches, one touchdown, and 56 yards. Expect Henry to once again alongside Kendrick Bourne be the focal point of the Patriots offense in Week 2.