The NFL Season is officially underway and Week 1 was a wild ride! Some players looked like they were knocking the rust off the pads and helmet, and others came out in mid-season form. Stuck between two players and don’t know who to start in Week 2? In these weekly articles, I will review and help you decide what WRs and TEs to start and sit every week based on matchup, weather conditions, injuries, and more. You’ll never see studs like Tyreek Hill or CeeDee Lamb on this list, but this is more-so advice to help you decide between those two players that will help you set and win your weekly lineup. For any additional gameday questions, be sure to follow me on X at @Lobosffden.
Week 2 Start and Sit
Start ‘Em Wide Receivers
Keenan Allen vs. Houston Texans
It is safe to say Caleb Williams’s highly anticipated NFL debut fell a bit… Flat. While Chicago got the win, Williams looked less than spectacular, going 14/29 for 92 yards in his first start. There wasn’t much to love about the rookie’s game, however, there was one particular stat that caught my attention; WR Targets. Williams led the league in targeting the WR position in Week 1, with a whopping 26 targets (89%) of his 29 throws. He leaned on that veteran WR room, and I expect that to be a theme in 2024. Keenan Allen led the team with 11, followed by DJ Moore with 8. Williams will continue to improve his game, and with that will come increased opportunities for Allen. Rome Odunze is week to week with a knee injury, so I expect Allen to receive another solid 10+ targets in a Week 2 matchup against the Texans. Better days are ahead for Caleb Williams and this Bears offense, don’t let Week 1 scare you away. Allen is a high WR2 PPR upside play in Week 2.
Ladd McConkey vs. Carolina Panthers
In a game where new Head Coach Jim Harbaugh showcased an anticipated run-first offense, we got a glimpse of everything from the Los Angeles Chargers. JK Dobbins may have taken lots of fans by surprise, but Ladd McConkey sure lived up to his preseason hype in Week 1. While his stat line won’t overly impress you, it’s worth noting that McConkey led the team in targets (7), receptions (5), and yards (39), which is an extremely encouraging sign for fantasy owners. In Week 2, the Chargers face a Carolina Panthers defense that gave up 47 points to the New Orleans Saints, so Harbaugh should continue to experiment with his new offense. As Herbert and McConkey continue to build rapport, McConkey will only continue to improve. This matchup will continue to build that connection, and slowly evolve McConkey into a weekly WR3/Flex play. Start McConkey and enjoy the ride.
Wan’Dale Robinson vs. Washington Commanders
Rookie Malik Nabers is the Alpha in New York, and there’s no doubt about it. What there is an abundance of doubt about is the QB play and how efficiently these WRs will get the ball. In Week 1, Wan’Dale Robinson ended up leading the Giants in targets (12), and receptions (6), which may have come as a surprise for many. Robinson has established himself as the WR2 in that offense, and the volume we saw in Week 1 is something I expect to continue for most of the 2024 season. Quick slants, quick throws, and throws on the run will help Robinson stay fantasy-relevant in PPR formats. A dreamy matchup against a horrid Washington defense in Week 2, makes even Daniel Jones an intriguing fantasy football start for this week. I’m not sure there will be a better time to start Robinson in your flex, so take advantage and don’t look back.
Sit Em Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 gave us insight into what the Denver Broncos offense just might look like in 2024; a rollercoaster. Bo Nix was inconsistent at best, the running game was subpar, however WRs were targeted often. This led to an impressive 12-target performance from Courtland Sutton in Week 1, but I expect him to take a step back in a tough Week 2 matchup against a strong Pittsburgh defense. Pittsburgh just held Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons offense to 10 points, and 226 total yards of offense. They held Drake London to 3 catches for 15 yards, and Darnell Mooney to 1 catch for 15 yards. With Rookie QB Bo Nix under center, this Pittsburgh Defense will get to him early and often. Sutton should give you some solid WR3/Flex play weeks, but Week 2 is not one of them.
Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Cleveland Browns
Brian Thomas Jr is a stud, and he has the ability to evolve into a “set it and forget it” type of WR down the road. Thomas had a promising start to his career in Week 1, catching all four of his targets, for 47 yards and a touchdown. His on-field target share was an impressive 21.6%, and he tied the team-high with 4 targets. So why sit him in Week 2 after his promising start? First off, Jacksonville faces a Browns defense that was just embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys, in which I expect them to have a bounce-back week. Though the Cowboys put up 33 points, the leading receiver for Dallas was CeeDee Lamb, who was held to just 61 receiving yards in Week 1. Additionally, Evan Engram was non-existent in the Jags Week 1 loss to Miami, held to 1 catch for 5 yards. This will be Engram’s worst outing in 2024, and I expect a much heavier workload for Engram in Week 2. It’s a tough matchup for the rookie, sit him out this week. BTJ’s time will come, just not in Week 2.
Jakobi Meyers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Jakobi Meyers has always been one of fantasy football’s most underrated WRs. He led the the Las Vegas Raiders in receiving yards (61) in Week 1 against the Chargers, and will arguably see open opportunities in that offense when defenses shift their focus to Davante Adams. While QB Gardner Minshew didn’t have a terrible outing on paper in his Week 1 outing vs. the Chargers, (25-33 for 257 yards with 1TD and 1 INT) the offense never really seemed in sync and seemed to fall flat. If the offense is to improve, Davante Adams must play a larger part, along with Brock Bowers. Meyers might be the third option at best in a Gardner Minshew led offense. In favorable matchups, Meyers is a solid flex play. Unfortunately for Meyers in Week 2, he faces a stout Baltimore Defense, and I expect the Raiders offense to continue to struggle. You don’t have to struggle with them, sit Meyers in Week 2.
Check out all of our Week 2 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Start ‘Em Tight Ends
Mark Andrews vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The quickest and shortest Start ‘Em I’ll write in 2024. The perfect storm and one of the biggest overreactions in the fantasy football world in Week 1 was the Mark Andrews/Isaiah Likely storyline. Mark Andrews was recovering from offseason surgery. He also got into a car accident a few weeks prior to the start of the season and was being eased back into the offense. Don’t overthink this, Mark Andrews is a stud. Start him.
Colby Parkinson vs. Arizona Cardinals
While Colby Parkinson didn’t put up anything that turned heads in Week 1 (4 receptions, 47 yards, on 5 targets), he had solid contributions to that potent Rams offense. With an injury to Puka Nacua, who was placed on IR for the next 4 games, there will be an opportunity for Parkinson to step up and establish a presence in this offense as the clear TE1 in LA. Back in 2022, Tyler Higbee was the TE6, so it’s not out of the question for McVay to get Parkinson more involved in this offense after showing potential in Week 1. In what I anticipate will be a high-scoring divisional game, Parkinson should see more involvement, and should be involved in your Week 2 Fantasy lineup.
Tyler Conklin vs. Tennessee Titans
The Jets offense might have been off to a slow start in Week 1, but there were some encouraging signs in New York. For one, Aaron Rodgers looked healthy, and will only continue to get better. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson look to be heavily involved, along with a sprinkle of Allen Lazard. The last piece to the puzzle for a well-rounded offense? Tyler Conklin. In Week 1, Conklin had a 90% route participation (T-2nd with Trey McBride) and there was off-season hype surrounding what Conklin could contribute to this offense. While I don’t expect top 5 TE numbers from Conklin, I expect him to be a solid injury replacement or bye-week filler. With injuries to Jake Ferguson and David Njoku, fantasy owners might be looking to acquire a cheap TE off waivers, and in Week 2, it should be Tyler Conklin.
Sit ‘Em Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz vs. Chicago Bears
As explosive as that Houston offense looks, one thing is clear; it’s crowded for fantasy football. Between three stars at the Wide Receiver position in Tank Dell, Stefon Diggs, and Nico Collins, and RB Joe Mixon, Dalton Schultz falls quite a bit on that target list. In a game where CJ Stroud threw the ball 32 times and the Texans scored 29 points in Week 1, Schultz saw 3 targets, hauling all 3 for 16 yards. Schultz saw an 80% snap count, so playing time was there, opportunities were not. Unless there was to be an injury to that WR room, I don’t see Schultz getting much attention in that offense. Houston faces a tough Chicago defense that limited Tennessee’s TEs to 2 receptions, and I don’t see Schultz getting more than that in Week 2. Sit Schultz in Week 2, and for the foreseeable future.
Taysom Hill vs. Dallas Cowboys
Taysom Hill got off to a slow start in Week 1. Finishing with 4.6 total fantasy points in a game where the Saints scored 47 points, is probably not what fantasy owners were expecting if you started him. We all know and love what Taysom Hill is capable of, but I expect the low production to continue in Week 2. The Saints face one of the best defenses in the league in the Dallas Cowboys, a team that just held the Cleveland Browns to 230 total yards. The Saints might have to air it out early and often if they want to keep up with the Cowboys, and that might knock Taysom Hill out of the game plan early. Taysom Hill is the definition of a boom-or-bust fantasy player, and Week 2 should be a bust.
Cade Otton vs. Detroit Lions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were firing on all cylinders in Week 1, putting up nearly 400 yards of offense against the Washington Commanders. Baker Mayfield continued his consistent play at QB, going 24/30 for 289 yards and 4 TDs. What did Cade Otton contribute to that? 2 targets, 1 reception, for 5 yards. Mayfield actually ranked the lowest in TE targets with 6.7% in Week 1. We’re still learning how new Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen is going to run this offense, but if Week 1 was any indication of what’s in store for Cade Otton, he should be on your bench in Week 2.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!