Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Week 2

The good news is we have more data to look at entering Week 2 of the NFL season. Unlike last week, we're not just taking shots in the dark when setting fantasy lineups.

The bad news is we're still dealing with small samples -- it's important not to take Week 1 into account too much and totally disregard our preseason expectations. It's all about toeing the line between reacting but not overreacting.

In terms of Week 2 start or sit decisions, FanDuel Research's fantasy football projections serve as a solid baseline. But when we pair those projections with some recent historical data, even further lines can be drawn. From there, factors like game environment, strength of opponent, and the latest news can help shape our start/sit decisions.

That's what I'll be doing each and every week, combining our projections and historical trends to decipher how likely a player is to deliver a start-worthy performance (Start%).

Below, you'll find every fantasy-relevant player, sorted by position and bucketed into tiers. These tiers are meant to reflect your typical 12-team, half-PPR scoring formats with only one starting quarterback -- though the general rankings can be loosely applied to most formats. Any player not listed can be assumed sit-worthy in most leagues.

Here is the Week 2 fantasy football start/sit.

All betting references refer to the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All statistics via NFL Next Gen Stats unless otherwise stated.

Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Week 2

Quarterback

Start

Dak Prescott (DAL)
Dak Prescott wasn't great in Week 1 -- at least from a fantasy perspective. Dak threw for a measly 188 yards with 0 touchdowns in a 7.8-fantasy point effort, finishing 29th at the position. Even so, that came on the road against the defending champs, and there were still positives. Prescott ranked fourth on the week in both air yards and average depth of target (aDOT), and he was one of just two starting quarterbacks who did not take a sack in Week 1. We could see more of those deep shots pay off in a Week 2 home date with the New York Giants -- a team which allowed the eighth-highest aDOT and 10th-highest passing success rate in Week 1.

J.J. McCarthy (MIN)
For the first three quarters of J.J. McCarthy's NFL debut, the 2024 No. 10 overall pick looked lost. But he settled in during crunch time, completing 6 of 8 pass attempts for 87 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. McCarthy added another score on the ground (via a designed run), boosting his final fantasy line to 23.2 points. That was good for QB11 on the week, and it puts him in the staring conversation at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta gave up 3 passing touchdowns last week after entering the season with PFF's No. 17 secondary. Add in the Minnesota Vikings' 25-point implied total, and McCarthy has upside in Week 2.

Sit

Bo Nix (DEN)
So that wasn't the start Bo Nix was looking for. The second-year quarterback was the eighth quarterback off the board in fantasy drafts but managed just 8.8 fantasy points in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans -- a team which ranked 20th in schedule-adjusted defense last season. Though he completed 25 of 40 pass attempts, Nix reached just 176 yards through the air. He threw two interceptions and recorded the week's sixth-lowest aDOT (6.0). Perhaps the second-year gunslinger is just shaking off the rust, but things don't get any easier against an improved Indianapolis Colts defense in Week 2. Nix averaged 7.2 fewer passing fantasy points per game on the road as a rookie, making him an easy fade in his first away contest of the year.

Baker Mayfield (TB)
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense didn't look quite as sharp in Week 1 as they have the past two seasons. Baker threw for only 167 yards in the season-opener -- and while he did rank sixth in air yards and 11th in EPA per dropback, he was bottom 10 in passing Success Rate and faced the 10th-highest pressure rate despite taking on an Atlanta front which ranked 31st in pressure rate in 2024. That makes sense with All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs out and Tampa employing their third different offensive coordinator in three years, but it's not exactly reassuring ahead of Monday night's date with the Houston Texans -- a defense that ranked first in pressure rate and third in sack rate last season. In a road matchup versus a top-five secondary, Baker's upside is capped. I'd happily sit him in favor of stronger dual-threat options like Justin Fields, Caleb Williams, or Drake Maye.

Running Back

Start

Tony Pollard (TEN)
Tony Pollard's final line in Week 1 (18 carries, 60 yards, 7.4 fantasy points) wasn't all that impressive -- but his role was. Pollard was on the field for 89% of Tennessee's offensive plays while his 56% route participation ranked ninth among Week 1 running backs. Granted, Pollard posted an ugly rushing Success Rate and saw just one target in the passing game, but he took it for 29 yards. That bumped his scrimmage yards to 89 -- a top-10 mark at the position. That all came against one of the NFL's top defenses, so we should expect better days moving forward. Pollard's Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams is much better: LA finished 22nd in adjusted run defense last season, and they allowed 114 yards on 4.2 yards per carry in Week 1. Assuming last week's volume holds, Pollard could flirt with top-12 numbers at the position in Week 2.

Travis Etienne (JAX)
Travis Etienne was largely off my radar entering the season. After a disappointing 2024 campaign which saw Tank Bigsby emerge as a viable between-the-tackles back alongside Etienne, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted two more running backs in the offseason. But Etienne looked the part of an RB1 in Week 1, pacing the backfield in carries (16), targets (3), snap rate (62%), and route participation (30%). Now, 71 of Etienne's 156 scrimmage yards came on a single run. But the usage was there throughout, and Jacksonville has since parted ways with the aforementioned Bigsby. Ahead of a road date with the Cincinnati Bengals' spotty defense, Etienne makes for a rock-solid RB2 or flex option.

Tyrone Tracy (NYG)
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is another back whose final line (10 carries, 24 yards, 4.5 fantasy points) undersold how strong his utilization was in Week 1. Tracy recorded a 73% snap rate and handled 10 of the Giants' 15 running back rush attempts, but it was his receiving role which should have us excited about him moving forward. The converted wide receiver finished third on the team with a 15.6% target share, though he caught only 2 of 5 targets for 11 yards. Even so, he was one of just 13 backs to see a 70% snap rate and 50% route participation in the opening week. The Dallas Cowboys held running backs to 96 yards on 24 attempts in Week 1, but they also funneled Saquon Barkley five targets -- a total he reached just once in 2024. Even on an abysmal offense, Tracy's stellar utilization makes him worth starting in Week 2.

Sit

Kenneth Walker (SEA)
Kenneth Walker III wasn't very effective in Week 1, turning 10 rush attempts into a mere 20 yards. He played just 40% of the Seattle Seahawks' offensive snaps -- compared to 59% for running-mate Zach Charbonnet. Charbs netted 47 yards on his 12 rush attempts -- and while K9 saw 3 targets to Charbonnet's zero, the latter posted a higher route rate and doubled Walker's red zone rush attempts (4 to 2). This figures to be a headache-inducing committee going forward, making Walker a matchup-dependent fantasy option. That's bad news for his Week 2 outlook considering Seattle is on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers -- a team which ranked 11th in adjusted run defense in 2024. He's a debatable RB2 if you're thin at the position, but Walker is someone I'd prefer to leave on my bench in Week 2.

Chuba Hubbard (CAR)
On one hand, Chuba Hubbard saw the lion's share of the Carolina Panthers' running back work in Week 1. Hubbard turned 16 carries and 5 targets into 89 total yards and 16.4 fantasy points -- good for RB7 on the week. On the other hand, backup Rico Dowdle saw 3 targets himself and played 36% of Carolina's snaps. Dowdle was expected to serve as the Panthers' primary pass-catching back entering the season, and it's clear he's going to have a role even if Hubbard proved more impactful in the season-opener. This week's matchup is tougher than last's after the Arizona Cardinals limited Alvin Kamara to just 57 yards on 13 touches in Week 1. Considering Hubbard averaged just 11 fantasy points in losses last season, he's difficult to trust as a starting fantasy running back with Carolina a 6.5-point road underdog.

Isiah Pacheco (KC)
The Kansas City Chiefs' running game is a mess right now -- to put it kindly. They managed just 41 yards on 10 running back rush attempts -- split right down the middle between Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Though Pacheco saw a slightly higher snap rate (48%) and route participation (36%) than Hunt, neither appeared to be the Chiefs' featured back. That makes both difficult to start leading into a Super Bowl rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles, especially given Kansas City's lack of juice on the perimeter. There's not even major touchdown upside in Week 2, relegating Pacheco to the bench in fantasy. I'd be more confident starting guys like Dylan Sampson, Trey Benson, and even RJ Harvey.

Wide Receiver

Start

Chris Olave (NO)
The New Orleans Saints kinda, sorta, maybe, might be... fun? In their first game under Kellen Moore, New Orleans was a respectable 16th in total offense. They led the league in adjusted pace and posted the fourth-highest raw pass rate. That benefited Chris Olave who led the team with 13 targets (31.7% target share) -- four of which came at least 10 yards downfield. Olave finished with just 54 yards and 8.9 fantasy points, but he was one of just 14 wide receivers to clear 100 air yards in Week 1. As long as the Saints keep pushing the pace and Spencer Rattler remains hyper-focused on Olave, the Saints' top WR is going to be someone worthy starting in fantasy.

George Pickens (DAL)
The George Pickens-Cowboys experiment didn't get off to the hottest start. With Dak throwing for just 188 yards, Dallas' prized offseason acquisition saw just 4 targets, catching three of them for 30 yards and 4.5 fantasy points. Even so, Pickens led the team in route participation and tied CeeDee Lamb with a 91.1% snap rate. Eventually, that 15.8-yard aDOT is going to pay dividends in fantasy football. That could come as early as this week against a Giants secondary which allowed the 11th-most yards per pass attempt in Week 1. There's upside here.

Keenan Allen (LAC)
Perhaps we were too soon to write off Keenan Allen. The 32-year-old possession receiver didn't miss a beat in his reunion with Justin Herbert, securing 7 of a team-leading 10 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown. Though his 8.9-yard aDOT isn't much to write home about, Keenan did see 3 downfield targets and a 27.5% air yards share. His 35.7% target-per-route rate easily led the team, and the Chargers' offense sure looked good. I'd expect that to continue in Week 2 against a Las Vegas Raiders secondary which allowed 287 passing yards and an 8-yard aDOT in the season-opener.

Sit

Khalil Shakir (BUF)
Khalil Shakir was second on the Buffalo Bills in target rate (20%) and route participation (79%) in Week 1 -- both things we should be encouraged by for the rest of the season. He turned his 6 receptions into 64 yards and a 9.4 fantasy points. That certainly didn't lose you Week 1, but it doesn't make him a must-start wide receiver heading into a Week 2 showdown with the New York Jets -- a team which has stifled Shakir in recent matchups. Across two 2024 meetings, the Jets held him to a combined 5 receptions and 6.9 fantasy points. With so many mouths to feed in Buffalo -- and the team favored by 6.5 points -- I'd keep Shakir stashed on the bench in Week 2.

Michael Pittman Jr. (IND)
Kudos if you started Michael Pittman Jr. in his first game alongside Daniel Jones. Outside of their rookie tight end, Pittman was the clear top target for Indianapolis. He finished second behind Tyler Warren in target share (28%) while leading the team with 80 yards and their lone receiving touchdown. Pittman's 79% route participation offers some hope his role will be good enough to be a consistent fantasy starter, but I'm not willing to trust Danny Dimes just yet -- not with a Week 2 showdown against the Denver Broncos on deck. The Broncos entered the season with PFF's No. 3 secondary after finishing 2024 third in adjusted pass defense. This is a matchup to avoid. I'd rather take a chance on guys like Kayshon Boutte, Romeo Doubs, or Cedric Tillman.

Tight End

Start

Kyle Pitts (ATL)
I'm trying not to get too excited about small samples, but, boy, did Kyle Pitts see some promising utilization in Week 1. The fifth-year tight end recorded 7 receptions on 8 targets for 59 yards. He was third among all Atlanta pass catchers in route participation (76%) -- a mark he exceeded in just five games last season. Pitts averaged a rock-solid 8.3 fantasy points in the six games he saw at least a 75% route participation in 2024, and he went for 9.4 fantasy points in the season-opener. While Week 2's matchup (at MIN) is a bit tougher than last week's, the Falcons are at least indoors. Even with Darnell Mooney returning to practice, Pitts' role in the opener was solid enough to warrant starting him in Week 2.

Juwan Johnson (NO)
As bullish as I am on Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson may be the Saints pass-catcher to start in fantasy this week. Johnson played a staggering 99% of New Orleans' offensive snaps in Week 1, tying for the team lead in route participation (86%) while enjoying the Saints' second-highest target share (27%). He was seeing high-value looks, too, finishing with four downfield targets and a team-leading two red zone targets. Such a role is absolute gold for fantasy, and he's among the best Week 2 tight end streamers in a home date with the San Francisco 49ers.

Sit

Mark Andrews (BAL)
Mark Andrews flopped in a game in which the Baltimore Ravens recorded Week 1's third-lowest raw pass rate and pass rate over expectation. Despite posting a 64% route rate, Andrews saw just 1 target and finished with only 5 yards. There's obvious touchdown upside playing on this offense, and Andrews should continue to see the bulk of the snaps with Isaiah Likely still not practicing. But I'm not sure how you start him with any confidence given the Week 1 usage. There are certainly worse TEs than Andrews -- he's just among a long list of potential dart throws at the position. If you're chasing upside, Tucker Kraft, Harold Fannin Jr., and even Chigoziem Okonkwo are names I'd be fine playing over the vet.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.