Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 2 Predictions

Congratulations to those of you who started the fantasy football season 1-0. Condolences to those of you who were done in by the likes of Jameis Winston, Theo Riddick, Spencer Ware, Willie Snead and Will Fuller. While it's important not to overreact too much to Week 1 results--you don't need to start Jalen Richard, and you certainly don't need to bench Adrian Peterson or Odell Beckham Jr--the success of guys like Ware, Snead and Fuller was a reminder of how important fringe players can be. No matter what your stars did, starting Ware over someone like Duke Johnson, or starting Fuller over someone like Allen Hurns or Kamar Aiken--all players who weren't consensus start or sit options--could have made the difference between a win and a loss in Week 1. With that in mind, you can click through the gallery for a closer look at my burgeoning stars and potential duds for Week 2. (Getty)

Start: Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Opponent: at Arizona Cardinals

A matchup at Arizona may lead owners to shy away from the talented second-year quarterback, but Jimmy Garoppolo--in his first NFL start with several starters, including future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski, missing on offense--still managed 264 yards and a touchdown in the exact same spot in Week 1. Ultimately, Winston looked terrific in the opener (281 yards, four touchdowns) against a Falcons defense that was very stingy against QB's last year, he's an underdog in a game that is projected to be a potential shootout (over/under: 50), which means high volume, and he has a lot of playmakers at his disposal. Another Top-5 week may be difficult, but I expect Winston to again put up QB1 numbers in 12-team leagues. (Getty)

Sit: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Opponent: at Chicago Bears

This is more for DFS and two-quarterback leagues, but Wentz figures to be a popular play this week. He looked great against the Cleveland Browns in his debut, and now he gets to go up against a Chicago Bears defense that allowed 231 yards and two touchdowns to Brock Osweiler. It was undoubtedly a great start for the rookie, but it's important to avoid the Browns Bias here. I'd like to see how Wentz performs on the road under the bright lights of Monday Night Football before confidently inserting him into any of my lineups. (Getty)

Start: Jeremy Langford, RB, Chicago Bears

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

Langford's Week 1 performance was the definition of "meh": 17 carries, 57 yards (3.4 YPC), two receptions on four targets, six receiving yards and a rushing touchdown to save his day. The important part, though, is that he was very obviously Chicago's three-down back, playing on 96 percent of Chicago's offensive snaps and out-touching backup Ka'Deem Carey, 19-1. A similar workhorse-type number of touches against a much more favorable opponent (the Eagles allowed 84 rushing yards on 15 carries to Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson in Week 1) gives Langford RB1 upside in Week 2. (Getty)

Sit: Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams

Opponent: Seattle Seahawks

In most leagues, sitting Todd Gurley just isn't a realistic option. You likely drafted him in the first round, and you should always play your studs no matter what, but this is more of a way to say you should keep your expectations in check. While Gurley is an electrifying talent and can easily break a big one at any given moment, the offense around him is putrid. Teams are going to continue to stack the box with Case Keenum and the Rams' vanilla passing offense not serving as much of a threat, and against the 49ers in Week 1, that resulted in very little running room for Gurley, who had to work hard for 47 rushing yards on 2.8 YPC. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, one of the best defenses in the NFL, Gurley will likely need a touchdown to provide a useful line in fantasy. (Getty)

Start: Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants

Opponent: New Orleans Saints

As a 4.5-point home favorite in a game with a huge over/under of 53, the G-Men boast one of the highest projected team totals of Week 2 at 28.75. In Week 1, Shepard and Victor Cruz were each targeted four times, each caught a touchdown and were each on the field for the majority of the game (Shepard 53 of 56 offensive snaps, Cruz 50 of 56), as the Giants mostly used 3-WR sets. While that makes it difficult to know who to trust, Shepard looked great in his NFL debut, and even with Cruz involved, there will be enough passing-game success against the Saints' colander-like secondary that Shepard will have some big plays. (Getty)

Sit: John Brown, Arizona Cardinals

Opponent: Buffalo Bills

I had Brown in this section last week, and he was nice enough to not make me look stupid, finishing with just one catch for eight yards. After missing much of the preseason with a concussion, he played just 35 snaps (59 for Larry Fitzgerald, 58 for Michael Floyd) and wasn't even the most-targeted Brown on the team (he had four targets, Jaron Brown had six). A home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a high projected team total (28.25) may make it tempting to play Brown, but it's really difficult to trust him with a shaky role as the No. 4 target (behind Fitzgerald, Floyd and David Johnson) at best. (Getty)