Welcome to Week 2 Start/Sit for the 2024 NFL fantasy football season. I will be publishing this article every week throughout the season to help you make your start/sit decisions.
Scroll through my top starts and sits at each position. I do my best to avoid picking elite players for “Start ‘Em” to make it more actionable.
Don’t forget to use this and our terrific fantasy football rankings to help you set your lineups this week.
Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks
QB Start ‘Em
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (vs NYG)
Jayden Daniels ran wild in garbage time in a blowout loss vs the Bucs in Week 1, totaling 88 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. This is a great spot against a Giants defense that just got shredded by Sam Darnold. I’d start Daniels over Lamar Jackson this week.
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Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)
Since joining the Bucs, Baker Mayfield is a top five quarterback in EPA per play. If we remove Week 18 where he played injured vs the Panthers, Mayfield is averaging 324.7 passing yards per game in his last six. I’d start him in a good spot vs the Lions over Joe Burrow.
QB Sit ‘Em
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (at KC)
Joe Burrow failed to hit 200 yards against the Patriots. This offense looks dysfunctional right now with Ja’Marr Chase shaking off the rust and Tee Higgins still out of the lineup. It’s another tough spot on the road against a good Chiefs defense. Bench Burrow for Brock Purdy.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (at HOU)
I had high hopes for Caleb Williams this year, but it got off to a poor start against the Titans, where the Bears offense looked completely out of sync. That’s bad news against an improving Texans defense. I’d bench Caleb Williams for Matthew Stafford this week.
Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Running Backs
RB Start ‘Em
Brian Robinson Jr, Washington Commanders (vs NYG)
Brian Robinson Jr. looked impressive against the Bucs, rushing 12 times for 40 yards and a touchdown while catching 3-of-4 targets for 49 yards. This is a good matchup at home against the lowly Giants. Fire up Robinson over David Montgomery this week.
J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers (at CAR)
J.K. Dobbins was outstanding against the Raiders, putting up 135 yards and a touchdown on only 10 carries. It’s clear that Dobbins is the best bet in this backfield. We’ve got a great matchup against an atrocious Panthers defense. Start Dobbins over Rhamondre Stevenson.
RB Sit ‘Em
Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (at BAL)
Zamir White was surprisingly out-snapped and out-played by Alexander Mattison in Week 1. That led to head coach Antonio Pierce saying that they will “ride the hot hand" in this backfield. Tough matchup on tap vs Baltimore. Bench White for Austin Ekeler.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (vs LAC)
I thought that Chuba Hubbard would be the bell-cow for the Panthers with Jonathon Brooks sidelined. That wasn’t the case in Week 1, where Hubbard split time with Miles Sanders. This is an ugly situation, so bench Hubbard for Rico Dowdle.
Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers
WR Start ‘Em
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET)
Jalen McMillan caught a 32-yard touchdown in Week 1. This is an impressive rookie who played on 80% of the snaps in his NFL debut. The Bucs are in a projected shootout against a pass-funnel Lions defense in Week 2. Start McMillan over DeAndre Hopkins.
Tyler Johnson, Los Angeles Rams (at ARI)
Tyler Johnson set a career-high in receiving yards after Puka Nacua left injured last week. The Rams continue to run 3-WR sets at a high rate, so Johnson will join Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson. We’ve got a likely high-scoring game against the Cardinals, giving Johnson some FLEX appeal.
WR Sit ‘Em
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (vs IND)
I wouldn’t even consider putting Christian Watson in my lineup with Malik Willis under center. Willis struggles mightily as a passer, so expect a run-heavy gameplan. Watson is already volatile as it is, so this is an easy decision. Bench Watson for Michael Wilson.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (at GB)
Alec Pierce had a big game in Week 1, catching all three of his targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. But this is an outlier game for a wideout with a career-high of 593 yards in a season. I’d easily play Adonai Mitchell (1 REC, 2 YDS in Week 1) over Pierce this week.
Week 2 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends
TE Start ‘Em
Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (at LAC)
Brock Bowers looked like an absolute stud in his NFL debut, catching 6-of-8 targets for 58 yards. It’s clear that the dynamic rookie is going to play a major role in this offense. There’s legitimate weekly top-5 upside here, and I’d recommend playing Bowers over Evan Engram this week.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (at ARI)
Colby Parkinson put up four receptions for 47 yards in Week 1. Expect the Rams to rely on Parkinson as a safety valve, especially with Puka Nacua out for the next few weeks. Expect a high-scoring game environment in Arizona. Play Parkinson over Pat Freiermuth.
TE Sit ‘Em
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (at DEN)
Pat Freiermuth is going to be a fixture in this article because he’s still a relatively big name but he needs to be out of your lineups. The Steelers are still using Darnell Washington (54% of snaps) and Mycole Pruitt (58% of snaps), capping Freiermuth’s upside.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (at HOU)
Cole Kmet continues to split tight end snaps with Gerald Everett. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron knows Everett from their time together in both Seattle and Los Angeles. It’s clear that Waldron likes having that scheme familiarity that Everett brings. For that reason, leave Kmet on your bench.
How to Make Start’Em, Sit’ Em Decisions For NFL Week 1
Use Matchup Stats
Check the team defensive stats of a player’s opponent. For example, if deciding between quarterbacks, check how many passing yards and passing touchdowns each opponent allows per game.
Check Injury Reports
Is one opponent dealing with many injuries, particularly to a position group?
For example, in 2022, the Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks. If the Eagles faced an offensive line with multiple injuries, that could be a bad recipe for the opposing quarterback.
It’s also possible that an offense is beset with injuries, which can lead to more opportunities presented to another player.
For example, San Francisco RB Elijah Mitchell was injured from Weeks 2 to 8 and again from Weeks 13 to 17. Jeff Wilson Jr. was the primary beneficiary over the first span, while Christian McCaffrey took over after Week 7.
Check the Snap Counts
After every week, the NFL releases how many snaps (or plays) each player participated in. Sometimes, you notice a backup getting more and more playing time over time.
Watch the Games
Build up your eye for the game by simply watching with an attention to detail. Highlights don’t tell the full story.
Good players pop off the screen. They give the extra effort; they turn a 5-yard gain into a 10-yard gain; they make a defender miss; they make that spectacular throw, catch, run, tackle, etc.
Learn More About the Xs and Os
Who is on the field in a 12 personnel? What is Cover 0? What is the 3 technique? What is a route tree? What is outside leverage? If you don’t know the answer to these questions—it’s okay—but there may be some blind spots in your football knowledge.
Embrace these challenges and branch out by learning how the pros play the game.
