Week 2 NFL Start Em Sit Em – Fantasy Football 2024
Week 1 of the 2024 fantasy football season is officially in the books. Welcome to this week’s edition, our NFL Start Em Sit Em. In this article, we will be bringing you our favorite starts and sits of the week. Our writers and experts from The FF Faceoff Podcast will be working together to make this happen every week.
These players will not always be the most obvious start or sit candidates. No one needs to tell you to start Christian McCaffrey every week. However, these players will likely be your Flex options or players you’re potentially on the fence about.
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2
Week 2 NFL start em sit em decisions are crucial for kicking off your fantasy football season with a win. As the season begins, it’s vital to analyze matchups. More importantly, to determine which players are poised for big performances and which ones might struggle.
Whether you’re eyeing a breakout candidate or wary of a tough defensive opponent, making smart choices in your Week 2 NFL start ’em sit ’em lineup can set the stage for a successful fantasy football season. Let’s get right into this week’s start em sit em column.
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 Quarterbacks
START – Baker Mayfield QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers kicked off their 2024 season with a bang last week. The veteran threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns. That would mark just the fifth time in his NFL career that Mayfield threw four or more touchdowns in a game.
Expect the good times to continue rolling as the Buccaneers head to Detroit for a matchup against the Lions. Last week, the Lions defense held Matthew Stafford to one touchdown pass. Notably, they were one of two defenses to allow over 300 passing yards in Week 1.
The Lions defense can expect a similar offense this week as Buccaneers offensive coordinator, Liam Coen was the Rams coordinator in 2022.
Eventually, Mayfield will cool off but until then, expect the Buccaneers quarterback to finish as a top-5 quarterback for the second week in a row. – Michael Hauff @TheFFRealist
START – Jayden Daniels QB Washington Commanders
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels finished Week 1 as the QB3 overall. He found success on the ground racking up 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. Notably, this was the best performance out of all rookie quarterbacks in Week 1.
This week, Daniels will be playing against the New York Giants. They just allowed Sam Darnold to succeed against them and finish the week as QB14. Additionally, the Giants’ secondary is suspect. I expect Daniels to find rhythm early, just as Darnold did in Week 1. The Commanders will be at home in this matchup, which is an advantage for Daniels as well. – Pete Nova
START – Justin Fields QB Pittsburgh Steelers
Justin Fields is expected to start in Week 2 against the Broncos, and if he indeed draws the start, he should be in your fantasy football lineups. Fields may have had a pedestrian fantasy outing in the season opener, but that was on the road facing a stout Falcons defense. Now he gets a sensational matchup against the Broncos, who were just lit up by Geno Smith for 21.6 fantasy points.
Smith only threw for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interaction. But he also chipped in as a runner, managing 30 rushing yards with another score. We know Fields is a more dynamic runner than Smith, which means he may be in store for a big day on the ground. We should also note that we’ve seen a growing rapport between Fields and WR George Pickens in the season opener. And despite the fact that he could be covered by Patrick Surtain, Pickens has the big play ability to make something out of nothing. – Michael Hauff
SIT – Joe Burrow QB Cincinnati Bengals
Unfortunately, Joe Burrow and this Bengals offense started this season off poorly. No matter if it was because of their issues at the wide receiver position or adjusting to life without Joe Mixon, Burrow and the Bengals offense did not look right.
While Burrow completed 72.4% of his passes, the Bengals quarterback had only 164 passing yards. He also had no touchdown passes. Overall, that finish was good for the QB27 on the week.
While the Chiefs allowed the 6th most points to Lamar Jackson in Week 1, my belief is their defense is more in line with what we saw last season. Specifically, they allowed the seventh fewest points on a per-game basis to quarterbacks.
Furthermore, it also does not bode well for Burrow that as of this writing, Tee Higgins is not expected to play in Week 2. Couple that with Ja’Marr Chase starting off slow after missing all of training camp and the Bengals offense could be in for another long Sunday. – Michael Hauff
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 Running Backs
START – JK Dobbins RB Los Angeles Chargers
Running back JK Dobbins is an incredible story. Coming back from an Achilles injury in 2023 to be a top 5 fantasy football RB in Week 1 is impressive, to say the least. Dobbins was explosive in his return to action, averaging 13.5 yards per carry against the Raiders.
This week Dobbins takes on the Panthers who allowed the second most fantasy points to running backs in Week 1. A game in which they lost 47-10. Last year, the Panthers were bottom-10 against opposing fantasy football running backs as well.
With the Chargers favored in this matchup, I’d expect the team to lean on Dobbins early and often. Additionally, he offers some pass-catching upside, with three receptions last week compared to only one for Gus Edwards. – Daman Zimbelman @DamanZimbelman
START – Brian Robinson Jr. RB Washington Commanders
While the majority of attention went to rookie Jayden Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr. was another bright spot in the Commanders offense. In half-point formats, the Robinson finished the week as the RB12.
Even more significant than Robinson finishing where he did is that he dominated rushing attempts. While Robinson and Austin Ekeler tied with four targets, the third-year back had 12 rushing attempts while Ekeler had just two.
Up next for the Commanders is a reeling Giants team. This past weekend, the Giants were 12th in points allowed to running backs.
While this isn’t expected to continue for long, it was startling how little Daniels targeted his wide receivers. Terry McLaurin led the wide receiver room with four targets, the same amount as Robinson.
Between rushing attempts and the distribution of targets, Robinson is an ideal play in Week 2. – Michael Hauff
START – Najee Harris RB Pittsburgh Steelers
Najee Harris may have only accumulated 8.9 PPR points in Week 1, but he dominated when it comes to snap count and workload. He played on 38 snaps to Jaylen Warren’s 18, while also managing 20 carries for 70 yards. Additionally, he caught 1-of-2 targets for nine yards. Meanwhile, Warren only handled four touches.
Now Harris gets a terrific matchup against the Broncos in Week 2. They just allowed Seattle’s Kenneth Walker to dominate them on the ground for 18.9 PPR points. Walker had 109 total yards and a touchdown. But that’s not all. Zach Charbonnet also went for 12.1 PPR points with 49 total yards and a score of his own. – Michael Hauff
SIT – Zack Moss RB Cincinnati Bengals
The first week of the season started off slow for Zack Moss but he ultimately saved his fantasy day with a rushing touchdown. I don’t feel that he will be as fortunate against the Chiefs.
The Bengals also had the fewest rushing attempts of any team in Week 1. Along with that, their offense had the seventh-lowest time of possession. This is a lot like the suggestion to sit Burrow. Ultimately, this Bengals offense is just not in sync.
In their Week 1 win, with the exception of Lamar Jackson, the Chiefs allowed just 3.5 yards per carry. The defending Super Bowl champions should make quick work with this bumbling Bengals offense. – Michael Hauff
SIT – Josh Jacobs RB Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs had a solid fantasy football outing against the Eagles in Week 1. He totaled 104 yards on 18 touches, good for 12.1 PPR points. However, if you watched the game, Jacobs did not look good in the first half. He started to break off chunk yardage plays in the second half, possibly when the Eagles began focusing on shutting down Jordan Love and the passing attack while the Packers were playing catch-up.
In Week 2 against the Colts, it looks like a good matchup. After all, Joe Mixon ran all over the Colts in the season opener. But that will not be the case in Week 2. With Love sidelined with his ailing knee, we are expected to see Malik Willis under center. Jacobs will see volume, but he will also he plenty of stacked boxes. Normally an inefficient runner, Jacobs is extremely touchdown-dependent to return fantasy value in Week 2, especially since he is not the best receiver out of the backfield. – Michael Hauff
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 Wide Receivers
START – Malik Nabers WR New York Giants
There aren’t many positive things to say about the Giants offense from last week. There are no touchdowns scored and Daniel Jones was only able to muster 186 passing yards.
All of that said, the Commanders secondary is equally bad. After allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers last season, the Washington defense continued that trend into this season.
Along with allowing 195 yards receiving to wide receivers in Week 1, the Buccaneers scored on 26.6% of their receptions. To put that in perspective, the Eagles defense, which allowed the second-most points to wide receivers, had allowed a touchdown on 9.5% of receptions.
All of this bodes well for Malik Nabers. While things were bleak for the Giants offense, the rookie out of LSU was able to haul in five receptions for 66 yards.
START – Terry McLaurin WR Washington Commanders
McLaurin had a rough start to the season finishing as the WR 78 on the week. He commanded 4 targets and hauled in 2 of them for 17 yards. I don’t expect that to stay the same in week 2 vs the New York Giants
Mclaurin has historically been excellent against the New York Giants over his career. Posting 61 receptions for 783 yards and 3 touchdowns which is good for 10.7 fantasy points per game.
With a quarterback upgrade and a favorable matchup, I love this spot for McLaurin to bounce back after a slow start to the year. – Pete Nova
START – Wan’Dale Robinson WR New York Giants
Robinson gets a good matchup this week against a Washington Commanders defense that just got torn up by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. Chris Godwin who is going to play a lot more in the slot this season (50% last week) went off for eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown against this Commanders secondary last week.
Wandale Robinson will once again operate heavily in the slot (84% last week) and will have ample opportunity to have a productive day. Last week Robinson ran the third most routes for the Giants (32) but led the team in targets with eleven, finishing with six catches for 44 yards. Robinson also had a carry for 14 yards from a swing pass where he showed off his quickness.
Wandale should provide a safe floor with some good upside in this matchup against this lowly Commanders defense. – Steve DeAngelo @FantasySavvy
SIT – George Pickens WR Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite a great Week 1 showing where Pickens led the Steelers in targets, receptions, and yardage, Pickens is a sit for me against the Broncos.
The Steelers are favored this week in a game with the lowest over/under of the week. The Steelers leaned heavily on the run in Week 1 (41 rushes vs 23 pass attempts) despite never having more than a one-score lead. I’d expect another run-heavy game script with Justin Fields expected to start again.
Pickens will see Broncos CB Patrick Surtain in coverage, Surtain held DK Metcalf to a 3-29-0 stat line on only four targets last week. All things considered, avoid Pickens if you have other options. – Daman Zimbelman
SIT – Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Seattle Seahawks
After an off-season of endless hype, Jaxon Smith-Njigba did not deliver. Of course, it was not entirely his fault as he was only targeted twice and was relatively productive on those targets going for 19 yards total. However, what New England lacks in offense it makes up for in defense.
New England’s defense features young studs like Keon White, Christian Gonzalez, who effectively shut down Chase last week, Kyle Dugger among many others. They are also coming into this game with the high of having held the Bengals to 10 points. I’m fading all Seahawk receivers this week unless a report comes out that the Patriots’ secondary all got the flu.
SIT – Christian Watson WR Green Bay Packers
Watson was one of my favorite players coming into the season. In the first game of the year, he saw the field 3rd most out of Packers wide receivers. In total, he saw 5 targets with 3 coming in the red zone. In the end, he hauled in a touchdown to salvage his day.
Watson should remain on the bench with Jordan Love injured and not playing for Week 2. Until we see what this passing game will look like with Malik Willis, I won’t start him no matter how juicy the matchup. – Pete Nova
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 Tight Ends
START – Colby Parkinson TE Los Angeles Rams
While there were several disappointments at the tight position, there were a few Week 1 surprises. One of those surprises would be Rams tight end, Colby Parkinson.
Parkinson failed to score a touchdown but he did catch four of five targets for 47 yards. That performance was good for the TE7 on the week.
The other obvious factor in all of this is Puka Nacua landing on the injured reserve with a knee injury. As much as those who roster Cooper Kupp would love this, 21 targets per game for one player is not something we can expect.
While the Cardinals allowed just 4.4 points to tight ends in Week 1, the recurring theme this entire offseason is that the Cardinals defense is going to give up a ton of fantasy points this season.
Look for Parkinson to have his second consecutive week inside the top 10. – Michael Hauff
SIT – Cole Kmet TE Chicago Bears
On our YouTube channel, I had suggested sitting Cole Kmet in Week 1. The concerns over Kmet in his matchup proved to be true as he had just one reception for four yards.
It also doesn’t help that Caleb Williams completed just 48.3% of his passes in his NFL debut.
Then there is the preseason when there was concern for Kmet over how much Gerald Everett would infringe on his fantasy football success. Their fears were realized in Week 1 when Everett was lined up on more passing plays than Kmet.
Expect a similar sort of outcome on Sunday Night Football in Week 2 when the Bears take on the Texans. In their season opener, the Texans did not allow a single point to the tight end position.
Eventually, you will be able to start Kmet. However, this is not the week. – Michael Hauff
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 – Streaming DSTs
START – Los Angeles Chargers DST
In their season opener, the Chargers DST scored 14 fantasy points against the Raiders. Within those points scored were four sacks and an interception.
Week 2 will present another productive week for the Chargers defense as they head to Carolina to take on the battered and beaten Panthers offense. Dave Canales was hired to fix the Panthers offense but that has yet to happen as the Saints DST scored 14 fantasy points last week. – Michael Hauff
START – Indianapolis Colts DST
The Colts will head out to Green Bay this week to take on a Jordan Love-less Packers team. Instead, the Packers are forced to start Willis at quarterback. In eleven career games, Willis had three interceptions and three fumbles while throwing for just 350 yards on a 52.2% completion rate.
The Packers are likely to run the ball a ton, but they may be forced to throw with the explosiveness we saw from the Colts offense last week. Willis can certainly make plays with his legs, but still has a ton to prove as a passer. Additionally, he likely will have one or two turnovers in this game, will take sacks and the Packers may not score more than 14 points. This is more about Willis than the Colts defense, but the Colts did sack C.J. Stroud four times last week.
START – Houston Texans DST
The Texans defense wasn’t great in Week 1 with just four fantasy points. However, I like them in this matchup against rookie Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Williams looked very uncomfortable in his first start in the NFL, missing multiple throws, looking shaky in the pocket, and taking a couple of bad sacks. The best thing he did was not turn the ball over but he finished 14/29 with just 93 yards passing, 13 yards rushing with no touchdowns.
This week Keenan Allen is banged up and so is Rome Odunze who has a minor MCL injury. Williams will go on the road on Sunday Night to face a Demeco Ryans defense led by defensive rookie of the year Will Anderson and newly acquired, certified bully Danielle Hunter who knocked Justin Fields out for a month last year.
The Bears will also need to throw a lot more in this one to keep up with the Texans offense, so expect Caleb to take a good amount of sacks and possibly turn the ball over a couple of times. I also don’t see the Bears scoring many points in this matchup.
NFL Start Em Sit Em Week 2 – Proceed with Caution
SIT – Brock Bowers TE Las Vegas Raiders
Week 1 was not friendly to tight ends. Bowers found himself finishing the week as tight end 3. The rookie impressed finishing the week with 6 catches on 8 targets racking up 58 yards.
Bowers squares off against the Baltimore Ravens in week 2 who bottled up Travis Kelce in week 1. Kelce only caught 3 passes for 34 yards on 4 targets in the game. I believe the Ravens will make it a point not to allow Bowers to beat them in addition to Devante Adams.
If you are starting him that’s fine. However, I would not expect a big game from him in Week 2. – Pete Nova
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