Written by Michael Beller at SI.com
Some of the league’s borderline start/sit plays ended up as swing players for a lot of fantasy owners in Week 1. Jameis Winston threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns in a win over the Falcons. Willie Snead hauled in nine passes from Drew Brees for 172 yards and a score. Danny Woodhead totaled 120 yards from scrimmage and hit paydirt twice, finishing as the week’s No. 7 running back in standard-scoring leagues.
Start/sit decisions can make or break fantasy matchups, and we help you make the tough ones every week. Let’s get to the plays and fades for Week 2.
Be sure to check back with our start/sit column from the time it debuts on Thursday all the way through to kickoff on Sunday. As new information becomes available, we’ll update the column to reflect the landscape as it is at that moment. You’ll also be able to find start/sit advice from us in the form of our weekly rankings and our Facebook Live chat every Sunday beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Quarterbacks
Start
Joe Flacco (at Cleveland)
Flacco is primed to be the latest example of why the stream life works so well with quarterbacks in traditional leagues. He and the Ravens offense should have their way against a Cleveland defense that made Carson Wentz look like a successful 10-year veteran last week. Add to that the still muddled backfield situation for the Ravens, and you get a recipe for a monster game from Flacco. He has top-five upside at the position this week.
Derek Carr (vs. Atlanta)
Carr threw just one touchdown last week, but don’t let that cloud how good he was against the Saints. He threw for 319 yards and 8.4 yards per attempt, helping lead his team to a 35–34 win. Atlanta could not slow down Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers last week, and that does not bode well for a showdown with the ascending Raiders. Carr also carries top-five upside in Week 2.
Andrew Luck (at Denver)
Too many fantasy owners love to get cute and over-think the situation. Yes, Luck and the Colts have a tough matchup against a Denver defense that boasts the best secondary in the league and mostly kept Cam Newton in check, at least through the air. Did you see what Luck did against Detroit last week, though? Forget the results. Luck had 47 pass attempts, and that could be closer to the norm than the exception this season. Thanks to both volume and talent, Luck is matchup-proof.
Marcus Mariota (at Detroit)
Mariota played a sloppy game against a strong Minnesota defense last week, but still came away with 16.74 points in standard-scoring leagues, making him the No. 15 quarterback. He’s in a much better spot this week, going up against a Detroit defense that would be happy to be league average this season. Mariota is a low-end QB1 in Week 2.
*Superflex Special*
Josh McCown (vs. Baltimore)
Those of you in superflex or two-QB leagues lucky enough to already own McCown, or snag him off the waiver wire this week, are in good shape. The veteran takes over an offense with a bevy of playmakers and a suspect running game, putting him in position to be the driving force in the offense. Thanks to Cleveland’s poor defense and a couple of offenses stronger through the air than on the ground, this game has sneaky high-scoring potential. McCown slots as a low-end QB2 this week.
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