Week 1 of the NFL season is officially in the books! Let’s see how my start ’em, sit ’em picks played out for the first slate of the year:
I’d say that’s a strong start, and it’s time to run it back! Let’s break down my start/sit fantasy football picks for Week 2.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em: Jayden Daniels (Commanders) vs. Giants
Is it cheating to go right back to my Week 1 start ’em pick? I don’t really care. If Daniels is on your roster, he needs to be in your lineup on Sunday. Also, as I pointed out in last week’s article, the No. 2 overall pick has been “my guy” the entire offseason for fantasy, so I’m allowed to roll with him for one more week.
Daniels finished as QB3 in Week 1 despite only racking up 184 passing yards and no touchdowns through the air. The LSU product scored his points on the ground, rushing 16 times for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Tampa Bay. This week, Washington will host the Giants, who just let Sam Darnold absolutely pick their defense apart. With all due respect to Minnesota’s quarterback, if he put up those numbers, Daniels could be in for a 30-point fantasy outing.
Sit ‘Em: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) vs. Browns
The talent is there with Trevor Lawrence. I think most people see that.
The production, on the other hand, hasn’t been since he entered the league. To be fair to the former No. 1 overall pick, their offense runs through Travis Etienne on the ground, but it just feels like Lawrence’s fantasy ceiling is capped. Jacksonville’s quarterback has plenty of weapons at his disposal, but they weren’t on the same page often on Sunday against Miami.
This week, the Jaguars play host to Cleveland. Don’t be fooled by their result against Dallas, Kevin Stefanski’s squad still boasts one of the best defenses in the league. Dak Prescott was held to just 11.5 fantasy points on 179 passing yards against the Browns, and I expect a similarly underwhelming outing for Lawrence this time around.
Fantasy Advice Twitter Takeover
On Sunday from 11-1 ET, Jeff Pratt will be taking over the DraftKings Network X account to answer all of your start/sit questions. Don’t miss out!
Running Back
Start ‘Em: Najee Harris (Steelers) at Broncos
Hamstring issues or not, Jaylen Warren took a clear backseat to Harris in Pittsburgh’s opening contest. It will be worth noting how the touches even out over time — as I expect them to do — but for now, it appears Arthur Smith is going to rely on his workhorse. Harris received 20 of the 26 backfield rushing attempts against the Falcons, taking them for 70 yards against a stout Atlanta defensive line. It’s also worth noting that Harris ran considerably more routes than Warren, which I don’t expect to become a trend but is still intriguing.
Harris will look to build off his solid start against a Denver defense that just allowed Kenneth Walker to run for 103 yards and a touchdown. Regardless of if it’s Justin Fields or Russell Wilson under center this Sunday, the Steelers should continue to pound the rock. Najee could be in for a monstrous performance.
Sit ‘Em: Zack Moss (Bengals) at Chiefs
A touchdown salvaged what would have been a disappointing fantasy day for Moss against the Patriots, as Cincy’s new starter racked up just 61 total yards on 11 touches.
It won’t get any easier for him this Sunday, as the Bengals travel to Arrowhead for a clash with the back-to-back defending champs. The Chiefs looked fresh as ever in their opening game against Baltimore, stifling superstar running back Derrick Henry on the ground. If Henry only managed 46 yards on 13 attempts, I fear Moss will be fighting an uphill battle all day.
Game script could certainly hurt the 26-year-old as well. The Bengals are fresh off an embarrassing Week 1 loss to New England in which they looked completely discombobulated. If that carries over into their next game, the Chiefs will jump out to a large early lead, eliminating opportunities for Moss on the ground. Chase Brown isn’t going away either, as the second-year back registered six touches in Week 1. It’s best to leave Moss on your bench until he proves his fantasy value.
Wide Receiver
Start ‘Em: Malik Nabers (Giants) at Commanders
Look, I get it. Daniel Jones was atrocious in Week 1. Wan’Dale Robinson led the team in receiving.
I’m going to put both of those facts aside for New York’s upcoming contest. Regardless of Robinson’s production, Nabers still had a solid NFL debut, racking up five catches for 66 yards. The sixth overall pick was on the field for 100% of the Giants’ offensive snaps and flashed serious potential with the ball in his hands. If Jones simply manages to not run their offense into the ground, the rookie should be due for a bigger outing on Sunday.
Thankfully for fantasy managers who roster Nabers, the Commanders are an incredibly enticing matchup. Washington allowed the most passing yards in the league last year and just let Baker Mayfield rack up 289 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1. Jones should have an easier time, which bodes well for Nabers’ prospects.
Sit ‘Em: Courtland Sutton (Broncos) vs. Steelers
Sutton saw a noteworthy 12 targets in Week 1 against the Seahawks. Unfortunately, receiving that many targets doesn’t matter if the quarterback can’t get you the ball. It was a major struggle for Bo Nix in his NFL debut, as the 24-year-old completed just 62% of his attempts for 138 yards and two interceptions, including this one.
So, while Sutton saw 12 targets, he only caught four of them for 38 yards. This week, Nix and the Broncos will face a Steelers defense that just absolutely terrorized Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. It’s going to be a long day for every member of Denver’s offense.
Tight End
Start ‘Em: Colby Parkinson (Rams) at Cardinals
Everyone’s talking about Isaiah Likely as the go-to tight end waiver option — and rightfully so — but Parkinson is somewhat quietly set to receive a massive opportunity.
The 25-year-old racked up four catches for 47 yards in Week 1 as a solid target for Matthew Stafford. Puka Nacua is heading to IR with a sprained PCL. Tyler Higbee is out at least the next three weeks. See where I’m going with this?
Demarcus Robison looks set to be the main beneficiary of Nacua’s absence, but in a fantasy position that lacks depth, Parkinson should be a priority add with intention to start this week.
Sit ‘Em: Chigoziem Okonkwo (Titans) vs. Jets
Sitting as PPR TE6 after Week 1 looks great for Okonkwo. Once you look past the touchdown, it’s not as promising.
The 25-year-old only saw two targets in Week 1, hauling in both for 15 yards. If one of those catches hadn’t been in the end zone, we wouldn’t be talking about Okonkwo as a starting option this Sunday. The Jets just got picked apart by Brock Purdy, but I expect Robert Saleh’s squad to look much stronger this week. Okonkwo and Will Levis need to prove their rapport before you can trust him as your starting tight end.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 2 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice next week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
