Week 2 of the NFL season has arrived! After hitting both of my start/sit wide receiver picks in Week 1, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the position.
Let’s break down my Week 2 start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football WR picks.
Start ‘Em: Jameson Williams (Lions) vs. Buccaneers
After finally completing a full, healthy offseason program, Williams looked every part of who Detroit expected him to be coming out of the 2022 NFL Draft. It was the former 12th overall pick who led the Lions’ passing attack in Week 1, not superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown or Sam LaPorta.
Williams racked up five catches for a whopping 121 yards and a touchdown against the Rams, and he’ll look to carry that momentum over into Sunday’s matchup with a banged-up Buccaneers secondary. With the other weapons in this Lions offense, Williams should see single coverage for most of the day. I expect him to take advantage of that.
Sit ‘Em: Jayden Reed (Packers) vs. Colts
Trust me, I don’t want to sit the reigning WR1.
That said, if Jordan Love is unable to suit up for this contest, I don’t think you can justify starting Green Bay’s speedster. Matt LaFleur has left the door open for Love to play after spraining his MCL against the Eagles, but it feels highly unlikely.
If the Packers’ star quarterback is ruled out, they’ll turn to Malik Willis, who doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. The 25-year-old has a career 52.2% completion rate and has never thrown an NFL touchdown. If Love somehow suits up for this game you can trust Reed, but if Willis gets the nod you should look elsewhere at receiver.
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Start ‘Em: Demarcus Robinson (Rams) at Cardinals
Hey look, here’s a guy you can probably still grab off the waiver wire if you roster Jayden Reed and need a replacement!
While Reed is looking at the likelihood of being dealt a bad hand for Week 2, Robinson has been gifted an opportunity. With Puka Nacua heading to IR and Tyler Higbee on PUP, the No. 2 pass-catching role is up for grabs in L.A.
Robinson will compete for that job with Tyler Johnson, but I give the 29-year-old veteran the edge for this game. Robinson excelled down the stretch with the Rams last year, racking up 319 yards and four touchdowns from Weeks 13-17. He earned seven targets in Week 1 against the Lions and seems to have established an effective rapport with Matthew Stafford.
I expect Stafford to look for Robinson early and often against a weak Cardinals secondary on Sunday.
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.
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.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 2 fantasy football wide receiver 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.
