Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season has arrived! We have a one-week sample size to work with, including a multitude of surprises in a good and bad way. That sets up a string of tough decisions for all fantasy managers. Let’s break down my fantasy football start/sit Week 2 picks for the 2026 season.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Picks
QB Start/Sit Week 2
Start: Brock Purdy vs. Dolphins
It was a monster week for fantasy quarterbacks, as Purdy racked up 22.1 points yet only finished ninth within his position. Still, those 22.1 points were an important statement for Purdy and the 49ers offense against a daunting Rams defense. Health has always been a concern for the Niners, and they did lose rookie De’Zhaun Stribling to an ankle injury, but their new main man Mike Evans was as explosive and productive as ever.
Purdy sliced open L.A.’s secondary, connecting on 25 of his 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He also contributed with his legs, adding 29 yards on the ground. This week, San Francisco draws a Dolphins defense that just lost to 38-year-old Kirk Cousins. Fire Purdy up as a solid QB1.
Sit: Justin Herbert vs. Raiders
This is Justin Herbert’s seventh NFL season. It may be time to come to terms with the fact that this is who he is. An objectively good quarterback with certain elite traits, but ones he rarely takes full advantage of, and especially not when the lights are brightest.
The Chargers held high hopes entering the 2026 NFL season, but were promptly stunned by the Cardinals in Week 1. Herbert was decidedly mediocre throughout the 26-14 defeat, amassing 209 yards, a touchdown and a pick to finish with 14.3 fantasy points. The Raiders defense looked surprisingly stout against Miami, making this no “gimme” bounce back matchup for the Chargers. Herbert’s lack of elite upside (especially lacking rushing production) makes him an uninspiring fantasy option that should be kept on your bench until further notice.
WR Start/Sit Week 2
Start: Stefon Diggs at Cowboys
Stefon Diggs, Commanders WR1? It’s obviously too early to make that type of declaration, but the veteran certainly looked the part in Week 1. Diggs was Jayden Daniels’ clear top target, catching four balls for 55 yards and a touchdown. What really stood out was the target share across Washington’s receiving corps. Diggs saw more than double the targets that Terry McLaurin and rookie Antonio Williams (four each) earned.
Diggs will look to carry this positive momentum into a favorable Week 2 matchup in Dallas. The Cowboys were porous defensively all throughout 2025 and didn’t do much to dissuade those concerns Sunday night against the Giants. Jaxson Dart carved the Cowboys’ secondary up, completing 23 of 29 attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Jayden Daniels should have little trouble doing the same, putting Diggs firmly in WR2 territory for this contest.
Sit: Rome Odunze vs. Vikings
The Bears scored 59 points against Carolina in Week 1. Fifty. Nine. Points. Do you know how much Rome Odunze contributed to those efforts? Two catches for 52 yards on three total targets.
Now, one of those receptions was an unreal deep ball moss just short of the end zone. Odunze clearly has elite talent, for some reason he and Caleb Williams just can’t fully put it together. The Bears are going to rack up the points this season, so the young receiver will have plenty of opportunities to fix that, but I don’t love his chances of doing so against the Vikings. Brian Flores’ defense once again wreaked havoc against the Packers last week, and they will certainly do the same in Chicago this time around. Keep Odunze on your bench for another week and revisit his prospects against an easier matchup.
Find all of our Week 2 fantasy football advice and content here!
RB Start/Sit Week 2
Start: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Steelers
Stevenson’s usage, and specifically lack of rushing production, made headlines and noise on social media in the 2026 NFL season opener. That said, I actually think the veteran back played quite well. Specifically, he made the most of his receiving opportunities, hauling in five balls for 44 yards. Rhamondre also maintained his form as one of the best pass protection backs in the league.
People just seem to forget that New England was facing the reigning Super Bowl champions with a top-three defense in the league. It was always going to be an uphill battle. In Week 2, things get a lot easier for Drake Maye and company. The Steelers are fresh off a relatively unconvincing win over the quarterback-less Falcons. Bijan Robinson sliced up the Pittsburgh defense as a receiver, generating optimism that Stevenson can do the same. Even if TreVeyon Henderson does return from his high ankle sprain, the veteran is still going to see 60-70% of the workload. That should be enough to garner high-end RB2 production.
Sit: Quinshon Judkins at Buccaneers
The Browns are bad. Really bad. That’s unfortunate for Quinshon Judkins, who is actually quite an effective, talented running back. If the situation around you is that poor, there’s just not much you can do at that position to produce. The Browns fell down early to Jacksonville, resulting in Judkins being taken out of the game script entirely. He finished with 12 carries and two catches for 50 total yards.
That just isn’t going to cut it, and I fear history is doomed to repeat itself for Cleveland most weeks. The Buccaneers boast too high-powered of an offense for the Browns to keep up, setting the stage for another early deficit and overall lack of production. If Judkins can find the end zone, he’ll likely put up respectable RB2 numbers, but you don’t want to play the boom-or-bust game at RB two weeks into the season.
TE Start/Sit Week 2
Start: Isaiah Likely at Los Angeles Rams
This is where I get to take my Week 1 victory lap. Likely was my start of the week at tight end against the Cowboys and my top target in drafts this offseason, and that hype came to fruition immediately. Likely finally got his chance as the undisputed top tight end in a new system, and he took advantage of it.
The versatile playmaker hauled in all eight of his targets for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns, finishing as the top fantasy TE on the week. Likely has wasted no time establishing a strong rapport with Jaxson Dart, and he’ll look to keep that rolling against a Rams defense that just lost Myles Garrett. Trust Likely as a locked-in fantasy starter.
Sit: Kyle Pitts vs. Panthers
The Kyle Pitts experience has seen ups and downs that few fantasy players have produced. I don’t really fault the former fourth overall pick for his lack of production with Cooper Rush under center, but the guy still put up a goose egg. There’s not much more to say about it.
If Michael Penix returns in Week 2, Pitts should see a bump in production, but it’s still hard to count on Penix shaking off the rust immediately against a solid Panthers team. Keep Pitts on your bench until the Falcons figure out their passing game.
Those are my Week 2 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em picks! Stay tuned for positional WR and RB 2026 Week 2 start/sit picks and advice later this week.
