Fantasy Football Week 2 Start ’Em, Sit ’Em Cheat Sheet

Do you have tough lineup decisions to make on Sunday? We’ve got you covered. Welcome to your Week 2 fantasy football cheat sheet for start/sit advice. In this article, we’ll highlight players to start and sit at each position along with fantasy rankings. Find Week 2 start/sit picks at QB, WR, RB and TE below.

Week 2 Start/Sit QB Picks

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.

Find our full Week 2 QB fantasy rankings here!

Week 2 Start/Sit RB Picks

Start: Jacory Croskey-Merritt at Cowboys

I can hear it… coming in the air tonight…

No, not Phil Collins. The Bill Nye the Science Guy theme song! Major credit is due to Croskey-Merritt on my end, as I doubted the young back’s ability to produce against a stout Eagles run defense. That’s just what he did, though, rushing 16 times for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Rachaad White is still certainly a factor in this backfield, as evident by his nine Week 1 touches. If Bill can hold onto the ball and keep his numbers up, the job does seem to be securely his. Croskey-Merritt draws a great Week 2 matchup to do so against Dallas, who just allowed Cam Skattebo to run all over them. Fire Bill up as an RB2 with upside.

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.

Check out the rest of our Week 2 RB start/sit picks here!

Week 2 Start/Sit WR Picks

Start: Jalen Coker at Falcons

It’s easy enough to say “start the current fantasy WR1” after a breakout performance, but one week doesn’t tell the full story. That said, in Jalen Coker’s case, the young wideout has been building up to this moment. Obviously, Coker isn’t a legit WR1. He’s not even the top receiver on his team, but the third-year wideout is the perfect compliment to Tet McMillan in what appears to be a fantasy-friendly situation.

A lot of that can be attributed to Bryce Young figuring it out. The former No. 1 overall pick played like it in Week 1, completing 23 of his 37 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Eight of those balls went to Coker, who amassed 138 yards and a pair of scores. Coker did suffer a minor injury during the game but is expected to be good to go this weekend in Atlanta. The Falcons are setting up to be a bit of a disaster this season unless they turn it around quickly, creating a strong opportunity for Coker to put up great numbers again. Start him as a WR3/FLEX.

Sit: Jaylen Waddle vs. Jaguars

Yikes. There’s not much else to say about the Broncos as a whole following their resounding MNF defeat to the Chiefs. Nothing was working for Bo Nix and company, which obviously extends to Waddle. Denver’s marquee offseason acquisition was only targeted three times, catching one ball for two yards. That’s almost more demoralizing than putting up an actual goose egg.

It won’t get much easier for Waddle and the Broncos this week as they host the Jaguars. Jacksonville’s scorching-hot offense has carried over from last year, and Trevor Lawrence’s squad appears to be building a case as a legitimate contender. Defensively, they’re tough as well, bolstered by an elite run-stopping group. It projects to be another long day at the office for Waddle. Keep him on your bench until a more favorable matchup emerges.

Check out the rest of our Week 2 WR start/sit picks here!

Week 2 Start/Sit TE Picks

Start: Isaiah Likely at 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.

Find our full Week 2 TE fantasy rankings here!

That’s our Week 2 fantasy football start/sit cheat sheet! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice and start/sit picks next week.