The best part about fantasy football is winning. The second best part is the draft. However, the draft has come and gone, and fantasy owners struggle with who to start, who to sit, and who to target as a sleeper each week. Thankfully, four of our writers (Mike Fanelli, Joshua Abbe, Mason Thompson, and MJ Hurley) offer up their takes on who fantasy owners should start, sit, and play as a sleeper this week. Be sure to follow all of them on twitter and reach out with any fantasy football questions you may have. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Quarterbacks
Starts
Josh Allen at Miami Dolphins
Last week against the Jets, Allen finished the week as the QB3, scoring 28.1 fantasy points. Not only did Allen have his first 300 plus yard passing game of his career, but he also completed 71.7 percent of his passes. Furthermore, Allen had three total touchdowns, including one on the ground. He finished the day with 14 rushing attempts for 57 yards and 11.7 fantasy points on the ground. Meanwhile, the Dolphins gave up 25.7 fantasy points to Cam Newton last week. Newton had 75 rushing yard and two rushing touchdowns, good for 19.5 fantasy points on the ground. Expect the Bills copy the Patriots’ game plan and run Allen down the Dolphins’ throat. – Mike
Jared Goff at Philadelphia Eagles
Goff put in a solid performance last week against an underrated Cowboys’ ]defense. With 275 yards passing, unfortunately, no passing touchdowns though. Going into Week 2, he gets a very suspect defense that allows the run game to open the passing game. Goff a nice low-end QB1 this week. – Joshua
Jimmy Garoppolo at New York Jets
Allen had an incredible game against the Jets last week, where he put up over 28 fantasy points. This week, Garoppolo goes against the awful New York secondary. He had over 19 points last week against Arizona, where he was a mid-tier QB2. With a positive matchup against the Jets, he should be able to put up top-12 numbers this week. – Mason
Aaron Rodgers vs Detroit Lions
Rodgers showed in Week 1 that not only can he dismantle a young, inexperienced defense, but that he can do so with receivers that are not named Davante Adams. With Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard both recording touchdown in Week 1, the Packers offense looked better than ever. Jeff Okudah should be making his debut for the Lions, but Desmond Trufant was limited in practice this week. This forced Detroit had to sign Chris Jones off the Cardinals practice squad. Rodgers should light up the Lions’ young secondary with ease. – MJ
Sits
Cam Newton at Seattle Seahawks
While Newton had success last week, he was facing the Dolphins. Now he takes on the Seahawks in Seattle, and the rushing success he had last week won’t happen again. Of Newton’s 25.7 fantasy points last week, 19.5 came on the ground, 12 of them came from his rushing touchdowns. Newton only threw for 155 yards and no touchdowns. Of his 25.7 fantasy points, only 24.1 percent came in the passing game. Expect the Seahawks to keep Cam from running and force him to beat them from the pocket. – Mike
Drew Lock at Pittsburgh Steelers
Lock faces one of the best defenses in the league this weekend. If that wasn’t bad enough, Sutton will be a game-time call as he deals with the shoulder injury. Meanwhile, the Steelers picked off Daniel Jones twice last week and look to continue wreaking havoc on a young 2020 season. Fade Lock for sure. – Joshua
Matthew Stafford vs Green Bay Packers
Kirk Cousins was terrorized last week by Green Bay, while Stafford had issues without Kenny Golladay. With Golladay missing practice on Thursday, it is likely he will miss his second-straight game. With Green Bay’s run defense being lackluster as well, the Lions should attempt to run the ball more against the Packers on Sunday. Fantasy owners should fade Stafford this week. – Mason
Carson Wentz vs Los Angeles Rams
After losing an array of defensive starters, Aaron Donald and the Rams defense did not miss a beat in their Week 1 matchup against the Cowboys. The offensive line is a concerning question mark for the Eagles, and Wentz still does not have enough reliable targets on offense. A low scoring game is likely, and Sean McVay will do his best to control the time of possession and keep the ball out of Wentz’s hands. – MJ
Sleepers
Philip Rivers vs Minnesota Vikings
Rivers struggled against Jacksonville last week. He scored just 14.8 fantasy points and had two interceptions compared to just one touchdown. However, he did complete over 78 percent of his passes and threw for over 360 yards. Now, this week, Rivers gets to bounce back against the Vikings. Last week, the Vikings gave up 364 yards, four touchdowns, and 30.6 fantasy points to Aaron Rodgers. Had Adams not dropped a goal line touchdown, Rodgers would have scored even more. Rivers won’t throw five touchdowns this week, but his floor is 300 yards, three touchdowns, and 24 fantasy points. – Mike
Gardner Minshew at Tennessee Titans
Minshew shredded a good Colts defense last week in a surprising passing game that should you confidence that he will do the same this week. While the Titans defense is tough, they allowed Lock to complete 22-33 pass attempts resulting in one passing touchdown and 216 passing yards. Minshew isn’t missing his WR1 either like Lock was. – Joshua
Dwayne Haskins at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ secondary showed improvement last week. This game might be closer than many expect, which should keep Haskins throwing through the air. There are plenty of quarterbacks who have difficult matches this week, and if you’re looking for a stop-gap, Haskins could be just what some teams need. – Mason
Mitchell Trubisky vs New York Giants
After the Giants gave up three touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger last week, fantasy owners should be confident that Trubisky can do some damage against the Giants this week. Allen Robinson may be looking for a new contact, but once he and Anthony Miller are on the field, Trubisky has two dangerous weapons. Until David Montgomery returns to full form, look for Trubisky to carry the offensive load moving forward. – MJ
Running Backs
Starts
Raheem Mostert at New York Jets
Last week against the Cardinals, Mostert went off. He had 151 scrimmage yards and 25.1 fantasy points. Now he faces a Jets’ defense that gave up 22 fantasy points to the Bills’ running backs last week, plus another 11.7 on the ground to Allen. Mostert played 60 percent of the snaps last week while Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman combined played 41 percent. Mostert is the lead back in San Francisco until further notice. With the 49ers expected to blow the Jets out of the water on Sunday, look for Mostert to have another 20 plus point fantasy game. – Mike
Peyton Barber at Arizona Cardinals
Barber will continue to get the workload while rookie Antonio Gibson is still learning he was way in the NFL. Barber out-snapped Gibson 38-18 and had more touches 17-11, which doesn’t seem like much, but Barber was given the goal line carries, resulting in two touchdowns. Ron Rivera is trusting him so far in the young season to handle the goal lines carries, so expect more of the same Sunday. – Joshua
Ronald Jones vs Carolina Panthers
Jones was the lead back for the Buccaneers last week and found some room against New Orleans. Carolina surrendered three touchdowns last week to Josh Jacobs, and it looks as if their run defense is one of the worst in the league. Jones should be able to find running room this week behind his offensive line as Tampa Bay looks to take the pressure off of Tom Brady. – Mason
David Johnson vs Baltimore Ravens
Although the Texans were stomped by in Week 1, Johnson was the clear RB1 for the Texans. With facing a strong Baltimore secondary, expect the Texans to get Johnson, who is coming off a 19.9 fantasy game, more involved in the offense. Although the Ravens did limit Nick Chubb last week, the Texans offense is much more fluid at the moment than the Browns, which will lead to a good day for Johnson. – MJ
Sits
Chris Carson vs New England Patriots
Carson had 24.6 fantasy points last week, good enough for RB7 on the week. However, those numbers are phony. Despite facing an average at best Falcons’ defense, Carson had just six carries for 21 yards. What saved his fantasy day was his two receiving touchdowns. For reference, Carson had three career receiving touchdowns before last week. Furthermore, Carson split the backfield snaps with Carlos Hyde. Carson played on 28 of 62 snaps, while Hyde played on 21 snaps. Furthermore, the Patriots held the Dolphins’ running backs to just 3.1 yards per carry last week. Expect the Patriots to do similarly this week. – Mike
Frank Gore vs the San Francisco 49ers
Even with Le’Veon Bell out, Gore is not a good play against the 49ers. They have allowed the fewest catches to running backs, and on top of that, Gore doesn’t catch the ball like he used to. Unless he becomes the Gore of old on Sunday, he shouldn’t be anywhere near your starting lineup. – Joshua
Melvin Gordon at Pittsburgh Steelers
Gordon had some running room against Tennessee last week but won’t find much this week against Pittsburgh’s elite run defense. Saquon Barkley only posted six yards on 15 carries against Pittsburgh last week. Gordon is at best a flex option this week and will mainly be touchdown dependent. – Mason
Mark Ingram at Houston Texans
It will not be long before J.K. Dobbins is the RB1 in Baltimore. After Ingram struggled in the first half with 10 carries and only 29 rushing yards, the Ravens started the second half with Dobbins as the lead back. Dobbins immediately claimed his first two NFL rushing touchdowns. With Lamar Jackson by his side, Dobbins will have plenty of holes to run through and should get ample opportunities against Houston. – MJ
Sleepers
James Robinson at Tennessee Titans
The preseason draft darling proved he is a fantasy asset last week. Robinson was the only running back to carry the ball for the Jaguars last week against the Colts. Furthermore, he was the only running back in the league with 100 percent of his team’s running back carries last week. Robinson had 17 touches for 90 yards and scored 10 fantasy points. Meanwhile, the Titans gave up 22.3 fantasy points to the Broncos’ running backs last week, including a touchdown. While Chris Thompson will get some work in the passing game, Robinson should be in line for another 15 plus touches this week. – Mike
Chase Edmonds vs Washington Football Team
If you read our preseason Start, Sit, and Sleepers for the year, you see we were high on Edmonds. Kliff Kingsbury loves Edmonds in this offense, and he gets utilized a ton throughout the gameplay. There is no reason why that should change anytime soon. Plug him into the flex spot. – Joshua
Antonio Gibson at Arizona Cardinals
Here’s to hoping that the Gibson train gets rolling this week. He played a limited role in week one against the Eagles but should play a larger role against Arizona. Last week, the Cardinals allowed a long touchdown reception from Mostert, and Gibson is a similar player to Mostert. The game-script should allow Gibson to get more touches this week, and hopefully, he finds the endzone. – Mason
Nyheim Hines vs Minnesota Vikings
To be clear, everyone is aware that Jonathan Taylor is the lead running back in Indianapolis after the injury to Marlon Mack. However, Hines has a clear role in the receiving game and on third-down. Taylor won’t receive every carry for the Colts, and Hines has shown big playability. Hines has the trust of both Rivers and offensive coordinator, Nick Sirianni, so expect him to have a role in the offense every week. – MJ
Wide Receivers
Starts
Courtland Sutton at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sutton missed Monday night’s game against the Titans with a shoulder injury. However, he has practiced this week and is questionable to to play, so be sure to check the game day inactive list on Sunday. Lock looked solid against the Titans, while the Steelers were torched by Darius Slayton last week. Slayton averaged 17 yards a catch and had two big plays downfield, on his way to a 28.2 fantasy point night. Expect the Broncos to challenge the Steelers downfield with Sutton in a similar fashion. If Sutton is out, Jerry Jeudy should step into a WR2 finish this week. – Mike
Will Fuller vs Baltimore Ravens
Fuller led the Texans in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and air yards for Week 1. While the matchup doesn’t look great, the Texans are going to be playing from behind, so the passing game will be in full effect come Sunday. Will is going to be the focal point of the passing game and is safe to play despite the tough matchup. – Joshua
Michael Gallup vs Atlanta Falcons
Gallup was quiet in Week 1 besides the controversial offensive pass interference call. This week, he gets a rebound week against the Falcons secondary that was shredded by the Seahawks last week. Both Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf had big games against Atlanta last week, and Gallup could take advantage of the double teams on Amari Cooper. – Mason
T.Y. Hilton vs Minnesota Vikings
The world saw what Adams did to Holton Hill last week. Although most would agree that Rodgers and Adams are a bit better than Rivers and Hilton, the same concept applies in Week 2. The Vikings have a depleted secondary and will still be without Danielle Hunter, which weakens their pass rush significantly. Until the extremely young Vikings’ secondary grows and shuts down a number one wide receiver, start whoever will be lining up as a WR1. – MJ
Sits
Stefon Diggs at Miami Dolphins
Diggs’ Buffalo career got off to a nice start last week, catching eight of nine targets for 86 yards, and scoring 16.6 fantasy points. However, now he faces the Dolphins and their two star cornerbacks, Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Last week, the Dolphins held the Patriots’ wide receivers to just 19.9 fantasy points. With Allen expected to have a big day on the ground, combined with the tough matchup, fantasy owners should seriously consider benching Diggs this week. – Mike
Corey Davis vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Temper your expectations for this weekend. Even with A.J. Brown ruled out for the game, we’ve all had our hopes up before with Davis, only to be let down. Expect this to be a big Derrick Henry game, at the passing game’s expense. – Joshua
D.K. Metcalf vs New England Patriots
Metcalf had a great first week of the season, but now he gets the ultimate test this week. He is expected to face off against both Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson. The Patriots secondary is one of the best in the league, and Metcalf could have a hard time creating separation. Seattle could also pound the ball against a New England run defense that allowed Myles Gaskin to look good last week. – Mason
Marvin Jones at Green Bay Packers
Even though Kenny Golladay is out again this week, Marvin Jones did not appear to be the focus of the Lions offense against Chicago. With T.J. Hockenson emerging and Danny Amendola receiving most of the targets, Jones only had four catches for 55 yards. With Jaire Alexander matching up against Jones on the outside, it will likely be a quiet week for the veteran receiver. – MJ
Sleepers
Parris Campbell vs Minnesota Vikings
Last week against the Jaguars, Campbell tied Hilton for the most targets on the team with nine. However, Campbell was more productive with his targets, catching six of them for 71 yards and 14 fantasy points. Rivers is used to throwing to his slot receiver from his days with the Chargers, and Campbell could be poised to break out this season. Furthermore, the Vikings gave up 79.4 fantasy points to the Packers’ wide receivers last week, more than double the league average from Week 1. Fire Campbell up in season long and DFS. – Mike
Anthony Miller vs New York Giants
Miller gets a nice matchup this week. He faces a Giants defense that allowed three touchdowns to Steelers’ receivers in Week 1, and they also nearly gave up 200 receiving yards to the position. He is off to a hot start for 2020, and if Trubisky continues to get a run going, Miller has a chance for another good game. – Joshua
Olabisi Johnson at Indianapolis Colts
Johnson has carved a role early this year as the team’s second receiver ahead of Justin Jefferson. Johnson outproduced Jefferson last week and gets a great matchup against the Colts secondary that was picked apart by Minshew last week. With Michael Thomas, and a plethora of other receivers hurt, Johnson could factor in as a flex option in deeper leagues and provide a solid return. – Mason
Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs Detroit Lions
If not for the multiple dropped touchdown passes against Minnesota, Valdes-Scantling would be a clear start. He is slowly and surely gaining the trust of Rodgers and is the best athletic talent the Packers have in their wide receiver room. After proving he has made significant strides since last season, the young wide receiver should be a focal point against a weak Detroit secondary. Adams will likely have Okudah following him around the field, which leaves Valdes-Scantling the ability to run free. – MJ
Tight Ends
Starts
Hayden Hurst at Dallas Cowboys
Hurst’s first game as a Falcon didn’t go as well as fantasy owners had hoped. He had just five targets, catching three of them for 38 years and scored 6.8 fantasy points. However, Jamal Adams and the Seahawks were a bad matchup for him. Now he faces off against the Cowboys, in what is expected to be a high scoring game. Last week the Cowboys held the Rams’ tight ends to just four catches for 47 yards and 8.7 fantasy points. However, the Rams targeted their tight ends just six times last week. Expect Hurst to be heavily involved in the passing game and find the end zone at least once. – Mike
O.J. Howard vs Carolina Panthers
Howard was the leading tight end in Week 1, doubling his targets and receptions over fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski. He was third in team receptions for Week 1 and was target near the end zone from quarterback Tom Brady. If he continues to outshine Gronkowski, Howard could become Brady’s favorite tight end target, and we know how much Brady loves to utilize those tight ends. – Joshua
Jonnu Smith vs Jacksonville Jaguars
With Delanie Walker out of Tennessee, Smith stepped up and played a huge role against Denver. He had seven targets, caught four of them for 36 yards, and a touchdown. While Jacksonville held Jack Doyle in check last week, Smith is a much better athlete than Doyle. In what could be a low-scoring game, Smith could be the biggest benefactor as Tannehill has found a connection with him thus far into the season. – Mason
T.J. Hockenson at Green Bay Packers
Hockenson was the clear goal line target with Stafford last week. The young tight end showed significant improvements in the passing game and his blocking assignments as well. With Golladay out due to his hamstring injury, Hockenson will get the majority of the goal line targets that don’t go to D’Andre Swift. – MJ
Sits
Rob Gronkowski vs Carolina Panthers
Can we say Gronk is washed up for sure now? Last week against the Saints, despite playing 77 percent of the snaps, Gronk scored 3.1 fantasy points. Meanwhile, Howard played on 53 percent of the snaps but scored 13.6 fantasy points. Gronk had just three targets compared to Howard’s six. Now Gronk takes on the Panthers, who held Darren Waller to just 10.5 fantasy points. If Gronk has another disappointing game, it’s time to put him on the waiver wire, if you haven’t already. – Mike
Mike Gesicki vs Buffalo Bills
Gesicki had an extremely poor performance last week. Now he faces a Bills defense that allowed the second-fewest points to tight ends last season. Furthermore, they held Chris Herndon to 37 yards last week. Gesicki has also struggled against Buffalo in his young career, scoring eight fantasy points or fewer in three career games against them. – Joshua
Hunter Henry vs Kansas City Chiefs
Henry was a great start last week, where he led the Chargers in receiving yards and had eight targets. The game-script could very well play into his favor, but Los Angeles could also focus on Mike Williams, who matches up well against the Chiefs secondary. Kansas City was also awful against David Johnson last week, so it could be a big game for Austin Ekeler. – Mason
Noah Fant vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers proved on Monday night football that they still have one of the best defensive units in the game. Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick make it very hard on offenses to produce in the middle of the field. After shutting down Evan Engram to only two receptions, Fant will not have much breathing room against Pittsburgh. – MJ
Sleepers
Dan Arnold vs Washington Football Team
Arnold didn’t do much last week, scoring just 4.1 fantasy points against the 49ers. However, this week he gets a great matchup against Washington. Last week, they gave up 34.9 fantasy points to the Eagles’ tight ends, almost triple the league average from Week 1. While Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert is the best tight end duo in the league, Arnold should have a solid day against a weak Washington secondary. If you need a last minute replacement for George Kittle, Arnold should be on your radar. – Mike
Jimmy Graham vs New York Giants
Yes, the Giants were tough on Eric Ebron last week, but Graham will have a better opportunity this week. With being a main target of Trubisky, Graham was targeted seven times last week, scored a touchdown, and finished with 11.5 fantasy points. For those of you looking for a Kittle replacement, Graham is available in 84 percent of ESPN leagues. – Joshua
Dawson Knox at Miami Dolphins
Knox only had three targets in Week 1, but that was mainly because of a positive game script. Though it could be the same way this week, he should get more targets against the Dolphins. Knox could flip fantasy games due to his big-play ability. He has a chance to do so against Miami. – Mason
Logan Thomas at Arizona Cardinals
Surprisingly, Thomas was heavily involved in the Washington offense against the Eagles. With Haskins finding his own in the second half, Thomas had eight targets and one touchdown. After looking at how Arizona tried to limit Kittle, there will be much less emphasis on Thomas, which should open up the middle of the field for the fifth-year tight end. – MJ
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Mike Fanelli on Twitter @Mike_NFL2
Follow Joshua Abbe on Twitter @jabbe05
Follow Mason Thompson on Twitter @Thompson22Mason
Follow MJ Hurley on Twitter @Mjhurley47
Main Image Credit:
Embed from Getty Images
