Whether you're starting off 1-0 or 0-1, this week is a real make or break point in your season. No pressure, of course. But if your team is winless after two games, you may begin to think irrationally and look at the holes in your roster in search of solutions, while the 2-0 teams are sitting pretty atop the standings looking like an unbeatable force in your league. But before we start analyzing what your next step is going to be, your focus right now needs to be on putting out the best roster you can for the Week 2 slate of games. So, as you already know, we are here to offer you some sleeper starters and bold predictions in an effort to help you put up a W regardless of where you are in the standings. Here is Start Or Sit? Complex Sports Fantasy Football Tips (Week 2).
Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills (1:00 ET)
START: RB Darren McFadden, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, WR Steve Johnson, RB Fred Jackson
SIT: TE Scott Chandler
Other than Darren McFadden, there is no other Raiders player that stands out on the offensive side of the ball. As for the Bills offense…41 points!? From a fantasy perspective, Ryan Fitzpatrick went off. Fred Jackson still hit double-digits without hitting the endzone, and Steve Johnson posted solid numbers for a wide receiver. All these guys should be in your lineup against an unproven Raiders defense. If you were in dire need of some tight end help, Scott Chandler may not have been the best option to pick up. Even though he had 5 receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns last week, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Green Bay Packers @ Carolina Panthers (1:00 ET)
START: WR Steve Smith, Packers Defense
SIT: QB Cam Newton
In Week 1, Cam Newton had one of the best first game performances for a rookie QB in NFL history. Now in Week 2, he will be sent back down to earth. However, one thing that may remain constant is Cam’s bond with Steve Smith. Expect another solid game from Steve Smith, but keep him as a flex start at best.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions (1:00 ET)
START: RB Jamaal Charles, QB Matthew Stafford
SIT: QB Matt Cassel
The Jamaal Charles you saw in Week 1 will not be the Jamaal Charles you see throughout this season. Even though things may not look great this week against an improving Lions defense, Charles will eventually turn it around. As long as Matthew Stafford stays healthy, he is a great option at QB. With the Kansas City defense looking awful last week, we expect to see Stafford put up some great numbers and make many owners happy.
Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts (1:00 ET)
START: WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, RB Peyton Hillis
SIT: WR Pierre Garcon, WR Austin Collie
Today, life without Peyton is now in part two. It’s becoming apparent that as long as Kerry Collins is the Colts QB, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon will continue to struggle. And if those difficulties persist, Collie may make for a good trade low option that you can stow away if Peyton returns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings (1:00 ET)
START: QB Josh Freeman, RB LaGarrette Blount, WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow, RB Adrian Peterson
SIT: QB Donovan McNabb, WR Percy Harvin
The Buccaneers offense was a nightmare last week against the Lions. Just chalk that up as a fluke game. We expect a nice bounce back from all of Tampa Bay’s big name players.
Quick question: Does Donovan McNabb suck or does Donovan McNabb suck? Last week, McNabb passed for a grand total of 39 yards. And if you thought that was bad, Percy Harvin had 15 yards rushing and only 7 yards receiving against the Chargers. Fortunately for Harvin owners, dude took one back to the house and salvaged an awful fantasy day on the gridiron. This isn’t a fluke. A good wager may be when the “Start Ponder” chants begin.
Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints (1:00 ET)
SIT: Bears Defense, Saints Defense
Saints WR Lance Moore is expected to play this weekend, and with Marques Colston out, he might get a solid number of targets. The Saints have had a week and a half to prepare for this game and we saw what they did against a strong Packers defense. Expect their offense to be able to find openings even against a tough Bears D. In fact, neither of these defenses are good plays this week, seeing as the Saints got beat up pretty bad as well.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets (1:00 ET)
START: Maurice Jones-Drew, LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller
SIT: Plaxico Burress, Shonn Greene
Now that’s what you call a bold prediction. Yeah, we know Shonn Greene is the starter but if Week 1 showed us anything, it’s that LT isn’t done yet. Even though the Jets’ running back timeshare heavily favored Greene, Tomlinson still outscored Shonn, 7 to 2. It’s a small sample size, but you gotta believe that if there are any goal lines carries against Jacksonville, LaDainian will be getting the carries.
Sorry Plax, we’re not believers just yet and you shouldn’t be either. Some people may point out the fact that Burress got nine targets (catching 4 of them) against the ‘Boys. But let’s be real, Sanchez won’t (and shouldn’t) be throwing the ball 44 times in every game this season.
Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 ET)
SIT: RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Sidney Rice
The Steelers just got demolished by one of their biggest rivals last week. Unfortunately for Seattle, Pitt will be playing immeasurably hard to prove that was a fluke. Ben Roethlisberger did throw three interceptions last week, but he has a 12-1 record in interconference home games. We’re willing to bet we see plenty of points on the board for the Steelers. People expected Hines Ward to fall off this season, but he proved in the opener that he’s still very much a part of this team. Don’t forget about him.
START: RB Ray Rice, WR Kenny Britt
Chris Johnson didn’t look good at all. With only 24 rushing yards in Week 1, CJ looks like he is still in preseason mode. Now that he will be facing a very good Ravens defense in Week 2, we don’t see a dramatic turnaround for Johnson just yet. With this game having potential blowout written all over it, the Titans passing offense will need to play catch up early and Kenny Britt can only benefit from that.
SIT: QB Kevin Kolb, Cardinals Defense
We actually had to pinch ourselves after putting Rex Grossman as a good start option. After coming to the realization that this isn’t a dream, we also think that the main benefactor of Rex’s success will be Santana Moss. While we’re not convinced that the Redskins defense is good, we do believe that they will do enough to disrupt Kevin Kolb.
Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco Redskins (4:05 ET)
SIT: WR Michael Crabtree
Romo might have blown last week’s game, but his numbers still weren’t bad. Hopefully the 49ers didn’t get used to winning, because this game could get ugly. Jason Witten was fantastic last week as expected, and we are sorry for advising not to start Miles Austin. He should at least remain as a flex start no matter what, even with a nagging injury.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos (4:15 ET)
SIT: QB Kyle Orton
There are few positive things to say in one of the ugliest matchups of the week. The Broncos gave up 190 yards to Oakland and RB Cedric Benson is coming off a 121-yard effort, so he should be able to run wild. QB Andy Dalton is hopeful to play and had solid stats in his first game before being injured, but he still should not even be close to your starter. Also, rookie WR A.J. Green made a single catch for a 41-yard TD and should probably be played only as a flex option solely because of his ability to make big plays. As for Kyle Orton, his confidence has got to be hurting. He got sacked five times and heard consistent chants to be replaced by third-stringer Tim Tebow. He’s not a terrible option, but there is probably somebody better.
Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins (4:15 ET)
SIT: RB Derrick Ward
It is sad to say that the Dolphins are 1-10 in their last 11 home games. So much for home field advantage. Of all the teams, Miami could have used a bye this week the most before facing yet another high-powered passing front. Arian Foster finally returned to practice this week and could make his first start, but we still say start Tate as a flex due to sharing time and the chance of Foster aggravating his injury.
San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots (4:15 ET)
SIT: Chargers Defense, Patriots Defense
It’s pointless to go over all the obvious starts with this one. This should be a really high scoring affair, so make sure neither defense is starting. One thing that Brady proved is that he still loves his tight ends. Aaron Hernandez had over 100 yards and a touchdown while Rob Gronkowski had 86 yards and a TD. These guys can be hit or miss, but if you have them, start them, because the upside is well worth it. Also make sure you have Charger RB Mike Tolbert, who had 3 total TDs, safely locked in as a starter.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons (8:20 ET)
SIT: TE Tony Gonzalez
This game marks only the second time Mike Vick will be returning to the Georgia Dome. Though humble about the game, you know he’s going to be firing at all cylinders. Tony Gonzalez might seem like a nice choice after last week, but I wouldn’t be so sure, especially against a fierce Eagle defense. In 12-league teams, there are more attractive tight ends. WR Julio Jones sure looked great in his debut though. He’s an excellent 3rd option to start.
St. Louis Rams @ New York Giants (MON, 8:30 ET)
SIT: QB Eli Manning
As our No. 1 waiver wire pickup, Steven Jackson’s replacement, Cadillac Williams should be ready to step in as a starter this week. Subsequently, he should be starting on your team if you were fortunate to grab him before the rest of your league. Sam Bradford practiced in full at the end of the week and should be starting. After watching Rex Grossman pick apart the Giants, Bradford might make his first good impression of the season. Hakeem Nicks returned to practice as he recovers from a bruised knee, so it’s safe to put him in your lineup, but Eli Manning just isn’t stable enough to consider him a starter.
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