Week 2 start 'em & sit 'em recommendations for the wide receiver position from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at the NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system. Be sure to check out my Week 2 PPR rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions.
Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES
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Week 2 Start 'Em: Wide Receivers
Start of the Week
Marquise Brown at Texans
Brown looked good in Week 1, hauling in five of six targets for 101 yards and 15.1 fantasy points against Cleveland. He’s in a good spot to succeed again, as he travels to Houston to face a Texans defense that allowed the ninth-most points to outside wide receivers a season ago. What’s more, Houston allowed two touchdowns to the position last week, and it could have been more had Demarcus Robinson not dropped two end-zone dimes.
Start ‘Em
Michael Gallup vs. Falcons
Gallup was held to just five targets and 50 yards last week, though it should have been more if not for a questionable offensive pass interference call. Regardless, I’d consider him a nice No. 3 wideout or flex starter against the Falcons. Their defense allowed 229 yards and one touchdown to Seattle wideouts a week ago, and the position hauled in 88.3 percent of its targets. DraftKings Sportsbook has the over/under at 52, so lots of points will be scored.
T.Y. Hilton vs. Vikings
Hilton’s opening-week performance left much to be desired, but he did play 59 snaps and led all Colts wideouts in target percentage (15.3) against the Jaguars. I'd keep him in the lineup this week, as Hilton faces a Vikings defense that allowed a ridiculous 22 catches, 315 receiving yards, and an 81.5 completion percentage to Packers wideouts last week. As a result, Hilton and Parris Campbell are both in the WR3 or flex starter convo.
Julian Edelman at Seahawks
Edelman posted a ho-hum 5-57-0 stat line last week against the Dolphins, but Cam Newton only threw the football 19 times in a Patriots win. I expect that he’ll throw it much more this week, however, and that should benefit Edelman in the pass attack. What’s more, Seattle surrendered a league-high 179 receiving yards to Atlanta slot receivers last week. I’d get Edelman into your starting lineup as a No. 3 wideout or flex starter.
Anthony Miller vs. Giants
Miller had a nice start to his 2020 campaign, posting four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. He has another solid matchup this week, as the Bears will host a Giants defense that allowed three touchdowns to Steelers wideouts in Week 1. What’s more, New York surrendered nearly 200 receiving yards to the position as well. If Mitchell Trubisky can continue his “hot” start, Miller should put up another attractive stat line.
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More Starts
- Keenan Allen vs. Chiefs
- Stefon Diggs at Dolphins
- Allen Lazard vs. Lions
DFS Bargains
- CeeDee Lamb vs. Falcons (DraftKings: $4,700)
- Parris Campbell vs. Vikings, (DraftKings: $4,500)
- Scotty Miller vs. Panthers (DraftKings: $4,100)
Week 1 Sit 'Em: Wide Receivers
Sit of the Week
D.K. Metcalf vs. Patriots (SNF)
The decision to sit a young, studly wide receiver like Metcalf is difficult, even more so when he’s coming off a 95-yard, one-touchdown performance. So, look at your roster depth and consider this: the Patriots have a stud cover cornerback in Stephon Gilmore and were among the toughest defenses for wideouts to score fantasy points against in 2019. I’d roll with wideouts like D.J. Chark, Michael Gallup, or Jamison Crowder instead.
Sit ‘Em
Brandin Cooks vs. Ravens
Cooks did next to nothing in the season opener, catching just two passes for 20 yards in a loss to the Chiefs. Things won’t get much better for him this week, as the Texans host a Ravens defense that allowed just 104 yards to Cleveland wide receivers (including Odell Beckham Jr.) in Week 1. Cook was limited to just 31 snaps in the opener due to a bum quadriceps, so there’s too much risk to consider starting him this weekend.
DeSean Jackson vs. Rams
Jackson didn’t meet fantasy expectations last week, posting just 6.6 points on two catches (seven targets) while running 37 of 68 offensive snaps. Rookie Jalen Reagor is back in the mix too, and Carson Wentz targeted his tight ends a ton in the opener. I’d fade the veteran in his next contest, as a tough matchup against the Rams and shutdown CB Jalen Ramsey awaits. At best, Jackson is a dart throw flex option in some deeper leagues.
Sammy Watkins at Chargers
Watkins went off for fantasy fans smart enough to start him this past week, posting seven catches on nine targets with a touchdown and 21.5 fantasy points. I fear that starting him this week is a case of chasing the points; however, a matchup in Los Angeles against the Chargers is anything but attractive. The secondary is one of the best in the NFL, and Watkins has failed to score more than 5.2 points in four games against them.
Sterling Shepard at Bears
If you learned anything from the Giants offense last week, it’s that Daniel Jones has a whole lot of love for Darius Slayton. He led all New York wideouts in snaps and targets, leaving Shepard as the second option when Golden Tate was out of action. The Bears were also tough on enemy wide receivers last season and held Detroit wideouts without a score in Week 1. For the second straight week, I’d keep Shepard benched.
More Sits
- DeVante Parker vs. Bills
- Robby Anderson at Buccaneers
- Henry Ruggs III vs. Saints (MNF)
DFS Fades
- Cooper Kupp at Eagles (DraftKings: $6,700)
- Mike Evans vs. Panthers (DraftKings: $6,400)
- Will Fuller vs. Ravens (DraftKings: $6,300)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news and analysis!
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