The first action packed week of NFL action is now in the books, and that means getting into the Week 2 slate start and sit debates.
There were some wide receivers who truly surprised fantasy players, namely Rams rookie Puka Nacua and team mate Tutu Atwell, as well as standout games from some of the leagues finest and underdogs like Nico Collins and Kendrick Bourne.
We’re covering four Week 2 games today with some of the toughest start or sit decisions. Let’s get started.
Washington Commanders vs Denver Broncos
Jahan Dotson – Start (Projection 10.9 Points)
Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Terry Mclaurin split 16 targets from Sam Howell in Week 1, and it was Dotson who led with seven.
The second year talent could be the number one guy in Washington this season, especially early in the year with Terry Mclaurin suiting up and playing, but dealing with a lingering injury in his foot. The veteran’s status for Week 1 was in doubt right up until the weekend, and while he played, he only caught two balls for 31 yards.
Dotson is the more explosive option in the offense and caught five of his seven targets for 40 yards. He moved around the lineup with a near even 50/50 split between the slot and out wide, which could give him some space to work against the Broncos.
Pat Surtain is the guy to look out for in the Broncos defense, and depending on the matchup he will sometimes trail the number one receiver. If that is Mclaurin this weekend, Dotson could have a big game.
Courtland Sutton – Sit (Projection 10.6 Points)
I’m avoiding the Broncos group of receivers right now at all costs. With Jerry Jeudy out with a hamstring in Week 1, Russell Wilson threw passes to 11 different receivers/tight ends and running backs in the game against the Raiders.
Courtland Sutton was buried in there somewhere, catching four passes for 32 yards and a touchdown, but there just doesn’t seem to be any real structure to the offensive game plan.
I would have zero confidence in Sutton getting 7-10 targets a game next week, especially against a good looking secondary in Washington.
Samaje Perine led the Broncos in receiving yards at the weekend, followed by tight end Adam Trautmann. It’s way too messy, and no reason to take the risk here on Sutton.
Las Vegas Raiders vs Buffalo Bills
Jakobi Meyers – Start (Projection 10.5 Points)
Jakobi Meyers feels like a very sneaky good free agency addition in Las Vegas. He always showed that he was capable in New England, and is now back with Josh McDaniels in Vegas having already made his mark through just one week of play.
Of course, those with Davante Adams at their disposal will start him, but if you’re looking for a great value play against the Bills, Meyers is your guy.
In Week 1 he totaled nine catches on ten targets, racking up 81 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He led the offense in all of those categories, and perhaps playing alongside a true WR1 for the first time in his career will open up opportunities for Meyers with his new team.
Stefon Diggs – Start (Projection 19.9 Points)
Stefon Diggs was about the only good thing about the Buffalo Bills offense against a very strong looking New York Jets defense.
It’s well documented that Diggs was unhappy with his usage late in the year last year, which is warranted considering he was often a bystander while the Bills tried to drive downfield.
Clearly the offense has been working hard to get the very best from him again, and in Week 1 Josh Allen found him 10 times on 13 targets for 102 yards and a touchdown. He was the only player on the Bills roster with more than four targets, so perhaps we see a serious increase in target share for Diggs in 2023.
Diggs will likely be shadowed by Marcus Peters, and that’s a hot matchup for football fans to keep an eye on.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens
Ja’Marr Chase – Start (Projection 20.6 Points)
It was a crazy start to the season for the Bengals offense at the weekend, finding themselves completely stifled by the Cleveland Browns secondary.
Tee Higgins had zero catches on eight targets, and Ja’Marr Chase caught five balls for 39 yards, leading the team in both categories. Joe Burrow really struggled to get it going under pressure and facing tight coverage. The offense crumbled, and they were held to just three points all afternoon.
While Bengals stacks would have certainly cost many fantasy players the win in Week 1, there’s not a chance it goes on forever. Cincinnati will be furious that they’ve got off to a slow start once again in 2023, and will absolutely need to fix it in the second straight division rivalry game, this time against Baltimore.
Starting the season 0-2 in the AFC North is far from ideal, so I’m sticking with Chase and expecting a major turnaround from the Bengals offense here.
Zay Flowers – Start (Projection 11.3 Points)
I don’t know how long this guy is going to be incredible value, but I’m taking advantage of it for as long as it lasts.
There have been questions all summer about who might be the high volume target option in the Ravens new scheme this season, and on Sunday we got our answer.
First round draft pick Zay Flowers was picking up touches all over the field on Sunday, ending the game with ten targets, while no other player on the offense had more than three.
Flowers caught nine of those passes for 78 yards in total, making him a very nice play in PPR formats. The status of Mark Andrews could impact those numbers, but right now Flowers is the best value on the team.
Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
D.J. Moore – Sit (Projection 13.2 Points)
The Bears offense did not go as smoothly as fans would have hoped in Week 1, struggling to pick up any real momentum in the passing game against the Green Bay Packers.
Perhaps it’ll take a while to fully integrate D.J. Moore into the offense, but I’m not risking a roster spot on it right now.
Darnell Mooney led the team in targets and there were nine players targeted in the matchup. Moore only had two of those targets, and ended the game with two catches for 25 yards.
He’s a buy low candidate right now, but even if you pick him up in a cheap trade from somebody who might be trying to offload him in a panic, I still wouldn’t start him in Week 2.
Mike Evans – Start (Projection 14.6 Points)
Mike Evans continues to be the same consistent wideout he’s been for the entirety of his career, and I have to give credit to Baker Mayfield for his role in that this week too.
Baker threw everything he had into his debut with the Bucs, and willed them to a win on offense. He’ll have earned the respect of his team mates for sure, and fantasy players will appreciate the nine targets fired at Mike Evans too.
Evans caught six of those balls for 66 yards and a touchdown. Okay the majority of that total came on the one touchdown play, but Evans is always capable of a splash play, and I like the matchup with the Bears defense.
Chicago were one of the poorest teams in pass defense in Week 1, allowing 237 yards against Jordan Love and the Packers without Christian Watson being on the field. Evans could have a big week this week, and he feels like one of the safest starts in PPR formats consistently.
