NFL Week 2 Starts, Sits, Picks & Best Bets

Christian Williams examines the NFL Week 2 slate to determine who to start and sit in fantasy football and the best bets to make this weekend.

Week 1 didn’t offer NFL fans many surprises, but having a full slate of football back was incredibly exciting. Week 2 has some intriguing matchups, and we have some budding trends to monitor for fantasy football. Let’s get into it.

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Starts

Justin Fields (QB - PIT) at DEN

ECR Ranking: QB16

Mike Tomlin declared Fields the starting quarterback for the Steelers’ Week 2 matchup against the Broncos, and the matchup couldn’t be better. The Broncos ranked 2nd in the NFL in man coverage rate in Week 1 against three tough-to-cover wideouts after ranking in the league’s top half in 2023. Fields ranked 11th in the NFL in passing yards per game but averaged over ten yards per carry against man coverage. Geno Smith rushed for 30 yards and scored against Denver last week, though the defense wasn’t entirely focused on stopping the speedy quarterback (because he isn’t speedy). Denver will hone in on Fields in the read-option game, but negating scrambles may be tough. Fields didn’t score in Week 1, but his command of the offense was apparent, and his deep ball performance should allow Arthur Smith to open the offense up more this week. Fields has top-five potential this week and should be in your starting lineup.

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Justice Hill (RB - BAL) vs. LV

ECR Ranking: RB42

The Chargers effectively neutralized the Las Vegas pass rush in Week 1, but Baltimore doesn’t have the same talent among their bigs. Lamar Jackson will look to get the ball out quickly again, but a fair share of dump-offs to Hill should give him the PPR upside necessary to throw into a FLEX spot. Hill’s average depth of target in Week 1 was -1.0, and the Chiefs’ ability to rally and tackle led to adequate efficiency. Outside of Robert Spillane, the Raiders don’t pose much of a threat when chasing down Hill. A heavy dose of Derrick Henry in the rushing attack should control the game, but if the Raiders hang in the game (more on that later), expect Hill to continue his role as the primary receiving back. I’d start him as an RB3 or FLEX in Week 2.

Jameson Williams (WR - DET) vs. TB

ECR Ranking: WR33

I’ll ride the wave. Williams had a career game in Week 1, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. The buzz was constant throughout the offseason, and we finally saw it come to fruition last week. Williams ranked third in yards per route run among wideouts with at least four routes in Week 1, and he gets the most banged-up secondary in the NFL this week. Amon-Ra St. Brown should rebound from his lackluster Week 1 performance, but this should be a high-scoring game requiring explosives. Williams provides that, and I think he’ll continue impressing in Week 2.

Foster Moreau (TE - NO) at DAL

ECR Ranking: TE37

We’ve moved past “Taysom Hill: Quarterback and tight end” and graduated to “Taysom Hill: Actual backup running back,” giving the talented tight end room more opportunity to shine. Moreau capitalized in Week 1, catching four balls for 43 yards and a touchdown. He posted the fourth-best receiving grade, ranking just behind teammate Juwan Johnson, and finished as the TE2 on the week. The secret is that he would’ve finished inside the top 12 without the touchdown, but Moreau’s 32 snaps led the tight end room. Dallas left David Njoku wide open all day Sunday, but the Cleveland quarterback kept missing him. Moreau should find space in the middle of this Cowboys defense, and he’s a fairly safe play if you don’t boast an elite tight end.

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Sits

I’m not going to tell you to sit any tight ends. There are not enough tight ends to get cute. Don’t get cute.

Kyler Murray (QB - ARI) vs. LAR

ECR Ranking: QB6

Murray finished just inside the top 15 in Week 1, scoring 14.2 fantasy points against an average Buffalo defense. Worse, the Rams like to play single-high more than most teams, and Murray ranked 26th in the NFL in yards per attempt against such coverages in 2023. They also gave Jared Goff hell last week, as he was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. Marvin Harrison Jr. must be significantly better for Murray to finish inside the top 12, and I’d hesitate to plug him into my lineup this week.

Travis Etienne (RB - JAX) vs. CLE

ECR Ranking: RB17

Etienne is undoubtedly going to get opportunities in Week 2, but the Browns are one of the worst defenses against which to attempt a rebound game. Etienne was awful in Week 1, ranking 72nd out of 73 qualifying running backs in run grade. Ezekiel Elliott ranked 68th, and Rico Dowdle ranked 33rd in the Cowboys’ Week 1 matchup against this motivated Cleveland defensive front. A touchdown for Etienne likely puts him in this range, and Trevor Lawrence was incredibly impressive when the play-calling matched his play in the first half last week. Still, I’d prefer sitting Etienne this week, especially when his backup pushes for more snaps before this game.

Davante Adams (WR - LV) at BAL

ECR Ranking: WR21

Adams might receive a decent target share against Baltimore this week, but their secondary is nothing to sneeze at. Sure, Rashee Rice diced them up, and some broken plays allowed Xavier Worthy to perform well. Still, Rice’s dominance came from a brilliant scheme, perfect adjustments from Patrick Mahomes, and a heavy dose of slot snaps. Unfortunately, Luke Getsy isn’t brilliant, Gardner Minshew isn’t Mahomes, and Adams sacrifices slot snaps for Jakobi Meyers. Adams can be a fine flex play, but starting him as a WR2 this week is risky, and I’d avoid it if possible, debating between high-upside options in the flex instead.

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Picks

Each week, I’ll share my picks against the spread. In Week 1, I went 8-6 (I didn’t pick the Thursday Night Football or Friday Night Football games officially, but I would be 9-7 based on my actual betting actions). We’ll call it 9-7 for totality’s sake.

Buffalo Bills (+2.5) at Miami Dolphins

Las Vegas Raiders (+9) at Baltimore Ravens

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys (-6.5)

Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5) at Carolina Panthers

San Francisco 49ers (-6) at Minnesota Vikings

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3.5)

Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7) at Detroit Lions

Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots (+3.5)

New York Jets (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans

New York Giants at Washington Commanders (-1.5)

Los Angeles Rams (+1.5) at Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (-6)

Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5) at Denver Broncos

Chicago Bears (+6.5) at Houston Texans

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5)

Best Bets

Please bet responsibly!