It was a strange Week 1 in the NFL, and the weirdness bled over into the fantasy football side of things, One could argue that managers were presented with more questions than answers in many cases. With so much uncertainty impacting a number of players and teams, you may find yourself facing a few tough choices when it comes to fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em questions in Week 2, especially at the running back position.
Coming into the season, it was apparent that the list of “bell cow” RBs was a short one. Not only does that outlook still ring true after the first week of games, but several backfields yielded surprising workload splits in Week 1. Managers now must try to determine what was real and what was fugazi when deciding on their fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em options for Week 2 RBs.
Luckily for you, we here at FlurrySports are here to help! Let’s dive into some fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em candidates and weigh our options for Week 2 RBs.
Wide Receivers — Week 2 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 2 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 2 RBs
Start: Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook vs. Panthers
ECR Rank: 25
In his first game as a member of the New Orleans Saints, Jamaal Williams predictably got plenty of opportunities. Unfortunately, he was unable to do much of anything with his touches. Tennessee’s formidable defensive front held Williams in check to the tune of 2.5 yards per carry. As a result, managers who started him failed to reap the rewards of his 18 carries whilst playing 75% of the Saints’ offensive snaps.
For as disappointing as his Week 1 stat line was, we must keep in mind that fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em decisions largely boil down to opportunity. Williams certainly got plenty of work in Week 1, and that trend figures to continue for at least two more games until Alvin Kamara returns from his suspension. The Saints should have a much easier time establishing the ground game in Week 2 against a Carolina outfit that got steamrolled by Atlanta’s RBs last weekend.
Start: D’Andre Swift Fantasy Outlook vs. Vikings
ECR Rank: 33
Thursday Night Football alert!!! Managers who wish to start D’Andre Swift will need to make sure to get him in their lineups before the Philadelphia Eagles’ primetime showdown against Minnesota. Now, according to the FantasyPros ECR, Swift is little more than a FLEX option this week. This is entirely an overreaction to the fact that he only played 29% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps last week, tallying 1.30 PPR points.
Head coach Nick Sirianni eased concerns about Swift this week when he stated that the Eagles fully intend to get him more involved. Is it possible that Philadelphia reduced his workload in Week 1 on purpose knowing that it would be a quick turnaround to this TNF matchup? Maybe. Managers should also note that Kenneth Gainwell has been ruled out for the game against the Vikings after leading the Eagles’ backfield last week. We’ll look for Swift to get back on track.
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Sit: Breece Hall Fantasy Outlook vs. Cowboys
ECR Rank: 24
In case the D’Andre Swift call above wasn’t controversial enough, we also have an argument against Breece Hall in our fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em for Week 2 RBs. This may seem asinine given what Hall accomplished in his first game back from a torn ACL last week. While 127 yards on ten carries is a thing of beauty, it is almost certainly not replicable. This is especially true with the New York Jets hitting the road to take on a stingy Dallas defense.
Hall only played 31% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in Week 1. It’s anyone’s guess as to what this offense will look like going forward after losing Aaron Rodgers. What we do know is that Dalvin Cook played more snaps than Hall last week. Assuming the cautious approach with Hall continues, an even timeshare seems most realistic for Week 2. Hall could still be a solid FLEX, but it may prove difficult for him to live up to his RB2 status in the ECR ranking in this difficult matchup.
Sit: James Conner Fantasy Outlook vs. Giants
ECR Rank: 21
By now, it’s no secret amongst experienced fantasy football players that James Conner is injury-prone. If there was ever a year in which you could hang your hat on him missing games, it would figure to be this one. After all the Arizona Cardinals’ offense is a total laughingstock. When Josh Dobbs is your QB, it makes total sense that Conner garnered 19 total touches while playing over 80% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 1.
If Conner suits up again on Sunday, he could very well draw a similar workload. That is if he’s able to suit up and last the entire game. Lo and behold, he has already popped up on the injury report as a limited practice participant with a calf injury. If he is able to log his full allotment of snaps, Conner won’t be out of the woods just yet. The front line is the strength of a New York Giants defense that ceded the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs last season.
Check our fantasy football rankings, since you may have a better option.