Week 2 lineups lock early for anyone with a Lion or a Bill, and that game is where the fantasy week starts. Both Week 1 games went over, both defenses looked porous, and the total is the highest of the young season. Below are the start and sit calls for Week 2, built around matchups and the Wednesday injury reports.
Start Em
| Player | Matchup | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen, QB, Bills | vs. Lions (Thu) | Four touchdowns in Week 1 against a Detroit secondary that allowed 410 passing yards and is missing safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph |
| Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions | at Bills (Thu) | 29 carries for 156 yards and two scores; Detroit’s answer to a patched offensive line is to feed him |
| DJ Moore, WR, Bills | vs. Lions (Thu) | 100 yards in his Bills debut; Detroit’s top corner D.J. Reed is questionable with a foot injury |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions | at Bills (Thu) | 14 targets, 10 catches, two touchdowns in Week 1; volume is locked in |
| Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens | vs. Saints | Baltimore is an 8.5 point favorite at home and put 41 on the Colts |
| Caleb Williams, QB, Bears | vs. Vikings | Chicago scored 59 in Week 1 and is a 5.5 point home favorite; the offense looked like a top five unit |
| Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers | at Falcons | 138 yards and two touchdowns; limited Wednesday with an ankle but aiming to play. Start him if he is active |
Sit Em
| Player | Matchup | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drew Lock, QB, Seahawks | at Cardinals | Filling in for Sam Darnold; 187 yards in relief is fine for a backup, not a fantasy starter. Downgrade Seattle’s pass catchers a notch too |
| Kyler Murray, QB, Vikings | at Bears | In concussion protocol; even if he clears, a Wednesday limited practice and a road game are not the setup you want |
| Malik Willis, QB, Dolphins | at 49ers | Miami is a 13.5 point underdog and Willis is untested as a starter |
| Tyler Shough, QB, Saints | at Ravens | 410 yards in Detroit came in a shootout; Baltimore is a different defense and an 8.5 point favorite |
| Cooper Rush, QB, Falcons | vs. Panthers | Likely starting again with Tua Tagovailoa out, but he is a streaming option only in deep two quarterback leagues |
| Ty Johnson, RB, Bills | vs. Lions (Thu) | Questionable with a hamstring and inactive in Week 1; James Cook is the only Buffalo back to trust |
| Detroit pass catchers beyond St. Brown | at Bills (Thu) | Goff threw for 206 yards on 39 attempts in Week 1 and is playing behind two backup linemen against Greg Rousseau |
Injuries That Change Lineups
Ladd McConkey was hurt in the Chargers’ loss to Arizona and his status is pending, which pushes targets toward the rest of the Los Angeles receivers. Jordan Mason went on injured reserve in Minnesota, and Isiah Pacheco is out roughly 12 weeks in Detroit, which is part of why Gibbs’ workload is so secure. Joe Burrow says he will play through a back issue, so Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins stay in lineups.
Related
Week 2 injury report · Week 2 starting quarterbacks · Week 2 odds · Week 1 start em sit em
The Bottom Line
Fire up Allen, Gibbs, Moore and St. Brown on Thursday night, ride Baltimore and Chicago at home, and keep the backup quarterbacks in Seattle, Atlanta and Miami on your bench.