Fantasy: Start, Sit, Stash, Quit - Week 2
SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players you should consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.
For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 2 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 2 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.
Start
Josh Allen, QB, Bills
at Giants
Allen's turnover-prone first half in Week 1 was salvaged by his rushing production, which gives him a high fantasy floor and a week-winning fantasy ceiling. Next, he'll face a Giants defense that's susceptible to dual-threat quarterbacks because of the amount of man coverage they use, which leads to big gains as secondary defenders turn their backs to the line of scrimmage. The G-Men also allowed 405 passing yards and four touchdowns to Dak Prescott last Sunday, so Allen should be able to do some damage with his arm. He's a low-end QB1 and someone worth grabbing if he's still on your waiver wire.
Boone's projection: 227 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 68 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Other QBs to start
- Dak Prescott at Redskins
- Jared Goff vs. Saints
- Ben Roethlisberger vs. Seahawks
Matt Breida, RB, 49ers
at Bengals
With Tevin Coleman sidelined, Breida will once again assume the No. 1 role in the 49ers' backfield, which comes with an uptick in playing time after he saw the field on 44% of the team's snaps a week ago. Breida was mostly held in check by the Bucs' defense, but we also saw Tampa Bay bottle up Christian McCaffrey on Thursday in Week 2, so perhaps Todd Bowles' unit is better than expected. The Bengals' defense, which Breida will face this week, was more generous to running backs in its opener, allowing Chris Carson to compile 80 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Breida will be in the RB2 mix for as long as Coleman is out.
Boone's projection: 68 rushing yards, 37 receiving yards, TD
Other RBs to start
- Sony Michel at MIA
- LeSean McCoy at OAK
- Devin Singletary at NYG
Tyrell Williams, WR, Raiders
vs. Chiefs
Williams is coming off a six-catch, 105-yard, one-touchdown performance in a surprising Week 1 win over the Broncos. Next up is a Chiefs squad that will force the Raiders to keep up with their high-powered attack. Though originally expected to be a field-stretching complement to Antonio Brown, the latter's departure from Oakland has turned Williams into the team's top receiver. It's not a role Williams is completely unfamiliar with. When injuries struck the Chargers' depth chart in 2016, he was thrown to 119 times and amassed 69 receptions, 1,059 yards, and seven scores. Williams finished as a low-end WR2 in fantasy that year and he'll flirt with that range again this season.
Boone's projection: 89 receiving yards, TD
Other WRs to start
- Tyler Lockett at Steelers
- John Brown at Giants
- Michael Gallup at Redskins
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens
vs. Cardinals
Andrews is technically in a three-way timeshare at tight end in Baltimore, but that didn't stop him from leading the team in targets and receptions in Week 1 when he hauled in all eight of the balls thrown his way, posting 108 yards and a touchdown. Despite playing the fewest snaps of the Ravens' TE trio, Andrews was still tied for first on the team in pass routes run, according to ESPN's Mike Clay. If owning a piece of the Lamar Jackson passing attack isn't enticing enough, Andrews gets to take on a Cardinals defense that gave up six catches, 131 yards, and a score to T.J. Hockenson in his NFL debut on Sunday. Andrews is a top-six tight end in all fantasy formats this week.
Boone's projection: 76 receiving yards, TD
Other TEs to start
- Delanie Walker vs. Colts
- Darren Waller vs. Chiefs
- T.J. Hockenson vs. Chargers
Sit
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
vs. Vikings
The Vikings will make their first road trip of the year following an absolute dismantling of the Falcons in Minnesota last weekend. Matt Ryan finished outside the top 12 fantasy quarterbacks in Week 1 - a fate that's coming for Rodgers in Week 2. In his two meetings with the Vikes last season, Rodgers was the QB18 and QB25 in fantasy, throwing just one touchdown in each outing. It's hard to send the Packers star to your bench, but after barely cracking 200 yards versus the Bears, Rodgers is a risky play against another tough opponent.
Boone's projection: 249 passing yards, TD, INT
Other QBs to sit
- Kyler Murray at Ravens
- Philip Rivers at Lions
- Mitch Trubisky at Broncos
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
vs. Eagles
Freeman was one of the biggest busts in Week 1 with just eight carries for 19 yards, three catches for 12 yards, and a fumble. Game script may have cost him playing time in the second half, but Freeman didn't look like the player we've seen in the past as he split touches with Ito Smith. Even though offseason reports were glowing about Freeman's health, it's safe to question whether nagging injuries are catching up to him. You definitely don't want to challenge that theory against an Eagles defense that shut down the Redskins' run game last week and prevented Freeman from topping 50 rushing yards in each of their last three matchups.
Boone's projection: 43 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards
Other RBs to sit
- Aaron Jones vs. Vikings
- David Montgomery at Broncos
- Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman vs. Bears
Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions
vs. Chargers
Matthew Stafford and the Lions' passing attack produced 385 yards through the air in Week 1. However, it came with an asterisk due to the Cardinals' offense pushing the pace and then increased volume when the teams went to overtime. For reference, Stafford threw 40 or more pass attempts in just four of his 16 appearances in 2018. In the same respect, Golladay saw nine targets in Arizona - a number he hit just six times last year. With fewer looks and facing a much more stout secondary, Golladay will be a touchdown-dependent play against the Chargers.
Boone's projection: 45 receiving yards
Other WRs to sit
- Robby Anderson vs. Browns
- Courtland Sutton vs. Bears
- A.J. Brown vs. Colts
Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons
vs. Eagles
Hooper was overshadowed by more enticing waiver-wire options who caught touchdowns in their season openers, like Hockenson, Darren Waller, and Delanie Walker. Hooper still caught nine balls for 77 yards, but the degree of difficulty will be ratcheted up as he squares off with safety Malcolm Jenkins and an Eagles defense that was a top-10 unit at defending fantasy tight ends last year. Hooper is a serviceable back-end TE1 for the rest of season - just not this week.
Boone's projection: 34 receiving yards
Other TEs to sit
- Jimmy Graham vs. Vikings
- Tyler Eifert vs. 49ers
- Kyle Rudolph vs. Packers
Stash
Diontae Johnson, WR, Steelers
The rookie played 36% of the Steelers' snaps in his debut and hauled in three of his five targets for 25 yards. As the direct backup to a struggling Donte Moncrief, we could see Johnson's playing time increase in the coming weeks as the Steelers try to find someone who can produce alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster. Don't forget that the Steelers have a history of finding talented receivers through the draft; Johnson might be the latest.
Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
Harris was a healthy scratch in Week 1, leading many fantasy managers to cut ties with him in favor of a hot new waiver-wire option. However, he's still a Sony Michel injury away from fantasy relevance. Given Michel's history and the success of the Patriots' rushing scheme, you want Harris on your bench instead of on the open market.
Quit
Darrell Henderson, RB, Rams
Everyone who drafted Henderson in the middle rounds took a big hit in Week 1 as it became clear that Malcolm Brown is the sidekick and handcuff to Todd Gurley. Henderson played just two snaps in the game and hasn't been overly impressive since being drafted by the Rams. It's possible that injuries to Gurley and Brown will pave the way to a starting role, but we said the same thing about John Kelly last season. Henderson's not a must-drop player, but with all the intriguing performances around the league early in the season, you might want to use the roster spot on someone with more immediate upside.
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings
The Vikings threw the ball 10 times in their first game, and though that number will rise, it's a sign of how this offense wants to operate - powered by the run. Rudolph's productive history against the Packers can't be trusted after he saw zero targets in Week 1. There are better fantasy tight ends out there than Rudolph, who's somehow owned in 59% of Yahoo leagues.