Week 2 Start’em, Sit’em: Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Strategy

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Week 2 is a crucial week in the fantasy season. A strong 2-0 start will have you feeling like you assembled a championship caliber squad, while falling to 0-2 will have you already thinking about the last place punishment. Not to fear, I have assembled the best advice you need, to navigate the most gut-wrenching lineup decisions. Instead of sharing common knowledge like, “you should start Julio Jones, he’s pretty good”, I want to focus on the tough calls between eerily similar players. Here are 5 receivers you should start, and 5 receivers you must keep on your bench.

Start’em

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Opponent: New Orleans Saints
There should be no doubts or second-guessing when it comes to starting Kupp this week. He has a terrific matchup against the Saints. In last year’s regular season matchup with New Orleans, Kupp caught 5 balls for 89 yards and a touchdown. Kupp looked to be back to 100% after that devastating torn ACL he suffered last season. Goff has always looked Kupp’s way and that hasn’t changed. Kupp saw 10 targets last week for 7 receptions and 46 yards. You can’t miss out on starting Kupp, in what should be an offensive explosion at home in week 2.

Tyrell Williams, Oakland Raiders

Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
I love Williams’ ability, almost as much as I love his opportunity. After the departure of Antonio Brown from Oakland, Tyrell Williams became Derek Carr’s new No. 1 wideout. He didn’t disappoint in week 1 either, as he snatched 6 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. The talented receiver is positioned to be in for another big outing. The Chiefs are coming to town, which will naturally put pressure on Oakland to put up points, and do so often. Tyrell Williams should be in your lineup somewhere, and I would even feel comfortable having him as a WR2 this week.

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson’s No. 1 passing option, had a very scary week 1 for all fantasy owners. Lockett only managed to see 2 targets for just one reception. Luckily for those who started him, he turned that one reception into a 44 yard touchdown. I am going to write off the lack of targets as a fluke, because Lockett is by far the Seahawks best receiver. There is no reason he shouldn’t bounce back with a 7-8 target game against the Steelers, who have given up the 7th most receptions over 20 yards to receivers since week 11 of last season. This bodes well for Lockett, as he has 10 receptions for over 20 yards in that same time span, which ranks him 4th amongst all receivers. Don’t be scared of his week 1 performance, he should be much more involved in Seattle’s offensive attack against Pittsburgh.

John Brown, Buffalo Bills

Opponent: New York Giants
There is no secret that the Giants defense is not good, and certainly wasn’t good last week against the Cowboys. The G-Men’s 23rd ranked defense from last season, allowed Dak Prescott to throw for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns. To complete the perfect storm, John Brown is coming off a 7 catch, 123 yard game, which was capped off with the game-winning touchdown in week 1. Brown should continue his hot start against the Giants, I would start him as a WR3.

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals

Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
The reasons I like Boyd this week, are similar to the reasons I like Tyrel Williams. He has proven to be a quality receiver, who has now been elevated to be the No. 1 passing option on his team. Boyd is best used on underneath routes, which is favorable in PPR formats. He should continue to garner a lot of targets, as he saw the ball go his way 11 times last week against Seattle. Of those 11 targets, Boyd reeled in 8 receptions for 60 yards. Boyd should be viewed as a full-fledged WR 2, he is one of the more safe bets on this list.

Sit’em

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

Opponent: Chicago Bears
The Broncos’ second-year receiver was awfully impressive in week 1 against the Raiders. Sutton posted 7 receptions for 120 yards on 8 targets. Sutton will be a good fantasy contributor this season, but just not in week 2. Fantasy football is all about matchups, and this one is unfavorable for any Denver Bronco. Perhaps the best defense in the league, the Chicago Bears will travel to Denver for their matchup on Sunday. The Bears looked impenetrable on the ground or through the air in week 1. Chicago held one of the best fantasy receivers in the league, Davante Adams, to just 4 receptions and 36 yards. The highly talented Green Bay offense failed to score more than 10 points as well. If you are still not convinced, the Bears ranked 7th best in pass defense and No. 1 in points allowed per game last season. If that tells you anything, sit Courtland Sutton. Please.

Jamison Crowder, New York Jets

Opponent: Cleveland Browns
Crowder looked primed for a great follow up performance against the Browns in week 2, after catching a mind-boggling 14 balls last week. However, his starting quarterback Sam Darnold will be out with an illness. That changes quite a lot for Crowder’s outlook against Cleveland. While Jets’ backup quarterback Trevor Siemian at least has some experience in the NFL, I wouldn’t want to lose a fantasy game because Trevor Siemian wasn’t on the same page with Crowder. I rather be safe than sorry, if you’re really in a lineup pinch, Crowder is my favorite among the other receivers on the Sit’em list. He should still see many targets, but will Siemian be able to complete them, is a question we will have to wait and see the answer to.

Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars

Opponent: Houston Texans
The Jaguars’ route running specialist was one of my favorite sleeper fantasy options in the off season. Like Crowder, the Jags receiver has fallen on hard times with his starting quarterback. Starting quarterback Nick Foles is sidelined with a broken collarbone for 6-8 weeks. There is just too much uncertainty at quarterback for me to sign off on starting Westbrook. To top it off, Westbrook was third on the depth chart in yardage gained in week 1. I’d keep him on my bench, but he should not be seen on anyone’s starting line up until further notice.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Opponent: Baltimore Ravens
The future hall of famer Larry Fitzgerald, turned back the clock in week 1. He went for an impressive 8 receptions,113 yards, and 1 touchdown against the Lions. Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, relied on the veteran in a sluggish offensive performance by the Cards. However, Murray and the Cardinals will face a much stiffer test in week 2. The Baltimore Ravens should get to the quarterback at will, and bait the young signal-caller into bad decisions. The Ravens had 2 interceptions against the Dolphins last week, while giving up only 10 points in the contest. The Cardinals gave up 5 sacks in week 1, and right tackle Marcus Gilbert has been put on IR. All signs point to a field day for the Baltimore Ravens defense. Due to Fitzgerald’s matchup, I would stay away.

Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions

Opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
The veteran receiver made his Detroit Lions debut in week 1. Quarterback Mathew Stafford looked Amendola’s way quite often against the Cardinals. The new addition, saw 13 targets, 7 receptions, 104 yards, and 1 touchdown. While it was quite impressive, Amendola’s track record suggests the performance was more of a fluke than a trend. Amendola has averaged just 4.7 fantasy points per game since week 11 of last season (full point PPR format). That statistic ranks Amendola tied for 14th worst among all receivers in the league. Additionally, the Chargers only allow an average of 16.8 fantasy points to all opposing receivers combined per game, in that same timespan. Amendola, who should shake out to be the third or fourth passing option on the team, should not be trusted in week 2 against the San Diego Chargers.