It’s Week 2! We now have a week of data and a week of overreactions to freak out about. Is Mike Evans going to be an absolute bust? Should we drop Cam Newton? TJ Hockenson is the greatest tight end since Rob Gronkowski! Take a breath, relax, and think like a fantasy wolf. If you started 0-1, the season is long from over. If you are fortunate and started 1-0, huzzah! Either way, the season is long and the road is winding and filled with uncertainties.
In a world full of uncertainties, you can find solace here. Last week, we hit on 6/9 of our starts and nailed 2/3 of our sits. We hit big recommending quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson (holy aerial barrage!), running backs like Mark Ingram and Austin Ekeler, and Dede Westbrook provided a valuable touchdown in the flex.
However, Matt Ryan, Kerryon Johnson, and Will Fuller all ended up flaming out. Even wolves can make mistakes. Hopefully, if you’re reading this, you read this last week too and avoided starting Jared Goff and Derrius Guice. If you sat Tyler Boyd… well… mistakes were made.
Still, Week 2 is upon us. For more great fantasy options this week check out The Wolf’s Week 2 Rankings.
Start ‘Em
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger vs Seahawks
Ben Roethlisberger put up a massive stinker against the Patriots. The Steelers managed just three points. Three. With weapons like James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster, to put up just three points is mind-boggling.
Roethlisberger has, historically, showed a significant drop in production at home vs on the road. Last year, Roethlisberger appeared to overcome his home-road issue so his ineptitude against the Patriots came as a major shock. Fortunately, Roethlisberger is back at home against a Seahawks team that just gave up 418 yards and two touchdowns to Andy Dalton. Look for Roethlisberger and the Steelers to bounce back strong against the Seahawks.
Honorable Mention: Josh Allen, Cam Newton
Running Back: Devin Singletary vs Giants
Devin Singletary did nothing but impress in his debut against the Jets. Despite getting only nine touches, Singletary was still on the field for 48 snaps compared to Frank Gore’s putrid 19 snaps. All signs point to Singletary’s breakout coming and fantasy wolves always sniff out upcoming breakouts.
After watching the tape, it’s inconceivable that the Bills don’t give Singetary at least 15 touches this week. There’s little to no threat that the Bills have to start slinging the rock across the yard, given the ineptitude of the Giants offense as a whole. Singletary could absolutely explode this week and is someone we would roster with high confidence.
Honorable Mention: Duke Johnson, Derrick Henry
Wide Receiver: Cooper Kupp vs Saints
Jared Goff suffers from Roethlisberger syndrome. High octane, explosive offense that suffers from terrible home-road splits. Goff struggled against the Panthers but Cooper Kupp was still given plenty of chances to make plays. Kupp saw 10 targets last week, second on the team behind Robert Woods. Last season, before injuring his knee, Kupp was averaging around seven targets per game.
There’s no reason that high target floor won’t carry over in a potential shootout game at home against a Saints team that allowed 14 receptions for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Fire up Kupp with confidence.
Honorable Mention: DJ Moore, Allen Robinson
Sit ‘Em
Quarterback: Kyler Murray vs the Ravens
The Roto Street Journal’s 2019 version of Patrick Mahomes finds himself on the sit list this week. After a strong fourth quarter showing, it’s possible that the offense just needed a little time to click. Still, on the road against Baltimore is a tall task to ask of anyone. Especially for a rookie quarterback with an offensive line made out of wet tissue paper making his first road start against a stingy Ravens defense.
It’s certainly possible that Murray’s momentum carries over. However, given the depth of the position, players like Andy Dalton are better streaming options this week.
Honorable Mention: Russell Wilson, Mitch Trubisky
Running Back: Phillip Lindsay vs Bears
This feels fairly self explanatory. Coming off of an absolutely dominant defensive performance against Aaron Jones and the Packers, flames of optimism for Lindsay should be extinguished. One offense had Aaron Rodgers at the helm and only managed 10 points, the other has Joe Flacco.
Much like the Packers, the Broncos deploy a committee of backs with a nearly evenly split snap count (Lindsay saw 53% of the snaps). It’s best to just let Lindsay ride the pine this week.
Honorable Mention: Aaron Jones, Tarik Cohen
Wide Receiver: Robby Anderson vs Browns
One of the most explosive and exciting receivers in the league, Anderson’s 2019 campaign got off to a slow start in Week 1. There’s not much optimism for that to change this week. Anderson will likely spend much of the game dealing with Denzel Ward.
Now there’s still always a chance that players like Anderson will rip off a long touchdown. Explosive, volatile players like Anderson are always tricky to project. Therefore, Anderson could make an interesting flex option in multi-flex leagues. However, in traditional roster leagues, Anderson bears too much risk to start.
Honorable Mention: Christian Kirk, Will Fuller
Good luck in Week 2!
