The gut should always outweigh the name.
Call it a golden rule of fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em decisions. Big names don’t always come through for a lineup and its owner. Look at Week 1, when Kirk Cousins, Arian Foster, Doug Martin, Jordy Nelson, Julian Edelman, Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce all failed to hit double-digit production.
Sitting a big name isn’t always possible, but if it is, nothing should stop an owner from avoiding a bad situation. Week 2 has plenty of potholes, as other stars are more than willing to pick up the slack for owners who look beneath the surface.
QB
Star to Know: Blake Bortles, JAC (at SD)
Like it or not, a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars is a stud. It is not because his team keeps chasing points, either, like certain waiver options over the last few years with the team.
Blake Bortles scored 14 points last week by way of 320 yards and a touchdown in something of a shootout with the Green Bay Packers. Given the Allen Hurns-Allen Robinson-Julius Thomas trio, it seems like a great floor.
Bortles should shoot past the floor for one of fantasy’s best days this week by way of an encounter with the San Diego Chargers. They coughed up 27 points through 363 yards and two touchdowns to Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs, so Bortles can aim for those numbers.
Star to Sit: Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ (at BUF)
With Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker as weapons, New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick classifies as a star, especially after throwing more than 30 scores last year.
But don’t expect anything significant from Fitzpatrick this week against the Buffalo Bills. Something about a Rex Ryan defense throws the Harvard product for a loop, as GMFB pointed out:
Fitzpatrick managed 14 points last week, while Buffalo gave up 12. Though the weapons around him seem strong, plenty have been burnt by this matchup.
Don’t be the next one.
RB
Star to Know: Jeremy Langford, CHI (vs. PHI)
All hope isn’t lost for Chicago Bears running back Jeremy Langford.
Chicago looked miserable in a Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans, but luckily for Langford owners, that is about as tough as it gets for a few weeks.
In fact, Langford now gets to line up against the Philadelphia Eagles, who coughed up 17 points to Cleveland Browns running backs last week. Langford, meanwhile, took 17 carries for 57 yards and a score against Houston, totaling a respectable 11 points in a terrible matchup.
The most important factoid here, though, is usage. Rotoworld’s Evan Silva explained:
There is not competition for Langford in Chicago, which means a big day for him by means of simple opportunity.
Star to Sit: Carlos Hyde, SF (at CAR)
Carlos Hyde of the San Francisco 49ers was one of the better fantasy surprises in Week 1 as he crushed the Los Angeles Rams.
Hyde finished as the fifth-scoring back with 20 points thanks to 88 yards and two scores. It was an unexpected development given the usual strength of the Rams defense.
Don’t expect it to continue.
Digest a nugget from ESPN Stats & Info first:
Hyde now has to travel and take on the Carolina Panthers—a terrible matchup even if the defense did allow two touchdowns last week. That was a surprising Denver Broncos attack; this is a San Francisco team with limited options.
Expect Carolina to meet San Francisco in blow-for-blow fashion and stymie Hyde.
WR
Star to Know: Marvin Jones, DET (vs. TEN)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones had a strong debut with the team last week against the Indianapolis Colts, catching four out of 10 targets for 85 yards, good for eight points.
Owners probably wanted a bigger outburst from Jones, but he led the team in targets at least. If that carries over to a Week 2 encounter with the Tennessee Titans, watch out.
Those Titans gave up 15 points to Minnesota Vikings wideouts in Week 1. Specifically, the defense allowed Stefon Diggs to catch seven passes for 103 yards and 10 points. Remember, this is a Vikings team without an adequate starting quarterback or other receiving threats.
Star to Sit: Jarvis Landry, MIA (at NE)
Miami Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry is a great play in points-per-reception leagues, but he is a boom-or-bust option elsewhere.
For example, Landry seemed to be in a decent matchup last week, lending to plenty of chances against the Seattle Seahawks. But he caught seven passes and turned them into all of 59 yards, good for five points.
Chalk up Landry for more of the same against the New England Patriots in Week 2. They surrendered 28 points to wideouts last week, but keep in mind Landry has never scored against the defense.
Considering he sees the Patriots twice per year, it classifies as a major red flag. If a Miami wideout scores, it likely won’t be Landry.
TE
Star to Know: Antonio Gates, SD (vs. JAC)
With Keenan Allen sidelined in San Diego, owners can expect some of the opportunities to go Antonio Gates’ way.
Granted, he hasn’t looked great to start, scoring just two points in Week 1 on three catches. The matchup doesn’t look amazing, either, considering the Jaguars allowed only two points to Packers tight ends last week.
Keep in mind, though, Gates torched Jacksonville for 17 points by way of two touchdowns in Week 12 last year. He’s now the team’s No. 1 threat through the air, so it’s not unreasonable to suggest the veteran could post a repeat performance.
Star to Sit: Jared Cook, GB (at MIN)
Speaking of Green Bay tight ends, it is time to pump the brakes on Jared Cook.
He had a strong preseason while looking like one of Aaron Rogers’ favorite options, finally letting his elite athleticism shine with strong quarterback play.
Or not. DraftKings‘ Adam Levitan provided context:
Against Jacksonville, Cook didn’t score a point on his lone catch and finished behind Richard Rodgers in targets at the position. Now he has to go against a Vikings defense that allowed only four points to tight ends one week ago. Don’t bank on the breakout Cook game.
All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.
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