Sit/Start Week 2: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 18th, 4:25 PM ET

Location: AT&T Stadium, Dallas, TX

Betting Odds: CIN -8.5, 43 total via PFF.com

Network: CBS

Writer: Callen Elslager (@callen_elslager on Twitter and Reddit)

Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterback

Joe Burrow (Start, QB1)

Last week was definitely a struggle for Joe Burrow with 4 interceptions thrown in the Bengals loss to the Steelers. However, all signs are pointng in the right direction for Burrow, with safety Jayron Kearse likely to miss this game with a sprained MCL. Burrow also gets the benefit of having his number two target in Tee Higgins return after leaving Sunday’s game due to a concussion. With the Cowboys dealing with injuries throughout their roster, and the return of Higgins to this passing attack, Burrow is an easy QB1 this week against the Cowboys.

Running Backs

Joe Mixon (Start, RB1), Samaje Perine (Sit)

Last week we saw Leonard Fournette look pretty spry against this Dallas defense. The same should be said this week for Joe Mixon against the same Cowboys defense. A real positive sign for Mixon is that he was involved in the passing game last week, seeing as total of 9 targets and appearing in almost three times as many snaps as Samaje Perine. While Perine still had his own involvement in the Bengals passing game, it appears the Bengals want to get Mixon more involved in the passing game than he has been in past years. All that being said, with the Bengals expected to blowout the Cowboys, Mixon should face a real positive game script, all adding up to an easy RB1 week for Mixon this week.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Ja’Marr Chase (Start, WR1), Tee Higgins (Start, WR2, if active), Tyler Boyd (Start, FLEX if no Higgins; Sit, Flex if Higgins is active), Hayden Hurst (Sit, TE2)

There isn’t much more analysis that is needed about Ja’Marr Chase than what has been said elsewhere. He is really good and facing a banged up Dallas team should allow him to compete for the top receiver in the entire league this week. As usual Chase is an easy start with all the confidence in the world. The first real decision to be made is whether Tee Higgins is a start this week. As long as he is out there, I am starting him this week in this matchup. Prior to his injury, Higgins was heavily involved in the Bengal offense and finished second amongst relievers in touches per snap. With the draft capital that you invested in Higgins, it is hard. to find other options to start over him, so long as he is active. If Higgins is inactive, then Tyler Boyd who saw a 13.2% target share becomes a very intriguing option. Even without him I think Boyd has a case to be used in your FLEX this week, based on the matchup with the Cowboys, but it is likely that you have other options to use over him. Hayden Hurst rounds out the receiving options as one of the intriguing later-round tight end options. Without Higgins, Hurst becomes more interesting, but I believe there are more interesting streaming options at this position to use this coming week.

Dallas Cowboys 

Quarterbacks

Cooper Rush (Sit, QB3)

With the injury to Dak Prescott, this offense now comes into the hands of Cooper Rush. If you have to rely on Cooper Rush this week, then you may be in some trouble, as Rush played it very safe when taking over for Prescott and taking more dump-offs than normal, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt last week. Add all this together, though the volume will be there with the Cowboys having to likely play from behind, and we have a quarterback whom I have zero interest in putting in any lineup this week.

Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott (Start, RB2), Tony Pollard (Sit, Flex)

With the Prescott injury, the offense should likely lean on the running game and Ezekiel Elliott. That should lead to enough volume to keep Elliott as a mid to low RB2 this week. The Bengals likely will stack the box to prevent Elliott from having the same 5.1 yards per carry as he did last week, but the volume he should get is enough consistency, including the same passing volume that Tony Pollard had, to maintain his role as a starter in your lineups. As mentioned earlier, Cooper Rush has a tendency to dump the ball off, and with this pattern, Pollard may see some volume in the passing game, especially having to play from behind. However, I am unsure that I can trust that potential volume without seeing for sure how Rush will use Pollard in the passing game, before recommending Pollard as a starter.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR2), Dalton Schultz (Start, TE1)

While last week was an absolute disaster for CeeDee Lamb, we finally saw him get the volume we were hoping to see, with Lamb receiving 11 targets. The only issue there, Lamb only had 2 receptions on these 11 targets. With a backup quarterback, the Bengals can try and double team Lamb to keep him out of the game. However, talent should win out in this case, and Lamb’s 26.8% target share should help propel Lamb to a mid WR2 week, since someone needs to catch passes in that offense. Outside of Lamb, there isn’t a chance I can recommend any alternative wide receivers for the Cowboys, especially with Cooper Rush manning this offense. There’s always the old saying that a tight end is a backup quarterback’s safety blanket, and I believe that Dalton Schultz can be that for Cooper Rush this week. Last week, the Bengals allowed the Steelers’ tight ends to get double digit targets, and Schultz received a 22% target share of his own, playing on every single snap. With that being said, while we are all concerned about this Dallas offense, the concern should not fall to Dalton Schultz as well, with his consistency and matchup combining to make him an easy TE1 this week.