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

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 20th at 1:00 PM ET

Location: LP Field, Nashville, TN

Betting Odds: TEN -9, 43 total via Oddsshark

Network: CBS

Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarterback

Gardner Minshew (Sit, QB2)

Gardner Minshew led the Jaguars to a bit of a surprising upset of the Colts in Week 1 behind an incredible 95% completion percentage (19-20) and three passing TDs.  Minshew’s yardage total, 173 yards, was uninspiring but he still managed a low-end QB1 finish for fantasy managers.  Minshew will be facing a Titans team that will be on a short week after playing the late game on Monday night, perhaps giving Minshew a slight boost.  Tennessee allowed Drew Lock to complete 67% of his passes for 216 yards and one TD despite the absence of Courtland Sutton and rookie KJ Hamler.  The Titans like to control the clock with their running game, reducing the number of possessions of their opponent, thus lowering their fantasy upside.  Minshew almost certainly won’t replicate his completion percentage but may be forced into more attempts given the double-digit spread.  Minshew is tough to trust against a good Tennessee team and should be on the bench in traditional leagues.  Minshew has a decent ceiling and can be trusted as a QB2 or Superflex for fantasy managers in Week 2.

Running Backs

James Robinson (Sit, Deep Flex), Chris Thompson (Sit)

Following the release of Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars’ coaching staff indicated the presence of James Robinson was a contributing factor to that decision.  Robinson was the RB1 on Jacksonville’s first official depth chart and provided 62 rushing yards and 28 receiving yards while seeing 68% of the snaps at RB.  Robinson’s volume was also encouraging, getting 17 touches despite the team only running 50 total plays on offense.  Unfortunately for fantasy managers with Robinson on their rosters, it’s hard to expect anything better in Week 2 from Robinson.  He could sneak into a deep Flex option if the team runs more plays and his target share stays consistent, but the large spread may dictate the team lean on the passing game more to stay close, lowering his ceiling.

Week 1 did not bring the Chris Thompson anybody was expecting, perhaps because the game was close throughout and the Jaguars only had 50 offensive plays.  Thompson barely registered on the box score seeing just two targets throughout the 12 snaps he played in Week 1.  Oddsmakers are heavily favoring the Titans, potentially leading to a larger run/pass ratio and making Thompson viable but early returns are not encouraging.  Thompson simply can’t be trusted for fantasy managers in Week 2 due to his lack of significant involvement in the offense in Week 1.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

D.J. Chark (Start, low-end WR2), Keelan Cole (Sit, Deep Flex), Laviska Shenault (Sit), Chris Conley (Sit), Tyler Eifert (Sit)

Jacksonville frequently had three WRs on the field at once in Week 1 with D.J. Chark leading the team with 42 snaps, followed by Keelan Cole with 33, Laviska Shenault had 31, and Chris Conley 16.  Chark is the locked-in #1 on the team despite Minshew spreading the ball around almost equally in Week 1.  Chark only saw three targets but caught all three for 25 yards and one TD.  Chark’s Week 1 output was salvaged by the short TD, but it had to be a disappointing week for fantasy managers who were counting on him to be at least a WR2.  Chark should see more opportunities this week and looks like a solid choice as a WR2 for fantasy managers this week.

Cole led the team in targets with five in Week 1 and also led the team in receiving yards with 47 along with one TD.  Much like Chark, Cole should see an expanded role in a “typical” game in which the team runs offensive plays that approach the league average.  Cole has been mostly an afterthought during his time in Jacksonville, but he looks poised to take on an expanded role this season.  Keep expectations in check, but Cole should provide enough of a floor to reach low-end WR3 numbers or slot into a Flex position for fantasy managers in Week 1.

Shenault has been used all over the formation dating back to his college days at Colorado and continuing through his Week 1 NFL debut.  Shenault primarily lined up at one of the WR positions but did see some snaps out of the backfield as well.  As mentioned above, Jacksonville seems poised to have three WRs on the field the majority of the time and this will give Shenault opportunities to utilize his athleticism in a variety of ways.  Unless his touches increase, however, Shenault is no better than a deep Flex for fantasy managers for Week 2 with no better options.

Conley and Tyler Eifert were mere afterthoughts in the passing game in Week 1 with each receiving a lone target.  Conley appears to be the fourth WR for the team and doesn’t project to see enough snaps or targets to warrant attention from fantasy managers in Week 2.  Conley is an easy sit.  Eifert is trying to recapture some of the magic from his Cincinnati days but failed to do much in Week 1.  Is that a trend or an anomaly?  Only time will tell and for that reason, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for their TE production in Week 2.

Tennessee Titans

Quarterback

Ryan Tannehill (Sit, QB2)

Ryan Tannehill‘s 43 pass attempts in Tennessee’s Monday Night victory over the Broncos was the most he’s had since joining the Titans and is certainly not what the coaching staff wants to be the norm for this season.  In Week 2, Tannehill and the Titans will host division rival Jacksonville who allowed Philip Rivers to complete 78% of his passes for 363 yards and one TD although they did force two INTs.  Tennesse has some good weapons in the receiving game but would prefer to lean on the running game to wear opponents down and grind the clock.  As such, expect to see Tannehill’s pass attempts dialed back closer to 25-28 and more in line with his 2019 average.  The decreased volume and reliance on the running game make Tannehill hard to start despite a solid Week 1 performance.  Fantasy managers should sit Tannehill in traditional leagues and he’s a solid QB2 for leagues that allow for two starting QBs.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry (Start, RB1), Darrynton Evans (Sit), Jeremy McNichols (Sit)

If not for pure volume Monday night, Derrick Henry would have been a massive disappointment in Week 1 for fantasy managers that drafted him in the mid-first round.  It took 28 carries for Henry to eclipse 100 yards on the ground, finishing with 116 on 31 attempts.  Henry also corralled all three of his targets for an additional 15 yards receiving.  The lack of TDs is concerning seeing as how Henry tied for the league lead last season, but the yardage and volume is encouraging.  Henry should have an easier time in Week 2 against a Jacksonville team that surrendered the fifth-most rushing yards and second-most rushing TDs in 2019.  Henry is a plug-and-play RB1 most weeks, and Week 2 is no exception.

Rookie Darrynton Evans was a scratch for the game against Denver due to a hamstring injury, paving the way for Jeremy McNichols to get more work.  There is cautious optimism Evans will be able to play in Week 2 but monitor injury reports throughout the week to be sure.  Even if Evans suits up, it’s hard to envision a large role and is best left on the bench for fantasy managers.  An Evans return will make McNichols a non-factor for Week 2 and a second absence from Evans will only give McNchols marginal value.  Neither player will make enough of a fantasy impact in Week 2 and fantasy managers can avoid both in their starting lineups.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

A.J. Brown (Start, WR3/Flex), Corey Davis (Sit, Deep Flex), Adam Humphries (Sit), Jonnu Smith (Sit, mid TE2)

A.J. Brown struggled to find much room to work against Denver, although he did draw a pass interference penalty on Tennessee’s final drive that would have made his night look a bit better.  Tannehill shared the love equally between Brown and Corey Davis with eight targets each.  Davis was the bigger beneficiary with 101 yards on seven receptions and Brown finished with 39 yards on his five receptions.  It was a disappointing night for Brown, drafted to be a WR2 for fantasy managers, but Davis got on a roll early and minimized Brown’s opportunities.  The emergence of Davis makes Brown’s upside a bit less certain and the projected game script against Jacksonville also hurts the outlook for both.  Brown has proven his worth as a solid WR3 for fantasy managers with WR1 upside and should be treated as such in Week 2.  Davis is a bit tougher to gauge as he’s been so shaky to trust thus far in his career.  Davis is a recommended sit except in deep leagues where he can be deployed as a low-end Flex.

Adam Humphries saw 2/3 of the snaps Brown and Davis saw (44 for Humphries to 66 each for Brown and Davis) but ended up with a better stat line than Brown.  Humphries was a frequent target for Tannehill seeing seven of his attempts and converting six for 47 yards.  Humphries is the third or fourth option most weeks in a low-volume passing offense and Week 1 is going to be close to his weekly ceiling.  Unless something happens above him on the depth chart, Humphries is a non-factor for fantasy managers in Week 2.

Jonnu Smith was pegged by many as a breakout candidate at the TE position after he scored three TDs over Tennessee’s final seven games, including playoffs, last season.  Smith looks like an integral part of the passing game after seeing seven targets in Week 1, compiling four receptions for 36 yards and one TD.  Smith had a couple of plays in Week 1 that showcased his athletic ability and provided fantasy managers with a taste of his weekly ceiling.  Unfortunately, Smith is trapped in a low-volume offense and doesn’t project to see enough targets to be reliably trusted as a TE1.  Smith should finish in the middle of the TE2 ranks this week, but he does have the upside to sneak into the lower end of the TE1 tier if options are scarce for fantasy managers.

Snap counts courtesy of Fantasy Data.

-Bryan Sweet (@FantasyFreakTN on Twitter)