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

Bears at Broncos

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 15th at 4:25 pm EST

Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Betting Odds: CHI -1 via Oddsshark

Network: FOX

Sleeper Spotlight: David Montgomery

 

Chicago Bears

 

Quarterbacks

• Mitchell Trubisky (Sit)

 

Bad Mitchell Trubisky showed up in Week 1 and fantasy owners should not have been surprised. Trubisky has had just one QB1 performance in Week 11 of 2018, and even then his threw for just 235 yards passing and two passing touchdowns. Trubisky looked uncomfortable and was wildly inaccurate in the teams season opener. He has been trending down and owners cannot start him with confidence until he gets his mojo back. After taking five sacks in the season opener, Mitchell belongs on your bench against Von Miller and the Denver Broncos.   

 

Running Backs

• Tarik Cohen (Start/Flex)

• David Montgomery (Start/Flex)

• Mike Davis (Sit)

 

The Bears leaned heavily on Tarik Cohen in Week 1, contrary to the chatter coming out of camp. Cohen saw all third-down snaps, as expected, but the team also lined him up as a slot receiver on base downs, something that took away from other pass catchers on the roster. Cohen saw ten targets, catching eight for 49 yards. Cohen will have value in nearly any game script and is an easy start recommendation. However, the battle for running back on base downs is in full swing. Veteran Mike Davis is what we thought he was, a straight line, take what’s given, north-south back. Rookie David Montgomery flashed in his debut, showing jukes and creativity but limited burst. I believe Montgomery will get a longer look this week, as the team wants to see what it has in the youngster. He’s a flex play for me, in hopes that he pops off some big plays.   

 

Wide Receivers

• Allen Robinson (Start/Flex)

• Taylor Gabriel (Sit)

• Anthony Miller (Sit)

• Trey Burton (Sit)

• Adam Shaheen (Sit)

 

Despite a tough night for Trubisky, he did attempt to find his number one target, Allen Robinson, all night. Robinson was targeted 13 times on the night and finished with 7 catches for 102 yards. Robinson looked like the Robinson of old, with acrobatic catches, as well as winning contested balls. He’s a great flex play this week, as he should produce with volume alone despite being covered by Chris Harris all over the field. However, I cannot recommend starting Taylor Gabriel this week. Trubisky is struggling and cannot be trusted to support two wideouts, especially against this tough defensive secondary. And it pains me to say but we must sit Anthony Miller too. Miller played in just 22% of the team’s snaps, with many of his routes going to Cohen in the slot. Until we see him on the field for better than half the time, he’s an easy sit. 

 

Keep an eye on the practice reports on Trey Burton, who missed Week 1. The team does use Burton in varieties of formations and routes when healthy, and Denver is a team that can be exploited at the TE. If he plays, he’s a borderline start for me. Adam Shaheen should not be owned and will receive limited fantasy opportunity.  

 

Denver Broncos

 

Quarterbacks

• Joe Flacco (Sit)

 

Joe Flacco played about as expected in his Broncos debut, managing just 268 yards passing and a late touchdown pass. The days of penciling Flacco in as a reliable fantasy starter have long past, Flacco averages just 13 fantasy points a game since early 2017. He is an easy fade against the Bears defense, who allows just 205 yards and less than half a touchdown passing in their last five.  

 

Running Backs

• Phillip Lindsay (Sit)

• Royce Freeman (Sit)

 

Owners may have witnessed something we all feared, and perhaps the worst outcome they could have hoped for: a committee backfield. Phillip Lindsay, the undrafted rookie who burst on the scene in 2018, split snaps nearly 50/50 with 2018 third-round draft pick Royce Freeman. Freeman was present all of the training camp while Lindsay worked himself back from injury. The production on the ground was also nearly identical but Lindsay does look like he will have value as the pass-catcher in this offense. I cannot recommend starting either with confidence until we see how the backfield will play out.  

 

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

• Courtland Sutton (Start/WR2)

• Emmanuel Sanders (Start/Flex)

• DaeSean Hamilton (Sit)

• Noah Fant (Sit)

 

Two things are clear with this Broncos receiver corps: Courtland Sutton is the number one and Emmanuel Sanders isn’t done. Sutton played well on Monday, catching seven of eight targets for 120 yards, including a long of thirty that easily could have been more if he could have stayed on his feet. Flacco may not be a top-end quarterback any longer but he can get the ball to his lead wideout. He can play inside and out and his arrow is pointing up. Sutton should be a WR2 play this weekend and I am looking forward to seeing him grow in this offense. Veteran Emmanuel Sanders played 89% of snaps on Monday and he caught a late touchdown in the red zone. Sanders is working himself back from a gruesome Achilles injury but he doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat. Sanders is a flex play at this point in his career but he can be started with confidence. DaeSean Hamilton and Noah Fant were quiet in Week 1. Hamilton dropped a critical touchdown late in the third, and Fant struggled in the first game of his career. Both will see better days but cannot be started so early in the season. 

–Marc Salazar (Dingwog)