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

Cardinals at Ravens

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 15th at 1:00 pm EST

Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Betting Odds: BAL-13.5, 47 Total via Oddsshark

Network: Fox

Sleeper Spotlight: Hayden Hurst

 

Arizona Cardinals

 

Quarterback

• Kyler Murray (Sit in 1QB leagues, strong QB2)

 

Murray got off to a slow start in this new look Cardinals offense, mustering only six points through three quarters. The fourth quarter, where the Cardinals dropped 18 points, is what had people still believing in this offense. Murray surprisingly only ran the ball three times the entire game. He finished as the QB13 last week and had some promising underlying numbers to go with that. He was fifth in average intended air yards, pushing the ball down the field constantly, and the Cardinals led the league in pace along with no-huddle snaps. Murray struggled with his accuracy with a 53.7 completion percentage to go with being sacked five times and hit eight times behind this woeful offensive line. The matchup doesn’t get better this week traveling to Baltimore, where the Ravens are notorious for playing stingy defense at home. The Ravens have a solid front led by run-stuffers Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce. They did register three sacks last week but don’t have any stud pass rushers on the outside. I view Murray as a solid two-quarterback league play this week, but he should probably be left out of your standard 1QB lineups.

 

Running Backs

• David Johnson (start, strong RB1)
• Chase Edmonds (sit, bench-stash)

 

Johnson drew a tough matchup against the stingy Lions defense that has one of the deeper front-sevens in the NFL. He showed owners that drafted him that he is an every-week, matchup-proof, RB1. He had 18 carries last week to go along with seven targets. It was also encouraging that Johnson was in on 86% of the offensive snaps, easing some concerns over Edmonds getting a larger chunk of playing time. This is by no means an easy matchup as the Ravens allowed only 21 yards on 12 carries a week ago in a game that quickly got away from the Dolphins. However, Johnson can be confidently started in every league he is owned because of his work in the passing game. Edmonds touched the ball once last week and does not have standalone value with Johnson healthy.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

• Larry Fitzgerald (start strongWR3)

• Christian Kirk (start strong WR3)

• KeeSean Johnson(sit, wait and see)

• Damiere Byrd(sit, wait and see)

• Michael Crabtree(sit, wait and see)

• Maxx Williams(sit, unowned)

• Charles Clay(sit, unowned)

 

Week two shouldn’t be nearly as pass-heavy for the Cardinals (59 dropbacks) as they were in comeback mode and went into overtime against the Lions. The Ravens coming into this season had maybe the deepest secondary in the NFL. Injuries have already hit them hard, losing starting slot corner Tavon Young to IR before the season and starting corner Jimmy Smith who suffered a multi-week knee injury last week. Kirk and Fitzgerald racked up a combined 25 targets last week, both playing in the slot in this four-receiver offense. Those two should remain the focal point in this passing game. I would think the Cardinals play Crabtree this game after he sat out last week, while still getting up to speed for the season. This would likely cut into Johnson and/or Byrd’s snaps/targets. Johnson and Byrd had 10 and 7 targets respectively, but I suspect both of those to come down with less playing time and less passing volume to go around. They are both guys to keep an eye on moving forward, however. Williams and Clay remain waiver wire fodder as both only had one target in week one.

 

Baltimore Ravens

 

Quarterback

• Lamar Jackson (start, strong QB1)

 

Wow, what a start for Jackson and this Ravens offense, dropping 59 points against Miami in week one. Miami is one of if not, the best matchup for offenses this year, but Jackson has another juicy opponent on tap for this week. Matthew Stafford torched the Cardinals defense that is missing starting cornerbacks, Patrick Peterson, and Robert Alford, 385 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals have a decent pass rush with stud Chandler Jones and Terrell Suggs returning for a revenge game. Those two combined for three sacks last week. Jackson is the number one quarterback in fantasy after week one and he didn’t even need to run the football, which is what he does best. Jackson had three carries for six yards last week, not needing to expose himself to hits since the Ravens had their way with the Dolphins from the start. I would expect to see Jackson running more, maybe 7-10 attempts, as well as what he can do through the air. Jackson is a confident high-ceiling/high-floor QB1 for me this week.

 

Running Backs

• Mark Ingram (start, strong RB2)

• Gus Edwards (sit, bench stash)

• Justice Hill (sit, wait and see)

 

The Ravens ran the ball early and often last week dropping 46 rush attempts on the punchless Miami Dolphins. The Ravens are heavy, home favorites which should lead to more rushing opportunities this week. Ingram looked great, notching 14 carries, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns last week and the Ravens didn’t want to expose him during garbage time. No running back had a target last week in what may be a concern moving forward. Mobile quarterbacks typically like to tuck it and run instead of dumping it off to their backs when under pressure. Without a passing game role, Ingram doesn’t have the ceiling of some other backs in the league, but his touchdown chances this week are high. Edwards had more carries than Ingram (17-14) but most of that came in garbage time. He should have a small weekly role, but for the most part, should be stashed as a bench guy in standard leagues. It is worth mentioning that Edwards got a league-high seven red zone carries in week one. Let’s keep an eye on that in the next couple of games. Hill got seven carries himself but no targets, and we are in a wait and see mode for him for now.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

• Marquise Brown (start, WR3)

• Mark Andrews (start, TE1)

• Miles Boykin (sit, bench/wire)

• Willie Snead (sit, wire)

• Hayden Hurst (sit, keep an eye on)

 

First-round rookie Brown only played 14 snaps in his debut as he is still slowly recovering from a Lisfranc injury that was suffered before the NFL draft. He made the most of his snaps, getting five targets, catching four of them for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Brown is a high-risk/high-reward option until his snaps go up a significant amount. He has a great matchup against the depleted Cardinals secondary, but look for the Ravens to take it easy on him if they get a sizeable lead again. Andrews is a stud at tight end with his question being his playing time. He caught 8 of 8 targets for 108 yards and a touchdown last week. He had three catches of over 20 yards, which were the second-most at the position. Playing time is still a concern for me on this run-first and run-often team, as he was only in on 41% of the offensive snaps. His skillset leaves no doubt as a premier seam-stretcher and should be confidently started against the Cardinals, who allowed 7 receptions, 141 yards, and a touchdown to Lions tight ends last week. Keep an eye on 2018 first-round pick, Hurst; he had an injury-plagued rookie year but quietly caught 3 of 4 targets for 41 yards last week.

-Kevin Taylor (@ktbeast918)