With Week 1 in the books, I’m proud to have went 3/3 on my Start ‘Em; Parker Washington, Christian Watson & David Montgomery. I missed the mark on suggesting to sit Stefon Diggs, but nailed Jonathon Brooks and Courtland Sutton.
Let’s get into who I foresee being in your lineup and who can be left on the bench for Week 2.
A reminder that I judge my “start” or “sit” against a full-PPR format.
Start ‘Em
Devaughn Vele, WR – New Orleans Saints
Week 2 Matchup: @ Baltimore Ravens
As one of the most waiver-added players this week, Devaughn Vele earned that popularity with an impressive Week 1 in Detroit. He was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. Per FantasyData, Vele logged 82 snaps against the Lions, which topped the Saints WR room compared to Chris Olave (77) and Bryce Lance (62). New Orleans will try to keep pace with the Ravens offense, which could bode well for Vele to be heavily targeted and productive once again.
Baker Mayfield, QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2 Matchup: vs. Cleveland Browns
When in doubt, enjoy a play against the Browns. Mix in the narrative that Baker Mayfield will be fueled by the chance to face his former draftee team, and this is a smash-spot for a QB stream this week. Mayfield had an ugly Week 1, completing 23 of 28 passes for 216 scoreless yards, adding 30 rushing yards for a touchdown, paired with three lost fumbles in the loss to the Bengals. He’ll look to get right against a Cleveland defense that just allowed Trevor Lawrence to throw for 4 touchdowns in a 34-10 win, which was good for a QB5 finish on the week.
Aaron Jones Sr., RB – Minnesota Vikings
Week 2 Matchup: @ Chicago Bears
With Jordan Mason (thumb) already ruled out for Week 2, Aaron Jones Sr. is poised for a volume-driven day, which he certainly is not shy of from his days with Green Bay. And speaking of the Packers, last week Jones did only have 40 rushing yards on 12 carries, but did find the end zone. As an NFC North lifer, Jones has amassed 260 PPR points in his career against the Bears, per StatMuse. Lean on Jones with confidence, despite the fact that Chicago only allowed 49 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to Chuba Hubbard in Week 1.
Sit ‘Em
Quinshon Judkins, RB – Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quinshon Judkins was a letdown last week in the loss to Jacksonville, rushing for just 33 scoreless yards on 12 carries and catching both of his targets for 17 yards. We know the talent is there, but the Cleveland offense is nothing to write home about with Deshaun Watson under center. Judkins screams TD-dependent, and I wouldn’t bank on him as a viable option this week on the road in Tampa.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Arizona Cardinals
Week 2 Matchup: vs. Seattle Seahawks
When can we expect consistent outputs from Marvin Harrison Jr.? Last week in the upset win against the Chargers, MHJ was targeted just three times, catching a ball for 33 scoreless yards. Newly paid Michael Wilson caught five of seven targets for 56 yards, and Kendrick Bourne caught all eight of his targets for 75 yards. The saving grace for Harrison this week is that he has played well against Seattle in the past, having averaged 14 PPR points in both matchups last season, with two touchdowns in that span. Even with the productive history, I would avoid him in your lineup until he puts together a string of positive games.
DeMario Douglas, WR – New England Patriots
Week 2 Matchup: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Don’t fall for the pathway of no A.J. Brown to worry about for a player like DeMario Douglas this week. Sure, he has some upside, but I feel as if we have seen this script plenty of times when an opportunity knocks for ‘Pop’. The Patriots’ passing attack funnels through Romeo Doubs, with a sprinkle of Mack Hollins and their TE room. Douglas’ propensity for short-yardage targets means that he’ll have an underwhelming floor in PPR leagues and a very small chance to hit a high ceiling.
– Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads | @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)