Week 2 Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Wide Receiver
Here are the wide receiver decisions to go with in Week 2.
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1 min read
You never want to overreact to one bad week in Fantasy Football, but that's especially true at wide receiver. Because there are usually at least three on the field at any given time and they don't have control over whether they'll get the ball on any given play, wide receiver production can fluctuate quite a bit from one week to the other. Week 1 studs like Darius Slayton (WR4 in Week 1), Robby Anderson (WR5), or Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR9) could very easily turn in duds in Week 2, and neither game would necessarily reflect what you should expect moving forward.
That, of course, also goes for your supposed studs who busted in Week 1, like Michael Gallup, D.J. Moore, and A.J. Brown. In all three cases, they were a few inches on a few plays from putting together big games. That's just how it goes, but you shouldn't be worried about any of them.
But you might still need help setting your lineup for Week 2, and that's where Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls for wide receiver come in. You can read them below, and then head to his running back calls are here, while you can find quarterback here. And don't miss Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview for Week 1 for matchup notes, key stats, projections, and more for Week 1.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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You can feel the squeaky wheel treatment coming for Evans after Bruce Arians said during a radio interview this week that he should have moved Evans around in Week 1 at New Orleans to help him avoid Marshon Lattimore. While Evans did score a touchdown against the Saints, it was his only catch for 7 yards. Evans is apparently healthy after dealing with his hamstring injury last week, and Godwin is banged up with a concussion. A blow-up game is likely for Evans in this spot against the Panthers.
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I can go into detail about why I like Hilton this week against Minnesota. Or, I can just let you read what he said following his sub-par game against the Jaguars in Week 1 when he had four catches for 53 yards on nine targets, including two key drops. "I'm looking to bounce back," Hilton said. "Another week, another opportunity. I got out of my funk just yesterday. I'm feeling good. They better try to stop me." Hilton faces a Vikings defense that just allowed Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard to go for 22 catches, 316 yards and four touchdowns on 27 targets. Hilton should be awesome in his first home game this year.
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I like all the main receivers in this Thursday night game with Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Tyler Boyd and Green, and Green should stand out in prime time. He should have scored in Week 1 against the Chargers when his touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was overturned for offensive pass interference, and I expect him to find the end zone this week. In his first game since Week 13 of the 2018 season, Green had five catches for 51 yards on nine targets. The last time Green played in Cleveland was Week 4 in 2017, and he scored 17 PPR points. I expect him to do something similar this week.
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I like all the Cowboys receivers this week with Amari Cooper as a must-start Fantasy option, and CeeDee Lamb is a sleeper. Gallup is also a solid starter, and he should take advantage of this Falcons secondary. He started the season with three catches for 50 yards on five targets at the Rams in Week 1, but he also had a 47-yard reception negated by a bad offensive pass interference call when he ran past Jalen Ramsey. The Falcons secondary was torched by the Seahawks in Week 1, and the Cowboys receivers should go off this week.
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We heard a lot about the Ravens wanting to be more successful throwing downfield, and Brown benefited in Week 1 against Cleveland. He had five catches for 101 yards on six targets, including a 47-yard reception that could have been a touchdown. The Texans defense did a good job of keeping Tyreek Hill in check in Week 1, but he still scored, as did Sammy Watkins. And Demarcus Robinson could have scored two touchdowns. Brown started his breakout campaign in Week 1 on a high note, and it should continue this week against the Texans.
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Sleepers
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Smith-Schuster is a must-start Fantasy receiver, and we might get there soon with Johnson. He led the Steelers with 10 targets in Week 1 at the Giants, and he finished with six catches for 57 yards. He has the chance for a big game this week against the Broncos, and I like him as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Miller was one of my favorite sleepers this year, and his season-opener at Detroit was a solid performance with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He was third on the team in targets behind Allen Robinson (nine) and Jimmy Graham (seven), and hopefully this is the start of a strong campaign for Miller in his third year. He faces the Giants in Week 2, and New York's secondary just allowed three touchdowns to Pittsburgh's receivers in Week 1.
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Shenault was another of my favorite sleepers, and he played well in his NFL debut against the Colts with three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on four targets, as well as two carries for 10 yards. The Jaguars will likely be chasing points this week at Tennessee, and I'm excited to see what Shenault can do with more targets.
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Campbell's first game with Rivers in Week 1 at Jacksonville was great after Campbell tied T.Y. Hilton for the team lead in targets with nine. Campbell finished with six catches for 71 yards, and he added one carry for 9 yards. He should continue to be a primary playmaker this week, and he's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver, especially in PPR, against the Vikings.
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Sanders is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver now that Thomas is out with an ankle injury. In his debut with the Saints in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, Sanders had three catches for 15 yards and a touchdown on five targets. His targets will obviously rise, and Brees should lean on him as the new No. 1 receiver in this offense until Thomas is back. In deeper leagues, Tre'Quan Smith is worth a flier since his targets should also rise.
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Sit 'Em
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Fuller is one of my favorite guys this year, and he was awesome in Week 1 at Kansas City with eight catches for 112 yards on 10 targets. But he's more of a bust alert this week against the Ravens, who just held Beckham to three catches for 22 yards on 10 targets with the help of cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. I expect Fuller to do better than that, but not by much. He's only worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
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Ruggs was on his way toward a big game in Week 1 at Carolina with three catches for 55 yards in the first half, including a 45-yard reception where he was dragged down at the 1-yard line. He injured his knee before halftime and didn't have a catch in the second half, but he's expected to be fine this week. That said, this is a tough matchup against Lattimore and the Saints. I'm excited for Ruggs' outlook for the rest of the year, but I don't want to start him in most leagues this week.
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I was expecting Jackson to go off in Week 1 at Washington, but he finished with two catches for 46 yards on seven targets. He's always one play away from having a big Fantasy outing, but this could be a tough matchup for him if he lines up against Ramsey. And with the way Philadelphia's offensive line looked in Week 1, Wentz might not have much time to throw down the field. Jackson is a boom-or-bust receiver as usual heading into Week 2, and I expect him to be a bust this week.
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Jeudy could again be the No. 1 receiver for the Broncos in Week 2 if Courtland Sutton (shoulder) is out again, but I wouldn't trust him in this matchup with the Steelers on the road. While Darius Slayton scored twice against this Pittsburgh secondary, we could see Jeudy struggle, much like he did in Week 1 against Tennessee. In his NFL debut, Jeudy had four catches for 56 yards on eight targets, and he looked like a rookie. Give him time, and he should start to produce quality stats. But it likely won't happen this week at Pittsburgh.
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Parker is expected to play despite dealing with a hamstring injury, but keep an eye on his status. However, even if he's out there, I would try to avoid him as anything more than a No. 3 Fantasy receiver. I also would shy away from Preston Williams. Parker will likely see a lot of Buffalo standout cornerback Tre'Davious White, which is a problem. Now, last year, Parker beat up the Bills for 12 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets in two games, but I'll bet on White this week, especially if Parker is at less than 100 percent.
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Bust Alert
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Metcalf was awesome in Week 1 at Atlanta with four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He has big-play ability and is a threat to score each week, but I expect him to struggle in Week 2 in a likely matchup with Stephon Gilmore. Tyler Lockett will likely avoid Gillmore by spending time in the slot, but Metcalf could be negated by arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. I'd still start Metcalf as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week, but this won't be an easy matchup, even at home.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 2 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
