The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 2
It’s week two, and, of course, everyone is overreacting to last week. But you are not going to do that! Why? Because The Fantasy Footballers are here to help you navigate the murky waters of your roster. On Thursday’s episode, they brought the wisdom in their Starts of the Week. To see the whole episode on Youtube, see below.
If you want even more Footastic glory, join the #Footclan and take your fantasy game to the next level. With no further ado, here is a quick breakdown of the Ballers’ Starts of the Week.
Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB- Jameis Winston vs. TB
Going out on the limb a bit with a deeper QB. We saw how hard it was for Dallas to run the ball on Tampa Bay, but they gave up 307 yards per game in the air last year. Jameis was the number seven overall QB in week one. With four legitimate weapons to distribute the ball between and the Saints trying to bounce back from their slow start against Atlanta, it should be a good week for Jameis.
RB- Aaron Jones vs. CHI
A confidence play despite him only having eight opportunities last week. LeFleur said, “Anytime Aaron Jones comes out of a game with eight touches, that’s not good enough.” The transition from Davante Adams in the offense will have to go through Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion. They are going to roll as 9.5-point favorites at home. Jones has averaged 88 yards and has six touchdowns in the four games against the Bears the last two years. So throw out last week and ride with Aaron Jones.
WR- Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. WSH
There is a potential for him to sneak into the top five this week. Going back to 2021, St. Brown has eight catches and 10+ targets in seven straight games. He’s the 5th player in NFL history to accomplish that. 32% target share for St. Brown and Washington just got killed from the slot by Christina Kirk last week. It should be really good for The Sun God this week.
TE- Gerald Everett vs. KC
The opportunity will be there in this game with the highest over/under on the week. There is no Keenan Allen. 75% of snaps last week and scored. TEs with 20+ routes run all over 2 yards per route in week one were Kelce, The Muth, Waller, and Evertt. So, this is a situation where, beyond the big names, you could still get a big game, and Everett fits that mold this week.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB- Derek Carr vs. ARI
Send it in. Earlier this week, Andy referred to the Arizona secondary as a tertiary, and he could not be more spot on with the analysis. The Cardinals stunk in week one, and the Raiders should be able to do the same. In week 1, the Raiders ranked third in neutral pass rate and eighth in pass rate over expectation, meaning they threw the ball a lot. Derek Carr averaged 293 passing yards at home last year and with his new shiny weapon Davante Adams that no one on the Cardinals can guard. Add in that the Raiders have an implied point total of 28.5, the second highest on the week, and you have a safe floor but significant upside with Carr.
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RB- Antonio Gibson vs. DET
Going to stay with the hot hand. Gibson was great in week one. He was on the field for 64% of snaps, and his usage was elite. 130 total yards, 7-for-72 through the air on eight targets is incredible production. Now he goes to Detroit in a dome, where the Lions were gashed for 5.5 yards a carry and four rushing touchdowns. So Gibson is a must-start this week.
WR- Christian Kirk vs. IND
He did great last week. You have to consider him as a wide receiver two from here on. The Jaguars are using Kirk like a top 12 guy with 91% snaps and 25% target share. He was 6-for-117 last week on 12 targets. The Colts defense is notorious for taking away big plays but giving it up underneath. Kirk led the NFL last week with 10 slot targets. That is where he will thrive. If he is on your bench, it is probably a mistake.
TE- Robert Tonyan vs. CHI
It’s the home opener for the Packers, who are 9.5-point favorites against a team Aaron Rodgers still claims to own. Their receiving core is in shambles, they hope to get Allen Lazard back, but the other vets all looked disconnected from Rodgers while the rookies are still rookies. Meanwhile, we know Rodgers looks to Tonyan around the goal line. When looking for a TE off the waivers, you want someone to score you a touchdown, which is how Tonyan will get his fantasy points.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB- Matthew Stafford vs. ATL
He is calling for the bounce back for Stafford. He gets to play against the Falcons, who were just torched by Jameis Winston in the second-half comeback last week. 29 implied points for the Rams, while the Falcons allowed, on average, 28 points per game on the road last year. It’s Sean McVay after a loss, and he is one of the coaches that bounces back with big weeks after a loss. No surprise if Stafford had a three-touchdown passing game. Those 29 points will come from somewhere, and the Rams can’t run the ball well.
RB- Jeff Wilson vs. SEA
The 49ers are at home as nearly 10-point favorites. The Broncos ran for 5.3 a carry last week. Wilson took all the RB duties when Mitchell left the game last week. Last year the 49ers averaged 130 rushing yards at home; it’s how they want to play. That means play Jeff Wilson.
WR- Gabe Davis vs. TEN
Davis should be in your lineup every week, but to solidify that idea, look at the numbers. This game has a 49-point over-under. Davis had four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown last week on 98% of the snaps, and he ran a team-high 33 routes, even more than Diggs. 16.1 air yards per target and end zone targets galore for this guy. He should be in your lineup every week, and even though Twitter isn’t sure if he can put up sustainable production, Mike is sure.
TE- Tyler Higbee vs. ATL
With as little production as Higbee had last week, he still had 27% of the targets. The implied team points of 29 give you hope that Higbee could get a cut of the scoring, and Atlanta allowed over 20 points to the TE position last week, even if the TE was Taysom Hill. However, Higbee runs plenty of routes for not one of the big-name guys. Follow that volume, and hopefully, he gets a touchdown as well.