Sleeper's recommendations for who to have in your lineup and who to keep on the bench for Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season.
Congratulations if you got off to a 1-0 start in your league, but if you dropped your opening matchup you have some work to do, and we’re here to help.
We enjoyed a strong opening from a start/sit perspective, where we try to pinpoint the players we feel strongly about either showing especially well and significantly outperforming their projections or falling far short of expectations. Our advice to lean into Cooper Kupp (32 PPR points), Kenneth Walker III (18.9) and Chris Godwin (22.3) worked out well in Week 1, but to ramp up the degree of difficulty on our end, from here on out we’ll be targeting players who are being started in 70% or less of Sleeper leagues at time of writing.
Knowing when not to start someone can sometimes be as useful as nailing a pick, and our suggested sits from Week 1 largely fared well, too – especially across a trio of QBs, with Dak Prescott (179 passing yards, 1 TD), Justin Herbert (144 passing yards, 1 TD) and Brock Purdy (231 passing yards, 0 TD) underperforming as we anticipated.
As we know, lineup decisions will determine your weekly fate, so hopefully you were able to play the hot hands and navigate the busts in Week 1 en route to victory. In looking ahead, we have landed on several players to single out based on opening-week performance and usage coupled with their Week 2 matchups, circumstances and projections.
So who will outperform, and who will disappoint? Let’s jump into Week 2 starts/sits:
STARTS
RB Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
vs. NY Giants; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Sleeper’s projected RB38 (8.3 PPR points) is flying under the radar in Week 2 against a vulnerable Giants run defense. Robinson, started in just 36% of Sleeper leagues, will face a Big Blue defense that allowed 111 rushing yards and a TD on the ground last week to the Aaron Jones-led Vikings.
In Week 1, Robinson finished as RB14 in PPR (17.9) after posting 89 total yards and a TD. In four career games against the Giants, the third-year pro has averaged 13.3 PPR fantasy points. Look for him to finish as a high-end RB2.
RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
at Denver; Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Harris was a major factor in Pittsburgh’s season-opening win in Atlanta, setting the tone on the ground. He finished Week 1 as the overall RB35 in PPR (8.9 points), dominating the work in the Steelers’ backfield with 77% of the team’s rushing attempts.
Sleeper’s projected RB23 (11.5 PPR points) will face a Broncos rush defense that’s fresh off allowing 146 yards and two touchdowns to the Seahawks. Expect a heavy dose of Harris, especially with backfield competition Jaylen Warren being at less than 100%. If Warren, who saw only 21 snaps in Week 1, is going to be that limited again, you can expect another bell-cow workload for Harris, who is being started in 60% of Sleeper leagues.
TE Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
vs. Las Vegas; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Last week, Likely finished as the overall TE1 in PPR (26.1 points) after hauling in nine receptions for 111 yards and a TD against the Chiefs (and being a toenail away from TD No. 2). Despite the golden rule that fantasy managers should never chase the production from the previous week, Likely is an exception due to his high target share and role in the Ravens’ offense.
Likely, who only projects as Sleeper’s TE12 (8.4 PPR points) and is being started in 35% of Sleeper leagues, was superb at M&T Bank Stadium last season, scoring four his five touchdowns at home. Expect the emerging target for Lamar Jackson to crush his projections, even if he’s sharing the field with Mark Andrews.
WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
vs. Cincinnati; Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Patrick Mahomes unveiled his newest weapon on the national stage, as the former Texas standout made the most of his three touches to the tune of 68 total yards and two scores. Despite the impressive NFL debut, Worthy only lands as Sleeper’s projected WR40 (10.8 PPR points) against the Bengals, perhaps due to concerns over his usage.
Given that he’s already being started in 63% of Sleeper leagues, though, our users are quick to notice the emerging talent. And with fellow WR Hollywood Brown (shoulder) expected to miss his second straight game, the exciting and explosive rookie is primed to outrun his projections again.
WR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
at New England; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Fantasy managers who drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba this summer may want to look away here. Instead of DK Metcalf or JSN, it was Lockett who led the team in targets (seven), receptions (six) and yards (77) in Week 1.
Lockett, who finished as the overall WR22 (13.7 PPR points) against Denver, appears to be healthy and once again a prime target for Geno Smith. The 10-year veteran, who is only being started in 18% of Sleeper leagues, went over the 8,000-receiving-yard mark for his career with that opening-week effort. He should find more opportunities against the Patriots to surpass Sleeper’s WR39 projection (10.9 PPR points).
SITS
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
at Kansas City; Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Bengals’ offense appeared completely out of sorts against New England. The Ja’Marr Chase summer holdout coupled with the injury to Tee Higgins (hamstring) clearly affected the rhythm of a Cincinnati offense that produced only 224 total yards.
Burrow, who has a passer rating of 138.8 with 732 yards and six touchdowns in two career regular season games against the Chiefs, may struggle to find that same kind of success on Sunday. After finishing as the overall QB29 in Week 1, Burrow will not find it easy to even achieve Sleeper’s QB11 (17.6 points) projection on the road opposite Mahomes.
RB Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
vs. Pittsburgh; Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fantasy managers entered the season with high hopes for Williams. If Week 1 is any indication, all will need to temper those expectations. The fourth-year back finished as the overall RB54 in PPR after rushing for just 23 yards and having only one catch for no yards.
Sleeper’s projected RB34 (8.9 PPR points) is a risky RB2/flex play in Week 2 after a deeper dive reveals that fellow RB Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos’ backfield with a 50% carry share and an 11.9% target share. A split backfield is something you want to avoid against a Steelers defense that just held Atlanta to 89 yards and no scores on the ground.
WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
at Dallas; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Saints led the NFL in scoring in Week 1 following their 47-10 drubbing of Carolina, but Olave’s fantasy managers were left disappointed after he was a virtual non-factor, with just two receptions for 11 yards – making him WR85 in PPR. That’s a brutal return for a player with a second-round ADP who is currently being started in 90% of Sleeper leagues.
In Week 2, the Saints will face a Cowboys defense that dominated Deshaun Watson and the Browns (six sacks, two INTs). A week after Dallas allowed only 53 receiving yards to Browns WRs, this is a matchup to avoid for Sleeper’s projected WR18 (13.4 PPR points).
WR Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers
vs. Chargers; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Fantasy managers held strong convictions that Johnson’s arrival in Carolina would lead to immense target share and production. In Week 1, Johnson hauled in only two of six targets for 19 yards against the Saints.
In Week 2, the veteran will face a Chargers defense that just held Raiders star WR Davante Adams to five receptions for 59 yards. Another bust performance is on tap for Sleeper’s expected WR41, who will struggle to eclipse his 10.5 PPR-point projection.
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
at Houston; Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
The 2024 No. 1 overall pick was less than stellar in his NFL debut, completing 14 of 29 passes for just 93 yards and no scores. The hopes were that Williams would produce with his legs to offset any potential passing problems, but that also did not come to fruition, as he gained just 15 yards on the ground.
The Bears, who produced only 148 yards of total offense, were lucky to emerge victorious against the Titans. The offense will not find it easy to get on track in primetime against the Texans, especially if WRs Keenan Allen (heel) and Rome Odunze (knee) are limited or forced to miss out. Let the talented rookie QB ride the pine in Week 2.
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