Fantasy Football Week 2 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Wide Receivers: Who to start, bench, sleepers and bust of the week
Wide receivers you want in your Week 2 lineups, and those you should avoid
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1 min read
Coming into the season, we said there were 10 receivers who were worth drafting in the first two rounds with Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake London and A.J. Brown. But it wasn't a great start for that group in Week 1.
Nacua and Lamb were stars. Nabers, Jefferson and London did OK. But Chase, Collins, Thomas, St. Brown and Brown were awful as they all scored fewer than 10 PPR points.
Fantasy managers are a little concerned, but let's see what happens in Week 2. I bet you'll be thrilled when these stars bounce back, and all of them should rebound this week.
If not, especially if targets or an issue, or we get poor quarterback play, then we can re-evaluate each receiver heading into Week 3. But don't panic just yet. These guys are going to be fine.
WRs to Start
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Metcalf wasn't terrible in Week 1 at the Jets with four catches for 83 yards on seven targets, but he did get plenty of attention from standout cornerback Sauce Gardner, so keep that in mind. This week, Metcalf gets his revenge game against the Seahawks, and I'm going to trust him as at least a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Aaron Rodgers got his revenge against the Jets in Week 1, and I expect him to help Metcalf make a few splash plays against his former team in this matchup.
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Meyers was once again a quiet star in Week 1 at New England with eight catches for 97 yards on 10 targets. Geno Smith seems to love Meyers already, and Fantasy managers should consider him a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues. Brock Bowers (knee) could be limited in this game, which could provide a boost for Meyers as well. And the last time he faced the Chargers in Week 18 last season he had nine catches for 123 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. Meyers also has scored at least 13.7 PPR points in eight of his past 11 games going back to last year.
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We'll see if Brock Purdy (toe/shoulder) can play against the Saints in Week 2, but I'll still use Pearsall as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues even if Mac Jones is the starter. Pearsall could be looking at a hefty amount of targets with George Kittle (hamstring) out and Jauan Jennings (shoulder) out or limited. In Week 1 at Seattle, Pearsall had four catches for 108 yards on seven targets. He's now scored at least 14.8 PPR points or more in all four games in his career with at least six targets. Expect Pearsall and Christian McCaffrey to carry the San Francisco offense until Kittle is cleared to return.
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Williams struggled in Week 1 at Green Bay with four catches for 23 yards on five targets, but I'm expecting him to bounce back in Week 2 against the Bears at home. In two games against Chicago last season, Williams combined for 10 catches, 171 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets. And Williams also averaged 15.0 PPR points in nine home games last season, including the playoffs. Jared Goff is my Start of the Week, so I'm expecting a big game from him. As such, look for solid contributions from Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta in this matchup.
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I like that McMillan had nine targets in his NFL debut in Week 1 at Jacksonville, and he finished with five catches for 68 yards. He should continue to get plenty of targets from Bryce Young, especially with Jalen Coker (quadriceps) out, and the Panthers should be chasing points in this matchup. McMillan also played collegiately at Arizona, so this is a homecoming game of sorts for him. He should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Smith and A.J. Brown struggled in Week 1 against Dallas with a combined four catches for 24 yards on four targets. Both should rebound this week against the Chiefs, who couldn't stop the Chargers' receivers last week when Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen combined for 18 catches, 221 yards and three touchdowns on 26 targets. Dallas Goedert (knee) is also banged up, which is a plus for Brown and Smith. And Brown and Smith combined for seven catches, 112 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets in Super Bowl LIX against Kansas City. Brown is a high-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, while Smith is a borderline starter in two-receiver formats.
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We'll see if the game plan changes for Hunter when it comes to his snaps at receiver and cornerback, but he led Jacksonville in targets (eight) and receptions (six) in Week 1 against Carolina. He only managed 33 receiving yards, but I like his matchup against the Bengals in Week 2. This game should be a shootout, and Cincinnati should struggle to defend Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter. I like Hunter as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Brown has the chance for a big game against the Eagles with Xavier Worthy (shoulder) unlikely to play and Rashee Rice (suspended) out. In Week 1 at the Chargers, after Worthy was injured, Brown finished with 10 catches for 99 yards on a whopping 16 targets. He's going to be heavily involved from Patrick Mahomes, and Brown should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, with his value slightly higher in PPR. JuJu Smith-Schuster is also worth using as a sleeper in deeper formats since he had five catches for 55 yards on five targets against the Chargers.
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In Tillman's last five healthy games going back to last season, he has 29 catches for 354 yards and four touchdowns on 48 targets. Over that same span, Jerry Jeudy has 24 catches for 378 yards and one touchdown on 44 targets. I still like Jeudy slightly better than Tillman, but Tillman has clearly been productive when healthy for the Browns. In Week 1 against the Bengals, Tillman had five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. And he had seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets against the Ravens in Week 8 last year. Tillman is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Allen showed he still has a solid rapport with Justin Herbert based on their performance together in Week 1 against the Chiefs. Allen had seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets, and hopefully this is the start of something special for Allen in his return to the Chargers. Quentin Johnston also did well against the Chiefs with five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets, and he and Allen are worth using as sleepers in Week 2 against the Raiders on the road. Johnston also went nuts at Las Vegas last year in Week 18 with 13 catches for 186 yards on 14 targets.
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WRs to Sit
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I expected Ridley to struggle in Week 1 at Denver, and he finished with four catches for 27 yards on eight targets. He had to deal with Patrick Surtain II for the Broncos, but it won't get easier against a Rams secondary that just limited Nico Collins to three catches for 25 yards on five targets. Better days are ahead for Ridley, but we knew the start of the season would be rough. Keep him on your bench in Week 2, and he will eventually become a starting Fantasy option in all leagues later in the year.
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Pittman was great in Week 1 against Miami with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, but now he's likely to see the most of Patrick Surtain II in Week 2 against the Broncos. And this is not a matchup you want to trust Pittman in even though he did well against Miami. Daniel Jones seems to have a solid rapport with Pittman, which is great for his outlook moving forward. But he's a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues for Week 2.
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Coleman was a star in Week 1 against Baltimore and looked like the breakout receiver many expected coming into this year. He had eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and hopefully this is the start of something special for the second-year receiver. But in Week 2, Coleman could be headed for a matchup with Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, and Coleman should struggle if he gets that kind of attention. I would only use Coleman as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues for Week 2.
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I thought McLaurin would get off to a slow start this season following his hold-in with his contract, and he had two catches for 27 yards on four targets in Week 1 against the Giants. We'll see how he does Thursday night in Week 2 at the Packers, but Green Bay just held Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to eight catches for 68 yards and no touchdowns on 11 targets. I would only use McLaurin as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues for Week 2. Deebo Samuel, however, is worth using as a high-end No. 3 receiver after his debut in Week 1 with seven catches for 77 yards on 10 targets against the Giants, including a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Samuel appears locked in with Jayden Daniels the most as of now.
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Bust Alert
Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Flowers was amazing in Week 1 at Buffalo with seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and hopefully this is the start of a third-year breakout campaign for him in 2025. But I would only start him in three-receiver leagues in Week 2 against the Browns. Flowers doesn't have a great history against Cleveland with 16 catches for 256 yards and no touchdowns in four career meetings, and he's averaging just 10.2 PPR points against the Browns over that span. Cleveland also just held Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to a combined five catches for 59 yards on nine targets in Week 1. Flowers can still do well, but I would keep expectations in check for Week 2.
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