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TJ Geraghty

Week 2 Fantasy Football Start/Sit - Quarterbacks

Updated: Sep 14

NFL games averaged roughly 376 passing yards per game in Week 1 between both teams. That was the lowest mark for an opening week since 1996. As a result, last week's QB starts and sits were a mixed bag of results. Kyler Murray was off to a hot start, but the fantasy outcome was disappointing. Tua Tagovailoa finished as a top-10 quarterback, but it took a long time to get going in an ugly game against the Jaguars. As for Dak Prescott, he looked great, but the Cowboys jumped out to a very early lead, leading to a poor fantasy week from Dak due to the game script. Hopefully, there will be improved QB play throughout the league leading to better fantasy finishes.

 
Start - Jared Goff Vs. Tamps Bay Buccaneers:

Everything was set up for Goff to have a monster game in week 1. Week 1 Sunday night football, a playoff rematch against his old team, and 2 bad pass defenses. Goff was in a perfect setting for a monster game but ended the game with 217 yards and a touchdown which was good for just 12 points.


This week Goff and the Lions have another playoff rematch as they play the Buccaneers who are coming off a dominant performance against the Commanders. On offense, The Bucs were in mid-season form clicking on all cylinders. On defense, they played well but faced a rookie QB with limited options in the receiving game. The Lions offense is a different beast and last year's playoff game indicated that as Goff had 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in the playoff victory.


In Week 1, the Lions relied on the run game against the Rams but against the Bucs they will need to pass the ball. The Bucs have one of the league's best defenses against the run but have been poor against the pass in recent years. While the Week 1 numbers look good for the Bucs defense against the pass, they need to prove it against an elite aerial attack before they are viewed as a legit defense against the pass.


While this game script sounds similar to the Rams matchup last week, the Bucs are much better against the run than the Rams which should force the Lions to rely on the pass more. This projects to be a high-scoring game between two good offenses who struggle to defend the pass which sets Goff up for a bounce-back week. Don't let a disappointing Week 1 from Goff keep him out of lineups this week.

 
Start - Baker Mayfield Vs. Detriot Lions:

The Lions vs. Bucs game is the one to target this week for fantasy. Two high-scoring offenses with below-average pass defenses are a recipe for fantasy success. Most of the reasons that make Goff a great start this week apply to Baker.


The Lions gave up 317 yards through the air last week to the Rams despite the fact the Rams were missing Puka Nacua for the second half. Cooper Kupp was open all game long against the Lions last week and Buccaneers receivers could have similar success. Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and rookie Jalen McMillan are a formidable trio of receivers that will give the Lions defense fits. In Week 1, Evans scored 2 touchdowns, Godwin led the team with 8 receptions for 83 yards and 1 touchdown and McMillan had a touchdown himself.


The receivers looked great but Baker looked elite as he picked apart the Commander's defense for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Lions defense is much better than the Commanders, especially when it comes to getting after the quarterback, but the Lions pass defense is average at best which means Baker could have another field day. In last year's playoff game, Baker had 349 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Lions and while the Lions added to their secondary it appears it is still a work in progress.


Just like the Bucs, the Lions are great against the run which means the Bucs could air it out all game. This game has shootout written all over it which only bodes well for Baker. With a lot of questionable matchups this week across the league Baker should be a locked and loaded starter even if it means benching a higher-caliber player such as Joe Burrow in a tough matchup with the Chiefs.

 
Sit - Joe Burrow Vs Kansas City Chiefs:

The Bengals were a complete mess last week against the Patriots and things will not be any easier this week against the Chiefs. Every year the Bengals have a slow start but this feels even worse than it has in the past.


This off-season the Bengals downgraded at running back, moving on from Joe Mixon to bring in Zack Moss, and lost the always-reliable Tyler Boyd to the Titans. Along with those losses, star receiver Ja'Marr Chase held out for most of training camp as he was looking for a contract extension despite having two years left on his deal. On top of all of that, starting WR Tee Higgins missed the game with a hamstring injury. Despite the losses and lack of practice for Chase, the Bengals were expected to be fine in Week 1 against the Patriots who are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league.


It turned out the Bengals offense was not fine as Burrow only passed for 164 yards despite Chase playing a majority of the snaps, and the offense scored just 10 points. The Bengals did fumble while running into the endzone which would have upped the total to 17 points but that still isn't acceptable even without Tee Higgins.


This week against a very good Chiefs defense the Bengals will have their work cut out for them. Tee Higgins is expected to miss the game with his hamstring injury which means the Bengals need someone to step up and help Chase and Burrow out. The Chiefs doubled Mark Andrews all game last week and could do the same to Chase this week with Higgins expected to miss the game. If Chase is doubled all game Burrow will have to rely on Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin again, and that did not work last week against a much worse team.


Burrow could be in for another rough fantasy week so finding a replacement may be best for lineups. There may not be a lot of options available on waivers, but if someone such as Baker Mayfield or Justin Fields is available, they should be signed and started this week over Burrow.

 
Sit - Derek Carr Vs. Dallas Cowboys:

Carr was not drafted to be a starter for any fantasy team this season outside of Superflex leagues but after a strong week 1 performance teams may want to throw him into lineups which could be a mistake.


Carr looked great last week in the Saints 47-10 route of the Panthers as he threw for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 23 attempts. Those are great numbers but the Cowboys are not the Panthers and people need to be aware of that when deciding if they want to start Carr this week.


There is a chance Carr has a great year in a new offense and the Saints offense is good, but it seems like anyone would look good against the Panthers defense after last week. The Cowboys defense just dominated the Browns and Deshaun Watson, allowing just 169 pass yards on 45 attempts and 2 interceptions. The Cowboys defense is legit and could be an issue for the Saints this week. The Saints offensive line is one of the league's worst and the Cowboys love to get after the quarterback. There is a chance Carr is in for a long day against the Dallas defense making him a shaky start this week.


If Carr goes out there and picks apart the Cowboys defense like he did the Panthers there is a different discussion to be had surrounding Carr and the Saints, but until then, fantasy managers should look for another option this week.


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