Start 'Em or Sit 'Em - Week 2 (2022)

So Week One is in the books and we have the beginnings of information on how teams will look in the 2022 season.  As we move forward, start and sit decisions should be a tad bit easier.

We will know how teams use certain players and who has the best defenses against certain positions, which will allow you to at least factor that into who you are going to start.

Still, it's pretty early so you may be wondering if a certain player or defense was just a fluke, so let's take a deeper look at who we think are good start/sit candidates for Week Two.

Starts

1. Carson Wentz, QB (Washington Commanders)

Carson Wentz may be one of the hotter Quarterback pickups this week after throwing for 313 yards and four touchdowns in Week One.  The Commanders now face the Detroit Lions, who gave up 38 points to the Eagles.

The good news is that the Lions were able to put up 35 points themselves, so this one has the makings of a shootout if both defenses stay this vulnerable.  I’m not yet a total Wentz fan after watching him play the last few seasons, but safe to say he could be in for another big game in Week Two.

2. Miles Sanders, RB (Philadelphia Eagles)

Lots of people were really low on Miles Sanders coming into the 2022 season, but he out carried Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott 13-5-4 respectively, rushing for 96 yards and one touchdown.  He by far looked like the best rusher of the three and should get plenty of opportunity against the Vikings on Monday night.

The Eagles’ offense is high-powered, just like the Vikings are, so this one is probably going to be high scoring.  I don’t think the Vikings’ defense is as good as they seemed against the hapless Packers’ passing game, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see much higher points against in this one.

All that said, Sanders is a must-start in a potentially high-scoring game with a good opportunity for another touchdown.

3. Christian Kirk, WR (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Christian Kirk was paid this offseason, and it showed with his team-leading 12 targets in Week One.  Trevor Lawrence looked his way often and I don’t think that will change as the season goes on.

The Jaguars are still experiencing some growing pains, so they will have to throw a lot to keep up.  They face the Colts in Week Two, who just tied the Texans.  The Colts have a pretty stiff run defense but did allow Brandin Cooks plenty of yardage, so Kirk is primed for a big PPR day.

4. Dalton Schultz, TE (Dallas Cowboys)

So I battled a bit with this one, but Dalton Schultz is still a good play in fantasy even with the Dak Prescott injury.  CeeDee Lamb is struggling, and the Cowboys will have to look elsewhere until they figure out what to do on that offense.

Dalton Schultz was targeted nine times in Week One, catching seven passes for 62 yards.  The Cowboys now face another tough test against the Bengals, however, they did allow Pat Freiermuth to put up 75 yards on them in Week One.

The Cowboys’ offense may not look pretty for a while, but Cooper Rush has shown some promise as a starter and should look to Schultz as a safety blanket.  I think you can start him with confidence this week.

5. Greg Joseph and Jake Elliott, K (Vikings and Eagles)

As I mentioned earlier, the Vikings/Eagles game should be quite the shootout (no promises).  Even if it isn’t super high scoring, both offenses should have no real issue moving the ball down the field and potentially having plenty of field goal attempts.

If you need to pivot away from your current kicker, Joseph and Elliott are both good pickups/starts.

Plus, this way you can guarantee to have one player that you can watch on Monday night football!

6. Pittsburgh Steelers, DST

Losing TJ Watt definitely hurts, but I think you can get by with starting the Pittsburgh defense in Week Two against a struggling New England offense.  Quarterback Mac Jones hurt his back and his status is up in the air, and should he miss the game the Patriots will have to turn to Brian Hoyer.

The Patriots only managed seven points against the Dolphins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense had a field day against the Bengals in Week One action.  They got five turnovers off Burrow, so it’s safe to say they have a good chance at a few more on Sunday.

Sits

1. Tom Brady, QB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tom Brady didn’t have to do too much in Week One against the Cowboys, throwing for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in an easy victory.  That said, the Buccaneers struggled to find the endzone and settled for four field goals (on five attempts).

Brady faces a tough Saints defense in Week Two and is without Wide Receiver Chris Godwin. To add to that, Mike Evans gets the dreaded Marshon Lattimore treatment, one that makes him all but disappear.  Brady will have to rely on Julio Jones and probably his Running Backs, so I don’t believe he will have a massive game.

If you can play someone else this week, I’d turn away from Brady.

2. Najee Harris, RB (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Najee Harris struggled in Week One, and I’m sure that is a combination of bad offensive play and potentially feeling the effects of his Lisfranc injury.  Lisfranc injuries don’t generally go away easily (see Derrick Henry last year), so if it is seriously hurt or painful it could affect him week to week.

Harris is already questionable going into Week Two’s matchup with the New England Patriots, and even if he does get the nod it’ll be hard to trust him after last week’s injury.  New England also has a good defense, so I don’t expect him to run all over them even if he is fully healthy.

I know the rule of thumb is to start your studs, but this may be a rare case of pivoting away from Harris due to his injury alone.

3. CeeDee Lamb, WR (Dallas Cowboys)

Turning 11 targets into two catches for 29 yards is never a promising look, and CeeDee Lamb looked pretty non-existent in Week One’s loss to the Buccaneers. There have been some questions on whether or not Lamb was a true WR1, and after one week it appears as though he may not be as good as everyone hoped.

Now it is just one week so I will give him a chance to prove me wrong, but now the Cowboys face a pretty good Bengals defense and do so without Dak Prescott.  We aren’t too sure who Cooper Rush will target, but Lamb may disappoint again.

4. Cole Kmet, TE (Chicago Bears)

I really do like Cole Kmet I swear, but I kept him on the sit side this week because he faces a Green Bay Packer defense that has been solid against Tight Ends in recent years.  Irv Smith Jr, the Vikings’ Tight End, saw zero catches in Week One against the Packers.

Now I don’t think Kmet gives you a zero again this week (Week One was in a monsoon), but I can’t promise that he gives you a big game either.  I took a look at all the other Tight Ends in the “streaming” category, and Kmet by far has the hardest matchup.  Don’t give up on him yet, but don’t be surprised if he struggles again in Week Two.

5. Nick Folk, K (New England Patriots)

Nick Folk is a solid kicker on a bad offense, and with Mac Jones in question for Week Two, Folk is a big-time sit.  I don’t think the Patriots move the ball much against a difficult Steelers defense, so pick up a Kicker on a better offense for the foreseeable future.

6. Philadelphia Eagles, DST

The Eagles’ defense gave up 35 points to the Lions in Week One and now faces a way better offense in the Minnesota Vikings.  It’s a Monday night game with a high implied total scoring, so I’d look elsewhere in the DST department this week.

The Vikings are too good and too pass-heavy to not put up big numbers on this defense.

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