Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 2: Quarterbacks

Week 2 start 'em & sit 'em recommendations for the quarterback position from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at the NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system.

Be sure to check out my Week 2 PPR rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions or if your league has special scoring rules, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings. Members also get access to me and our team of high-stakes winners all week long to answer your specific fantasy questions. 

Week 2 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES

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Week 2 Start 'Em: Quarterbacks

Start of the Week

Josh Allen at Dolphins

Allen had a great start to the season, scoring 28.2 fantasy points in a win over the Jets. This week he gets the Dolphins, who allowed 25.7 points to another running quarterback, Cam Newton, in their season opener. Allen has owned Miami during his career too, scoring 21.3 points or more in all four meetings. That includes three games with over 28 points and one with 40.5 points. Allen is a virtual must-start in this important AFC East battle.

Start ‘Em

Cam Newton at Seahawks (SNF)

Newton looked like Superman in his Patriots debut with 75 rushing yards on 15 carries and two scores on the ground versus Miami. New England called Newton's number as a runner often, most notably in the red zone, so he could move back into elite territory among fantasy quarterbacks. I like the matchup this week. Seattle gave up the fourth-most rushing yards and three rushing scores to the position in 2019.

Matt Ryan at Cowboys

Ryan went bananas a week ago, throwing the football 54 times for 450 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Seahawks. I'd keep him in your starting lineup this week too, as he'll face a Cowboys defense that looked bad in its opener against the Rams and lost LB Leighton Vander Esch. DraftKings Sportsbook has this game with an over/under of 52, so it's expected to be a high-scoring contest. Look for another nice stat line from Ryan.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Lions

Rodgers put up a massive stat line last week against the Vikings, proving that he’s still got plenty of fantasy points left in his right arm despite being drafted as a No. 2 quarterback in most leagues. I’d get him into your lineup against the Lions, who allowed 24.3 fantasy points to Mitchell Trubisky last week. If Rodgers goes off in the stat sheets this week, well, maybe I won’t have to include him in the start ‘em portion of this column again.

Ben Roethlisberger vs. Broncos

Big Ben looked good in his first game back after elbow surgery, completing 21-of-32 passes, including three touchdowns, in a win over the Giants. He has another great matchup next against the Broncos, who will be without both Von Miller and A.J. Bouye. Roethlisberger has averaged over 20 fantasy points in his last eight full games at Heinz Field, so he’s looking at a potential top-10 finish among quarterbacks.

More Starts

• Tom Brady vs. Panthers
• Ryan Tannehill vs. Jaguars
• Mitchell Trubisky vs. Giants

DFS Bargains

• Philip Rivers vs. Vikings (DraftKings: $5,900)
• Ryan Tannehill vs. Jaguars: (DraftKings: $5,900)
• Mitchell Trubisky vs. Giants (DraftKings: $5,500)

Week 2 Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks

Sit of the Week

Carson Wentz vs. Rams: 

Wentz looked great in the first quarter against Washington last week, then it all went downhill as the Football Team overwhelmed his offensive line en route to eight sacks. Next up is a date with DL Aaron Donald and the Rams, who held Dak Prescott to just one touchdown pass in their opener and will undoubtedly look to be super aggressive when it comes to putting pressure on Wentz. He's a difficult option to trust in traditional leagues.

Sit ‘Em

Jared Goff at Eagles

Goff, listed as a sit ‘em in his space last week, failed to throw for a single touchdown and had a mere 10.5 fantasy points in a win over the Cowboys. I’d keep him on the sidelines this week too, as Goff travels to Philadelphia to face an Eagles defense that’s been historically tough on opposing signal-callers on their home field. Only the Ravens gave up fewer fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks at home (11.3 PPG) in 2019.

Matthew Stafford at Packers

Stafford should have had a much better fantasy fate last week, but rookie D’Andre Swift dropped a touchdown that would have pushed the quarterback over 20 fantasy points. Still, Stafford is a tough sell this week when the Lions face Green Bay. The Packers allowed just 13.1 fantasy points per game to visiting quarterbacks a season ago. That includes Stafford, who had a zero-touchdown, 11.5-point stinker at Lambeau Field in Week 6.

Daniel Jones at Bears

Jones had a rough start to the season, throwing two interceptions in a loss to the Steelers. While he still finished with a respectable 17.4 fantasy points, some of it came in garbage time. I'd beware Danny Dimes this week, as the G-Men travel to the Windy City to face the Bears. In 2019, their defense allowed an average of just 13.9 fantasy points per game to enemy quarterbacks. Unless you're in a superflex league, Jones should sit.

Teddy Bridgewater at Buccaneers

Bridgewater scored a solid 19.4 fantasy points in a loss to the Raiders last week, but 37% of his points came on a 75-yard touchdown to Robby Anderson. I’d fade Teddy B this week, as he’ll face a tough road contest against a Buccaneers defense that held Drew Brees to 160 yards through the air a week ago. While Bridgewater has a shot for some garbage-time love as a 7.5-point underdog, I’d sit him in traditional leagues.

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More Sits

• Drew Brees at Raiders (MNF)
• Drew Lock at Steelers
• Derek Carr vs. Saints (MNF)

DFS Fades

• Deshaun Watson vs. Ravens (DraftKings: $6,400)
• Matthew Stafford at Packers (DraftKings: $6,200)
• Carson Wentz at Rams (DraftKings: $6,000)

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news and analysis!

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