Start ‘Em

QB:

Jimmy Garoppolo has been great through the first two weeks of the season, especially last week, after tallying 22.7 points up against the Bengals. He is one of those Quarterbacks that is always capable of having a big week, and this week he will likely do so against the Steelers. Clearly he is no Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, but he is a very valuable Quarterback that is going to have a lot of upside this season. Look for him to score at least 15 points this week which is a pretty solid week.

RB:

Aaron Jones starting to become the sole back for the Green Bay Packers, and this is leading to major fantasy points now. He dropped 25 points last week against the Vikings who are known to be a very solid defense. Along with the rolling Packers offense, Jones will likely become the third weapon on the offense joining Rodgers and Adams. He is going to be a clear start this week against the Broncos and will have upwards of 20 points. He should definitely be on people’s radars and if he keeps getting the reps he does he could be a top 10 running back in the league for sure.

Derrick Henry’s career was on the brink until he was able to turn around his lackluster performances mid way through last season. Since then, Henry has been on a tirade dominating solid fantasy defenses both on the ground and through the air. His unique blend of size and agility have proved lethal in breaking through the line and generating solid yards in the open field. Thus far Henry has gotten 252 all purpose yards and 3 touchdowns on the season. Additionally, Henry is entering a contest against an ailing Jacksonville defense who have been weak against the run and who are dealing with a trade request from star CB Jalen Ramsey. Henry is a definite start this week. 

WR:

Antonio Brown was recently acquired by the New England Patriots and proved himself in his first game. He was targeted on eight of his fourteen routes which shows that Tom Brady is going to be looking for him a lot especially as he starts to get more reps in game. He is going to slowly become a lethal part of the dominant Patriots offense. He is a definite start this week against the struggling New York Jets defense, and will most likely have upwards of 20 fantasy points if not more.

Kenny Golladay has gotten off to a hot start this year, finding the end zone in each of the first two games of the season and averaging 9.5 targets, 6 receptions, and 79.5 yards a game. This week, he has a juicy matchup against the shaky Philadelphia Eagles secondary. Terry McLaurin lit up this secondary for 5 catches, 125 yards, and 1 TD, and Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley each went for over 100 yards against them last Sunday. Only the Washington Redskins have given up more fantasy points to WRs so far this season. It’s easy to see Golladay having a monster game this week.

TE:

Mark Andrews has emerged this season as a must start tight end in his second year with the Baltimore Ravens. Through 2 games Andrews has emerged as the number one target for fellow emerging star Lamar Jackson. In the first two games Andrews has racked up 220 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Andrews has huge upside this week entering a game against the Kansas City Chiefs who have allowed the fifth most yards to tight ends this season as they struggle to find their defensive identity. Andrews is hauling in an absurd 88% of his targets thus far and has amassed 12 first downs thus far. Needless to say, he is a must start TE this fantasy week.

D/ST:

San Francisco’s defense will host the Pittsburgh Steelers this week still reeling from the loss of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Despite a somewhat strong performance from backup Mason Rudolph after coming in to replace Roethlisberger he is still young and inexperienced. Against a defense boasting a strong secondary anchored by Richard Sherman and a strong line which has been effective in stopping the run thus far Rudolph could have a rough time in his first pro start. The 49ers have clocked 7 sacks this season and 5 forced turnovers thus far, (they also have a knack for returning turnovers for touchdowns). This week presents a solid matchup for a defense that has already gotten off to a hot start.  

Sit ‘Em

QB:

Carson Wentz faces a Lions defense that has only allowed two passing TDs so far this year after coming off of a so-so game against the Falcons where he hurt his ribs, completed under 60% of his passes, and threw more interceptions than TDs. To make matters worse, his top two WRs Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson both look like they won’t be playing on Sunday. Nelson Agholor had over 100 yards in the duo’s absence last week, but his play was inconsistent, dropping what would have been the game winning touchdown. Temper expectations if you have Wentz in your fantasy lineup this week.

RB:

James Conner has been disappointing to start the season, only accumulating 54 rushing yards on an abysmal 2.6 YPC so far. To make matters worse, Ben Roethlisberger is now out for the season with an elbow injury, so the Steelers will have to turn to Mason Rudolph to lead this offense. Although this means they might lean on the run game more to ease Rudolph in, the loss of someone as important as Big Ben means the whole offense will struggle, meaning less scoring opportunities for Conner. His matchup against the 49ers does not bode well for him, either, as the revamped 49ers defensive line is only allowing 3.45 YPC to running backs on the season. Conner might have a bounce-back week in the foreseeable future, but don’t count on it this week.

WR:

John Ross was terrible his first two years in the league and was looking like a colossal bust of a 1st round pick. However, he looks like a brand new player in Zac Taylor’s offense. He has been a top three fantasy WR so far, amassing 11 catches, 270 yards, and 3 TDs while leading the Bengals in pass routes ran. Ross should come back down to Earth in a tough road matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills front seven should make easy work of the Bengals offensive line, so Andy Dalton won’t have time to throw deep balls to Ross, and Tre’Davious White and the rest of the Bills secondary will present a massive challenge to Ross and the other Bengals WRs. Don’t expect Ross to continue putting up WR1 numbers this week.

TE:

Eric Ebron had a decent week against the Titans last week, catching 3 passes for 25 yards and 1 TD. But for those who are desperate at tight end, it’s best to avoid Ebron this week against the Falcons. He got out-snapped by Jack Doyle, and when he is on the field, he will be matched up against stud linebacker Deion Jones. There are better options on the waiver wire.

D/ST:

The Saints D/ST has gotten nine sacks and forced two turnovers against the Texans and Rams, but the loss of Drew Brees means the defense will likely stay on the field more against the Seahawks as having Teddy Bridgewater at the helm instead of the future Hall of Famer will lead to more three and outs. Russell Wilson is looking amazing as always this year, completing a staggering 78.1% of his passes and averaging 2.5 TDs a game. The Saints might be able to sack him a few times, but playing an average defense on the road against an arguably top three QB in the league is always risky.