{"id":366676,"date":"2025-09-14T06:07:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T06:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/366676\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T06:07:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T06:07:14","slug":"fantasy-football-week-2-lineup-decisions-who-to-start-who-to-sit-must-start-plays-flex-plays-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/366676\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Week 2 lineup decisions: Who to start, who to sit, must-start plays, flex plays and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fantasy Football<\/a> is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions, your weekly lineup decisions shouldn’t be determined by the order you picked your players in. You need to check who your players play and make sure you’ve got the right guys in — and the wrong guys out. <\/p>\n

It’s too early to be absolutely sure on which matchups will be easy and which ones will be tough, but we can take some educated guesses based on healthy personnel, defensive schemes, track records, and key details of offenses. The things we know can help us minimize the impact of the things we don’t know. This should lead to better decisions being made. <\/p>\n

We’ll go through every game and highlight the players who aren’t obvious starts and sits (because you don’t need to be told to start Bijan Robinson<\/a>). You should feel more comfortable starting or sitting players based on the information given, and feeling comfortable with your Fantasy lineup before the games start is the best feeling in the world. <\/p>\n

All lines from Caesars Sportsbook<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If the Commanders<\/a> pay attention to their analytics, then they’ll do what they can to pressure Jordan Love<\/a>. In his past 16 games, including the playoffs and last week, he has a 44.2% completion rate and an 80.6 QB rating when pressured versus man-to-man coverage, and a 51% completion rate and a 67.9 QB rating versus zone coverage. Love’s numbers are insanely better when he’s not pressured, especially against zone coverage, which is what the Commanders tend to roll with until they’re trailing. Though Dan Quinn tends to be a little selective with his blitz orders, the hunch here is that he lets his pass rush loose against a Packers<\/a> O-line down potentially two starters. That could really mess up how effective Love is throwing downfield.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Green Bay went up against a good Lions<\/a> offensive line and got pressure on Jared Goff<\/a> on 37.2% of his dropbacks, sacking him four times, while blitzing at a low 11.6% rate (second-lowest mark of the week). Lost in the sauce of Micah Parsons<\/a>‘ debut was a stellar Packers run defense that especially slammed on Jahmyr Gibbs<\/a> and David Montgomery<\/a> starting in the second quarter. In total, Green Bay held Detroit to six yards or less on 19 of its 20 runs. That’s incredible — and a clear warning to anyone thinking about starting Bill Croskey-Merritt. … In fact, I would suspect that the Commanders will gear up for a quick passing game, attacking the edges of the Packers defense. The Lions didn’t do enough of that — they actually ran routes right into the teeth of the Packers’ zone coverage, and Jared Goff had nowhere to go with the ball. Washington has the pass catchers to work intermediate horizontal routes and challenge the Packers in their two-high coverages. Bank on another solid-volume game from Deebo Samuel<\/a> on top of more opportunities for Terry McLaurin<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Jayden Daniels<\/a>, Josh Jacobs<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Tucker Kraft<\/a>, Packers DST (low-end starter) <\/p>\n

FLEX: Terry McLaurin (high-end flex\/No. 3 WR), Deebo Samuel (PPR flex), Austin Ekeler<\/a> (low-end PPR flex) <\/p>\n

SITS: Jordan Love, Bill Croskey-Merritt (stash), Zach Ertz<\/a> (borderline starter), Matthew Golden<\/a> (stash), Romeo Doubs<\/a>, Jayden Reed<\/a>, Commanders DST <\/p>\n

This is crazy, but the Bengals<\/a> got a pressure rate of 37.5% on Joe Flacco<\/a> last week, sacking him twice, while blitzing him on just TWO of his dropbacks. And it’s not like the Ravens<\/a> are a bastion of blitzing, but they’ll dial up pressure to force Joe Flacco to keep getting the ball out fast. He did that last week — nearly half of his completions were thrown in under 2.5 seconds — which is why Dylan Sampson<\/a> and Harold Fannin had so many targets when matched up against Cincy’s weak linebackers and safeties.They’ll see tougher matchups against the Ravens, as will the Browns offensive line, but it shouldn’t mean they won’t see many targets in Week 2.<\/p>\n

FRIDAY P.M. UPDATE: Wanted to point out that Fannin’s athleticism was especially good, as was his ability to beat man-to-man coverage in Week 1. He made plays against zone coverage as well but it was the man-coverage stuff he did really well against. Though he made some mistakes including a gross drop, I suspect the Browns didn’t involve him specifically because of the matchup versus Cincinnati and will try to use Fannin on short and intermediate routes in Week 2.<\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Lamar Jackson<\/a>, Derrick Henry<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Harold Fannin, Ravens DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: Zay Flowers<\/a> (borderline No. 2\/No. 3 WR), Jerry Jeudy<\/a> (low-end PPR flex), <\/p>\n

SITS: Joe Flacco, Dylan Sampson, Quinshon Judkins<\/a> (must-stash), Jerome Ford<\/a>, Cedric Tillman<\/a> (stash), DeAndre Hopkins<\/a>, Rashod Bateman<\/a>, David Njoku<\/a> (low-end PPR starter), Mark Andrews<\/a> (low-end non-PPR starter), Browns<\/a> DST\u00a0 <\/p>\n

The Jaguars<\/a> offensive line quietly had a great game against the Panthers<\/a> last week, giving up zero sacks and creating space for Travis Etienne<\/a> to finish in the top-5 among qualifiers in yards before contact per rush (3.19) and explosive run rate (18.8%). The Bengals slammed on the Browns run game, but I think Cleveland’s offensive line contributed to that. Etienne should be trusted as long as the Jaguars have favorable matchups up front. … The matchup is good for Trevor Lawrence<\/a>, and while he wasn’t super-impressive last week (12.9% off-target rate), I would still start him given the potential for a high-scoring game. Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt<\/a> is coming off a bad outing, and safety Jordan Battle<\/a> was knocked around by Harold Fannin a few times. The entire Cincy secondary will get challenged by the Jaguars’ receivers and tight ends, including on those same kinds of short throws the Browns used against them last week. There’s room for Travis Hunter<\/a> and Brenton Strange<\/a> to have good games.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Joe Burrow<\/a>, Chase Brown<\/a>, Ja’Marr Chase<\/a>, Brian Thomas Jr.<\/a>, Tee Higgins<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Trevor Lawrence (low-end starter), Travis Etienne, Brenton Strange <\/p>\n

FLEX: Travis Hunter (low-end PPR flex) <\/p>\n

SITS: Bhayshul Tuten<\/a> (stash), LeQuint Allen<\/a>, Dyami Brown<\/a>, Noah Fant<\/a>, Jaguars DST, Bengals DST <\/p>\n

There’s going to be an opportunity for Javonte Williams<\/a> to get a good amount of work and potentially score again. The Giants<\/a> run defense was ugly after losing linebacker Micah McFadden<\/a> to injury early last week; replacement Darius Muasau<\/a> was out of position on every single good run by Croskey-Merritt (and Muasau was in coverage on Zach Ertz’s touchdown catch). Not that Williams will break off long runs, but the nature of this matchup should allow a lot of touches for Williams. If you can’t sell high on him after his last game, you might be able to after this game. It helps that the Cowboys<\/a> earned the third-best run blocking grade in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus. <\/p>\n

FRIDAY A.M. UPDATE: How might Dak Prescott do? His past four against the Giants have had some very mixed results: one monster game with over 400 yards passing and four touchdowns in a blowout win in 2023, one modest 20.7 Fantasy point outing in Week 4 last year, and two duds on low passing volume. In fact, every game except the monster had Prescott throw 30 or fewer times. I’m nervous about the Giants offense keeping up this week, even with DaRon Bland out for the Cowboys secondary, meaning that Prescott won’t have to throw unless the Cowboys simply want to. They might, but it wasn’t the way they operated under Mike McCarthy (11 times in 84 games when they threw 35-plus times and won by 10-plus points), and it sure isn’t in Brian Schottenheimer’s history (twice in his 12-year career as a playcaller). I like Dak, but a huge game would surprise me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: CeeDee Lamb<\/a>, Malik Nabers<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS:\u00a0Dak Prescott<\/a>\u00a0(borderline starting QB), Javonte Williams (low-end No. 2 RB), Jake Ferguson<\/a> (low-end starter)<\/p>\n

FLEX: George Pickens<\/a> (high-end flex), Tyrone Tracy, Wan’Dale Robinson<\/a> (low-end PPR flex) <\/p>\n

SITS: , Russell Wilson<\/a>, Jaxson Dart<\/a> (he better already be rostered in Superflex leagues), Cam Skattebo<\/a> (stash), Darius Slayton<\/a>, Theo Johnson<\/a>, Cowboys DST (borderline starter; they get Chicago in Week 3), Giants DST <\/p>\n

Hard to love a lot of what Caleb Williams<\/a> did in Week 1, but at least he used his legs when he could and did make a few excellent throws when pressured. That’s not enough to outweigh the 23% off-target rate he had (32% in the second half!). You can be certain the Lions will attempt to mimic the Vikings<\/a> and blitz Williams a lot in hopes of forcing mistakes. It’s enough to drop the expectations of Rome Odunze<\/a> and D.J. Moore<\/a> considerably. And until Williams can play calmer, don’t expect Ben Johnson’s<\/a> playbook to be opened up too much. … Detroit’s offense cost them the game last week, not the defense. It was a combination of terrible play designs and calls by new offensive coordinator John Morton, and a tough assignment for the Lions’ altered O-line. The Bears<\/a> had three sacks but were fourth-worst in pass-rush pressure rate last week; they’ll be easier for the Lions to handle. I’d expect a bounce-back week for a bunch of Lions, including Jared Goff and David Montgomery. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: David Montgomery, Jameson Williams<\/a> (borderline No. 2\/No. 3 WR), D’Andre Swift<\/a> (low-end No. 2 RB in PPR), Sam LaPorta<\/a>, Lions DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: Rome Odunze <\/p>\n

SITS: Jared Goff (high-end No. 2 QB), Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore (low-end PPR flex), Isaac TeSlaa<\/a>, Colston Loveland<\/a>, Cole Kmet<\/a>, Luther Burden III<\/a>, Kyle Monangai<\/a>, Bears DST <\/p>\n

The Patriots<\/a> offense had a lot of issues in Week 1, the biggest of which being the offensive line getting overwhelmed by the Raiders<\/a>\u00a0defense, especially when they tried to run the ball. Mike Vrabel stressed the importance of running this week, so expect more carries across the board. But hand-in-hand with that will be downfield shots against a Dolphins<\/a> secondary that had no answers for Daniel Jones<\/a> last week. Kayshon Boutte<\/a> is a tremendous stash as he emerged as the Patriots receiver most in sync with Drake Maye<\/a> last week. I would also expect a little more work for TreVeyon Henderson<\/a>, who was clearly more explosive than Rhamondre Stevenson<\/a>. … You can be sure that the Patriots will aim to attack the Dolphins’ depleted offensive line after last week’s debacle: Tua Tagovailoa<\/a> wasn’t pressured a ton but seemed sensitive to any pass rush and struggled to read the Colts<\/a> defense. His three biggest throws were all on in-breaking post routes. There won’t be a healthy Christian Gonzalez<\/a>\u00a0to help the Pats secondary but it’s clear the Patriots pass rush is capable of being violent after they recorded four sacks and a 39.5% pressure rate last week against the Raiders. The hunch is that they’ll bet on Tagovailoa making self-inflicted mistakes off of any blitzes or sim-pressures they conjure up. Miami’s offensive line will be down two starters, both on the right side, so expect a premium on Tagovailoa getting the ball out fast, and for his sake, accurately.<\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: De’Von Achane <\/p>\n

STARTS: Tyreek Hill<\/a> (No. 2 WR) <\/p>\n

FLEX: TreVeyon Henderson (low-end No. 2 RB in PPR), Rhamondre Stevenson (low-end flex), Jaylen Waddle<\/a> <\/p>\n

SITS: Drake Maye (high-end No. 2 QB), Tua Tagovailoa, Hunter Henry<\/a> (streaming TE), Stefon Diggs<\/a>, Kayshon Boutte stash), Demario Douglas<\/a>, Darren Waller<\/a>, Ollie Gordon II<\/a>, Dolphins DST <\/p>\n

The smash finish to Brian Thomas Jr.’s rookie season was authored by quarterback Mac Jones<\/a>, who relentlessly targeted him down the stretch. That’s not a substitute for great play, however, as Jones completed 65.6% of his passes in his starts for the Jaguars at just 6.4 yards per attempt with a 2.7% TD rate and a 3.6% INT rate. The Saints<\/a> secondary isn’t a major threat, nor is their pass rush a major issue, so there’s some hope for Jones to hit Ricky Pearsall<\/a> for a lot of yardage, but the Niners should figure to play it as safely as possible and lean on Christian McCaffrey<\/a>. Hard to get excited for the matchup for the Niners otherwise. <\/p>\n

Spencer Rattler<\/a> deserves credit for playing mostly well against the Cardinals<\/a>. He took what the defense gave him and took care of the football, only occasionally panicking and only turning down a few open targets a couple of times. The 49ers<\/a> will be tougher than the Cardinals, hurting the chances of big games for Chris Olave<\/a>, Rashid Shaheed<\/a>, and Juwan Johnson<\/a>. But if there’s a tendency, I noticed it’s that Rattler had an eye for Johnson’s size, including on a seam route he tried twice last week. Johnson isn’t the most explosive guy in the world, but his target volume might be solid from week to week. Olave’s should be too. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Ricky Pearsall (borderline No. 2\/No. 3 WR), Juwan Johnson, 49ers DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: Chris Olave (low-end flex) <\/p>\n

SITS: Brock Purdy<\/a>, Spencer Rattler, Rashid Shaheed, Jauan Jennings<\/a>, Brian Robinson Jr.<\/a>, Jake Tonges<\/a>, Saints DST <\/p>\n

Keon Coleman<\/a> broke out last week against a good, aggressive defense thanks to some good route-running and excellent concentration on all but his first target. I suspect Jets<\/a> coach Aaron Glenn won’t overlook it and strongly consider covering Coleman with Sauce Gardner<\/a> on at least passing downs, if not every down. Gardner did a great job last week on DK Metcalf<\/a>, even if he lost a step on the receiver a couple of times off the snap. One wrinkle: I did see Coleman line up in the slot during the Bills<\/a>‘ joint practice against the Bears this summer, and if the Bills opt to go that route, then I am not as sure Gardner will follow him (he didn’t follow Metcalf into the slot last week). I would be hesitant to go with Coleman as anything more than a flex. … I couldn’t have been more wrong on the Jets offense last week — they looked great and really put it to the Steelers<\/a>. Buffalo’s defense wasn’t very good until the end of their game Sunday night, so there are opportunities for the Jets to lean on their good offensive line and run hard and use play-action to their advantage. The Jets had everyone fooled — hopefully, they stay this way and have a great offense. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Josh Allen<\/a>, James Cook<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Justin Fields<\/a>, Breece Hall<\/a>, Garrett Wilson<\/a> <\/p>\n

FLEX: Keon Coleman <\/p>\n

SITS: Khalil Shakir<\/a>, Josh Palmer<\/a>, Dalton Kincaid<\/a>, Braelon Allen<\/a>, Bills DST, Jets DST <\/p>\n

It sounds like the Seahawks<\/a> will make some personnel changes in their secondary, the kind of moves that would make a savvy veteran quarterback excited and his veteran receiver who played for Seattle even more psyched. Seattle’s defense landed pressure on 43.6% of Brock Purdy’s dropbacks last week, but only had one sack to show for it. Rodgers is a little pressure sensitive these days, but he combats it with quick throws. Those throws may have a better shot at getting completed against some fresh corners. … Kenneth Walker<\/a> looked fast last week anytime he had a clear, straight path to move. Anytime Walker cut or stopped his feet, it took him an extra second to gather himself and move. He didn’t have that burst in those instances, which makes me wonder if his foot issue is worse than we’re being led to believe. Zach Charbonnet<\/a> played more than Walker last week and landed more high-value touches (third downs, goal line). Don’t be surprised if the same thing happens this week with Charbonnet putting up better numbers. … By the way, the Steelers defense wasn’t great until the end of the game last week, but the one thing they did a lot of was blitz, and the Seattle offensive line will get tested. It could mean some trouble for the Seahawks pass game. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Zach Charbonnet (low-end No. 2 RB), Jaylen Warren<\/a> (low-end No. 2 RB in PPR only), Steelers DST, Seahawks DST (borderline starter) <\/p>\n

FLEX: Kenneth Walker III<\/a> <\/p>\n

SITS: Aaron Rodgers<\/a>, Sam Darnold<\/a>, Calvin Austin III<\/a>, Cooper Kupp<\/a>, Jonnu Smith<\/a>, Elijah Arroyo<\/a>, Kaleb Johnson<\/a> <\/p>\n

Calvin Ridley<\/a> doesn’t have nearly as challenging a matchup this week as he did last week, giving him a shot to put up decent Fantasy numbers versus the Rams<\/a>. L.A. remains a team that plays a lot of zone without blitzing much, a combination that worked well for them last week against a Texans<\/a> offense with a depleted offensive line. Cam Ward’s college history suggests he thrives when pressured, but last week, he completed 5 of 12 passes for 52 yards when Denver got close to him. It’s still not a great spot for the Titans<\/a> passing game, though it’s conceivable Ridley gets more catches on the same eight targets he had a week ago. <\/p>\n

FRIDAY P.M. UPDATE: The Titans won’t have right tackle J.C. Latham, a big loss in the run game. He had the second-highest grade from Pro Football Focus in run blocking in Week 1 and the best run-blocking grade on gap-scheme runs. Pollard had his best runs last week behind left guard Peter Skoronski, but Latham was his next-best blocker. The Rams will be focused on those interior runs knowing they’ll have a better chance at attacking Pollard when he hits the right tackle and right edge. … Latham’s absence also naturally hurts the pass protection for Cam Ward, which might mean the Titans will have to get the ball out quickly to help offset Latham’s absence. It could put a damper on the upside for Ridley and anyone else in the Titans passing game you’re considering.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Kyren Williams<\/a>, Puka Nacua<\/a>, Davante Adams<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Tony Pollard<\/a> (No. 2 RB), Rams DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: Calvin Ridley <\/p>\n

SITS: Matthew Stafford<\/a>, Cam Ward, Elic Ayomanor<\/a> (stash), Chig Okonkwo, Titans DST <\/p>\n

Carolina’s defense couldn’t get any pressure on Trevor Lawrence last week (12.5% pressure rate was the worst in Week 1!), nor could they contain Travis Etienne. I don’t love their chances of bouncing back against a Cardinals offense that was good but not great in Week 1. Murray had an off-target rate of 17.2% and kept his throws short, save for four deep balls, in which one was caught after Marvin Harrison Jr<\/a>. camped out under it. Murray’s lack of consistency will always make him a risk for Fantasy, so even though this is a very favorable matchup, be aware that his final numbers could be a lot like last week’s (163-2-0 with 38 rushing yards). <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Trey McBride<\/a>, James Conner<\/a>, Chuba Hubbard<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Marvin Harrison Jr. (No. 2 WR), Tetairoa McMillan<\/a> (No. 2 WR in PPR), Cardinals DST (at the 49ers — and Mac Jones? — in Week 3) <\/p>\n

SITS: Kyler Murray<\/a> (borderline starting QB), Bryce Young<\/a>, Michael Wilson<\/a>, Trey Benson<\/a>, Ja’Tavion Sanders<\/a>, Rico Dowdle<\/a>, Panthers DST <\/p>\n

Two big reasons why Daniel Jones had a great Week 1: He threw before the Dolphins pass rush, which blitzed him on over 50% of his snaps, could get to him; and because the Dolphins secondary was worse than anyone believed. I have a not-funny-at-all feeling that Jones will have much bigger challenges with the Broncos<\/a> defense and their amazing shut-down cornerback Pat Surtain II in Week 2. If Jones sticks to quick throws away from Surtain, then it’s reasonable to believe Tyler Warren<\/a> and maybe Josh Downs<\/a> can have decent days, specifically in PPR. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Jonathan Taylor<\/a>, Courtland Sutton<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Bo Nix<\/a> (low-end No. 1 QB), Tyler Warren, Broncos DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: J.K. Dobbins<\/a>, Josh Downs (low-end PPR flex) <\/p>\n

SITS: Daniel Jones, Josh Downs (borderline PPR flex), Michael Pittman<\/a>, R.J. Harvey (desperation starter), Marvin Mims<\/a>, Evan Engram, D.J Giddens, Colts DST <\/p>\n

I thought A.J. Brown<\/a> labored last week as he ran his routes. His target volume would also suggest he was more of a decoy than a major contributor against a Cowboys defense that had no real pass defense threat for Philly to worry about. He’s not on it this week, so perhaps Fantasy managers should proceed as normal. … Know who is on the injury report? Dallas Goedert<\/a>, who missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury. When he’s been out, the numbers for Brown and DeVonta Smith<\/a> typically rise. In the eight games Goedert played 5% of the snaps in or missed with injury in 2024, Smith averaged 17.3 PPR points per game, and Brown averaged 16.5. Both receivers would be easy starts if Goedert is indeed ruled out. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Jalen Hurts<\/a>, Saquon Barkley<\/a>, A.J. Brown <\/p>\n

STARTS: Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, DeVonta Smith, Travis Kelce<\/a>, Eagles<\/a> DST <\/p>\n

FLEX: Marquise Brown<\/a>, Isiah Pacheco<\/a> <\/p>\n

SITS: JuJu Smith-Schuster<\/a>, Jahan Dotson<\/a>, Tyquan Thornton<\/a>, Tank Bigsby<\/a>, Grant Calcaterra<\/a>, Chiefs<\/a> DST <\/p>\n

It seems clear that the primary runner for the Vikings is Jordan Mason<\/a>. He played 57% of the snaps on Monday to Aaron Jones<\/a>‘ 47%, but more significantly had 15 carries and 16 touches to Jones’ eight carries and 11 touches. In fact, if not for Jones’ deep touchdown snag, we’d be talking about Mason as a stud and Jones as a borderline afterthought. Atlanta’s run defense looked sharp against the Bucs in Week 1, not a shocker considering they were third in fewest rush touchdowns per game to running backs in 2024. It suggests that Jones could be a shade more efficient because of his work in the passing game, but the best move might be to avoid both if you can. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Justin Jefferson<\/a>, Bijan Robinson <\/p>\n

STARTS: Drake London<\/a>, T.J. Hockenson<\/a> <\/p>\n

FLEX: Aaron Jones (PPR preferred), Jordan Mason (non-PPR only) <\/p>\n

SITS: J.J. McCarthy<\/a> (high-end No. 2 QB), Michael Penix (high-end No. 2 QB), Darnell Mooney<\/a>, Kyle Pitts<\/a>, Jalen Nailor<\/a>, Tyler Allgeier<\/a>, Vikings DST, Falcons<\/a> DST (at Carolina in Week 3) <\/p>\n

Is the Texans offense already in trouble? The offensive line had some trouble protecting C.J. Stroud<\/a> last week and gets another stiff test in the Buccaneers<\/a> this week. Stroud’s lack of comfort in the pocket showed in his ADOT: 6.4 yards per attempt, even though there were several plays where he was poised but didn’t try throwing downfield. Further hurting Houston’s cause is their run game — Nick Chubb<\/a> seemed to be alright, but the Bucs run defense remains a tough one to deal with. If they make the Texans one-dimensional, we could be looking at another tough week for Stroud and Nico Collins<\/a> to put up numbers. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Nico Collins, Bucky Irving<\/a>, Mike Evans<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Baker Mayfield<\/a>, Emeka Egbuka<\/a> <\/p>\n

SITS: C.J. Stroud, Nick Chubb, Rachaad White<\/a>, Jayden Higgins<\/a>, Cade Otton<\/a>, Dalton Schultz<\/a>, Texans DST <\/p>\n

We’re coming off a week where Kayshon Boutte looked passable as a downfield receiver. Maybe it means he’ll be a good Fantasy option, or maybe he benefited from playing the Raiders. Las Vegas’ secondary was in the mold of prior Pete Carroll defenses, but they’re just not quite as talented. Justin Herbert<\/a> should have the chance to put up numbers against them, with all of his receivers in play to have efficient games. One guy I’d be nervous about is Quentin Johnston<\/a>, who scored first when his defender fell down in the end zone, and then again when he outran his man in a Cover-0 scheme and Herbert beat the blitz (handily!). The Raiders may not put themselves in the latter situation, and the prior one was a fluke. At least Keenan Allen’s<\/a> 10 targets should evoke some confidence. <\/p>\n

MUST-STARTS: Brock Bowers<\/a>, Ladd McConkey<\/a> <\/p>\n

STARTS: Justin Herbert, Ashton Jeanty<\/a>, Omarion Hampton<\/a>, <\/p>\n

FLEX: Jakobi Meyers<\/a>, Keenan Allen (low-end PPR flex), <\/p>\n

SITS: Geno Smith<\/a>, Quentin Johnston (stash), Dont’e Thornton (stash), Najee Harris<\/a>, Zamir White<\/a>, Tyler Conklin<\/a>, Chargers<\/a> DST, Raiders DST <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football is all about the matchups. Even though you drafted your team with certain hopes and intentions,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2060],"tags":[8694,6912,1586,390,254,4142,1842,117,9763,53,9341,4048,260,391,4124,256,54,1081,4903,257,1718,2772,6709,4540,5430,597,4131,4695,1705,258,292,113,2870,34598,4894,1162,1999,7,1507,467,345,253,290,392,601,212,125,2401,213,7191,9509,757,1029,1274,2827,562,7470,3974,4129,8488,8661,760,493,274,110,1328,895,393,262,58,5215,5410,701,32,251,491,259,4125,249,55,56,255,6,587,2862,109,57,1088,7152,2495,572,1878,252,894,261,531,9250,250,5657,394,10562,2312,24175,1089,111,7025],"class_list":{"0":"post-366676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville-jaguars","8":"tag-a-j-brown","9":"tag-aaron-jones","10":"tag-aaron-rodgers","11":"tag-arizona-cardinals","12":"tag-atlanta-falcons","13":"tag-austin-ekeler","14":"tag-baker-mayfield","15":"tag-baltimore-ravens","16":"tag-brian-robinson-jr","17":"tag-buffalo-bills","18":"tag-cade-otton","19":"tag-calvin-ridley","20":"tag-carolina-panthers","21":"tag-chicago-bears","22":"tag-christian-mccaffrey","23":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","24":"tag-cleveland-browns","25":"tag-cooper-kupp","26":"tag-dandre-swift","27":"tag-dallas-cowboys","28":"tag-dalton-schultz","29":"tag-daniel-jones","30":"tag-darnell-mooney","31":"tag-darren-waller","32":"tag-davante-adams","33":"tag-david-montgomery","34":"tag-david-njoku","35":"tag-deandre-hopkins","36":"tag-deebo-samuel","37":"tag-denver-broncos","38":"tag-derrick-henry","39":"tag-detroit-lions","40":"tag-dk-metcalf","41":"tag-drake-thomas","42":"tag-dyami-brown","43":"tag-elijah-arroyo","44":"tag-fantasy-football","45":"tag-football","46":"tag-geno-smith","47":"tag-george-pickens","48":"tag-green-bay-packers","49":"tag-houston-texans","50":"tag-hunter-henry","51":"tag-indianapolis-colts","52":"tag-j-k-dobbins","53":"tag-jacksonville","54":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","55":"tag-jacksonvillejaguars","56":"tag-jaguars","57":"tag-jahan-dotson","58":"tag-jake-tonges","59":"tag-james-conner","60":"tag-jared-goff","61":"tag-javonte-williams","62":"tag-jerry-jeudy","63":"tag-joe-flacco","64":"tag-jonnu-smith","65":"tag-jordan-mason","66":"tag-josh-jacobs","67":"tag-josh-jobe","68":"tag-josh-palmer","69":"tag-juju-smith-schuster","70":"tag-justin-fields","71":"tag-kaleb-johnson","72":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","73":"tag-keenan-allen","74":"tag-lamar-jackson","75":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","76":"tag-los-angeles-chargers","77":"tag-los-angeles-rams","78":"tag-mac-jones","79":"tag-marquise-brown","80":"tag-matthew-golden","81":"tag-matthew-stafford","82":"tag-miami-dolphins","83":"tag-micah-parsons","84":"tag-minnesota-vikings","85":"tag-najee-harris","86":"tag-new-england-patriots","87":"tag-new-orleans-saints","88":"tag-new-york-giants","89":"tag-new-york-jets","90":"tag-nfl","91":"tag-nick-chubb","92":"tag-noah-fant","93":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","94":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","95":"tag-puka-nacua","96":"tag-rico-dowdle","97":"tag-rome-odunze","98":"tag-russell-wilson","99":"tag-sam-darnold","100":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","101":"tag-saquon-barkley","102":"tag-seattle-seahawks","103":"tag-stefon-diggs","104":"tag-t-j-hockenson","105":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","106":"tag-tank-bigsby","107":"tag-tennessee-titans","108":"tag-tony-pollard","109":"tag-tyler-conklin","110":"tag-tyquan-thornton","111":"tag-tyreek-hill","112":"tag-washington-commanders","113":"tag-zach-ertz"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}