Need proof? Daniel Jones, Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers finished second, third and seventh in quarterback scoring respectively. Popular running back sleepers Kaleb Johnson and Tank Bigsby were seldom used, with the latter being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles just one day later.
And consensus No. 1 overall fantasy pick Ja’Marr Chase? He logged just two catches for 26 yards as Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals offense sputtered in the second half of their game against the Cleveland Browns.
It’s important for fantasy managers not to panic. After all, it’s just one week, and there will be plenty of time for players to turn things around and to make up any ground lost in the standings.
But what should fantasy footballers do at each lineup position heading into Week 2? USA TODAY Sports outlines 16 players to start or sit in your fantasy matchups this week.
Fantasy football players to start in Week 2
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields, New York Jets (vs. Buffalo Bills)
Fields enjoyed a stellar showing in his first game with the Jets, racking up 218 passing yards, 42 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in a loss to the Steelers. Even if he can’t repeat his passing success, his rushing upside should make him a top-10 fantasy quarterback in Week 2.
Fields may not be Lamar Jackson – who thrashed the Bills for 70 rushing yards in Week 1, good for the most among quarterbacks – but he should still be able to find space against a leaky Buffalo run defense.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (at Miami Dolphins)
The Dolphins just allowed Daniel Jones to finish Week 1 as the NFL’s third-highest-scoring fantasy quarterback. Maye is fresh off a solid outing against the Raiders during which he completed 30 of 46 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The second-year pro has more upside against the Dolphins, especially if he uses his legs more than he did in Week 1 (four carries, 11 yards).
Running backs
Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (at Cincinnati Bengals)
Etienne emerged as Jacksonville’s workhorse runner in Week 1, racking up 143 yards on 16 carries while catching three passes. The Jaguars traded his main competition for carries, Tank Bigsby, to the Eagles after Week 1, opening the door for Etienne to continue in his role.
The Bengals were stout against the run in their Week 1 matchup with the Browns, but rookie running back Dylan Sampson logged eight catches during the contest. Etienne could enjoy a similarly large target share, positioning him to be a high-end RB2 in PPR leagues.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Carolina Panthers)
Benson is still behind James Conner in Arizona’s pecking order, but the second-year back still managed to get nine touches against the Saints. He turned those touches into 75 yards while Conner’s 16 touches went for a combined 44 yards.
The Cardinals aren’t likely to pivot away from Conner entirely yet, but Benson could earn a larger share of the workload if he continues to perform well. The Panthers surrendered a league-high 173 rushing yards to running backs in Week 1, so Benson could emerge as a solid flex play.
Wide receivers
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers (vs. New Orleans Saints)
Brock Purdy’s status for Week 2 is murky as he deals with shoulder and toe injuries, but Pearsall should be started regardless. He figures to be the focal point of San Francisco’s passing attack with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and George Kittle (hamstring) out for the contest and Jauan Jennings (shoulder) banged up.
Pearsall was already trending toward being San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver anyway. His seven targets were second-most on the team behind only Christian McCaffrey, so the second-year pro should have a high floor even if Mac Jones is at quarterback.
Hollywood Brown, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
Brown was targeted a whopping 16 times in the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Chargers. That volume may not be sustainable, but with Xavier Worthy nursing a shoulder injury and Rashee Rice suspended, the veteran should be Patrick Mahomes’ clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Start him while that remains the case.
Tight end
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (at Baltimore Ravens)
Fannin drew rave reviews during the offseason and looked good in his Browns debut, generating seven catches and 63 yards on a team-high nine targets. Baltimore just allowed seven catches, 97 yards and a touchdown to Buffalo’s tight ends in Week 1, so Fannin could have another strong game – especially if Joe Flacco and Co. are playing from behind and have to pass often.
Defense/special teams:
Los Angeles Rams (at Tennessee Titans)
The Rams generated relentless pressure against C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Week 1. They sacked the third-year quarterback three times and held Houston to just nine points and no touchdowns.
The Titans allowed Cam Ward to be sacked a league-high six times against the Broncos and will have trouble dealing with a Los Angeles defense that ranks seventh league-wide in pressure rate (41.2%) after Week 1.
Fantasy football players to sit in Week 2
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Seattle Seahawks)
The Seahawks generated a league-best 60% pressure rate during Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Rodgers’ Week 1 opponent, the Jets, ranked 25th in the category but still managed to sack him four times. Expect Seattle to get after the 41-year-old quarterback often and limit his ability to make big plays down the field.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs. Chicago Bears)
Goff looked lost in his first game since 2021 without Ben Johnson as his offensive coordinator. The veteran quarterback ranked last among NFL passers in average depth of target (ADOT) with a mark of 4.29 as he focused on checkdowns and horizontal passes in a 27-13 loss to the Packers.
Unless Goff shows more of a willingness to throw the ball downfield, his scoring upside will be capped.
Running backs
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
Pacheco split carries evenly with Kareem Hunt in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to the Chargers. If that arrangement continues, it’s hard to imagine Pacheco earning enough opportunities to do significant damage against an Eagles defense that will be getting Jalen Carter back after he missed Week 1 due to a spitting incident.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants (at Dallas Cowboys)
It’s hard to trust any Giants running backs as long as Russell Wilson is starting at quarterback and left tackle Andrew Thomas is out due to injury. Tracy averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on 10 attempts against the Commanders, and it’s hard to imagine him improving significantly against a Cowboys defense that just limited Saquon Barkley to 3.3 yards per carry.
Wide receivers
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (vs. Chicago Bears)
Williams is a big-play threat, but it’s hard to trust him with most of Goff’s targets coming close to the line of scrimmage. That makes the Alabama product more of a boom-or-bust proposition against a Chicago defense that should soon be getting healthier at cornerback.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (vs. Denver Broncos)
Did Pittman Jr. look good in Week 1? Yup. Is he Indianapolis’ No. 1 receiving weapon? Probably. That would make Pittman good enough to start most weeks, but a date with the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain, will likely render him a bust in Week 2.
Tight end
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (at New York Jets)
Kincaid got off to a quick start in 2025, logging four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens. He may have trouble repeating those matchups even in a solid-looking matchup with the Jets.
Why? Kincaid garnered just four total targets in a game during which Josh Allen threw 46 passes and logged 45 total targets, good for an 8.9% target share. The third-year tight end could still emerge as a fine start if he scores again, but he looks more like a touchdown-dependent streamer than a high-caliber option at the position.
Defense/special teams:
Buffalo Bills (at New York Jets)
The Bills just struggled to contain the Ravens’ rushing offense and now will face a Jets team that just totaled 182 rushing yards against the Steelers. Adding extra risk is the fact that New York currently ranks last league-wide in pass play percentage (37.10%), which will also limit Buffalo’s chances to get sacks.