Quarterback
Start:
Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB): Fitzpatrick’s seemingly endless cycle of signing with a team, supplanting its starter and getting overpaid by said team is still going smoothly, as he has been the highest-scoring QB in ESPN standard scoring this season. Fitzpatrick should continue to ride his momentum on Monday night against the Steelers.
Matthew Stafford (DET): Stafford put his disastrous week-one performance behind him last Sunday, torching the 49ers for 347 yards and three touchdowns. He should be able to put up a similar performance against a Patriots defense, which was just picked apart by Blake Bortles and a below-average Jaguars offense.
Sit:
Andrew Luck (IND): Returning from a career-threatening shoulder injury, Luck hasn’t taken many shots deep down the field this year. Lacking a strong running game and reliable receiving threats besides T.Y. Hilton, Luck and the Colts may struggle to move the ball against a stout Eagles defense.
If you’re desperate:
Mitchell Trubisky (CHI): Trubisky has completed a nice 69.6 percent of his passes, but has not put up other gaudy numbers at this point, averaging only 185.5 passing yards per game this season. Due for a bigger performance, Trubisky has a great opportunity to produce against a woeful Cardinals defense.
Running back
Start:
Giovani Bernard (CIN): With Joe Mixon sidelined due to arthroscopic knee surgery, Bernard is in line for workhorse duties for the next few weeks. Even facing a stout Panthers front seven, Bernard is poised to get upward of 20 touches and has a high floor this week.
Matt Breida (SF): Breida exploded for 138 rushing yards on only 11 carries against the Lions last week. While he hasn’t entirely established himself as the lead back over Alfred Morris, Breida still possesses immense upside against a Chiefs team that has been in shootouts in each of its first two games.
Sit:
LeSean McCoy (BUF): Already off to a miserable start to the season, McCoy suffered a rib injury last week, which could limit his workload moving forward. Even if he is playing this week against Minnesota, McCoy has a tough matchup, has put up poor performances to this point and is nursing an injury. Leave him on your bench.
If you’re desperate:
Phillip Lindsay (DEN): An undrafted free agent, Lindsay burst onto the scene immediately, averaging 106.5 total yards in his first two career games. While he is still technically in a committee, Lindsay’s explosiveness makes him a viable dart throw against the Ravens.
Wide receiver
Start:
Nelson Agholor (PHI): Agholor has clearly established himself as a top target in the Eagles’ offense, racking up 22 targets in two games this season. Facing a depleted Colts secondary, Agholor is poised for a big performance with Carson Wentz back under center.
Kenny Golladay (DET): A 2017 preseason stud, Golladay has put up strong performances in each of his games this season, and gave Stafford the ball enough for all three of Detroit’s wide receivers to be successful. Golladay now faces a Patriots secondary that has struggled for the majority of the past two years.
Sit:
Josh Gordon (NE): Gordon made headlines this week after being traded from the doldrums of Cleveland to the perennial Super Bowl-contending Patriots, adding even more talent to Tom Brady’s arsenal. While this move should bring Gordon’s owners optimism for success down the line, expectations should be tempered for at least this week, as Gordon is both nursing a hamstring injury and still getting acclimated with New England’s offense.
If you’re desperate:
Keelan Cole (JAX): Cole has easily been the Jags’ most exciting offensive player this season, albeit largely due to Leonard Fournette’s injury. Cole is a sneaky option against a Titans defense that has already allowed four touchdowns to wide receivers this season.
Tight end
Start:
Trey Burton (CHI): Burton has put up pedestrian numbers in two games with his new team, but the former Eagle is poised for a bigger performance against a Cardinals defense, which has been battered in each of its games this year.
O.J. Howard (TB): Howard scored a 75-yard touchdown this past week, showcasing his ability as a big-play threat. In a position as thin as tight end, Howard projects as a starter this week in a randomly elite offense.
Sit:
Evan Engram (NYG): Engram scored a touchdown in garbage time against the Cowboys, but is caught as the third option in an anemic offense. As long as the Giants struggle to move the ball to this extent, Engram is a fringe starter at best.
If you’re desperate:
Austin Hooper (ATL): Hooper caught a touchdown last week, but his targets remain sporadic. Hooper still could find success this weekend against a Saints defense, which has shown many holes this season.