Wide Receiver Start/Sits for Week 2

Week 2 is here and there are plenty of wide receivers to talk about starting or sitting. With the Puka Nacua injury now that he is on injured reserve, that vaults Cooper Kupp up to a top 5 wide receiver for the next few weeks.

In Week 1, Nico Collins had 6 catches for 117 yards, while Tank Dell had just 3 catches for 40 yards for the Houston Texans. For the San Francisco 49ers, Deebo Samuel had 5 catches for 54 yards but also was involved in the run game without Christian McCaffrey. Samuel rushed 8 times for 23 yards and a score, while Brandon Aiyuk was rusty, dropping a touchdown with a lowly 2 catches for 28 yards.

Here are a few starts and sits for this upcoming week at the wide receiver position.

Wide Receiver Must Start for Week 2

Seattle SeahawksPhoto byFrantzou FleurineonUnsplash

Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily this week. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup. See the hit rate for last week's start and sit wide receiver article, as Collins and Samuel both hit while Aiyuk and Dell missed.

Mike Evans

Both Tampa Bay's starting wide receivers are must-start players against the 1-0 Lions in Detroit. The rematch of the NFC divisional game will feature a 51.5 total, with the home team favored by a touchdown. Projected to be a high-scoring affair indoors, it's clear to see based on their performance in Week 1 why Week 2 can be a repeat for fantasy success.

Although the last two matchups for Mike Evans against the Lions haven't been great, he is usually due for at least a touchdown, a minimum of 4-5 receptions, and a big play or two. He had 2 touchdowns on 5 catches for 61 yards against the Washington Commanders in an early blowout win. The future Hall of Fame receiver should be able to put up a top-10 receiver stat line against rookie Terrion Arnold or Carlton Davis, a former teammate on the outside.

Chris Godwin

The same can be said about Chris Godwin, as he will go against Amik Robertson in the slot. He had a top finish in Week 1 as well, with 8 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Now fully healthy, Godwin could match or surpass Evans given the matchups week to week, and be the epitome of consistency.

In PPR according to FantasyPros, Evans finished 5th and Godwin 7th, as Baker Mayfield showed his ability to support multiple elite pass catchers in their high-octane offense with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. That should continue into this coming week's matchup.

Wide Receiver Must Sit for Week 2

On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one.

DK Metcalf

The Seattle Seahawks didn’t showcase an elite passing offense with Washington’s former head coach, now offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. The run game with Kenneth Walker III did benefit, however, other than veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, it was a pedestrian day for both DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Lockett went 6 receptions for 77 yards and had a decent outing. However, Metcalf was shadowed by star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and Smith-Njigba just wasn’t a factor in the slot.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Metcalf finished with just 3 catches for 29 yards, as he couldn’t get on the same page with veteran Geno Smith. Smith-Njigba had just 2 catches for 19 yards, as this was not the start we were hoping for in fantasy for both receivers. While both are more sits for me, it could’ve been gameplan for specific defenses so there is hope that the Grubb offense can expand and get more vertical throughout the season.

This week’s matchup doesn’t get any easier, as Metcalf will likely face Christian Gonzalez on the 1-0 New England Patriots. Gonzalez just limited Ja’Marr Chase to 6 catches and 62 yards on the outside in their upset against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Conclusion

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown should have a bounce-back top 5 week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary. Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb can be seen in the same vain, as the top pass catcher should have a better finish against the vulnerable Arizona Cardinals secondary. Samuel for the 49ers could have elite usage on the ground, especially if McCaffrey is out again. Texans' Collins has a tougher matchup against the Bears but he should be able to display consistency as a top-10 receiver rest of the season.

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Article originally written by Andrew Kim