Managing a fantasy NFL team through the first week of the season is easy. With Week 2 upon us, this is where the difficulty comes in as you have to play the match-ups, deal with injuries and make tough decisions over starting spots.
There’s also a fine balance between analysing what happened in the first week and reading too much into a one-game sample size.
Fortunately, we’re here to help parse the information and help you set a lineup that can win you your match-up.
Here are five options who are either fringe starters, firmly entrenched on your bench or maybe even on the waiver wire that should be in your lineup for this week’s slate of games.
TEVIN COLEMAN
The Atlanta Falcons running back was already worth consideration as a flex play, but now that Devonta Freeman is out with a knee injury, Coleman becomes a must-start.
While the match-up against the Carolina Panthers isn’t all that appealing – they surrendered 86 total yards to Ezekiel Elliott on 18 touches last week – Coleman is talented enough to make the most of the hefty workload coming his way.
In the three games Freeman missed significant time last year, including his early exit against Dallas, Coleman had at least 19 carries and a rushing score in each contest. He also had 110 yards on 18 rushes in the lone game Freeman sat out in 2015.
Fire up Coleman with confidence.
Tevin Coleman becomes a top 15 play. In 3 games without Freeman, Tevin Coleman averaged 19.3 touches and 14.5 points per game in PPR which would be RB13 last year on a PPG basis. https://t.co/hl5hHK9Hys
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) September 14, 2018
ALEX SMITH
Ben Roethlisberger may be the start of the week among all quarterbacks in what should be an absolute points-fest with Kansas City, but considering he’s likely rostered in most leagues, Smith is your best as a true streamer play.
Smith’s numbers of 255 passing yards and two touchdowns in the opener could have been much better had Washington been challenged at all by Arizona, but a comfortable lead meant the running game was leaned on.
Is he the sexiest option? No, but Smith has three things working in his favour: he’s not going to make many mistakes so don’t expect to lose many points with interceptions or fumbles, he provides sneaky rushing stats and he gets an Indianapolis Colts defence that was just abused by Andy Dalton.
JOSH GORDON
If you started Gordon in Week 1, a touchdown kept you from tearing your hair out as the Cleveland Browns for whatever reason refused to use their most talented weapon, who was targeted just three times.
That should change in a major way this week. There should be no more limitations on Gordon’s snap count and head coach Hue Jackson was upfront about the team’s intention to create more opportunities for the wideout.
Maybe more importantly, Gordon gets a New Orleans Saints secondary that was obliterated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, allowing 417 passing yards and four touchdowns to wide receivers.
Welcome back, Josh Gordon. pic.twitter.com/1E6QXjT33m
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) September 9, 2018
GEORGE KITTLE
The San Francisco 49ers tight end looked like Jimmy Garoppolo’s favourite target in Week 1 as he led the team in targets (nine) and catches (five), and that could continue on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Especially if Marquise Goodwin doesn’t play – the wide receiver has yet to practice this week as he deals with a quad injury – Kittle would see a boost to his role, which was already sizeable.
And after the Lions defence were downright putrid in the opener, the 49ers attack as a whole has a chance to feast.
George Kittle might just be a league-winner.
— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) September 10, 2018
Coming off a shoulder injury, Kittle played on 80% of #49ers snaps, led team in targets (9), and his 13.1 average depth of target in Week 1 nearly matched Gronk's (13.4). Look at the vertical element on his routes, per #NextGenStats: pic.twitter.com/dPFBDD4GVa
CHICAGO BEARS
Before Aaron Rodgers went superhuman in the opener, Chicago’s defence looked like the ’85 Bears as they wreaked havoc with Khalil Mack setting the tone.
This week, they get the Seattle Seahawks, who allowed six sacks to the Denver Broncos and are without top wide receiver Doug Baldwin.
Bears rookie linebacker Roquan Smith should also see the field more after getting limited work in Week 1, which will make Chicago even tougher to move the ball against.
