Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players on here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Start 'Em
Cam Skattebo @ LAR (Projected FPTS – 11.3): Skattebo picked up where he left off before his season-ending injury back in 2025. In the Giants' surprise win over the Cowboys, the second-year back posted 14.1 fantasy points and scored a touchdown. Skattebo played 61 percent of the snaps and managed to get four red-zone looks. He now faces a Rams defense that will be without Myles Garrett and was just shredded by Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black. Even if Aaron Donald makes his return on Monday, he still hasn't played an NFL snap in nearly three years and could be on a snap count.
David Montgomery vs. CIN (Projected FPTS – 12.0): Montgomery is coming off a three-touchdown, 28.9-fantasy-point performance in Week One. Despite taking just 49 percent of the snaps, Montgomery is the clear fantasy-relevant back on the Texans as their primary red-zone option. He'll take on the Bengals in Week Two, who allowed Bucky Irving to reach 20.3 fantasy points and have given up the fifth-highest rushing success rate.
Rhamondre Stevenson vs. PIT (Projected FPTS – 10.8): Without TreVeyon Henderson, Stevenson saw 85 percent of the snaps during Week One. He also caught five of his six targets, tied for the most on the team. He finished with 14.5 fantasy points and 95 yards from scrimmage. Even if Henderson were to suit up, I still like Stevenson in a PPR setting against the Steelers, who allowed Bijan Robinson to reach 31.3 fantasy points.
Honorable Mentions: Bucky Irving vs. CLE; Travis Etienne Jr. @ BAL; Chuba Hubbard @ ATL; Breece Hall vs. GB; Jacory Croskey-Merritt @ DAL.
Sit 'Em
MarShawn Lloyd @ NYJ (Projected FPTS – 9.1): Lloyd was on my Sits last week, as I was cautious about how the backfield split would shake out with Chris Brooks. The USC product was a non-factor, averaging 2.6 yards per carry and getting outsnapped by Brooks, 37 to 30. He finished the day with just 3.7 fantasy points. This week he takes on a Jets defense that allowed next to nothing to both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.
Tony Pollard vs. PHI (Projected FPTS – 8.2): Not only did Pollard squander his opportunity for a productive day against a favorable Jets matchup, but his snap share with Tyjae Spears is now nearly 50/50. Finishing with just 4.4 fantasy points, Pollard is essentially moving out of RB2 territory and into borderline flex or bench status on a weekly basis. He enters Week Two with the potential for another negative game script.
Jaylen Warren/Rico Dowdle @ NE (Projected FPTS – 8.8/8.2): Week One made clear that the Steelers' backfield will be a massive fantasy headache until something significant changes. Dowdle took 58 percent of the snaps, while Warren finished with 37 percent — yet Warren still ended up with five more touches than Dowdle, despite fumbling the ball. Dowdle also wasn't very efficient when the ball was in his hands. I consider both backs risky plays this week against the Patriots, though I lean toward Warren as more of a flex option given his role in the passing game.
Lowlights: J.K. Dobbins vs. JAX; Tyler Allgeier @ SEA; Jonathon Brooks @ ATL; Quinshon Judkins @ TB; Bhayshul Tuten @ DEN