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
Isaiah Likely @ LAR (Projected FPTS – 6.9): I had Likely on my start list last week, and I feel fully confident doing it again in Week Two. He and the Giants will face the Rams, who have had more than a week to prepare. Nonetheless, I believe Likely is a prominent piece of the Giants' offense and of Jaxson Dart's game plan. With the young QB under center, Likely should be considered a TE1 moving forward.
Dallas Goedert @ TEN (Projected FPTS – 7.1): Goedert had a monster game last week against the Commanders, scoring twice and registering 23.7 fantasy points. Behind only DeVonta Smith, Goedert was second on the team in targets. He has a soft matchup against the Titans this week. If you have Goedert on your roster, you should be licking your chops — expect a nice day for the veteran tight end and other Eagles playmakers.
Michael Mayer @ LAC (Projected FPTS – 6.2): Mayer, who is starting in place of the injured Brock Bowers, caught six of seven targets and saw over 20 percent of the Raiders' offensive targets. If Bowers doesn't suit up again in Week Two, Mayer is a must-start against the Chargers. Los Angeles' defense is coming off a poor effort covering Trey McBride (which is not unusual to hear), and Mayer has reached fringe TE1 status when listed as the starter, serving as a focal point of Las Vegas' passing attack with Kirk Cousins under center.
Honorable Mentions: Dalton Kincaid vs. DET; Dalton Schultz vs. CIN; Mark Andrews vs. NO; Juwan Johnson @ BAL; Harold Fannin Jr. vs. TB.
Sit 'Em
Mike Gesicki @ HOU (Projected FPTS – 4.7): With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins largely held in check, Gesicki stepped into the picture and had a big game, scoring a touchdown and posting 18.8 fantasy points against the Buccaneers. However, he has a very tough matchup this week against the Texans, who are coming off an ugly showing against Josh Allen and the Bills. I expect Houston to be pissed off over last week's performance and return to their usual dominant selves. Also, Gesicki isn't high on the totem pole for Joe Burrow, and I expect Chase and Higgins to be more involved this week.
Kyle Pitts vs. CAR (Projected FPTS – 6.2): I don't expect Pitts (and even Drake London, in that matter) to carry third-string QB Cooper Rush from a fantasy perspective. Against the Steelers, Pitts saw just one target and finished with a goose egg, despite running the second-most routes (21) of any Falcons player. He'll face the Panthers in Week Two, who just gave the Bears' Colston Loveland a doughnut in their opener. Until Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. return from injury, it will be hard to trust Pitts in lineups.
Kenyon Sadiq vs. GB (Projected FPTS – 4.4): Sadiq surprised fantasy managers with an 11.4-fantasy-point performance in Week One. However, I wouldn't get too excited over it. He was targeted just three times and ran routes on only 12 snaps, and the touchdown he scored came on a run from three yards out. The first-round rookie will have better days down the line, but it's best to play it safe and bench him until the time being.
Lowlights: Jake Ferguson vs. WAS; Hunter Henry vs. PIT; Oronde Gadsden II vs. LV; Greg Dulcich @ SF; Brenton Strange @ DEN.