Thursday Night Football gave us another edition of what is quickly becoming one of the best rivalries in the entire NFL. Yes, they are divisional opponents, but the elite options under center in Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert makes all Chiefs vs. Chargers matchup appointment viewing even for casual fans. There were some IDP fireworks to kick off Week 2, with Chris Jones notching two sacks against a Chargers offensive line that lost Corey Linsley, Nick Bolton and Willie Gay both hitting double digits in total tackles, and rookie seventh round pick Jaylen Watson taking a pick six 99 yards. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others, who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.
Start em
Divine Deablo (S/LB – LV)
Deablo dominated middle linebacker snaps once Denzel Perryman left Week 1’s contest with an ankle injury, playing ahead of veteran Jayon Brown. Perryman missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday and is in danger of missing Week 2. Perryman being inactive (or limited, if active) bodes well for Deablo’s Week 2 fantasy value against the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona gifted the ninth most fantasy points to the position in Week 1 and should provide plenty of tackle opportunities for the linebackers this week. Arizona is likely to be ground-heavy when possible, which should help Deablo push for DB1/LB2 numbers once again. Start Deablo wherever possible.
Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB – HOU)
KGH needs to be started everywhere for as long as Christian Harris is sidelined. KGH should see starter’s snaps until at least Week 6, which makes him a borderline LB1 option. He has been excellent when he has been on the field for IDP purposes, as he possesses a high motor and sideline-to-sideline ability. He soaks up tackles with the best of them and should be in line for a monster day against the Denver Broncos. KGH recorded 14 solos, four assists, and one pass defended against the Colts, putting his top five upside on display. Start him everywhere you can, even over others with more name equity.
Josh Jones (S – SEA)
Josh Jones is set to get the first crack at starting duties with Jamal Adams lost for the season. He came on in relief of the injured Adams in Week 1 and recorded four solos and three assists. He should have a similar output for Week 2 but has the upside for more against what will be a short pass and ground-centric attack from the San Francisco 49ers. The former second round pick has always had IDP upside, but his limitations on the field led to him starting less than half of the games he has played in. Jones is safe to be leaned on as a DB3 option for now while we ascertain what sort of upside he has in the Seahawks scheme and if Seattle starts to trot someone else out there on obvious passing downs.
Nick Scott (S – LAR)
In case you missed it and wondered who Nick Scott is, Scott won the starting safety job over the likes of Jordan Fuller and Terrell Burgess. He had a solid Week 1 line with three solos, four assists, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. Head coach Sean McVay loves the hard-hitting safety, which means Fuller needs to stay glued to fantasy benches while Scott needs to be rostered and started as a DB3 option. We have yet to see Scott’s actual upside, but the fact that he won the job over Fuller and Burgess should be an endorsement of what he brings to the table. For this week, Scott has DB2 upside against an Atlanta Falcons team that simply gifted fantasy points to the position during Week 1.
Alex Highsmith (DE/LB – PIT)
Highsmith was already locked into a near every down role but will now be leaned on as the Pittsburgh Steelers primary threat off the edge. T.J. Watt‘s injury hurts his upside as Watt would see near constant double teams on the other side of the formation, making Highsmith’s job a lot easier. However, Highsmith is a talented pass rusher in his own right and should have a productive day against the New England Patriots. New England has allowed the second most fantasy points to outside linebackers this season and should offer up plenty of tackle opportunities via the run game. His LB-only designation on Yahoo complicates things, but six solos, three assists, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble are impossible to ignore. Start him as a borderline DL1 option on other providers while treating him as a borderline LB2 on Yahoo.
Sit em
Isaiah Simmons (LB/S – ARI)
Isaiah Simmons remains one of the most frustrating players in fantasy. Dripping with upside as a safety, the Cardinals instead stuck him at the less valuable off-ball linebacker spot for his first two seasons and now have him in the STAR role. The STAR role is one that Simmons is much more suited for as it more closely matches what he did in college and what he had success with last season. Simmons would be a weekly DB1 if he qualified there, but instead, we are forced to wait for Yahoo to update his role, something which may not happen since he wears the green dot and practices with the linebackers. As a linebacker, he is too inconsistent to trust as much more than a low-end LB2/high-end LB3 as opposed to a DB1, especially now that he will be spending more time in coverage. Keep Simmons benched if you are in need of an LB1 or if you have other LB2 options.
Arnold Ebiketie (DE – ATL)
Ebiketie appeared in our waiver wire column for Week 2, but that does not mean we should chase his stats and start him this week against the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, it is tempting given that Los Angeles gave up pressures all night to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, but the Bills, these Atlanta Falcons are not. Ebiketie is an intriguing roster stash in redraft and dynasty due to a perceived early path to heavy playing time, but that did not materialize in Week 1. Yes, he recorded a sack, but he managed just 43 percent of the snaps, making him a risky play at best as anything more than a DL4/5. Keep him stashed, but leave him on benches for Week 2 and beyond until he creeps closer to the 60 percent snap mark.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (DE/LB – TB)
Buccaneers defensive end Joe Tryon was a bit of a disappointment last week, managing just one solo despite playing 70 percent of the snaps. He flashed his potential last season, recording four sacks and 27 pressures in limited playing time, but if Week 1 is any indication, he could continue to be inconsistent this season, despite the increased snaps. Whatever the case, he remains talented enough to keep rostered as a bench stash, but fantasy managers will not want to be relying on him as anything more than an ocean-deep league DL4. He has the tools to become a star, but we will need to see him produce on a regular basis before he can be trusted as a DL3 or better.
Dante Fowler (DE – DAL)
Fowler played just 10 snaps during Week 1. He finished the game with goose eggs across the board and needs to be left on fantasy benches until he earns a more significant role. Fantasy managers may think that is coming in Week 2 with Tarrel Basham ruled out, but with DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorrance Armstrong locked in as starters, Micah Parsons taking edge snaps, and promising rookie Sam Williams still in the mix, Fowler should be left on benches for Week 2.
Darrick Forrest (S – WAS)
Darrick Forest started for the injured Kamren Curl last week and was excellent for the Commanders. He racked up four solos, one assist, one tackle for loss, one interception, two passes defended, and one forced fumble. His stat line is the type that can get anyone excited, but if he is back to reserve snaps in Week 2 as expected, he will carry minimal fantasy value. His breakout game makes him a deep league and dynasty league stash, but with Curl practicing, albeit on a limited basis, Forest’s upside is capped. Forest may see a larger role than usual if Curl is active but not fully healed, but Forest is going to be someone to leave on benches unless Curl is sidelined once again.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
