Let’s take a look at some of the players with the largest standard deviation between high and low expert ranks in FantasyPros ECR. Which players are the safest starts, and who poses the biggest risk to your fantasy lineup in Week 2? Here’s a look at some fantasy football start/sit advice for your Week 2 lineups.
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Week 2 Risky Fantasy Football Starts
Dak Prescott (QB – DAL) vs. New York Giants
- Highest Rank: QB8
- Lowest Rank: QB24
Dak Prescott’s Week 1 box score was ugly — 21 completions on 34 attempts for just 188 yards and zero touchdowns. Despite the terrible statistical day, Prescott actually looked very sharp. A tough defensive matchup against Philadelphia and an incredibly unreliable receiving corps were the big issues. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), CeeDee Lamb had a drop rate of 36.4% and George Pickens appeared rather disengaged (per usual). Lamb had the most drops of any receiver in Week 1, and multiple drops were truly egregious and ill-timed. The performance was atypical for Lamb.
The massive gap in Prescott’s expert ranking is understandable. A QB29 finish was not just underwhelming; it was highly concerning. However, this week’s matchup against the Giants is the perfect bounce-back opportunity for Prescott and the Dallas receivers.
My Projected Finish: QB12
Kenneth Walker (RB – SEA) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Highest Rank: RB21
- Lowest Rank: RB37
Fantasy managers — myself included — were excited to see Kenneth Walker in Seattle’s new offensive scheme that should’ve been a perfect match for Walker’s skillset. Instead, we were met with a shockingly bad performance of just 10 attempts for 20 yards and three receptions for four yards. Bad days happen. However, when those bad days are accompanied by your backup running back outsnapping you and outperforming you, it’s time to panic.
Zach Charbonnet had 12 attempts for 47 yards and one touchdown against a solid 49ers defense. Walker missed all of preseason dealing with a vague foot soreness, so it’s possible he was being eased back in or dealing with the residual effects of that injury. This week, he’s a high-risk player, but still in the low-end running back/Flex range and worthy of a start. However, one more week could flip our view entirely.
My Projected Finish: RB24
Keon Coleman (WR – BUF) vs. New York Jets
- Highest Rank: WR12
- Lowest Rank: WR55
A massive gap of WR12 to WR55 in rankings tells a very clear story with Keon Coleman. Experts either believe he’s ascended to true elite greatness and the Bills have finally found their true No. 1 WR, or Week 1 was a random blip in the matrix that won’t repeat. The latter is understandable. We’ve never seen that level of production from Coleman.
Second-year leaps are real. However, eight receptions on 11 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown for a player who averaged just over two receptions per game? That’s more than a leap. The volume wasn’t exclusive to Coleman. Khalil Shakir and Josh Palmer both had nine targets. Josh Allen threw 46 passes — more than any game in 2024. Coleman remains a Flex play, but be aware — his volume should come down.
My Projected Finish: WR42
More Risky Starts
Week 2 Safe Fantasy Football Starts
Tyler Warren (TE – IND) vs. Denver Broncos
- Highest Rank: TE2
- Lowest Rank: TE9
We’ve been burned in recent years with overdrafting rookie tight ends, but Tyler Warren showed exactly why he was the primary target for fantasy managers fading early tight ends in drafts. The theory with Warren was simple. The Colts have no true No. 1 WR, and Warren could establish himself as the first-look option in the Colts’ passing game.
Warren had seven receptions on nine targets to lead the Colts in Week 1. Michael Pittman had an excellent day as well, and this could shape up very similarly to the 2024 Raiders with Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. It’s early, but Warren absolutely established himself as one of the safest starts at tight end, especially in a matchup against Denver, where the receivers should see the tougher coverage.
My Projected Finish: TE4
Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB) vs. Houston Texans
- Highest Rank: WR6
- Lowest Rank: WR32
Emeka Egbuka’s transition from a Week 1 risky start to a Week 2 must-start is impressive, but outperforming Mike Evans will do that for you. Egbuka caught four of his six targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns, plus he had one carry for nine yards.
Fantasy managers should note that Evans did have five receptions on eight targets, and his underwhelming production could easily be the result of facing the tougher matchup of AJ Terrell. However, Egbuka made a clear statement that he simply isn’t a player we can afford to sit. This Week’s matchup against Houston involves one of the league’s top corners in Derek Stingley Jr., and Evans will likely see the bulk of Stingley, presenting another excellent opportunity for Egbuka.
My Projected Finish: WR18
Rome Odunze (WR – CHI) vs. Detroit Lions
- Highest Rank: WR25
- Lowest Rank: WR39
I wanted to highlight Rome Odzune as a safe start to emphasize the sentiment of this article and the juxtaposition of Odunze versus Keon Coleman — two second-year receivers with breakout performances in Week 1, one now “safe” and the other “risky.” In 2024, Coleman struggled to assert himself as the No. 1 WR in a low-pass offense that operated on efficiency, while Odunze was stuck in a crowded receiving corps with a rookie quarterback who struggled with consistency.
Odunze was widely viewed as a can’t-miss prospect and everyone’s favorite candidate to be the 2025 version of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Week 1 is simply confirmation. However, Coleman was a controversial pick with higher bust potential. Odunze outsnapped, outtargeted and outperformed DJ Moore. His expert rankings show that while there’s still some uncertainty around his true upside, he’s a very safe Flex option.
My Projected Finish: WR30
More Safe Starts
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