Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.
Let’s take a look at a few polarizing players and what fantasy football expert Derek Brown advises. And you can find all of DBro’s fantasy football outlook in this week’s fantasy football primer.
- Waiver Wire Picks
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice: Week 2
Here’s DBro’s start/sit advice for fantasy football Week 2.
Strong Starts
Dallas Goedert crushed Week 1 as the TE3 in fantasy. He tied for the team lead in target share (20%) and first-read share (23.5%) while producing 77 receiving yards (2.96 YPRR) and two touchdowns. Goedert had two red zone targets and a deep target. He should have another banner game in Week 2 against a pass defense that allowed the seventh-most yards per target and the fourth-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
In Week 1, Brenton Strange had a 13% target share, 23 receiving yards (1.64 YPRR), one red zone target (one score), and an 11.1% first-read share as he finished as the TE14 for the week. Last year, against this defense, Strange was the TE9 for the week. In that game, he had a 19.4% target share, 39 receiving yards, three red zone targets, a touchdown, and a 19% first-read share. I expect Trevor Lawrence to lean on Parker Washington and Strange again this week among his pass catchers. It won’t be an easy road to walk for Strange, though. Last year, Denver allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends while ranking 19th in yards per target to the position as well.
Last week, Isaiah Likely was the TE1 in fantasy, amassing 27.8 PPR points. He played only 50% of the snaps, but he had a 69.7% route share with a 27.6% target share, 78 receiving yards (3.39 yards per route run), and a 31.8% first-read share. Likely two touchdowns and four red zone targets. If he keeps producing like this, he will have been this year’s late-round tight end that everyone should have drafted (him or Dalton Kincaid). Likely has a tough on-paper matchup with the Rams this week. Last year, they allowed the third-fewest yards per target and the seventh-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends, but this year’s defense fell on their face in Week 1. I’ll take those last year numbers with a grain of salt at the moment. Even if this is a tough matchup, Likely is seeing top-shelf usage in this offense when he’s on the field. Usage and volume could easily outkick a possibly bad matchup this week.
In Week 1, Travis Kelce finished as the TE16 in fantasy. He was second on the team with an 18.5% target share and 25% first-read share. He finished with 71 receiving yards (2.96 YPRR), zero red zone targets, and zero deep targets. Most of Kelce’s production in Week 1 came on one long chunk gain. Kelce could return strong TE1 production in Week 2 against a pass defense that allowed the fourth-most yards per target and the 12th-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends last season.
Fantasy Football Streamers & Deep Plays to Consider
Dalton Schultz had a predictable down week to open the season against the Bills as the TE19. Schultz was second on the team with a 21.1% target share and an 18.2% first-read share. Schultz turned that usage into four receptions and 35 receiving yards (1.13 YPRR). He didn’t have any red zone, end zone, or deep targets in Week 1. Schultz could have a bounce-back performance in Week 2 against a defense that struggled last year to defend tight ends, giving up the third-most yards per target and the second-most fantasy points per opportunity to the position.
Last week was one of those standout performances that we have come to expect during various points of the season from Mike Gesicki. He was the TE4 for the week as he led the team with a 20% target share, five receptions, 78 receiving yards (4.59 YPRR), a 41% target-per-route run rate, two red zone targets (one score), a deep target, and a 22.2% first-read share (led the team). The big issue is that Gesicki also had a 45.9% route share, so all of this production is extremely volatile and could have been heavily game plan specific for Week 1. Working in Gesicki’s favor is that Dalton Kincaid ripped the Houston defense apart as the Texans allowed the highest yards per target and the fourth-most fantasy points per opportunity in Week 1 to tight ends. This is a continuation of giving up production to tight ends from 2025. Last year, in Weeks 12-18, Houston allowed the seventh-most receiving fantasy points per game and the 11th-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends. Gesicki is a viable tight end streaming option for Week 2.
Concerning Starts & Players to Fade
With more target competition around him this season, Harold Fannin Jr. took a step back in the target pecking order in Week 1. Fannin was fourth on the team with a 13.6% target share and 7.1% first-read share. He had only two receptions and 21 receiving yards (0.95 YPRR). Fannin also didn’t get any high cholesterol usage, as he didn’t have any red zone, end zone, or deep targets. Maybe he bounces back in Week 2, but all of this was a concern for me entering this season. This offense and the quarterback play aren’t good enough to support more than one, maybe two, receiving options weekly for fantasy. If Fannin is on the outside looking in weekly on that inner circle, it could be a long season for him. Last year, the Bucs allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends while ranking 15th in yards per target allowed to the position.
George Kittle was eased into the 2026 season in Week 1. He had only a 47.2% route share and 46.9% snap share. Kittle was heavily involved when on the field with a 29% target-per-route run rate, a 14.7% target share, and a 20% first-read share. He finished with one red zone target, 12 receiving yards, and 0.71 yards per route run. Until Kittle is seeing a more substantial route share, he’ll be a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option at the tight end position. He could return TE1 value in Week 2, but it’s risky starting him with the limited playing time. Last year, Miami allowed the ninth-most yards per target and the tenth-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
Kyle Pitts is a tough player to depend on in fantasy while Cooper Rush is making starts. In Week 1, he laid a goose egg, and his playing time was suspect. Pitts played only 63.2% of the snaps despite having a 76.9% route share. He had only a 4.5% target share and 7.1% first-read share. The matchup is nice for Pitts this week, but I don’t know how anyone has any sense of confidence plugging him into a lineup. Last year, Carolina allowed the second-most yards per target and the ninth-most fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
T.J. Hockenson had a surprising Week 1 as the TE9 for the week. Hockenson had a 16.7% target share, 36 receiving yards (1.71 YPRR), one red zone target, a score, and a 20% first-read share. We’ll see if that usage continues into Week 2. The matchup isn’t great for Hockenson this week. Last year, Chicago allowed the tenth-fewest yards per target and the ninth-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
In Week 1, Juwan Johnson was the TE7 in fantasy, finishing with a 10.7% target share, a 77.8% route share, three receptions, 54 receiving yards (1.10 YPRR), and a 14.6% first-read share (third on the team). Johnson saw one deep target and led the team with three red zone targets. Johnson will walk a tougher road in Week 2 to TE1 production against a pass defense that last year allowed the 11th-fewest yards per target and the third-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
In Week 1, Mark Andrews was the TE20 in fantasy as he had a 70% route share and 71.9% snap rate. Andrews had a 24% target share, 49 receiving yards (2.33 YPRR), a 26.3% first-read share, and one red zone target. He could flirt with TE1 value in Week 2 with that continued type of usage, but it won’t be easy. Last year, New Orleans allowed the 12th-fewest yards per target and fantasy points per opportunity to tight ends.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, 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, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
