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RotoBaller staff's fantasy football sleepers, avoids, and start 'em sit 'em picks for Week 2 of 2026. Expert lineup advice from Andrew Ball, Robert Lorge, and Thunder Dan Palyo.
It's time once again for our RotoBaller staff start-or-sit calls. Four of the industry's best analysts are here to break down potential sleepers and busts ahead of the remaining Week 2 games.
We do this every week! The goal is to give you the confidence that you need to make some tough calls, moving a player with a muddy projection in OR out of your starting lineup to get your optimal score for the week.
These fantasy football sleepers, avoids, and busts are from top RotoBaller contributors Andrew Ball, Rob Lorge, Brandon Murchison, and yours truly. Good luck in Week 2!
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Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleepers - Start 'Em Picks
Aaron Jones Sr., MIN at CHI (Murchison)
Jones just scored in a committee role and now inherits the entire Vikings backfield after Jordan Mason landed on IR with a broken thumb, so the veteran who already punched in a short-yardage TD should see a real bump in volume against a Bears defense that just let Chuba Hubbard find the end zone twice.
Chicago’s front hasn’t exactly been stout against the run, and this NFC North game has the look of another high-scoring affair where Jones can stay involved even if they fall behind. He’s still sitting on benches in a lot of leagues as the 31-year-old “committee guy,” which makes him one of those quiet RB2/flex upgrades you can sneak in before everyone else notices the workload just doubled.
Stefon Diggs, WAS at DAL (Ball)
Stefon Diggs wasn’t a full-time player in his Washington debut, but he was Jayden Daniels’ preferred option on his routes. The veteran had a 25.7% target-per-route run rate, totaling four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
If there’s one thing we learned from Week 1, it’s that the 2025 bottom-feeder Dallas Cowboys defense has not drastically improved. The Giants' coordinated attack limited the Cowboys to just two second-half offensive drives on Sunday night. Washington has a similar methodical approach, perfect for Diggs to eat up short-area targets.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WAS at DAL (Lorge)
Croskey-Merritt out-snapped Rachaad White and finished with 16 carries, operating as the clear lead back. White had a very slight edge in routes (14 to 13) and targets (2 to 1), but this was a strong showing from the second-year pro.
He finished with 12.1 half-PPR points and now gets the Dallas Cowboys, who couldn't stop the Giants at all, in what could be a high-scoring affair.
Kaelon Black, SF vs. MIA (Lorge)
Black handled 14 carries and finished with 65 yards in Week 1. He also caught his lone target for five yards, finishing with 7.5 half-PPR points.
The 49ers play the Dolphins in Week 2, a game that could very well be decided by halftime. In that scenario, fantasy managers would expect Christian McCaffrey to rest and the 49ers to run out the clock. Don't be surprised if he finishes with 100 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty.
Dontayvion Wicks, PHI vs. TEN (Murchison)
Wicks just flashed exactly why Philly paid up for him—two grabs, 73 yards and a score, highlighted by that 64-yard bomb that flipped the field—and now he draws a Titans secondary that already got beat deep four times by the Jets and ranked among the league’s worst in coverage coming into the year.
Tay Wicks made his first catch in Philly count! Seeshhhh pic.twitter.com/BoUVIullqB
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 13, 2026
He’s running almost every route as the de facto WR2 opposite DeVonta Smith while still sitting on waivers in many leagues, so if Hurts keeps taking those vertical shots, the efficiency could easily turn into another spike week. Volume will probably stay modest in a run-first offense, but the role plus the matchup makes him the kind of sleeper that can separate your lineup in a head-to-head matchup or in DFS contests.
Chuba Hubbard, CAR at ATL (Thunder Dan)
Chuba seems to still have a stranglehold on the RB1 job as he doubled up Jonathon Brooks in touches last week and scored two touchdowns - one rushing and one receiving.
I like him quite a bit in this matchup against the Falcons this week, especially with Hubbard's pass-catching role. The Panthers offensive line is still banged up, and I would rather roll with the back who has the passing game work locked up and the guy who found the end zone twice last week.
Jordan Addison, MIN at CHI (Lorge)
I know Addison laid a goose egg in Week 2, but with Carson Wentz under center and the Vikings squaring off against the Bears, he's very much on the menu in deeper leagues. Chicago gave up eight catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns to Jalen Coker. Tetairoa McMillan also had five catches and 75 yards.
Chicago's defense looks like Swiss cheese. Addison also averaged 13.4 half-PPR PPG in four games Wentz started last year.
Quentin Johnston, LAC vs. LV (Ball)
Quentin Johnston was the lone whiff of my picks last week (shoutout Jalen Coker!), but I’m going right back to him as a sleeper wide receiver.
Malik Willis only threw for 220 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, but completed five 20+ yard receptions. Two went to rookie third-round pick Caleb Douglas, who finished the game with 94 yards. The Las Vegas secondary getting beat downfield is a trend that dates back to the preseason.
The Chargers’ offense won’t stay down for long. Johnston is in a prime position to boom in this get-right game. If Ladd McConkey (ribs) misses the game, the downfield threat will have even more opportunities.
Week 2 Fantasy Football Avoids - Sit 'Em Picks
Tetairoa McMillan, CAR at ATL (Murchison)
McMillan just watched Jalen Coker steal the show with 138 yards and two scores while he managed five catches for 75 and a fumble in a 59-point shootout, and now he draws a Falcons secondary that already held Pittman and Metcalf in check last week.
He looked a step slower after the offseason bulk-up and couldn’t separate much until garbage time, which is a problem when Bryce Young already showed he’d rather feed Coker when it matters. The volume should still be there as the bigger-bodied option, but the efficiency and touchdown chances look a lot more muted in a divisional game that probably won’t turn into another track meet.
Rhamondre Stevenson, NE vs. PIT (Lorge)
New England's offense looked very disjointed in Week 1. Losing A.J. Brown won't help in that regard. Neither will playing a tough Pittsburgh defense. TreVeyon Henderson has returned to practice, a sign he might return this week.
If Henderson doesn't play, this is a tough matchup for an offense that is suddenly lacking any explosive playmakers. If Henderson does play, Stevenson's workload will be smaller. I won't be surprised if this is a low-scoring game where both offenses struggle.
Jeremiyah Love, ARI vs. SEA (Ball)
The Jeremiyah Love experience will take some time. We knew that to be true when he suffered a high-ankle sprain in the preseason.
Tyler Allgeier out-snapped Love 44 to 32 and had six more touches (19 to 13). An early-game touchdown bailed out Love managers. Seven PPR points would not have been the debut we’d hoped for after spending a third-round pick on the rookie.
Jeremiyah Love opens up his NFL career with a TD!
AZvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3gM3cEpY1g— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
While we watch Arizona ease Love back into game action, the matchup gets infinitely tougher. The Seahawks have allowed five ground scores to running backs in their last 18 regular-season games.
Rome Odunze, CHI vs. MIN (Lorge)
Odunze didn't seem to be 100% in Week 1 based on his snap share, which is cause for concern. Brian Flores and the Minnesota defense just gave Jordan Love fits in Week 1.
While Chicago's offensive line is far better suited to handle the pressure, don't be surprised if Chicago's offense struggles a bit. Given his health, the tough matchup, and the number of mouths that have to be fed in this offense, I won't be surprised if Odunze struggles again in Week 2.
De'Von Achane, MIA at SF (Murchison)
Achane just got 15 touches and still only managed 66 total yards with a 3.3 average on the ground because Miami fell behind early and the offensive line couldn’t create any lanes, and now he walks into a 49ers front that just stuffed the Rams and features Bosa and Warner ready to stack the box if they jump out ahead again.
The receiving work should keep his floor from completely collapsing, but this Dolphins offense with Willis and a bunch of rookies looks like it could easily get pushed around and turn into another pass-heavy, low-efficiency slog. You’re basically hoping for a couple of explosive plays that never showed up last week against a weaker defense, which is a risky way to treat a guy that many managers are hoping can achieve the RB1 status he was drafted for.
MarShawn Lloyd, Packers at Vikings (Thunder Dan)
Yeah, I am running back with another fade of Lloyd this week, as I featured him here in Week 1, too. Lloyd led the backfield in touches, but did very little with them as the Packers struggled to run the football as we thought they might.
The Jets defense should force the Packers to pass again this week. So without a touchdown, Lloyd could be on his way to another 40-50 yards rushing and an overall disappointing outing for fantasy teams.
DK Metcalf, PIT at NE (Ball)
DK Metcalf got 10 targets in Week 1?! He must’ve had a WR1 finish! Unfortunately, inefficiency is part of the Metcalf story. His six deepest targets fell incomplete, so he finished 4-for-40.
The targets are great, and the Mike McCarthy offense may be better for Metcalf in the long run. However, Metcalf will see plenty of New England All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who is boasting a 25% catch rate in the young season (53.6% in 2025), on Sunday.
