TNF Start/Sit Chart - Week 2 Fantasy Football Matchups for Thursday Night Football

September 16, 2026

Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Lions, Bills. Week 2 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and more.

Week 2 of the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night when the Buffalo Bills open up their new stadium against the Detroit Lions. With many fantasy stars suiting up in this game, it's crucial to set your optimal lineup. Below, you will find our matchup ratings for all Lions and Bills players for this Thursday night tilt.

In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Josh Allen, DJ Moore, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, Dalton Kincaid, and more. Which Lions and Bills players should you start or sit in Week 2?

Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 2, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 2, RotoBallers!

Detroit Lions Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Player	Start/Sit	Matchup Rating ▾	Pos.	Team	Game Matchup
Amon-Ra St. Brown	Start	118.8	WR	DET	@ BUF
Jahmyr Gibbs	Start	117.6	RB	DET	@ BUF
Jared Goff	Start	113.4	QB	DET	@ BUF
Jameson Williams	Start	109.6	WR	DET	@ BUF
Sam LaPorta	Start	107.2	TE	DET	@ BUF
Isaac TeSlaa	Sit	98.2	WR	DET	@ BUF
Brock Wright	Sit	97.8	TE	DET	@ BUF
Tyler Conklin	Sit	96.1	TE	DET	@ BUF
Jake Bates	Sit	95.6	K	DET	@ BUF
Tay Martin	Sit	95.2	WR	DET	@ BUF
Jacob Saylors	Sit	95.1	RB	DET	@ BUF
Tom Kennedy	Sit	94.7	WR	DET	@ BUF
Sione Vaki	Sit	94.4	RB	DET	@ BUF
Jackson Meeks	Sit	91.3	TE	DET	@ BUF
Joshua Dobbs	Sit	90.2	QB	DET	@ BUF
Detroit Lions	Sit	84.7	DEF	DET	@ BUF

Jameson Williams, WR, Lions

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams caught only four of his nine targets for 45 yards in the Week 1 season-opening win in overtime over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, adding three dropped passes. One of Williams' drops likely would have gone for a long touchdown against New Orleans. The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett reports that head coach Dan Campbell said he is not concerned about Williams' drops to begin the 2026 season.

The good news is that Williams led the Lions with 128 air yards and was second with a 23% target share, running a route on 37 of the team's 40 dropbacks during the game. The 25-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 from Alabama does have a tendency to drop passes, but he is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Detroit with 14 combined touchdowns in 2024 and 2025 during the regular season.

In a game that could easily turn into a shootout on Thursday night to kick off Week 2 action, Williams should be locked into all starting fantasy lineups as he looks for his first touchdown of the year.

Jared Goff, QB, Lions

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff did not have his most efficient day in his team's Week 1 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints, completing 26 of 39 pass attempts for 206 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. However, Goff remains at the helm of a Lions offense that has multiple dangerous pass-catchers in wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, as well as tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Fantasy managers may also have reason to believe that Goff and the Lions will be in lots of pass-heavy game scripts going forward. Detroit's defense remains without both starting safeties and allowed Saints quarterback Tyler Shough to throw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1.

As long as Goff continues to throw 35-plus pass attempts per game, he should be in position to produce for fantasy managers. Facing the Bills in a high-scoring projected contest, he holds solid QB1 upside on Thursday night.

Buffalo Bills Start/Sit Matchups

See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections

Player	Start/Sit	Matchup Rating ▾	Pos.	Team	Game Matchup
James Cook III	Start	115.8	RB	BUF	vs DET
DJ Moore	Start	109.9	WR	BUF	vs DET
Josh Allen	Start	109.6	QB	BUF	vs DET
Dalton Kincaid	Start	105.4	TE	BUF	vs DET
Tyler Bass	Start	104.9	K	BUF	vs DET
Khalil Shakir	Risky Start	103.8	WR	BUF	vs DET
Dawson Knox	Sit	101.8	TE	BUF	vs DET
Joshua Palmer	Sit	101.2	WR	BUF	vs DET
Ty Johnson	Sit	101	RB	BUF	vs DET
Keon Coleman	Sit	99.9	WR	BUF	vs DET
Ray Davis	Sit	99.6	RB	BUF	vs DET
Jackson Hawes	Sit	97.5	TE	BUF	vs DET
Keleki Latu	Sit	96.1	TE	BUF	vs DET
Kyle Allen	Sit	91.3	QB	BUF	vs DET
Buffalo Bills	Sit	91.2	DEF	BUF	vs DET

Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills

In what turned into a surprising shootout, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught four of five targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 36-31 win over the Texans, and he appears to have held onto a usable complementary role in what should remain one of the league's highest-scoring offenses. Shakir has led the Bills in targets, receptions, and yards in each of the past two seasons, but he topped 100 receiving yards only three times in that span, something both DJ Moore and tight end Dalton Kincaid were able to accomplish in Week 1.

While Shakir's target volume is certain to drop as the potential third receiving option, he could benefit from more room to work with the ball in his hands, and he still belongs on rosters outside of the shallowest leagues. He is worth viewing as a risky FLEX option in deeper three-WR formats, despite the potential for Thursday's game to be high-scoring.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills

Multiple people with the Buffalo Bills told ESPN's Dan Graziano that tight end Dalton Kincaid is healthier than he was this time last year and is not on any snap-count restrictions. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Kincaid is "looking more slippery now that he's healthy." Buffalo wants to put multiple tight ends on the field at the same time, and the trio of Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes "could be a formidable one."

The Bills are happy with the improvements that Kincaid has shown as a blocker, but he will continue to make his biggest contributions as a pass-catcher down the field and should have more of an impact when the team has multiple TEs in the formation.

The 26-year-old former first-rounder from Utah in 2023 battled knee issues in each of the last two seasons, but now that he is fully healthy, he has clear TE1 potential for fantasy managers in a Bills offense that is one of the highest-scoring units in the league. Start him with confidence in Week 2 on Thursday night in what should be a high-scoring affair against the Detroit Lions.