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Should I start Calvin Austin III, Rashid Shaheed, Josh Downs for Week 2? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Just like that, we're heading into the second week of the 2025 NFL season. Now, fantasy managers need to nail those tough start/sit decisions if they want to have a chance at winning their leagues this year.
Luckily for you, RotoBaller is here to help. Today, we will cover Calvin Austin III, Rashid Shaheed, and Josh Downs. Austin had an awesome Week 1 performance, Shaheed was fine in PPR leagues, while Downs only had 12 receiving yards. These three are all looking to have big games to build momentum for the rest of the season.
Without further ado, let's look at my fantasy outlook for each player and determine whether they're worth starting in Week 2 of the 2025 season.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Should I Start Calvin Austin III in Week 2?
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Austin missed his rookie season due to injury and didn't show much in 2023, but things finally started clicking for him late in 2024, as he finished as the WR35 in PPR formats from Week 12 to Week 16.
Aaron Rodgers back shoulder throw to Calvin Austin
PITvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/z7EE8u5B1m
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
Austin had a breakout performance in Week 1 of the 2025 season, catching four out of his six targets for 70 yards and a score. Austin is now firmly in position to be Pittsburgh's WR2 for the foreseeable future and is looking for another big game in Week 2.
Austin will face the Seahawks this week, a team that gave up the 12th-most PPR fantasy points to wideouts last year (33.6 per game). Ricky Pearsall and Christian McCaffrey combined for 181 yards against them last week, while George Kittle was on his way to having a big game before going down with an injury.
The only concern here is Aaron Rodgers' performance against Seattle last season, as he only managed to throw for 185 passing yards.
Should I Start Rashid Shaheed in Week 2?
Shaheed became a Pro Bowler in 2023 and had an electric start to the 2024 season, as he was the WR17 in PPR formats through the first five weeks before getting hurt. However, the Saints have changed a lot since Shaheed's injury, with the biggest change being Derek Carr's retirement.
Week 1 Avg Time To Throw + ADOT pic.twitter.com/Pe4DraXzdA
— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) September 9, 2025
Without Carr, Spencer Rattler is the QB1, and Kellen Moore is now at the helm. In Week 1, Moore's game plan revolved around Rattler making short and quick throws (see the tweet above), which isn't a bad strategy for a team surrounded by below-average players.
However, this game plan tanks the fantasy values of star wideouts such as Shaheed, whose only saving grace in PPR leagues was catching six out of his nine targets.
The 49ers allowed 30.6 PPR fantasy points to WRs last year (mainly because they allowed a ton of fantasy points to RBs), so expect much of the same in Week 2.
Should I Start Josh Downs in Week 2?
Tyler Warren is the real deal. He helped Daniel Jones have his best game in years, and he looks like an early contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. This isn't good news for Downs, who put up 1,574 yards and seven TDs in his first two seasons in Indianapolis.
Josh Downs with a 4th down conversion #Colts#ForTheShoe#Dolphins#MIAvsIND pic.twitter.com/hXvp8ddvdC
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) September 7, 2025
The Colts were on fire in Week 1 against a hapless Dolphins side, but Downs could only muster up two catches for 12 yards. It seems like Downs' recent hamstring injury hasn't fully recovered, but even if fully healthy, beating out Warren, Alec Pierce, and Michael Pittman Jr. won't be easy.
The Denver Broncos are a tough matchup, as they only allowed 172 passing yards to the Colts last year. If Pittman Jr. gets locked up by Patrick Surtain II, Downs could receive a few more targets.
Verdict: Start Austin
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