RADIO
Kaelon Black start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football picks for Week 2 of 2026. Should you start or sit Kaelon Black for fantasy football lineups in Week 2?
BALLER MOVE: Sit in most leagues
POSITIONAL VALUE: Low-end RB3
ANALYSIS:
So, that was a bit of a surprise.
Entering Week 1, there were hints that rookie Kaelon Black was second on San Francisco's running back depth chart, but that wasn't fully confirmed until Jordan James was a healthy scratch.
Black not only won the backup job, but he also had the same number of touches (15) as Christian McCaffrey, including outpacing the starter in carries (14 to 11). On a healthy 4.6 yards per carry, Black mustered 70 total yards against the Los Angeles Rams.
Kaelon Black is a breath of fresh air for Christian McCaffrey being able to take plays off and the offensive attack still not missing a beat 👏 pic.twitter.com/I53Miuf2tV
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) September 11, 2026
That's what we do know. What we don't know is what keeps Black from entering flex territory.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media after the Australia game that McCaffrey was dealing with cramps, and that's why Black handled double-digit touches. But they also want to manage CMC's touches, following his 400+ touch 2025 season. So, which is it? Or is it a combination of both?
Either way, McCaffrey will get the high-value touches: Receiving opportunities and goal-line plunges. Against a poor Miami run defense with a 13.5-point spread, Black may get at or near 10 carries again, but they'll be low-value carries.
Don't get me wrong, Black is one of my favorite waiver-wire names from opening weekend. He's vaulted to the top of the handcuff rankings. However, he may not be anything more than that. Let's see how the touches shake out in Week 2 before plugging the rookie into a starting lineup.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 2 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kaelon Black. But don't worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 2. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help you make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we'll tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 2 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players -- Kaelon Black. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 2.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 2 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 2 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 2 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 2 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kaelon Black compared to others:
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