Welcome to The Fantasy Football Universe Week 2 Fantasy Football Matchup Guide. This column will not tell you specifically who you should start or sit with, rather it will show you which players have the best and worst matchups from there. This isn’t meant to convince you to sit your studs in favor of streaming options it’s intended to help you determine which lower-ranked players could be streaming options best on a favorable matchup and which studs could be in for a down week based on a bad matchup.
*The information above the player photo is that player’s last name and their opponent’s rank against that position. 1 indicates the best matchup, while 32 indicates the worst matchup. The information above the player photo is their opponent and how many points per game they are allowing to that position on average.*
Quarterback Matchups
Must Start: The matchups don’t get any easier for Matthew Stafford. A week after putting up decent numbers against a solid Lions squad, he will face a Cardinals defense that allows the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. The duo of Stafford and Cooper Kupp are going to be week-winners in Week 2. Look for them to have their best production of the season.
Must Sit: Aaron Rodgers looked rusty but playable in Week 1 against an elite 49ers defense. Well, the matchup gets better this week, but not by much. In Week 2 he faces the Tennessee Titans who allow the second least fantasy points per game to the quarterback position. It’s going to be a rough start to the 2024 season for Rodgers as he faces the two worst matchups for quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks. Sit Rodgers wherever you can in this one.
Running Back Matchups
Must Start: JK Dobbins showed signs of being his old, pre-injury self with a massive performance in Week 1. In Week 2, he is rewarded for his troubles with a matchup against the Carolina Panthers who are the second easiest matchup for opposing running backs and are allowing 32.2 fantasy points per game to the position. Look for a second straight week of Dobbins being a borderline RB1 against a juicy matchup.
Must Sit: D’Andre Swift proved to be the starting running back in a Chicago Bears backfield committee, but even that didn’t add up to much production in Week 1. His Week 2 opponent, the Houston Texans, is the fifth-worst matchup for running backs and is sure to make life difficult for Swift. The Bears are likely to be playing from behind in this one and against a high-scoring Texans offense, a rushing game may be a luxury they don’t have.
Wide Receiver Matchups
Must Start: It was not a great debut by Kirk Cousins in Week 1 for Atlanta. The entire offense looked disjointed and struggled to connect. In Week 2, they look to get things back on track against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that allows the third most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers. Look for Cousins and his offensive weapons to get on the same page this week and produce against a secondary that hoped to be improved, but was just as bad in Week 1 as they were last season.
Must Sit: Courtland Sutton was a WR3 of flex play at best, so when he faces an undesirable matchup, he is a must-sit for sure. This week he goes up against the Pittsburgh Steelers who are currently the third-worst matchup for receivers and are allowing only 11.7 fantasy points per game to the position. The Broncos offense is a mess in the best of matchups, so when they face a defense as good as Pittsburgh, it’s best to steer clear of all pieces of this offense.
Tight End Matchups
Must Start: Another player to target against this abysmal Carolina Panthers defense. Hayden Hurst is that player this week against the best matchup for opposing tight ends. The Panthers allowed 26 fantasy points to the New Orleans Saints collection of misfit tight ends in Week 1 and are all but certain to allow another favorable output to Hurst in Week 2. He may not be an exciting name in the tight-end pool but he is a worthwhile streamer this week if you are desperate at the position.
Must Sit: For the second week in a row, Cole Kmet is my tight-end sit. He had a horrible matchup in Week 1 and an even worse matchup this week. The Houston Texans didn’t allow a point to the tight ends of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and are a terrible matchup. Sit Kmet for yet another matchup as the combination of matchup and too many mouths to feed is sure to leave him with disappointing production. This is why I advised managers to avoid Kmet during draft season, you likely won’t have many weeks in which he is a favorable start.
If you enjoyed our Week 1 Fantasy Football Matchup Guide, check out our weekly Sit & Start column to see all the players we are targeting and fading this week, and check out The FFU YouTube Channel for all of our daily content.
