Week 2

• Tweet

• Tweet

One week is in the books now, and thanks to my newly installed internet connection, I’m back doing the write ups for the Cafe’s Start and Sit! I’d like to thank Scott for the great job he did last week with the writing, and of course the great job he’s done each week setting up the rankings. Anyway, on to the games! Last week saw huge scores and big stats put up across the board, making for some interesting fantasy games. Donovan McNabb, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo were the big scorers at quarterback. Runningback Michael Turner made a great first impression in Atlanta, rushing for 220 yards. Rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal had a similarly good start in a Bronco uniform, catching nine passes for 146 yards in his debut. This week we will get to see if Matt Cassel can hold his own in place of Tom Brady – and against Brett Favre and the division rival Jets no less! The Cowboys and Eagles is always a great game as well – Will either defense be able to slow down the other team’s Pro Bowl quarterback? For answers to these questions and all your other lineup queries, the Week 2 Start & Sit is here!

Our rankings system is based on two sets of rankings. The first set is a value between 1-20 given based on a player’s Fantasy Value If Healthy (FVIH). The second set is that player’s Playing Probability (PP). These two sets are thrown into a giant machine, twisted around a little, mixed up, sorted, resorted, then eventually darts are thrown at the results. If you require any further help, our start/sit forum is top notch. You will find quick replies to your questions there and many people eager to help. Kilroyz Krystal Ball has also proven to be a great help. He devotes a lot of time to helping with Start/Sit questions and is highly knowledgeable.

Quarterbacks	Team	Opp.	FVIH	PP	Ranking
Peyton Manning	IND	at MIN	19.00	100%	19.00
Tony Romo	DAL	PHI	18.00	100%	18.00
Drew Brees	NO	at WAS	17.50	100%	17.50
Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	at CLE	17.50	100%	17.50
Eli Manning	NYG	at STL	16.50	100%	16.50
Carson Palmer	CIN	TEN	16.00	100%	16.00
Kurt Warner	ARI	MIA	15.50	100%	15.50
Jay Cutler	DEN	SD	15.50	100%	15.50
Aaron Rodgers	GB	at DET	15.50	100%	15.50
Donovan McNabb	PHI	at DAL	15.00	100%	15.00
Brett Favre	NYJ	NE	14.50	100%	14.50
Matt Hasselbeck	SEA	SF	13.50	100%	13.50
Derek Anderson	CLE	PIT	13.50	100%	13.50
Matt Schaub	HOU	BAL	13.00	100%	13.00
Matt Cassel	NE	at NYJ	13.00	100%	13.00
Jon Kitna	DET	GB	12.50	100%	12.50
David Garrard	JAX	at BUF	12.00	100%	12.00
Jake Delhomme	CAR	CHI	12.00	100%	12.00
Philip Rivers	SD	at DEN	12.00	100%	12.00
Jason Campbell	WAS	NO	11.00	100%	11.00
Matt Ryan	ATL	at TB	11.00	100%	11.00
Marc Bulger	STL	NYG	10.50	100%	10.50
J.T. O’Sullivan	SF	at SEA	10.00	100%	10.00
Chad Pennington	MIA	at ARI	10.00	100%	10.00
Joe Flacco	BAL	at HOU	9.50	100%	9.50
Kyle Orton	CHI	at CAR	9.50	100%	9.50
Trent Edwards	BUF	at JAX	9.00	100%	9.00
JaMarcus Russell	OAK	at KC	8.00	100%	8.00
Tarvaris Jackson	MIN	IND	7.50	100%	7.50
Jeff Garcia	TB	ATL	13.00	45%	5.85
Matt Leinart	ARI	MIA	11.00	20%	2.20
Gus Frerotte	MIN	IND	5.00	10%	0.50
Brodie Croyle	KC	OAK	9.00	5%	0.45

Start:
Aaron Rodgers (Rank: 15.5): No one knew for sure how Rodgers would react to his new role as starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, but he certainly passed his first test. He managed the offense well, throwing 18 completions in 22 attempts, good for a 81.8% completion rate. He also threw one touchdown pass while running for another a second. He should be a good start this week against a Detroit defense that got worked by Atlanta for 34 points in Week 1.

Sit:
David Garrard (Rank: 12.0): Garrard had a mediocre game last week, but it’s hard to blame that all on him. He doesn’t have the best talent or the most experience at wide receiver. Jacksonville’s receivers and offensive linemen have also been decimated by injuries. I’m not saying to give up on Garrard for the season, but this week at Buffalo would not be the best time to start him.

Running Backs	Team	Opp.	FVIH	PP	Ranking
Adrian Peterson	MIN	IND	20.00	100%	20.00
Marion Barber	DAL	PHI	18.00	100%	18.00
Brian Westbrook	PHI	at DAL	17.50	100%	17.50
LaDainian Tomlinson	SD	at DEN	18.00	95%	17.10
Frank Gore	SF	at SEA	17.00	100%	17.00
Willie Parker	PIT	at CLE	16.50	100%	16.50
Clinton Portis	WAS	NO	16.00	100%	16.00
Brandon Jacobs	NYG	at STL	16.00	100%	16.00
Steven Jackson	STL	NYG	15.00	100%	15.00
Chris Johnson	TEN	at CIN	15.00	100%	15.00
Michael Turner	ATL	at TB	14.50	100%	14.50
Ryan Grant	GB	at DET	14.50	100%	14.50
Joseph Addai	IND	at MIN	14.00	100%	14.00
Marshawn Lynch	BUF	at JAX	14.00	100%	14.00
Earnest Graham	TB	ATL	14.00	100%	14.00
Reggie Bush	NO	at WAS	14.00	100%	14.00
Edgerrin James	ARI	MIA	13.50	100%	13.50
Matt Forte	CHI	at CAR	13.50	100%	13.50
Larry Johnson	KC	OAK	13.00	100%	13.00
Thomas Jones	NYJ	NE	12.50	100%	12.50
Laurence Maroney	NE	at NYJ	12.50	100%	12.50
Maurice Jones-Drew	JAX	at BUF	12.00	100%	12.00
Darren McFadden	OAK	at KC	12.50	95%	11.88
Kevin Smith	DET	GB	11.00	100%	11.00
Ray Rice	BAL	at HOU	11.00	100%	11.00
Ronnie Brown	MIA	at ARI	11.00	100%	11.00
Selvin Young	DEN	SD	10.50	100%	10.50
Justin Fargas	OAK	at KC	10.50	100%	10.50
Jamal Lewis	CLE	PIT	10.50	100%	10.50
Ricky Williams	MIA	at ARI	10.00	100%	10.00
Fred Taylor	JAX	at BUF	10.00	100%	10.00
LenDale White	TEN	at CIN	10.00	100%	10.00
DeAngelo Williams	CAR	CHI	9.50	100%	9.50
Jonathan Stewart	CAR	CHI	9.50	100%	9.50
Sammy Morris	NE	at NYJ	9.00	100%	9.00
Julius Jones	SEA	SF	9.00	100%	9.00
Chris Perry	CIN	TEN	8.50	100%	8.50
Felix Jones	DAL	PHI	8.00	100%	8.00
Steve Slaton	HOU	BAL	8.00	100%	8.00
Tim Hightower	ARI	MIA	7.50	100%	7.50
Chester Taylor	MIN	IND	7.00	100%	7.00
Andre Hall	DEN	SD	7.00	100%	7.00
Derrick Ward	NYG	at STL	6.50	100%	6.50
Rashard Mendenhall	PIT	at CLE	6.00	100%	6.00
Kevin Jones	CHI	at CAR	6.00	100%	6.00
Leon Washington	NYJ	NE	5.50	100%	5.50
Brandon Jackson	GB	at DET	5.50	100%	5.50
Willis McGahee	BAL	at HOU	11.00	50%	5.50
Jerious Norwood	ATL	at TB	5.00	100%	5.00
Warrick Dunn	TB	ATL	5.00	100%	5.00
Ladell Betts	WAS	NO	5.00	100%	5.00
Chris Taylor	HOU	BAL	4.50	100%	4.50
Kenny Watson	CIN	TEN	4.00	100%	4.00
Ahmad Bradshaw	NYG	at STL	4.00	100%	4.00
Pierre Thomas	NO	at WAS	4.00	100%	4.00
Dominic Rhodes	IND	at MIN	3.00	100%	3.00
Michael Bush	OAK	at KC	3.00	100%	3.00
Fred Jackson	BUF	at JAX	2.50	100%	2.50
Jamaal Charles	KC	OAK	2.50	100%	2.50
Ahman Green	HOU	BAL	6.00	40%	2.40
LaMont Jordan	NE	at NYJ	3.00	75%	2.25
Kolby Smith	KC	OAK	2.00	100%	2.00
Deuce McAllister	NO	at WAS	6.50	30%	1.95
Maurice Morris	SEA	SF	7.50	0%	0.00

Start:
Chris Johnson (Rank: 15.0): The Titans’ rookie runningback generated hype all offseason, and he proved to be worthy of it last weekend, gaining 93 yards on the ground, while adding another 34 yards and a touchdown through the air. He will have another chance to put up good numbers this week against a Bengal defense that has trouble stopping the run.

Sit:
Jamal Lewis (Rank: 10.5): Jamal Lewis seems to be in good enough health to continue his Cleveland resurgence, but he just does not have the best matchup this week. The Steelers are never an easy team to run against. Casey Hampton anchors that big 3-4 defensive line, and their linebackers swarm to the ball.

Wide Receivers	Team	Opp.	FVIH	PP	Ranking
Reggie Wayne	IND	at MIN	19.50	100%	19.50
Terrell Owens	DAL	PHI	19.50	100%	19.50
Plaxico Burress	NYG	at STL	19.50	100%	19.50
Randy Moss	NE	at NYJ	18.00	100%	18.00
Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	MIA	18.00	100%	18.00
Andre Johnson	HOU	BAL	16.00	100%	16.00
Calvin Johnson	DET	GB	16.00	100%	16.00
Santonio Holmes	PIT	at CLE	15.50	100%	15.50
Braylon Edwards	CLE	PIT	15.50	100%	15.50
Anquan Boldin	ARI	MIA	15.00	100%	15.00
Marvin Harrison	IND	at MIN	15.00	100%	15.00
T.J. Houshmandzadeh	CIN	TEN	14.50	100%	14.50
Hines Ward	PIT	at CLE	14.50	100%	14.50
Greg Jennings	GB	at DET	14.50	100%	14.50
Brandon Marshall	DEN	SD	14.50	100%	14.50
Jerricho Cotchery	NYJ	NE	14.00	100%	14.00
Donald Driver	GB	at DET	14.00	100%	14.00
Eddie Royal	DEN	SD	14.00	100%	14.00
DeSean Jackson	PHI	at DAL	13.00	100%	13.00
Chad Johnson	CIN	TEN	12.50	100%	12.50
Wes Welker	NE	at NYJ	12.00	100%	12.00
Roy Williams	DET	GB	12.00	100%	12.00
Roddy White	ATL	at TB	12.00	100%	12.00
Joey Galloway	TB	ATL	11.50	100%	11.50
Chris Chambers	SD	at DEN	11.50	100%	11.50
Dwayne Bowe	KC	OAK	11.00	100%	11.00
David Patten	NO	at WAS	11.00	100%	11.00
Courtney Taylor	SEA	SF	11.00	100%	11.00
Laveranues Coles	NYJ	NE	11.50	95%	10.93
Torry Holt	STL	NYG	10.50	100%	10.50
Sidney Rice	MIN	IND	10.50	100%	10.50
Patrick Crayton	DAL	PHI	10.00	100%	10.00
Lee Evans	BUF	at JAX	10.00	100%	10.00
Ted Ginn Jr.	MIA	at ARI	9.50	100%	9.50
Derrick Mason	BAL	at HOU	9.50	100%	9.50
Vincent Jackson	SD	at DEN	9.50	100%	9.50
Anthony Gonzalez	IND	at MIN	9.50	100%	9.50
Bryant Johnson	SF	at SEA	9.50	100%	9.50
Reggie Williams	JAX	at BUF	9.00	100%	9.00
Michael Jenkins	ATL	at TB	9.00	100%	9.00
Devery Henderson	NO	at WAS	9.00	100%	9.00
Ronald Curry	OAK	at KC	8.50	100%	8.50
Santana Moss	WAS	NO	8.50	100%	8.50
Matt Jones	JAX	at BUF	8.50	100%	8.50
Bernard Berrian	MIN	IND	7.50	100%	7.50
Devin Hester	CHI	at CAR	7.50	100%	7.50
Josh Morgan	SF	at SEA	7.50	100%	7.50
Muhsin Muhammad	CAR	CHI	7.50	100%	7.50
Steve Smith	NYG	at STL	7.50	100%	7.50
Brandon Stokley	DEN	SD	7.50	100%	7.50
Isaac Bruce	SF	at SEA	7.00	100%	7.00
Justin Gage	TEN	at CIN	6.50	100%	6.50
Antonio Bryant	TB	ATL	6.50	100%	6.50
Kevin Walter	HOU	BAL	6.00	100%	6.00
Mark Clayton	BAL	at HOU	6.00	100%	6.00
D.J. Hackett	CAR	CHI	6.00	100%	6.00
Javon Walker	OAK	at KC	7.50	75%	5.63
Jabar Gaffney	NE	at NYJ	5.50	100%	5.50
Drew Bennett	STL	NYG	5.50	100%	5.50
Darrell Jackson	DEN	SD	5.50	100%	5.50
Michael Clayton	TB	ATL	5.00	100%	5.00
Antwaan Randle El	WAS	NO	5.00	100%	5.00
Reggie Brown	PHI	at DAL	8.00	60%	4.80
Shaun McDonald	DET	GB	4.50	100%	4.50
Robert Meachem	NO	at WAS	4.50	100%	4.50
Josh Reed	BUF	at JAX	4.00	100%	4.00
Brandon Lloyd	CHI	at CAR	4.00	100%	4.00
James Hardy	BUF	at JAX	4.00	100%	4.00
Donte’ Stallworth	CLE	PIT	8.50	45%	3.83
Malcolm Kelly	WAS	NO	4.00	90%	3.60
Justin McCareins	TEN	at CIN	3.50	100%	3.50
Ernest Wilford	MIA	at ARI	3.50	100%	3.50
Devin Thomas	WAS	NO	3.50	100%	3.50
Dwayne Jarrett	CAR	CHI	3.50	100%	3.50
Steve Breaston	ARI	MIA	3.50	100%	3.50
Bobby Wade	MIN	IND	3.00	100%	3.00
Troy Williamson	JAX	at BUF	3.00	100%	3.00
Jerry Porter	JAX	at BUF	3.00	100%	3.00
Roscoe Parrish	BUF	at JAX	3.00	100%	3.00
Donnie Avery	STL	NYG	3.00	85%	2.55
Rashied Davis	CHI	at CAR	2.50	100%	2.50
Derek Hagan	MIA	at ARI	2.00	100%	2.00
Laurent Robinson	ATL	at TB	2.00	100%	2.00
Devard Darling	KC	OAK	2.00	100%	2.00
Mark Bradley	CHI	at CAR	2.00	100%	2.00
Demetrius Williams	BAL	at HOU	1.50	100%	1.50
Marty Booker	CHI	at CAR	1.50	100%	1.50
Jerheme Urban	ARI	MIA	1.50	100%	1.50
Mike Furrey	DET	GB	1.00	100%	1.00
Dennis Northcutt	JAX	at BUF	1.00	100%	1.00
Marques Colston	NO	at WAS	16.50	0%	0.00
Kevin Curtis	PHI	at DAL	4.50	0%	0.00
Ben Obomanu	SEA	SF	1.00	0%	0.00

Start:
Jerricho Cotchery (Rank: 14.0): Cotchery and new teammate Brett Favre have been hooking up on long passes all preseason, and that trend continued on opening weekend. The Patriots are usually not the greatest matchup, but their secondary is not what it once was. The loss of Asante Samuel to free agency left them with mediocre depth at cornerback. I would not be surprised at all if Favre found Cotchery deep a few more times this weekend.

Sit:
Lee Evans (Rank: 10.0) Evans actually had a very respectable first game, going for over 100 yards. But Evans is also one of the league’s most streaky players, because of his reliance on the long ball, and Buffalo’s shaky quarterback play. Jacksonville should be a tough matchup, despite their disappointing loss last week. Rashean Mathis is one of the league’s best cornerbacks.

Tight Ends	Team	Opp.	FVIH	PP	Ranking
Antonio Gates	SD	at DEN	20.00	95%	19.00
Jason Witten	DAL	PHI	18.50	100%	18.50
Kellen Winslow	CLE	PIT	17.50	100%	17.50
Jeremy Shockey	NO	at WAS	16.50	100%	16.50
Tony Gonzalez	KC	OAK	15.00	100%	15.00
Chris Cooley	WAS	NO	14.00	100%	14.00
Vernon Davis	SF	at SEA	13.50	100%	13.50
Anthony Fasano	MIA	at ARI	13.00	100%	13.00
Tony Scheffler	DEN	SD	12.50	100%	12.50
Heath Miller	PIT	at CLE	12.50	100%	12.50
Dallas Clark	IND	at MIN	15.00	75%	11.25
Greg Olsen	CHI	at CAR	11.00	100%	11.00
Dante Rosario	CAR	CHI	11.00	100%	11.00
L.J. Smith	PHI	at DAL	10.50	100%	10.50
Donald Lee	GB	at DET	10.50	100%	10.50
Owen Daniels	HOU	BAL	9.50	100%	9.50
Zach Miller	OAK	at KC	9.50	100%	9.50
Ben Watson	NE	at NYJ	9.00	100%	9.00
Todd Heap	BAL	at HOU	10.50	85%	8.93
Alge Crumpler	TEN	at CIN	8.50	100%	8.50
Randy McMichael	STL	NYG	7.50	100%	7.50
Kevin Boss	NYG	at STL	7.50	100%	7.50
Ben Utecht	CIN	TEN	7.00	100%	7.00
Dustin Keller	NYJ	NE	6.50	100%	6.50
John Carlson	SEA	SF	6.50	100%	6.50
Bo Scaife	TEN	at CIN	6.00	100%	6.00
Marcedes Lewis	JAX	at BUF	5.50	100%	5.50
Alex Smith	TB	ATL	5.00	100%	5.00
Visanthe Shiancoe	MIN	IND	5.00	100%	5.00
Desmond Clark	CHI	at CAR	5.00	100%	5.00
Robert Royal	BUF	at JAX	4.50	100%	4.50
Chris Baker	NYJ	NE	4.50	100%	4.50
David Martin	MIA	at ARI	4.50	100%	4.50
Leonard Pope	ARI	MIA	4.00	100%	4.00
Bubba Franks	NYJ	NE	4.00	100%	4.00
Jeff King	CAR	CHI	3.50	100%	3.50
Casey Fitzsimmons	DET	GB	3.00	100%	3.00
Will Heller	SEA	SF	2.50	100%	2.50
Daniel Graham	DEN	SD	2.00	100%	2.00
Matt Spaeth	PIT	at CLE	2.00	100%	2.00
Dan Campbell	DET	GB	2.00	100%	2.00
Brandon Manumaleuna	SD	at DEN	1.00	100%	1.00

Start:
Jeremy Shockey (Rank: 16.5): Shockey looked good in his Saints debut, catching six passes from Drew Brees for 54 yards. He should have another good game this week against the Redskins. Washington’s defense looked shakier than usual last week against the Giants, with new defensive coordinator Greg Blache now in charge. There should be some open spaces in the middle of the field. Shockey also won’t have Marques Colston to compete with for catches.

Sit:
Todd Heap (Rank: 10.5): As all Heap owners know (right here!), the Ravens’ tight end scored negative points in most leagues last week, catching one short pass, but also fumbling. He is likely still not fully recovered from his injury, and the Baltimore passing attack, centered around rookie Joe Flacco, is still far from dangerous. If you can find a better option on your bench, or maybe even on free agency, you should probably sit Heap this week.
 

Kickers	Team	Opp.	FVIH	PP	Ranking
Nick Folk	DAL	PHI	19.00	100%	19.00
Mason Crosby	GB	at DET	19.00	100%	19.00
Shayne Graham	CIN	TEN	17.50	100%	17.50
Rob Bironas	TEN	at CIN	17.50	100%	17.50
Adam Vinatieri	IND	at MIN	17.00	100%	17.00
Nate Kaeding	SD	at DEN	16.50	100%	16.50
Phil Dawson	CLE	PIT	16.00	100%	16.00
Stephen Gostkowski	NE	at NYJ	15.50	100%	15.50
Robbie Gould	CHI	at CAR	15.50	100%	15.50
Neil Rackers	ARI	MIA	14.00	100%	14.00
John Carney	NYG	at STL	14.00	100%	14.00
David Akers	PHI	at DAL	13.00	100%	13.00
Jeff Reed	PIT	at CLE	13.00	100%	13.00
Matt Prater	DEN	SD	12.50	100%	12.50
Josh Brown	STL	NYG	11.50	100%	11.50
Rian Lindell	BUF	at JAX	11.50	100%	11.50
Josh Scobee	JAX	at BUF	11.00	100%	11.00
Martin Gramatica	NO	at WAS	11.00	100%	11.00
Jason Elam	ATL	at TB	11.00	100%	11.00
Ryan Longwell	MIN	IND	10.50	100%	10.50
Matt Stover	BAL	at HOU	10.50	100%	10.50
John Kasay	CAR	CHI	10.50	100%	10.50
Matt Bryant	TB	ATL	10.50	100%	10.50
Jason Hanson	DET	GB	9.50	100%	9.50
Kris Brown	HOU	BAL	9.00	100%	9.00
Joe Nedney	SF	at SEA	8.50	100%	8.50
Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	at KC	8.00	100%	8.00
Shaun Suisham	WAS	NO	8.00	100%	8.00
Olindo Mare	SEA	SF	7.50	100%	7.50
Nick Novak	KC	OAK	6.50	100%	6.50
Dan Carpenter	MIA	at ARI	5.50	100%	5.50
Mike Nugent	NYJ	NE	10.00	20%	2.00

Start:
Matt Prater (Rank: 12.5): Prater showed last week that he is a reliable replacement for Jason Elam, hitting both of his field goals (one from 49 yards out) as well as 5 extra points as the Broncos lit up the scoreboard. He should be a quality starting kicker in fantasy leagues this year. It’s often hard to judge matchups for kickers, but San Diego will likely hold the Broncos to several field goals. The Chargers gave up 14 points to the kicker they faced last week.

Sit:
Shaun Suisham (Rank: 8.0): As a Redskin fan I like Suisham (or “Shazam” as Fred Smoot has nicknamed him) but I worry about starting him until Jim Zorn’s offense proves it can move the ball consistently. Suisham only managed one point last week, and the Redskins did not even get close to scoring range on any other drive until the closing minutes. Suisham is waiver wire material at this point.

Start:
New York Giants (Rank: 15.5): No Osi Umenyiora? No Michael Strahan? No problem. Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka proved to be good players (and in the case of a Tuck, a GREAT player) in their own rights last week. St. Louis is capable of being dangerous offensively, but they looked hapless against the Eagles in Week 1, managing only 3 points. The Giants should be able to handle the Rams without too much trouble, with several chances for big plays.

Sit:
San Diego Chargers (Rank: 9.5): Don’t get me wrong, the Chargers have a lot of talent on defense, even without injured linebacker Shawne Merriman. But they are not quite the dynamic pass defense they have been in the past without a pass rushing monster like Merriman on the field. In general, San Diego is still a solid defense, and there are worse starts than them this week, but on the road against a Denver offense that looked so impressive in Week 1 is an unnecessarily risky matchup. See if you can find a better start on defense this week.

Many thanks to the people who helped put this together: treat24, Dan Lambskin, WaCougMBS, and joelamosobadiah.

Rate this article: (37 votes, average: 4.19 out of 5)  Loading ... Questions or comments for Nick? Post them in the Cafe Forums! Want to write for the Cafe? Check out the Cafe's Pencil & Paper section!