Week 2: Sit 'Em
Sit'em articles can vary widely across fantasy websites. Some weeks you might see consistency among experts and other weeks you might not find one match between articles. Sit'em picks are focused on selecting usually solid players that are not worth starting in any given week. Circumstances might include match-up, injury watch, RBBC approach, passing vs. rushing focus, past performance, etc.
Week 1 sit'em included some tough calls. We all have doubts each week and have to consider our options. It is a difficult decision to sit your stud or solid player, but occaisonally you must in order to win that match-up.
QB Mark Sanchez, NYJ
Sanchez and New York came out firing on all cylinders in Week 1 -- 266 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. The question is, can this continue? I say the answer is no for Sanchez in Week 2. The Week 1 match-up vs. Buffalo was a totally different scenario than this week's outing vs. Pittsburgh. He will likely have more big scoring games down the road, though Week 2 will not be one of those games. Peyton Manning looked like the Manning of old, throwing 253 and 2 TDs in Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh's tough defense. I forecast Sanchez for around 200 yards at most with 1 TD and 2 interceptions minimum this week. If you are in need of a QB to start, I suggest looking elsewhere at friendlier match-ups.
RB Ronnie Brown, SD
Brown did not look good on Monday night, receiving 5 carries for minimal yardage before being pulled to third down duties behind Curtis Brinkley. Brinkley did not produce much either. All in all, the San Diego rushing attack was brutal. I thought Brown might surprise us given the opportunity of Mathews missing the season opener. Boy was I wrong. In Week 2 SD will look to bolster the rushing game, but could still be without Mathews who has not been cleared for active duty following his collarbone surgery and rehabilitation. I would not count on Mathews for Week 2 or for that matter Brown leading this effort in his place. Brinkley is likely to get the start and Brown will be relegated to third down duties. In this role Brown might see some yardage attempts and some passing play. However, if I were a Brown owner, I would keep him on my bench. I foresee 5-8 attempts for no more than 40 yards with a few short yardage receptions.
RB Rashad Jennings, OAK
Wow, Rashad Jennings hurt me in Week 1. His 31 rushing and 9 receiving yards were brutal. Yes, he injured his knee and left the game, but I was hoping for big things with MJD "the oompa loompa" in the shadows for the week. Jennings' failure to produce and his injury should now relegate him to back-up duty. It appears his knee injury is minor so don't get me wrong, Jennings still has a huge upside in my opinion and could turn out to be your fantasy stud someday. I do not think it will be that soon in this case. MJD, despite not having the game of his life -- 77 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards -- will steal back the starting role for JAX and not look back. Jennings' carries are now going to be limited and that means his fanatsy value drops significantly. I will certainly have him on my bench this week. Look for 8-10 carries out of a healthy Jennings this week for another 30 yards or so.
Injury Status: Injured ReserveRB Marshawn Lynch, SEA
OK, I know, you are going to say sit Lynch two weeks in a row? I am going to say yes. Lynch gained 85 yards on 21 carries and caught two passes for 12 yards in Week 1. Lynch has shown that he is the primary back in Seattle and that Robert Turbin is simply his back-up. However, who wants a mere 10pts from a top fantasy RB? Dallas held the New York rushing attack to 82 total yards and 1 TD in Week 1. Bradshaw gained 78 yards and got the score. In Week 2 I am going to go out on a limb and say that Dallas holds Lynch to 80 rushing yards and a few short yardage receptions and Wilson steals the rushing TD this week. I say Lynch's first 100 yard game of this campaign comes in Week 3 vs. Green Bay. Frank Gore torched them for 112 rushing yards in Week 1.
RB Trent Richardson, CLE
Yes, Richardson makes my list two weeks in a row. Many fantasy owners thought he would be productive from the start. The upside for Richardson is that Hardesty and Jackson saw no action in Week 1. The downside is he only rushed for 39 yards and recorded a minimal 5 reception yards. Cincinnati should be an interesting match-up for Richardson this week, but I think he is going to struggle to put up the numbers most fantasy owners would expect from a number one back. My suggestion with him is to sit him on your bench until we see some spark of production. Maybe this will come in Week 3 vs. Buffalo, but Weeks 4 and 5 against Baltimore and New York do not look great. The Cleveland offense is working to correct their ways. This is going to take time and Richardson is going to suffer along with his offensive unit. Look for around 40 rushing yards and maybe 10-15 reception yards this week.
