No one needs to be told to start Patrick Mahomes on their fantasy team. But what about the flex tight-end/wide-receiver position? What about that one running back on waivers that might be able to fill in a spot for a starting running back on a bye week? Well, this is the place to find the important information in terms of fantasy football, as well as to get a second opinion on who to start or sit this week.

START:

QB: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford had a sluggish first week as the Rams were pummeled by an aggressive and talented Bills defense, which showed some of the weaknesses in the Rams offense. It was apparent from the get-go that the Rams were understaffed in their skill positions aside from WR Cooper Kupp, and the run game got little to no traction as the Bills completely blew away the Rams’ offensive line. However, Stafford should have a bounce back game this week against a Falcons team that let 385 yards to an understaffed Saints offense. HC Sean McVay has always bounced back from losses like these, and will surely have a game plan for a less-than-average Falcons defense that does not have enough defensive pieces to match up with the talented Rams.

Projection: 20.22 points (PPR)

RB: Michael Carter III, New York Jets

Despite the dismal performance that the Jets showed against the Baltimore Ravens last week, Carter continued to impress as a consistent underneath target and reliable rushing option as well in a seemingly bland and stagnant offense. With QB Joe Flacco under center, Carter accumulated nine receptions for forty yards, making him a tantalizing prospect in PPR leagues. Carter also showed that he could run the ball, as he put up sixty yards on ten carries following rookie RB Breece Hall’s fumble, which will undoubtedly place Carter in sole ownership of the RB1 role in New York. Carter and the Jets will face the Cleveland Browns this week, which should not matter as long as Joe Flacco keeps checking the ball down to Carter, making him a solid RB2 option with RB1 upside.

Projection: 15.30 points (PPR)

WR: Curtis Samuel, Washington Football Team

Although WR Greg Dortch of the Arizona Cardinals put up a performance last week against the Kansas City Chiefs worthy of this spot, it ultimately ended up with Samuel because of the scintillating talent that he showed against the Jaguars. The speedy and versatile receiver lined up both as a running back and a receiver, and ended up posing a matchup problem for the Jaguars as he scored a touchdown while garnering eight receptions and four rushes tacked on. As a reliable underneath target for QB Carson Wentz and a perfect compliment to the speedy WR Terry McLaurin, Samuel should see a lot more touches against a soft Lions defense that surrendered a whopping 459 total yards to the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

Projection: 12.30 points (PPR)

TE: Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

Schultz had a big week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite not scoring a touchdown, which should underscore the importance that he carries in the Cowboys offense, especially after the loss of QB Dak Prescott to a thumb injury. Schultz projects to be an integral target to whoever starts for the Cowboys next, as he provides a big frame in the middle of the field that quarterbacks can use to move the chains consistently, which greatly increases his chances of having a big week, especially against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that did not fare well against the average Steelers receiving corps.

Projection: 11.70 points (PPR)

K: Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons

It remains puzzling that Koo, who has been a pillar of consistency and excellence since taking over the kicking job for the Atlanta Falcons, is only rostered in 17.9% of leagues. Koo has all the ingredients of a perfect fantasy football kicker: consistent, big leg, available and plays on a mediocre offense. The last factor, especially, is huge, since the Falcons are prone to stagnating right in the middle of field goal range, giving Koo an ample amount of opportunities to boot the football between the two uprights. The Falcons face the Los Angeles Rams next week, who project to let the Falcons drive down the field enough to give Koo the chance to continue his fantasy excellence.

Projection: 11.00 points (PPR)

DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers put up a dominant performance against the high-octane Cincinnati Bengals offense, as they stuffed the stat sheet with: three interceptions, a fumble recovery, a blocked field goal, seven sacks and an additional interception that was returned for a touchdown. Even though they allowed the Bengals to rack up over 400 yards of total offense, the Steelers will face a much less potent offense in the Patriots, who performed horribly against a relatively average Dolphins defense. Despite the loss of DE T.J. Watt to a seemingly long-term pectoral injury, the Steelers are stacked on all three levels of their defense, and will undoubtedly take advantage of a limited Patriots offense that lacks difference-makers in skill positions and creativity from a confusing play-calling setup, leading to something the Steelers have taken advantage of since the beginning of the Mike Tomlin era: pandemonium.

Projection: 13.00 points (PPR)

SIT:

QB: Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers

Although Lance provides tremendous upside as a big-armed rushing threat, he struggled to move the ball against a relatively average Chicago Bears defense last week. Although some might attribute his poor performance to rain, Lance has not shown that he can carry the 49ers to a victory, let alone produce on the fantasy level. Lance carries some upside as a mobile quarterback, but will face the Seattle Seahawks this week, who locked down QB Russell Wilson and the Broncos last week en-route to a defensive victory. The Seahawks possess a big front seven and some young, athletic cornerbacks, which will lead to Lance continuing his struggles as a first-year starter.

Projection: 9.88 points (PPR)

RB: Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

There’s one simple rule in fantasy football: never overreact. This rule come into play when dealing with players like Herbert, who showed promise last year and performed better than expected in their Week 1 matchup. However, Herbert does not project to continue this stretch as he is still currently slotted behind starter RB David Montgomery, who had more than double the amount of touches that Herbert had. Although Herbert possesses more speed and agility in the position, Montgomery fits the Bears’ scheme better as a hard-nosed running back, and will continue to dominate touches against a speedy Packers defense that is susceptible to hard-nosed running backs like Montgomery. In short, Herbert had a lucky week in the rain, but will probably not continue his production in the following weeks.

Projection: 5.60 points (PPR)

WR: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers

Aiyuk had a down week against the Chicago Bears, and that projects to continue against the Seattle Seahawks, who held the Broncos to a measly 16 points. The 49ers run a ground-based attack that focuses on the read-option skills of QB Trey Lance and the hard running of the 49ers’ running backs. The passing game is mostly based around the skills of WR Deebo Samuel, whose versatility and talent places him firmly in the WR1 spot for the 49ers. However, this leaves little to no room for Aiyuk, who does not project to command the high volume of targets that most WR2s should receive.

Projection: 4.20 points (PPR)

TE: O.J. Howard, Houston Texans

O.J. Howard had a surprise outing against the Indianapolis Colts, as he caught his two targets for two touchdowns, but this is not projected to continue next game, or the games after that. Howard’s touchdowns were a result of a fluky series of progressions by QB Davis Mills, who would find Howard twice after receiving plenty of time in the pocket. This does not project to continue against a Denver defense that features an excellent pass rush and a lockdown secondary that features FS Justin Simmons, who has locked down almost every tight end that has come his way in his career. Howard, who split snaps with second-year TE Brevin Jordan in their game against the Colts, does not project to be a factor, especially because of Jordan’s emergence as a top-tier pass-catching tight end over the past year.

Projection: 3.80 points (PPR)

K: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Crosby had a dismal Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, as the Packers offense struggled to get anything going on the other end of the field. Many are projecting a bounce-back performance by QB Aaron Rodgers and company against a susceptible Chicago Bears defense, but this seems unlikely given the lack of skill players on the Packers offense. Crosby will be affected by this lack of offense on the Packers’ side, and though Rodgers still has some magic left in him, the Packers offense looks desolate and bland, which were concerns illuminated by their game against the Vikings, and nothing projects to change next week against the Bears, who kept a much more talented 49ers offense to ten points.

Projection: 3.00 points (PPR)

DEF: Tennessee Titans

 The Titans started off their game against the Giants with a stingy defense and an attitude, but that suddenly morphed into a disaster as they blew a 13 point lead to a Giants offense that seemed unstoppable as they marched down the field with ease. QB Daniel Jones completed 80.9% of his passes, something that was previously unheard of from the turnover-prone quarterback. Adding to this defensive dysfunction is the Titans’ matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who shredded a much more talented Los Angeles Rams defense in Week 1 to the tune of 31 points, and have shown no signs of stopping. It will take a miracle for the Titans to form some semblance of a defense against an offensive machine in Buffalo, which will negatively impact their fantasy production greatly.

Projection: 3.00 points (PPR)

How my fantasy football week went:

Prior to Week 1, I was projected to finish in last place in my fantasy league, though that prediction was eventually proven wrong by the performances of some underrated players on my team. My team scored 110.16 points, powered by my Pittsburgh Steelers defense and WR Cordarelle Patterson, both of whom exceeded expectations greatly by scoring around double the amount of points they were initially projected. Currently, I am in third place (based on points scored) in my division with a record of 1-0-0 and projected to finish eleventh in the league, a two-spot improvement from last week’s projection.