The ESPN+ Cheat Sheet is your one-stop shop for Week 2 fantasy football tips. We’ve compiled all of our best start/sit picks this week, including insight from Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Eric Karabell and Liz Loza. Don’t have time to read everything? That’s what cheat sheets were invented for! Catch up on a week’s worth of reading in minutes, see which players are on the injury list, factor in the betting data, and then confidently set your lineup.
Lines are accurate with the latest timestamp. Check out ESPN BET for the latest odds.
Injury aggregation provided by Rotowire. Football Power Index by ESPN Analytics.
San Francisco 49ers -5 against Minnesota Vikings
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 46.5 (fifth highest value)
FPI favorite: 49ers with 5
49ers injury overview: RB Christian McCaffrey: QWR Jauan Jennings: Q; WR Ricky Pearsall: O
Injury monitoring for the Vikings: WR Jordan Addison: O; TE TJ Hockenson: O
The best of the week
Los Angeles Chargers -5 against Carolina Panthers
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 39.5 (13th highest)
FPI favorite: Chargers from 7
Panthers injury overview: Running back Raheem Blackshear: Q; TE Tommy Tremble: Q; RB Jonathon Brooks: O
The best of the week
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Matt Bowen: The Chargers scored 15 fantasy points in their opening game against the Raiders and are an indispensable defense in this exhibition game.
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Eric Karabell sets the expectations for the Chargers’ running game. Gus Edwards will do the short yardage and easy touchdowns. JK Dobbins will run outside. Both will have roles that highlight their skills.
Indianapolis Colts -2.5 vs. Green Bay Packers
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 40.5 (12th highest)
FPI favorite: Colts with 1.8
Colts injury overview: WR Josh Downs: Q
Packers injury watch: RB MarShawn Lloyd: Q; WR Jayden Reed: Q; QB Jordan Love: Q
The best of the week
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Michael Clay cautions against trusting Green Bay’s Malik Willis over handing the ball to Josh Jacobs. That likely means most of the Packers’ receivers will be on the bench in Week 2, but Jacobs is a must-start.
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Eric Karabell: Michael Pittman Jr. might be no more than a WR3 if the Colts offense plays like it did in Week 1, with Anthony Richardson throwing long passes, but not much below that. Don’t expect the nearly 100 catches Pittman has averaged over the past three seasons.
New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders -1.5
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 43.5 (eighth highest value)
FPI favorite: Commanders of 4.3
Giants injury overview: WR Gunner Olszewski: O
Commander injury monitoring: none to report
The best of the week
New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys -6
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 46.5 (fifth highest value)
FPI favorite: Cowboys with 4.2
Saints injury overview: none to report
Cowboys injury watch: TE John Stephens Jr.: O; TE Jake Ferguson: D
The best of the week
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Liz Loza: Consider Juwan Johnson a streaming tight end. The Cowboys defense looked great last week but showed some vulnerability against the tight end, and it was Johnson who ran more routes among the Saints TEs than Foster Moreau, although the latter scored the touchdown.
Cleveland Browns vs Jacksonville Jaguars -3
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 41.5 (ninth highest value)
FPI favorite: Jaguars with 2.4
Injury monitoring for the Browns: TE David Njoku: O; RB Nick Chubb: O; RB Nyheim Hines: O
Jaguars injury overview: none to report
The best of the week
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Tristan H. Cockcroft: Evan Engram was barely used in Week 1 (four tackles for 1.5 fantasy points). Although he should play a bigger role in this game, no defense last season was stronger against tight ends than the Browns, who slowed Jake Ferguson last week (4.5 fantasy points on five tackles) before he left with an injury in the third quarter.
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Liz Loza: Tank Bigsby is claiming a larger role in the Jaguars’ running game. Travis Etienne Jr. is still a starter, but temper expectations and bench Bigsby. As for the Browns’ running game, Jerome Ford will have enough volume this week to be trusted as a top-24 RB.
New York Jets -3.5 against Tennessee Titans
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 41.5 (ninth highest value)
FPI favorite: Jets with 3
Jets injury overview: QB Jordan Travis: O
Injury monitoring for the Titans: WR Colton Dowell: O
The best of the week
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Detroit Lions -7.5
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 51.5 (Highest)
FPI favorite: Lions with 5.9
Buccaneers injury overview: none to report
Lions injury monitoring: WR Jameson Williams: Q; WR Isaiah Williams: O
The best of the week
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Matt Bowen: It’s a tougher matchup for Baker Mayfield this week, so Tampa may have to throw even more. Mayfield threw for 349 yards when these teams met in the playoffs last season. He’s a starter in 12-team leagues.
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Tristan H. Cockcroft: Rachaad White, who continues to be inefficient as a runner, should be demoted this week. The Lions were the stingiest fantasy defense against RBs last season, holding Kyren Williams to 54 yards on 21 touches in Week 1.
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Michael Clay believes Jameson Williams is firmly established as a prime target in Detroit and is still worth a look as your fantasy WR3 going up against a very stingy Tampa Bay defense.
Las Vegas Raiders vs Baltimore Ravens -9
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 41.5 (ninth highest value)
FPI favorite: Ravens with 8.9
Raiders injury watch: none to report
Ravens injury overview: RB Keaton Mitchell: O
The best of the week
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Matt Bowen: The Ravens had the most snaps with two TEs in the league in Week 1, and Isaiah Likely had eight of his nine catches in those sets. Likely can start in any format this week.
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Eric Karabell agrees that Likely is startable and could be a potential top-10 tight end this season, but reminds you that you drafted Mark Andrews for very good reasons that still stand. Liking Likely doesn’t mean benching Andrews.
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Michael Clay has concerns about Zamir White in Week 2, especially after Alexander Mattison got more snaps in the season opener. Given that there is a timeshare game before a game against Baltimore, White may be best left on the bench in Week 2.
Seattle Seahawks -3.5 vs. New England Patriots
Locks: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 37.5 (14th highest)
FPI favorite: Seahawks with 2.4
Seahawks injury overview: RB Kenneth Walker III: Q; TE Pharaoh Brown: Q
Patriots injury overview: RB JaMycal Hasty: Q; RB Antonio Gibson: Q; WR Kendrick Bourne: O
The best of the week
Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals -1
Lockouts: Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 47.5 (third highest value)
FPI favorite: Rams by 1.1
Rams injury overview: TE Davis Allen: D; TE Tyler Higbee: O
Cardinals injury overview: WR Xavier Weaver: Q
The best of the week
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs -5.5
Lockouts: Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 48.5 (second highest value)
FPI favorite: Chiefs with 6.3
Bengals injury overview: WR Tee Higgins: D; TE Tanner Hudson: D
Chiefs injury overview: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: O
The best of the week
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Michael Clay was impressed with Xavier Worthy in Week 1, but warns that he could be an all-or-nothing guy if his target share stays at current levels. And it could even drop once Hollywood Brown returns to the field for the Chiefs (which won’t be for about four weeks).
Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5 against Denver Broncos
Lockouts: Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 36.5 (15th highest)
FPI favorite: Steelers with 2.9
Steelers injury overview: Quarterback Russell Wilson: Q; WR Roman Wilson: Q
Broncos injury watch: WR Devaughn Vele: Q; WR Josh Reynolds: Q
The best of the week
Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans -6.5
Blackouts: Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 45.5 (seventh highest value)
FPI favorite: Texans with 5.9
Bears injury watch: WR Rom Odunze: Q; WR Keenan Allen: Q
Texans injury watch: RB Dameon Pierce: Q
The best of the week
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Liz Loza: Be patient with Caleb Williams. In single-quarterback leagues, you probably have better options, but don’t drop him entirely if you can bench him. The talent is there, but he needs time. And speaking of talent, Texans receiver Nico Collins is a borderline WR1 and should start regardless of the matchup with Jaylon Johnson.
Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles -6.5
Blackouts: Monday 8:15 p.m. ET
Over/Under total: 47.5 (third highest value)
FPI favorite: Eagles with 5.7
Falcons injury watch: RB Jase McClellan: Q
Eagles injury overview: none to report
The best of the week
