Who to Start and Who to Sit for Week Two of Fantasy Football

Week one of the 2021-2022 NFL season was a lot of fun, and I had a great time keeping up with my many fantasy football teams. Whether you dominated your competition or you lost to someone with Deebo Samuel and Tyler Lockett, you want to come out on fire in week two. To help you do that, here is some advice on who to start and who to sit this week.

---

Elijah Mitchell, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers starting running back Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending knee injury vs. the Detroit Lions. After he exited the game, Elijah Mitchell became the number one back, and he excelled, putting up 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. With Mostert out for the season, it appears that Mitchell will be the starting running back for now.

Assuming you picked him up off the waiver wire, I recommend starting him in your flex spot. If you don't have a reliable RB2, you can survive with him in that spot, but I worry about his bust potential because he caught zero passes, and he didn't get any touches inside the 10-yard line vs. the Lions. I'm also concerned that Trey Sermon, who will be active this week, and Trey Lance may take some of his carries away on the goal line. Getting touchdowns could exceptionally be difficult for him.

Nevertheless, I think he is worth starting because he's getting a bulk of the carries, and Kyle Shanahan is an offensive genius whose blocking schemes make it easy for any running back to succeed in his offense. If Mitchell gets into the endzone at all, he'll have a big day for you.

Deebo Samuel, Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers

Hey, we have another 49er here!

If you have Deebo Samuel on your team, put him in your starting lineup immediately. He dominated the Lions last week, catching 9 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He received 12 total targets as he was the number one receiving option and it wasn't close. He also had a very impressive route tree featuring a plethora of intermediate in routes and one fade route, which he took for a touchdown.

With Brandon Aiyuk playing a limited number of snaps and George Kittle receiving a low number of targets as he returns from a season-ending injury, I expect Samuel to be the number one receiver moving forward. He could be an elite fantasy receiver if he continues to be targeted at this rate, and I would keep him in my starting lineup until George Kittle gets back up to speed and Brandon Aiyuk returns to the starting lineup.

Until then, I'm riding the Deebo Samuel train.

Rob Gronkowski, Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Heading into the season, I did not expect Rob Gronkowski to be a reliable fantasy tight end. Last season, he averaged just 4.81 targets and 38.9 yards per game as he put up 104.3 fantasy points for the entire season. He was very effective in the red zone, scoring five touchdowns inside the 20-yard line, but his lack of targets and receiving yards limited his upside and made him extremely reliant on red-zone touchdowns.

In week one against the Cowboys, he played like a legitimate TE1, putting up eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns for 21 fantasy points. Both of his touchdowns came in the red zone, but he received a ton of targets and put up a lot of yards as a result. This combination of target volume and red zone effectiveness allowed him to have a TE1 level performance.

Can he replicate this? Maybe, but he is playing alongside Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette, and Ronald Jones II. This will make it difficult for him to receive this many targets consistently, but he could be a TE1 this year if he does.

Ty'Son Williams, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

The past couple of weeks have been tough for the Baltimore Ravens as they've lost three running backs and a cornerback to season-ending injuries. As a result, Ty'Son Williams has become the starting running back by default. In his first start for the Ravens on Monday, he had nine carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. He also had three catches for 29 yards. His productivity as a rusher and receiver allowed him to put up 15.4 fantasy points vs. the Raiders.

This was an outstanding performance for the 25-year-old back, but I have some concerns moving forward. The biggest problem is how few opportunities he got as the starting running back. Against the Raiders, he had just 13 combined carries and targets. He also had zero carries inside the 10-yard line. This combination of low volume and limited goal-line action hurts his value and severely limits his floor.

I also worry that Williams may lose the starting running back job. Over the last few weeks, the Ravens added a plethora of veteran running backs, including Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and Latavius Murray. Murray scored the Ravens' lone red zone rushing touchdown on Monday, and Devonta Freeman was recently added to the active roster. I just don't know how long Williams will be the starting running back, which scares me.

If you have Williams on your team and you aren't desperate for a running back, I would consider trading him because I don't think he has much long-term value. His value is at its peak right now, and I think you can get a good deal for him. However, If you are desperate for a running back, Williams is a decent option at the moment. As long as he's the starter, he has value and would be a good option for your flex spot.

I see him as a band-aid rather than a season-long starter, so I would try to move him for someone with more long-term value who I can rely on to be effective all season long.