2015 Week 2 Fantasy Advice

Did you have a good Week 1? Most probably didn't, either because they failed to cash in on DraftKings or Fanduel, or because most of the NFL was a Benny Hill sketch on offense last weekend. Drawing major conclusions from Week 1 is a dangerous game, but you have all probably done that already. I'm here to try to at least attempt to dissuade you from some of those glittering new assumptions.

Who to Start:

QB Carson Palmer (ARZ) vs. CHI: He started off 2015 on a high note by having a good game against the Saints, and his Week 2 matchup is equally favorable against the porous Bears secondary. He might even be on the waiver wire in your league, so get on that if you haven't already.

RB Carlos Hyde (SF) vs. PIT: Frank who? Hyde had a very solid debut as the 49er feature back against Minnesota, and while Pittsburgh's run defense wasn't terrible, they did make Dion Lewis look far too comfortable more often than they didn't. Hyde could be an interesting play on Sunday.

WR Brandin Cooks (NO) vs. TB: I picked him to win OROY last year, and that didn't end too well for me. He did lead the Saints in targets last Sunday, even if he didn't put up many points. But if you saw what happened to the Bucs secondary against Marcus Mariota, Drew Brees, and Cooks by extension, should be licking their chops.

WR Jordan Matthews (PHI) vs. DAL: Ugly drop in crunch time aside, Matthews had 10 catches for over 100 yards against the Falcons, which was to be expected but he did reward fantasy owners (me) well for their faith in him. The Cowboys defense has injuries and holes in it, so despite the successes they had against the Giants, don't expect them to continue.

TE Martellus Bennett (CHI) vs. ARZ: Is it September still? *checks calendar* It is? So that must mean Martellus Bennett did had a great game because reasons? *checks box score* He did? So I guess that must mean Bennett should be starting if you have him this week.

DEF Miami vs. JAX: The Jaguars offense looked like the same old, same old against Carolina who were without Luke Kuechly for half of the game. The Dolphins defense looked quite stout in Washington, and held the Jaguars in check in the same matchup last season. Expect that form to continue on Sunday.

Who to Sit:

QB Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. MIN: He'll throw for plenty of yards, and plenty of interceptions as per usual in almost every game he plays in from now on, which means as a fantasy option he's less than viable. He's also struggled recently against Minnesota, making the option of starting him even less appealing.

RB Frank Gore (IND) vs. NYJ MON: His first start in Colts blue and white didn't end so well, did it? Buffalo's run defense is normally stout, and so is the New York Jets front. They held whoever was lined up at RB for Cleveland in check Sunday, and there's no reason to think that they won't do that again against Indy.

WR Amari Cooper (OAK) vs. BAL: My pick for OROY this year got off to a rocky start, thanks in large part to the injury to Derek Carr. Even if he's healthy, Carr won't likely be at 100%, meaning Cooper will either be seeing targets from a hampered Carr or Matt McGloin. The Ravens defense looked good against Denver, so against Oakland...

WR Kendall Wright (TEN) vs. CLE: ALERT. ALERT. The Titans are not as good as advertised last week! Even though they may beat the hapless Browns, they are going up against one of the league's most underrated secondaries, and Wright may be matched up against Joe Haden. ABORT MISSION.

TE Owen Daniels (DEN) vs. KC THU: He and Gary Kubiak should go together hand-in-hand, but they didn't at all against Baltimore. The Chiefs defense is incredibly stout, and with all of the worries about Peyton Manning's arm, Daniels could be in for another tough night.

DEF Buffalo vs. NE: This should be obvious, but in case it isn't: The Patriots are going to get their points regardless of who they play against. Tom Brady is also really good against the Bills, so proceed with caution in this mathup.

Three Super Sleepers:

QB Colin Kaepernick (SF) vs. PIT: Even though many have surmised that the 49er downfall is imminent, it didn't look like it Monday night. The offense should at least hold up its end of the bargain against a well publicized poor Pittsburgh defense.

RB Tevin Coleman (ATL) vs. NYG: The start to his career went pretty decently against the Eagles rush defense. The Giants rush defense is worse, so Coleman could be in for an even better day. The only proviso is that he could split carries with Devonta Freeman, so keep that in mind.

DEF Tennessee vs. CLE: This unit is still really, really bad on paper. Their first two games won't prove that however, because they've played a rookie QB and Jonathan Gridiron in their first two games. This matchup could be fun.

Buyer Beware:

QB Peyton Manning (DEN) vs. KC THU: The scuttlebutt now around NFL circles is all about whether Peyton is past it now. His arm strength was a question before, now it's even more of a question after the Week 1 stinker he put up against Baltimore. The Chiefs defense is also notably stout, so that compounds the problem even more. While I'm not willing to call time on his career just yet, his fantasy career is far more open to stuffing into a coffin. If you have a better matchup, I'd advise going with that if you can.

Good luck in Week 2!