Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 2: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

With the inaugural week of the 2024 NFL season done, fantasy managers have set their sights on Week 2 and building on the momentum of key victories in their first matchups.

To do so, they will need to know which players to start against what teams and who to sit based on unfavorable matchups.

Two players in that latter category may surprise some based on their status as previously reliable fantasy studs. The two must-starts are young studs with plenty of opportunity to have big days against NFC East opponents.

Who are they and why do they land in these categories? Find out with this preview of the fantasy week ahead.

Jayden Daniels finished third among quarterbacks in fantasy points in his NFL debut, accumulating 184 yards through the air and 88 yards on the ground.

The No. 2 overall pick scored two rushing touchdowns, completed 70.8 percent of his passes, tallied 28.2 fantasy points and looked like a game-changer at his position for the Commanders.

In Week 2, he has an opportunity to improve on that performance against a New York Giants defense that made Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold look like the second coming of Peyton Manning.

Darnold completed 79.2 percent of his passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 15.6-point day. That is without the added element of the run game that Daniels possesses, meaning the LSU product should be able to exploit a poor Giants defense for even more.

Daniels is a must-start in Week 2 and has the potential to be the top quarterback in fantasy by the end of Sunday's slate.

Isaiah Likely exploded onto the scene in the season opener against Kansas City, catching 9-of-12 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

The 24-year-old scored 17.1 points for managers smart enough to have him in their lineup and gave others a look at what the Baltimore Ravens offense will resemble in 2024.

That also means star tight end Mark Andrews saw his production plummet. He caught two passes for 14 yards against the defending Super Bowl champions, and there is reason to believe those numbers could become the norm, especially in an offense that figures to trot out two tight end sets more frequently.

Likely is younger, more dynamic and has the potential to fuel the offense. His chemistry with Lamar Jackson was obvious, too, which is something the NFL MVP should look to develop.

Likely will have plenty of opportunities to catch passes and score against a mediocre-to-bad Las Vegas Raiders team that was outplayed by the Los Angeles Chargers early and often Sunday.

Chris Olave is one of the more frustrating wide receivers in fantasy football, mostly due to his inconsistent output.

Against a bad Carolina Panthers defense, the Saints' No. 1 receiver tallied just two catches for 11 yards and 1.1 fantasy points.

It was one of the worst performances of the weekend by a legitimate star, so why should managers be jumping at the opportunity to start him against a good Dallas Cowboys unit?

Simple: Olave matches up against Trevon Diggs, an aggressive cornerback who will always get his picks but also gives up a lot of yards and big plays to opposing wide receivers, thanks to his overly aggressive play.

If quarterback Derek Carr can evade the pass rush and keep plays alive, there will be plenty of opportunities for Olave to beat Diggs down the field and score.

The worst thing that could have happened to Josh Jacobs' fantasy value was for quarterback Jordan Love to get hurt.

Backup Malik Willis gets the start Sunday against Indianapolis. And while the Colts can be run on, they won't give Jacobs the opportunity.

Expect the team to load the box and dare Willis to beat them, something the young, third-year backup has not yet proved he can do in the NFL.

There is always the chance Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur devises ways to get the ball into Jacobs' hands through the passing game, likely on screen routes, but Willis' ability to execute and the offense's ability to fend off what will be an aggressive Colts defense will create doubt about that game plan's effectiveness.

Jacobs is a premier back in the NFL and will be a must-start when Love returns to the lineup. Until then, though, too many teams will be lining up with the sole intent of stopping him, knowing he is the key weapon in that offense.

All stats per FantasyPros unless otherwise indicated.