Before we dive in, a few guiding principles. My recommendations each week are based on a mix of factors: player trends, schemes and personnel, matchup favorability, and a look towards the desert (Vegas) highlight shootout potential. Of course, and you’re all savvy so I don’t need to belittle this point, but start your studs. Every week. Don’t get cute. Players like Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson, and Brock Bowers should always be in your lineup, regardless of their opponent. As a rule of thumb, these are the guys you drafted in the first five rounds. To quote Coach Moore (Draft Day): “Don’t overthink this like your dad would have.” So you shouldn’texpect to see these layups in the column, unless I expect a gargantuan performance out of them.
And now, without further ado, here are my plays and fades for Week 2 of the 2025 season’s Sunday matchups.
QUARTERBACKS
Start — Justin Fields (NYJ): Buffalo’s rush/zone mix will squeeze the windows, but it also invites scramble yards and checkdowns – exactly where Fields stacks points if New York is playing from behind in a moderately fast, not-low game. Ride the dual-threat floor in a spot that can pop if one broken play turns into six.
Start — Kyler Murray (ARI): At home against Carolina, Arizona should dictate with pace and horizontal stressors (boots, keepers, crossers), creating clear run/pass leverage for Kyler. If the Cards live in plus territory, Murray’s red-zone usage spikes even without a full aerial eruption.
Sit — Tua Tagovailoa (MIA): New England typically compresses Miami’s explosives with bracket help on the perimeter, pushing the script toward patient drives rather than haymakers. That lowers Tua’s week-winning juice unless YAC breaks the dam.
Sit — Cam Ward (TEN): Los Angeles’ complex looks can force underneath throws and long fields, and we saw how Cam handled that Week 1 out in Denver. In a grindy setup, Ward’s volume and touchdown access are both capped.
RUNNING BACKS
Start — Breece Hall (NYJ): Hall’s role plays regardless of script—early carries if close, reception spikes if trailing – against a Bills defense that concedes RB targets by design. In a game that shouldn’t be slow, his dual-path to production is exactly what you want.
Start — Chuba Hubbard (CAR): As road underdogs, Carolina should funnel touches to Hubbard on early downs and via outlets when chasing. That two-way usage gives him sturdy RB2 value even if the game doesn’t fully open up.
Sit — Jonathan Taylor (IND): Denver’s front will clog interior lanes and force the Colts to work edges and quick game, which often siphons high-value red-zone cracks. In a tough matchup with one of the premier defenses, Taylor likely needs a long run or multiple goal-line tries to smash.
Sit — Tony Pollard (TEN): Picking on Pollard for the second week in a row. Look, he’s the guy and will dominate touches yet again. But with the Rams capable defense squeezing, Pollard’s touchdown equity and explosive runway both dip. You’re banking on receptions more than chunk gains here.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Start — DK Metcalf (PIT): Pittsburgh will isolate DK on the boundary and hunt one-on-ones against Seattle’s outside corners– exactly the spots where his size and red-zone prowess tilt the field. Add the revenge-game angle, and you can bank on a featured script early that makes him a confident start.
Start — Ladd McConkey (LAC): Against Las Vegas, the Chargers should stay aggressive, and McConkey’s separation/YAC profile pairs perfectly with a defense that is super weak in the defensive backfield. Steady volume with a clean path to a red-zone look.
Sit — Tyreek Hill (MIA): I don’t hate the matchup at all. But something is wayyyy wrong in Miami, and I don’t like it. I’mnever generally a “bench your star” in most leagues, but until we see different, I don’t trust the Cheetah.
Sit — Michael Pittman (IND): If you’ve read any of my articles this season, you know I’m currently swoooooning over this Denver defense. Nothing against Pittman, per se, but Surtain and Co. will handle business again this weekend.
TIGHT ENDS
Start — Hunter Henry (NE): New England routinely features the TE in red-zone and third-down designs – Henry’s sweet spot. If drives stack, he has multiple end-zone paths even without a shootout.
Start — Sam LaPorta (DET): Chicago’s zones can be punctured by seam and sit routes, and Detroit’s scripted openers will feed LaPorta early and near the paint. In a game that can climb, his touchdown odds are strong.
Sit — Tyler Warren (IND): The rookie looked phenomenal in a blowout win last week against the Dolphins, sure. But this ain’t Miami, and it won’t be a shootout. Denver is STOUT and FAST. Don’t believe me? Just ask my next sit what he thinks.
Sit — Chig Okonkwo (TEN): If Tennessee keeps this conservative against the Rams’ front, secondary pass-catchers like Chig may see empty routes between the 20s. You’re hoping for a broken play or a ton of underneath volume in a game that profiles tight.
