Whether your fantasy football experience last week was having too many good WRs or being let down by your top options, we are here to help you this week. As we look ahead to Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season, here are our recommended starts and sits at the WR position.
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Which WRs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers exploded onto the season in his pro debut, comfortably pacing the other Ravens receivers in targets, receptions, and yards.
You can make an argument that Flowers was the best aspect of the entire Baltimore offense in the season opener.
Flowers looked dynamic when he got the ball in his hands and looked like the featured player in this revamped offensive system.
While some may be skeptical of his Week 1 target share, I would caution sitting a playmaker of his capabilities who looked like the clear-cut WR1 in Baltimore in his first professional game. Flowers looks like the real deal.
DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
Speaking of debuts, the first regular-season appearance for DJ Moore in a Bears uniform wasn’t all that exciting.
His underwhelming stat line of two receptions for 25 yards paralleled the overall struggles of the Bears’ passing attack against the Green Bay Packers.
His next matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be a bit more fantasy-friendly, considering the Bucs gave up 344 yards through the air to Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
When people talk about all the weapons on the Niners’ offense, Brandon Aiyuk’s name is generally mentioned after Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel.
Well, after catching eight passes for 129 yards and two TDs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, perhaps we should be mentioning his name first.
Aiyuk looked every bit the part of a leading wide receiver in an explosive offense during his 2023 season debut.
The Rams’ defense may have slowed down the Seahawks’ passing attack last week, but the 49ers’ offense under quarterback Brock Purdy appears to be a well-oiled machine. Expect another big game from Aiyuk in this one.
Which WRs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers’ offense got off to a rough start last week. While the matchup against the Niners’ defense was never ideal, producing just seven points is never good for the skill-position players.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier against a Browns defense that held Joe Burrow and the potent Bengals passing attack to just 82 yards through the air to go with only three points.
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Not to mention, the cornerback duo of Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome could give Pickens some extra attention this week if Diontae Johnson is unavailable due to injury.
Pickens is a great talent, but it may be wise to avoid starting him this week.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
It hasn’t been very often that Terry McLaurin has seen legit competition for targets during his time in a Commanders uniform. But Jahan Dotson may challenge for the leading role in this passing attack sooner than many expected.
Dotson hauled in five receptions in comparison to McLaurin’s two, while Curtis Samuel led all Washington pass catchers with 54 yards receiving.
Their matchup against the Broncos in Week 2 means McLaurin could see plenty of cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who did an admirable job holding Davante Adams to just six receptions for 66 yards in the season opener.
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Should You Start Marquise Brown or Puka Nacua?
When Rams head coach said Nacua was going to be an “immediate contributor” to this offense, I was optimistic but still a bit skeptical.
Well, after 15 targets, 10 receptions, and 119 receiving yards in his NFL debut, don’t blame anyone but yourself if you choose to remain a non-believer in Nacua.
The Rams’ matchup against the 49ers’ defense isn’t exactly ideal, but Nacua’s formation versatility, understanding of route concepts and when to throttle down against zone coverage, and playmaking ability after the catch all make Nacua a much more enticing play than Marquise Brown in a Cardinals offense that is still trying to find an identity.
I’ll go with Nacua in this scenario.
Should You Start Jordan Addison or Michael Pittman Jr.?
Addison managed to find the end zone in his NFL debut against the Bucs. However, he may have a tougher time operating against the Eagles’ secondary in Week 2.
While Addison’s first professional action was encouraging, Pittman saw more targets, caught more passes, and registered more receiving yards than Addison in Week 1, and managed to find the end zone, too.
I don’t expect the Colts-Texans matchup to be high-scoring, but I do feel like Pittman’s role in this passing game is a bit more secure than Addison’s behind Jefferson and Hockenson.
I’ll roll with Pittman in Week 2.