Week 2 of the NFL season is here, which means it's time to dive into our NFL Fantasy Football Rookie Start ’Em, Sit ’Em analysis.
Week 1 is always full of surprises, but it doesn't mean we can't start to confirm some preseason beliefs or begin to understand the roles the rookies we've been speculating about for nine months will have on their new teams.
But beware of the Week 1 pitfalls. Unexpected game scripts and circumstances can make one performance misleading. So, which rookie performances should fantasy managers believe in, and which ones could be Week 1 fool's gold?
Rookie starts of the week
Start ’Em: Caleb Douglas
The matchup: The Miami Dolphins will be on the road against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, but don't let that scare you away. While the 49ers had an impressive Week 1 outing, their game was full of unusual circumstances. Week 1, in Australia, against a team that literally just got off the plane.
The 49ers are starting almost the exact same secondary that gave up the 13th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2025.
Why I’m starting him: The Dolphins made it clear that Caleb Douglas will be a mainstay of the offense. Not only did he sit out the preseason with the starters, but he played 91 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 1. He also led all rookies in catches, targets and receiving yards last week.
Fantasy outlook: High-end FLEX
Start ’Em: Jadarian Price
The matchup: The Seattle Seahawks are playing the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona in Week 2. But I'm not letting the Cardinals' surprise Week 1 win over the Chargers impact this one. Last year, the Cardinals gave up the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs, and they made no major changes to the defense.
Seattle will also want to control the ball, with starting quarterback Sam Darnold already ruled out due to injury.
Why I’m starting him: Not only was Jadarian Price a first-round pick for the Seahawks this year, but he was the primary back in Seattle in Week 1. Price bested George Holani in snaps, rushing attempts, yards, targets, catches, and success rate. And his explosiveness popped off the screen.
There were questions about how much of the backfield Price would dominate early on. I think we already have that answer heading into Week 2.
Fantasy outlook: RB2
Start ’Em: Antonio Williams
The matchup: The Washington Commanders are facing the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Dallas just gave up 394 yards of offense to the New York Giants in Week 1, and had no answers to anything defensively.
The Cowboys are hoping to have an improved defense from last year, but these changes can take time, so it's possible the defense continues to look rough for a few more weeks.
Why I’m starting him: Antonio Williams provides the Commanders' offense with the juice it desperately needs. In Week 1, Williams caught all four of his targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. That production should earn him an increase in snaps, and against an easier defense than the Eagles who they faced last week, Williams could be in line for a big Week 2.
Fantasy outlook: High-end FLEX
Rookie sits of the week
Sit ’Em: Carnell Tate
The matchup: After making our Start 'Em list last week, fantasy managers should stay far away from Carnell Tate in Week 2. Tennessee faces the Eagles in Week 2, and after giving up 22 points to the Commanders in Week 1, they'll be looking for a bounce-back performance against this young Titans offense.
Why I’m sitting him: Despite being high on Tate the player, there are too many questions about this Titans offense. Things looked bad in the preseason, and they've only gotten worse. In Week 1 against the New York Jets, Tennessee had just 10 points and 195 yards of offense.
While Tate played 88 percent of the offensive snaps and caught four of his six targets, he had just 36 receiving yards on the day. I'm worried about Tate and this offense against the Eagles defense.
That doesn't change my long-term outlook on Tate. It just makes him a rookie I'm keeping on the bench this week.
Fantasy outlook: Bench/stash
Sit ’Em: Jeremiyah Love
The matchup: The Cardinals may have had their fun against the Chargers, but now they'll have a huge test against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Seattle had the second-best defense against fantasy running backs in 2025.
Why I’m sitting him: Love was out-snapped 44-32 by Tyler Allgeier in Week 1. He also had fewer rushing attempts and yards than Allgier. If he's in a complementary role against a defense as good as Seattle's, that's not a player I'm counting on in my fantasy lineup.
The talent is still there. The workload just isn't there yet.
Fantasy outlook: Bench/stash
Sit 'Em: Kaelon Black
The matchup: The 49ers face the Dolphins in their first game stateside this season. But the Dolphins could have an advantage in their coaching ranks. Bobby Slowik, Miami's offensive coordinator, worked under Kyle Shanahan for eight seasons between Washington and San Francisco. So he should have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Why I’m sitting him: I'm not ready to believe Black, the third-round rookie, is going to eat up a large share of Christian McCaffrey's workload in 2026. Black may have gotten more rushing attempts than McCaffrey, but the 49ers were playing with a big lead against the Rams.
Plus, McCaffrey still had more snaps, yards, targets and catches than Black last week. With the 49ers back home and a different game script possible against Miami, I think we'll see more McCaffrey and less of Black.
Fantasy outlook: Bench/stash
Rookie sleeper of the week: Ted Hurst
The matchup: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, after Cleveland gave up the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers last week. And while the Browns still have some impressive defensive players, the issues on offense could have their defense on the field a lot.
That could mean a tired Browns defense and plenty of opportunities for the Buccaneers' offense.
Why he’s my sleeper: The hype around Hurst this offseason was too big to ignore, but after Week 1, it might be real. Hurst played the third-most snaps of any Tampa Bay wide receiver last week and caught all three of his targets.
Hurst finished with only 36 yards, but the snap count and potential for more opportunities make Hurst a very sneaky fantasy play in Week 2.
Don't be surprised if he's one of the rookies fantasy managers are talking about on the waiver wire next week.
Fantasy outlook: WR3/FLEX
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