Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the weekly NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Sleeper alert features an under-the-radar player who could produce good numbers. Owners beware features a regular fantasy starter who could fail to meet expectations based on the strength of his opponent. Obvious fantasy starters like Peyton Manning and LeSean McCoy will not be featured. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Start of the week
Andrew Luck vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Luck is coming off a solid fantasy performance against the Denver Broncos, posting 370 passing yards and three total touchdowns. His success in the stat sheets should continue on Monday night, as he goes up against an Eagles defense that allowed more than 17 fantasy points to Chad Henne in Week 1. Luck, who has the talent to be an elite fantasy quarterback, should be active across the board.
Start 'em
Tom Brady at Minnesota Vikings: Brady was a disappointment for fantasy owners last week against the Miami Dolphins, but I expect him to rebound in Week 2 against the Vikings. In his last eight road games against the NFC, he's thrown for an average of 342 yards with a combined 21 touchdowns passes. Furthermore, Brady failed to throw for multiple touchdowns in just one of those eight contests. Those are some solid totals.
Colin Kaepernick vs. Chicago Bears: Last week, the Bears allowed almost 17 fantasy points to a mobile quarterback in EJ Manuel. Next on the schedule is a date with another signal-caller who can find statistical success with his legs, and that makes Kaepernick an attractive option. In his first contest of 2014, the Nevada product scored over 17 points of his own against the Dallas Cowboys. Look for similar totals in Week 2.
Andy Dalton vs. Atlanta Falcons: Dalton, the fifth-highest scoring quarterback in fantasy football a season ago, has been labeled as more of a matchup-based starter in 2014. He's also been a more reliable option when he's playing on his home turf. In his last five home games against the NFC, in fact, Dalton has thrown for a combined 11 touchdowns. That includes four contests where he's recorded multiple scoring passes.
Sleeper alert - Jake Locker vs. Dallas Cowboys: Locker has proven in the past that he can post attractive totals when he's at 100 percent, which was the case last week when he put over 20 fantasy points on the Kansas City Chiefs. Still a free agent in most NFL.com leagues, he's a great option at home against the Cowboys and their swiss cheese defense. Expect Locker to produce at least 18 points and finish as a top-12 signal-callers.
Sit of the week
Jay Cutler at San Francisco 49ers: Cutler posted a nice stat line in Week 1 with 349 yards, two touchdowns and 17.96 fantasy points, but that was a home game. Take a look at what he's done on the road vs. NFC competition ... in his last 13 such contests, Cutler has thrown for multiple touchdowns a mere three times. He's also thrown for more than 300 yards once in that time. Those aren't attractive totals for fantasy owners.
Sit 'em
Philip Rivers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Rivers was one of the six-best quarterbacks in fantasy land a season ago, but he's still subject to the matchups. And while the Seahawks are a tougher opponent at home, their defense is no picnic on the road either. In fact, quarterbacks have posted an average of 13.2 fantasy points in passing production (based on standard scoring) in Seattle's last six road games against AFC teams.
Tony Romo at Tennessee Titans: Did you watch Romo's lackluster performance against the San Francisco 49ers last week? Three interceptions, fewer than nine fantasy points ... not good. This week he goes on the road to face the Titans, who allowed just 9.68 fantasy points to Alex Smith a week ago. While Romo could put up some garbage-time fantasy points, it's tough to start him with any confidence at this point in time.
EJ Manuel vs. Miami Dolphins: Manuel had a nice start to the 2014 season, posting a pair of touchdowns and 16.82 fantasy points in a road win over the Chicago Bears. However, he's still not someone to start this week at home against a tough Dolphins defense. Last week, Miami gave up a mere 10.26 fantasy points to a future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. At this point, Manuel is still a low-end fantasy reserve in most leagues. Keep him on the waiver wire.
Owners beware - Robert Griffin III vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Griffin III has become hard to trust after a bad preseason and disappointing opener, and the stats don't offer him a light at the end of the tunnel. In four career home games against the AFC, he's recorded an average of just 229.5 passing yards and scored four total touchdowns. The Jaguars also have an underrated front line, so Griffin III could be running for his life for another week.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
