Week 2 Fantasy Football Lineup Advice: Must-Starts at EVERY Position (Ep. 2201)
September 18, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readWeek 2 Fantasy Football: Finding Value in the Matchups
Baker Mayfield was actually good in Week 1—despite the box score saying otherwise. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards, and the only thing that capsized his fantasy output was three fumbles, including one where he was about to score a rushing touchdown at the goal line. On a per-dropback basis, Mayfield posted the third-highest passing success rate and catchable target rate in the league. Now he faces the Cleveland Browns, the team that traded him away for three first-round picks and a fully guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson. The Browns defense was terrible against the pass in Week 1, allowing the third-most yards per attempt and the highest passer rating. "I think Baker Mayfield is going to be absolutely motivated to crush his former team," says Derek Brown. The revenge narrative aside, the underlying numbers suggest Mayfield is a legitimate QB1 play this week.
Running Backs to Trust When the Market Doesn't
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:40) **Week 2 Primer & Must-Start Philosophy** - Host Seth Woolcock and analyst Derek Brown introduce the episode's focus on must-start players for week two, emphasizing that over half of leagues are starting 0-1.
- 2 (02:49) **QB Must-Start: Baker Mayfield (vs. CLE)** - Brown picks Mayfield as a QB1 play against his former team, driven by narrative and analytics.
- 3 (05:44) **RB Must-Start: Zach Charbonnet (SEA)** - Brown argues Seattle should feed Charbonnet, who is undervalued outside the top-24 in ECR.
- 4 (07:36) **RB Must-Start: Javonte Williams (vs. CHI)** - Brown highlights Williams as a bounce-back candidate against a Broncos defense that was gashed by Kenneth Walker in week one.
- 5 (10:34) **WR Must-Start: Stefon Diggs (vs. DAL)** - Brown believes Diggs is still elite and should be started despite being outside the top-20 in ECR.
- 6 (12:34) **WR Must-Start: Malik Nabers (NYG)** - Brown picks Nabers as a breakout candidate based on his week-one usage and a favorable coverage matchup against the Jets.
- 7 (14:07) **TE Must-Start: Brenton Strange (JAC)** - Brown identifies Strange as a deep-league streamer who is widely available (26% rostered) and faces a favorable matchup.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Seth Woolcock and Derek Brown reveal their must-start fantasy football players for Week 2, beginning with Baker Mayfield in a revenge matchup against Cleveland and a pair of intriguing running backs with favorable opportunities.
They also break down why Stefon Diggs and Matthew Golden could deliver big receiving performances, with usage, coverage tendencies and matchup data pointing toward productive Week 2 outings.
Plus, Brenton Strange emerges as a potential tight end solution for fantasy managers dealing with injuries or disappointing Week 1 performances. Get the lineup calls, matchup analysis and deeper metrics you need before locking in your Week 2 roster.
Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)
Intro - 0:00:00
Baker Mayfield - 0:02:40
Jadarian Price - 0:05:00
Bhayshul Tuten - 0:06:50
TrophySmack - 0:09:16
Stefon Diggs - 0:09:55
Matthew Golden - 0:11:55
Brenton Strange - 0:13:35
Helpful Links:
Polymarket - Polymarket is giving you a $50 bonus when you deposit just $10. Sign up right now with promo code FPPOD at https://app.polymarket.us/S8ac/FPPOD. 18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur. See http://polymarket.com/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated exchange and clearing organization.
Draft Wizard - Dominate your fantasy football draft with Draft Wizard. Run fast mock drafts, test different strategies, build custom cheat sheets, get pick-by-pick draft advice, and learn your leaguemates' tendencies before draft day. Just download the FantasyPros App or head to fantasypros.com/draftwizard
Start Your Free FantasyPros Premium Trial - https://www.fantasypros.com/free/ -
Get three days free to unlock premium draft tools, rankings, analysis, and personalized advice.
Watch and Subscribe to The Tailgate - https://www.youtube.com/@tailgatenfl -
Just friends talking football. Get NFL storylines, weekly analysis, giveaways, and more from the FantasyPros team.
Subscribe to FantasyPros on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fantasypros -
Watch the latest fantasy football rankings, mock drafts, sleepers, breakouts, and draft advice.
More from this podcast