Fantasy Football: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 2 Patriots Edition
The fantasy season is officially underway, and PatriotMaven is here to help you decide what to do with the Patriots stashed on your roster.
New England seemed to be in control for the majority of its Week 1 matchup against Miami, and there were multiple solid fantasy performances that emerged as a result. Next up on the schedule is the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the Atlanta Falcons in a 38-25 shootout last week.
In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, there will be Patriots who live up to the task and those who do not. Here’s a list of who to trust in your fantasy lineups this week, as well as who to bury on your bench.
All scores are calculated using half-point PPR, ESPN standard scoring
Start ‘Em: Cam Newton
Newton’s Patriots debut went as well as it could have, but there is still room for him to grow.
The former NFL MVP had the sixth-best day of any fantasy quarterback Week 1, and that was with only 19 attempts through the air. Newton scoring two rushing touchdowns is certainly possible – albeit not realistic to expect every week – moving forward. But for Newton to continue being a relevant fantasy quarterback he has to make sure his passing game matches his running game.
Luckily for him, the Seahawks are the perfect team to face for quarterbacks looking to air it out.
While a lot of his production occurred in garbage time, Seattle let Matt Ryan put up 23.9 fantasy points Week 1. Josh McDaniels won’t let Newton attempt 54 passes like Ryan did a week ago, but a defense that allowed a 68.5 percent completion percentage and 450 passing yards is a weak one Newton is well-equipped to pick apart come Sunday.
Newton also has a decent track record against Pete Carroll’s defenses in the past, averaging 17.0 fantasy points per game in his six career appearances against the Seahawks, including 18.3 per game over his last three.
Seattle has a superior defense to Miami, at least personnel-wise, so don’t expect Newton to boast a 79 percent completion percentage and five yards per carry against the Seahawks in Week 2. But his volume should increase based on McDaniels’ gameplan, especially through the air, making him arguably more dynamic and tougher for Carroll to gameplan for.
Chalk Newton up as a top-10 fantasy quarterback again Week 2, despite worse efficiency than his near-perfect Week 1 performance.
Sit ‘Em: Patriots D/ST
Bill Belichick’s defensive unit put up 12 fantasy points Week 1 against the Dolphins.
That will not happen again Week 2.
Russell Wilson scored a league-high 31.7 fantasy points Week 1, a far cry from the turnover-prone Ryan Fitzpatrick New England’s secondary picked on last week. Wilson has gone 32 straight games without a multi-interception performance, and even when he did throw two picks in the 2018 season opener, he still finished with a respectable 16.4 fantasy points.
The Patriots were shutting down bonafide backup receivers against the Dolphins once DeVante Parker went down with an injury Sunday, but they’ll have to contain Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf and Greg Olsen in Seattle this weekend. Add in the fact that the Seahawks’ ground game is more established and carries over considerably more familiarity than the Dolphins’ did, and the Patriots defense will be out of their element come Week 2.
The lack of Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins and the rest of the 2019 linebacking corps will be a lot more evident against Seattle than it was against Miami, and that is not a good sign for fantasy owners in Week 2.
Start ‘Em: N’Keal Harry
Harry posted a decent Week 1 performance after a dismal 2019 campaign.
His 4.4 fantasy points easily could have been 12.4 if his fumble at the goal line had turned into a touchdown instead of a touchback.
And with the Seahawks’ suspect corners next up on the slate, now is the time for Harry to break out as a legitimate fantasy option.
Seattle acquired the do-it-all safety Jamal Adams in the offseason, a move that unilaterally improved its defense moving forward. However, Adams didn’t do much to slow down Atlanta’s receivers last week.
Calvin Ridley – the Falcons’ second option in the passing game – put up 29.4 points against the Seahawks in Week 1, while Julio Jones and Russell Gage scored 20.2 and 15.9, respectively. The trio hauled in nine receptions apiece, and while New England isn’t likely to rely on the passing game the same way Atlanta did, there is a clear hole in Seattle’s defense McDaniels is likely to exploit.
Julian Edelman could benefit from a weak secondary as well, but the Seahawks’ great safety and linebacker play over the middle may make Harry the more explosive option outside the numbers. Harry doesn’t have enough of a reputation to justify starting him at WR1 or WR2, but he could easily be a flex starter in deeper leagues with an extremely high ceiling due to a favorable matchup.
Sit ‘Em: James White
Adams and White have faced off many times, and White has rarely gotten the best of the All-Pro safety.
In four appearances against Adams’ Jets dating back to 2017, White has averaged 9.8 fantasy points per game. Only one of those four performances yielded double-digit points from White, and it came in a Week 17 blowout win for the Patriots en route to their 2019 Super Bowl victory.
White has also struggled against the Seahawks in the past, posting just 5.7 points the last time he faced them in the regular season. The way Carroll uses Adams, K.J. Wright, Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin does not bode well for White, who put up only 6.7 points against Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Eric Rowe of the Dolphins in Week 1.
White’s chemistry with Newton is still a relative unknown, and with so many athletic, rangey and talented defenders to beat, he might not be worth a start Week 2 in Seattle.
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