Fantasy Football Week 2 Wide Receiver Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: DK Metcalf Vs. Tee Higgins
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The AFC North enjoyed a successful opening week, with three of four squads securing wins in the season opener a week ago. Entering Week 2, the division presents a number of notable fantasy football contributors that could turn in massive performances on Sunday. At wide receiver, DK Metcalf and Tee Higgins will be spotlighted this week, as both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals look to build on Week 1 wins.
Both Metcalf and Higgins were limited to quiet fantasy performances while facing immense expectations to start the season, but will both be looked on to bounce back in Week 2. With Pittsburgh set to square off against New England, and Cincinnati gearing up to travel to Houston, let’s explore who presents the superior fantasy outlook for Week 2 lineups:
The Case For DK Metcalf
Pittsburgh’s passing attack left plenty of big-play opportunities on the table in a Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, hampering Metcalf’s output in the season opener. The star wideout boasted encouraging volume, taking on 10 targets, but only managed four catches for 40 yards. He dropped several passes that could have significantly bolstered his overall production last week, and will be looking to bounce back against New England. If he pulls down just one or two of those would-be plays from last week, Metcalf will be in for a big day on Sunday.
The Case Against Metcalf
Much like Week 1, Metcalf will endure a tough individual matchup against a solidified top corner, squaring off against Christian Gonzalez on the perimeter in Week 2. He managed to create consistent separation last week, but tough coverage proved to be the difference between his 8.0-point showing in PPR and a potential 100-yard performance in Week 1.
The Case For Tee Higgins
Veteran tight end Mike Gesicki emerged as an unexpected hero in Week 1, with Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins enduring quiet performances against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From a non-fantasy lens, Higgins’ three catches for 59 yards were solid, though the star wideout was held to just 8.9 points in PPR. Matched up against a Houston Texans secondary that struggled mightily in Week 1, both Higgins and Chase could be in for big rebound efforts in Week 2. Higgins, who hauled in double-digit touchdowns in each of the last two seasons, should see plenty of volume to produce once again this weekend.
The Case Against Higgins
Cincinnati’s rushing attack took on greater responsibility in a narrow win over Tampa Bay last week. This week’s matchup against Houston, with a spread of just 2.5 points, will feature the run game in a plentiful role which could hamper the ceiling of the Bengals’ passing scheme. Fantasy managers will count on consistent trends of touchdown production in a tough matchup against the Texans.
The Verdict
Considering his upper-hand in projected volume, I’m going to pick Metcalf over Higgins, with the feeling he presents a superior ceiling to that of the Bengals wideout. He may not muster Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 8-122-1 stat line from Week 1, but will see plenty of targets to bounce back from a lowly Week 1 performance. Higgins’ fantasy outlook will be largely reliant on his ability to find the end zone, which will hamper his ceiling in PPR.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.