Weekly Fantasy Football: 10 Star Players That Will Disappoint in Week 2

It’s not that I don’t like Gore’s favorable matchup; I just believe he will play the same role he played last week in the 49ers offense. He will have a decent game, but the Niners will go up earlier against a weak Chicago D and Gore will get his rest on the sidelines. Expect Carlos Hyde to take some carries away from Gore early on, after his impressive Week 1 performance.

The good news for fantasy owners, Newton is healthy and ready to play in Week 2. The bad news, he is making his season debut against a mean Detroit Lions' defense. Carolina has an unproven O-line, so the dangerous Lions D will be licking their chops attempting to get their paws on Newton. He is a definite QB1 this season, but this week he is best served on your bench.

Gates proved last week that he can still be a fantasy factor at your TE position, catching 6 of 10 targets for 81-yards. However, this came against a Cardinals’ D that surrendered 16 TDs and an average of 13.2 FPPG to TEs in 2013. Gates will have a tougher time attaining this same production against Seattle’s Legion of Boom on Sunday. You’re better off finding another TE to fill the void.

Stacy is being started in 84% of leagues this week against a stout Buccaneer D. Why? I can’t really understand because the second-year pro was not a factor at all last week. On top of that, he played in two fewer snaps than backup Benjamin Cunningham, who looked fluent in the Rams’ passing game. It looks like there will be a timeshare between the backs, so avoid starting Stacy until he proves otherwise.

No other star receiver has a tougher matchup this week than Cruz. Given the current state of the Giants passing offense, if there is one, it looks as if the star wideout won’t be doing much salsa dancing in the end zone. The Cardinals stud DBs were able to shut down Keenan Allen in Week 1, so look for more of the same on Sunday. Cruz won’t have much fantasy value until him and Eli Manning get on the same page.

It looks as if Martin will be active and starting on Sunday against the Rams. Martin logged a miserable nine carries for nine yards last week, before exiting with a knee injury. He has a favorable matchup in Week 2, but is a risky fantasy starter with the lingering injury and the presumption that he is not the star player he once was in 2012. It’s safer to keep him on your bench than suffer from another lackluster performance.

Apparently, when it rains, it pours in Kansas City. The devastating loss of linebacker Derrick Johnson could not have come at a worse time, as the Chiefs visit Denver this week to take on undoubtedly the most intimidating offense in the NFL. What used to be an unquestioned weekly starting defense is now, at best, a backup D or circumstantial waiver wire acquisition.

Marshall is one of those guys who should be starting in your lineup every single week. However, this week, if you are bold enough, I advise you to keep him out of your lineup. Marshall isn’t 100% and is currently listed as questionable for Sunday night’s game against San Francisco. He also has a harsh matchup against a tough-nosed D that kept Dez Bryant in check the week before. It’s a difficult decision, but one that could get you a W.

There was speculation that Lacy might not be able to play this week, but after practicing fully without any setbacks, he will be a go against the Jets. The only problem is the Jets held Oakland RBs to just 26 rushing yards and 3FP in Week 1. It will be back-to-back weeks where Lacy will have to earn every rushing yard and he did not fair too well against a similar defense last week. Err on the side of caution if you decide to start Lacy.

Seriously? Sit Matthew Stafford? Yes, I’m telling you to let the 2nd best fantasy QB ride the pine in Week 2. The Lions QB faces one of the best defenses in the NFL. The fact that Carolina never allowed more than 20 points at home in all of 2013 is a hard pill to swallow for Stafford owners. The Panthers D looked superb last week against a mediocre Tampa Bay offense, so look for them to want to prove themselves against a more talented offense.