Fantasy Football Week 2 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: Ben Roethlisberger gets dream matchup with worn-down Raiders

One of the biggest Fantasy storylines heading into Week 2 is the San Francisco backfield. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the 49ers running backs with their matchup against the Eagles. It’s almost a guessing game as to what Fantasy managers should do about Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon and JaMychal Hasty this week.

The one thing we know for sure is Raheem Mostert (knee) is out for the season after getting hurt in Week 1 at Detroit. Mitchell took over against the Lions and looked like a star with 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown, and Sermon was inactive as a healthy scratch. Hasty also scored a touchdown against Detroit, but he only had one carry for 3 yards and one catch for 15 yards on one target.

This week, the 49ers added Kerryon Johnson and Trenton Cannon, but neither is expected to make an impact in Week 2. Fantasy managers are more concerned about Mitchell, Sermon and Hasty, and this isn’t an easy matchup at Philadelphia.

Hasty shouldn’t be considered an option for most Fantasy leagues. Maybe he vultures another touchdown, but Mitchell and Sermon are the ones in the spotlight.

You have to believe the 49ers will stick with Mitchell after his performance against the Lions. I would start him as at least a flex option in all leagues, with his value higher in non-PPR formats.

As for Sermon, he’s expected to play, and maybe he does enough in whatever touches he gets against the Eagles to be the lead back in San Francisco moving forward. But Fantasy managers can’t start him at all in Week 2. His biggest impact would be ruining Mitchell this week, and that’s my fear. Shanahan, to no surprise, didn’t help matters with his comments Wednesday.

“As you can see with the way Elijah stepped up when he came in, he did a hell of a job,” Shanahan said. “I have a lot of confidence in Hasty to do the same, and (the) same with Trey. He’ll get his opportunity now, most likely to be up. So, we have some depth there.”

Is it going to be a committee in Week 2? Can you rely on Mitchell? Will Sermon be a factor now and beyond? And what about when Jeff Wilson (knee) is healthy in a few weeks?

For now, start Mitchell against the Eagles if needed, and hopefully he has another strong game like he did against the Lions. If that happens, maybe he’ll be the top 49ers running back for the rest of the year.

Editor’s Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg. Projected points are for PPR leagues.

More Week 2 help: QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Waiver Wire

I have to be honest, I never expected to use Roethlisberger as the Start of the Week this season. I wasn’t even sure he’d be playing this year. But here we are, and I like his situation for Week 2 against the Raiders at home.

Let’s start with the setup for the Steelers. The Raiders have to travel to Pittsburgh for a 1 p.m. ET start after playing an overtime game on Monday night. This should be a tired defense making a long road trip.

This is also the Steelers home opener, and Roethlisberger has thrived in these games. In the last five home openers that he’s finished — he left the 2019 game against Seattle in Week 2 with an elbow injury — he’s averaged 29.6 Fantasy points per game.

Roethlisberger wasn’t great in Week 1 at Buffalo with 188 passing yards and a touchdown on 18-of-32 completions, but we knew that would be a tough matchup on the road. I don’t have the same concerns against the Raiders, although they played well against the Ravens on Monday night.

Las Vegas should struggle to contain Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool, and all are viable Fantasy options this week. I also expect a strong performance from Najee Harris, who will be a factor in the passing game.

We’ll see if Roethlisberger can come through with another strong opener in Pittsburgh. I never expected to trust him in 2021, but Big Ben is due for a big game in Week 2.

Packers (vs DET)

The Packers were embarrassed in Week 1 against the Saints in a 38-3 loss, but I expect Green Bay to rebound in a big way Monday night against Detroit at home. While the Lions just scored 33 points against the 49ers in Week 1, Jared Goff was sacked three times and also threw a pick-six. I like the Packers DST as a No. 1 Fantasy option this week.

• Browns (vs. HOU)
• Giants (at WFT)
• Cardinals (vs. MIN)

Ravens (vs. KC)

The Ravens DST was a disappointment in Week 1 at the Raiders, allowing 33 points in overtime with just three sacks and one interception. This week, Baltimore’s defense should be in trouble against Kansas City, even at home. Last year in Baltimore, the Chiefs scored 34 points and allowed no sacks and just one fumble. It’s hard to trust the Ravens DST taking on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.

So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 1 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has out-performed experts big-time.