The second Monday Night Football showdown of this young NFL season features a pair of NFC contenders with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Both offenses are loaded with important players for fantasy football, though WR A.J. Brown's sudden injury complicates matters for managers.
While Kirk Cousins and the Falcons struggled mightily in Week 1, the Eagles' young secondary is an easier matchup than the ferocious Steelers were. Saquon Barkley led a new-look Philadelphia offense to an impressive victory, but how will things look with Brown now sidelined?
You already know you're starting Barkley, Bijan Robinson, DeVonta Smith, and Drake London. Aside from the obvious, let's look at the best starts and sits for Monday's Week 2 contest.
Falcons vs. Eagles Fantasy Picks: Starts
Start Ray-Ray McCloud III, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Raise your hand if you thought Ray-Ray McCloud would lead Atlanta in receiving yards (52) and targets (7) in Week 1. Kirk Cousins looked physically limited and couldn't drive the ball downfield, forcing him to rely on McCloud in the slot. That actually plays into the Falcons' hands in Week 2, as the Eagles are consistently one of the worst teams at defending slot receivers. Jayden Reed caught four passes for 138 yards and a TD last week, so McCloud should stay heavily involved as Atlanta tries to get Cousins more comfortable. Based on how the offense looked, it wouldn't be surprising for McCloud to once again outscore London despite the latter's pedigree. McCloud has never had more than 277 receiving yards in a season, but the reality of Cousins' injury recovery means we should expect career-best numbers from the 2018 sixth-round pick. Start McCloud with confidence and expect Cousins to look his way early and often.
Start Jahan Dotson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Dotson is the direct beneficiary of Brown's absence. The former first-round pick was acquired from Washington in August and now gets a chance to shine on a national stage for his new squad. He didn't catch his only target in Week 1 but should see significantly higher volume on Monday. Brown was targeted 10 times against the Packers and a decent chunk of those will go to Dotson. He's a valuable red-zone threat, catching 11 TDs during his first two seasons with the Commanders. Hurts is the best QB Dotson has ever played with, and he's just a few years removed from being one of the best WR prospects in the draft. Atlanta has a great secondary, though George Pickens still caught six passes for 85 yards last week by utilizing his physicality. Smith will draw a majority of the Falcons' attention, giving Dotson room to get loose. Even if he's only targeted near the red zone, the relatively high chance that he scores a TD makes Dotson a worthy play for owners who lost Brown.
Falcons vs. Eagles Fantasy Picks: Sits
Sit Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons: A 12-yard TD saved Pitts' fantasy day in Week 1 but there were significant warning signs that should worry you. He only saw three targets and wasn't targeted at all until the final drive of the first half, seeing just one target after halftime despite the Falcons facing a deficit. The Steelers gave up the 11th-most points to tight ends in 2023, so this theoretically should've been a matchup to exploit. On the other hand, the Eagles limited Packers' tight ends to just two catches in Week 1. Unless Pitts lines up frequently in the slot, Cousins won't be incentivized to look his way. Depending on when you drafted Pitts, you might not have a choice but to start him anyway, though your expectations should be tempered. Until Cousins is comfortable pushing the ball down the field, Pitts will be heavily reliant on red-zone looks to score points.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Monday Night Football Fantasy Picks: Who to Start, Who to Sit for Falcons vs. Eagles Week 2.
