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With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache.

Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and

the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that

will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider.

Kirk Cousins QB Washington – My guess is Cousins will be Washington’s quarterback for the rest of

the year. Coach Jay Gruden made it clear he prefers Cousins to start over Robert Griffin III because he

is a better fit in his offense and now his wish has come true, albeit by an ankle injury to RGIII that will

have him sidelined at least the next month. Cousins is the pocket passer that Gruden envisions will

move his offense down the field, maximizing his two stud receivers in Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson

and eventually tightend Jordan Reed. Cousins will go up against a Philadelphia defense that actually

held Indianapolis’ quarterback Andrew Luck in check last week, but this is a divisional rivalry that often

lights the scoreboard up. Should Cousins start the rest of the year, he could end up being a top ten

quarterback. Cousins is a safe start in leagues that start one quarterback but is a great option if you can

use him as your QB2.

Zac Stacy RB St. Louis – Zac Stacy, not Benny Cunningham is the ball carrier in St. Louis – at least for

now. Stacy responded to the runningback controversy that began after Week 1’s subpar performance

with a decent game at Tampa Bay where he ran for 71 yards and added a rushing TD. This week Stacy

goes up against one of the projected worst defenses when St. Louis takes on Dallas at home. Though

Dallas has only given up one rushing TD so far this year, it shouldn’t be much of a concern. Stacy is a

tough runner who should find himself at the goal line via the run more so that the teams’ weak passing

game. St. Louis’ tough defense should keep the Dallas offense in check, keeping a ground game in the

game plan. Look for Stacy to have his best year to date this season and start him as a solid RB2.

Matt Asiata RB Minnesota – Who knows what is in store for Adrian Peterson. That said, while Peterson

finds himself in NFL limbo, Asiata will start in his place in Minnesota’s Week 3 matchup at New Orleans,

a team that struggles mightily against the run. For the time being Asiata should be the man in Minnesota

but look for the team to slowly implement their star-in-waiting runningback, Jerick McKinnon, who

experts believe can overtake the starting role in the next few weeks should Peterson not return. Asiata

should get the bulk of the running load this Sunday and also showed he could be an effective pass

catcher last week, reeling in five balls for 48 yards and a touchdown. While Asiata is still the starter

he can be a worthy start when the matchup is right, and this week the matchup is right. Asiata can be

started as a nice RB2 option this week.

Desean Jackson WR Philadelphia – Revenge games are always nice and you can bet Desean Jackson had

this week’s game against Philadelphia on his calendar for some time. Washington was already working

on improving the deep passing game after Week 1, and you can bet Jackson will be frothing at the bit to

burn the team that kicked him and his bad attitude to the curbside. Jackson makes his living on the long

ball and there is no reason to think a long score or two wouldn’t be in the realm of possibility for him.

Start Jackson as a high end WR2 and you will be glad you did.

Owen Daniels TE Baltimore – Owen Daniels has been cutting into the stats for teammate Dennis Pitta

and really outshined his counterpart last week with 5 catches for 28 yards and two TDs. Though the

receiving yards were not so impressive, he was clearly quarterback Joe Flacco’s favorite new end zone

target. This week should also see a split between Pitta and Daniels but since Flacco loves his tightends,

both can be a decent play. With a very real possibility that Daniels could be targeted in the end zone a

handful of times in Cleveland this week, you may want to think of him as a formidable TE2, especially in

PPR leagues.

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider.

Carson Palmer QB Arizona – Carson Palmer might be dealing with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder, but it didn’t stop him from throwing over 300 yards with two touchdowns against San Diego last week. Palmer should find similar success this week, albeit on the road, when Arizona takes on the New York Giants who surrendered 341 yards in the air to Detroit in Week 1. Palmer has a big play weapon in Michael Floyd and don’t discount Larry Fitzgerald just yet. The good news for Palmer is that RB Andre Ellington seem like he will be able to play through his foot injury, giving Palmer another dangerous passing option. Monitor his status, but it sounds like he will be ready to go. Start Palmer as a high end QB2.

Frank Gore RB San Francisco – Chicago just gave up 193 rushing yards at home to Buffalo in Week 1. With QB Colin Kaepernick expected to get his running yards, Gore and rookie RB Carlos Hyde should also see significant rushing yardage in the team’s home opener. Gore only tallied 66 rushing yards in Week 1, but he should not have too much trouble eclipsing the 110-yard mark in Sunday night’s Week 2 showdown. Gore is 31 years old and was expected to slow down last season, but still managed to put up 1,128 rushing yards with 9 rushing touchdowns - the second highest in his prolific career. Start Gore with confidence as your RB2 with expectations of 100+ rushing yards and a score.

C.J. Spiller RB Buffalo – Spiller’s timeshare with Fred Jackson will continue throughout the 2014 season barring injury. Still, both can be effective options with Spiller having much more potential due to his powerful burst and electrifying speed. This week Buffalo goes up against a Miami defense who held New England to just 89 rushing yards and 226 passing yards. But Miami is on the road in Week 2 and has a slew of defensive players battling injuries – though most should end up on the field Sunday. Buffalo is coming off a big upset where they manhandled Chicago on the road in Week 1 and will be looking to carry that momentum into Week 2 against Miami. Spiller can be dangerous when he finds a hole and is always a candidate for a big play. Big play of not, Spiller should still put up serviceable numbers this week, enough to qualify as a decent RB2 option.  

Kelvin Benjamin WR Detroit – Kelvin Benjamin was much of a secret by the time your league had its draft, but he still probably didn’t go as high as his worth this season will dictate. The 6’5” 240 pound rookie receiver wasted no time in making his name known in the NFL churning out a 6-catch, 92-yard performance with a touchdown to boot. And this was on the road against a should be tough Tampa Bay defense with back up QB Derek Anderson at the helm. This week Benjamin plays at home against Detroit and starting QB Cam Newton is expected to return. Newton will often be hurried by Detroit’s aggressive D-line, but Benjamin is a big target that has speed and the ability to get open in a hurry. I fully expect Benjamin to put up similar numbers to what he did in Week 1 with the potential to haul in his first 100-yard receiving game. Benjamin is a very nice WR2 option and maybe even a lower end WR1 for Week 2.   

Reggie Wayne WR Indianapolis – Reggie Wayne was drafted in the latter rounds of so many fantasy drafts this year – much lower than receiving counterpart T.Y. Hilton. The thought process was that the Wayne is now 35 years old, had ACL repair surgery last season and that Hilton has taken over as the big go to option for QB Andrew Luck. Well, as we all saw in Indy’s Week 1 opener at Denver, Wayne is back and better than ever. He is obviously the guy that Luck entrusts catching 9 of 13 targets and seemed to get open at will. Hilton will still be a major part of the Indianapolis passing game, but Wayne looks to be a bigger part. Yes, it was only one game, but Wayne sure showcased himself as a top league receiver in Monday night’s battle with the AFC champs and showed zero indication that he plans to slow down. As long as Wayne’s big-time play holds up, he should hold borderline WR1 status and that especially goes for this week’s matchup at home against Philadelphia that let Jacksonville’s Chad Henne pass for two first quarter touchdowns. Wayne will light it up in Philly, especially in PPR leagues). Expect 7 or more catches, lots of yards and Wayne’s first score of the year.  

Larry Donnell TE New York Giants – Larry Donnell is separating himself from the TE pack. QB Eli Manning has always liked hitting his TEs and this year should be no different. Donnell, a 6’6” 265 pound target, had preseason completion from Daniel Fells and Adrian Robinson, but has established his starting role in Week 1 by catching 5 or his 8 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown grab against Detroit. Coach Tom Coughlin had mentioned a committee attack at TE but Donnell is certainly Manning’s go-to guy. New York has a tougher defensive matchup in Week 2 against Arizona, but they are at home and Donnell should still have plenty of opportunities. In leagues that start two TEs, Donnell is a nice play this week, but can even be useful in one TE leagues as a replacement for injured players like Jordan Reed or Jordan Cameron.

Hot Pick Up Bust of the Week

Terrance West RB Cleveland – New Orleans can give up the rushing yards – especially on the road, where they find themselves in Week 2 at Cleveland. The question is, how much Cleveland will be running the ball. In Week 1 New Orleans was on the road battling Atlanta where they gave up 123 rushing yards. Of course, Atlanta has a much more potent offense and not only kept up with Drew Brees and company but pasted them with 445 passing yards. West, who is starting in place for the injured Ben Tate, may find his team unable to keep up with New Orleans’ high flying offense and not getting as many run opportunities, most likely trailing early on. Plus, he has fellow backfield mate Isaiah Crowell to contend with. West has been a popular pick up this week, but it’s just not in the cards for him to put up fantasy relevant numbers in Week 2. Hold onto him and hope he starts at home in Week 3 vs Baltimore where it will be much more of a smashmouth type game that could offer plenty of run opportunities. Unless you are desperate for RB help this week, West should be on your bench.   

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider:

Johnathan Dwyer RB Arizona – Lead back Andre Ellington is out for a significant amount of time – 4-6 weeks or more. If you drafted the injury prone Ellington, you would have been smart to draft Dwyer, but if he was on your waiver wire – snag him and start him when the matchup is right. This week, the matchup could be right. Arizona plays at home against San Diego, whose team defense finished near the bottom last season (especially on the road) and they haven’t really done much to improve for 2014. Dwyer might not catch a lot of balls in the backfield, but is a big, plodding runner who was already expected to handle a good amount of goal line duties. Now, with Ellington out of the picture, he will get the chance to rack up some serious yards, especially with Arizona’s pass attack opening up the run game. Stephan Taylor will also see some reps, but I expect Dwyer to hit the 100-yard mark with a few catches and at least one score as a strong RB2 play.  

Darren Sproles RB Philadelphia – Philadelphia didn’t sign the super versatile Sproles to sit on the bench. This week the Eagles take on what could be the worst NFL defense this season and Sproles will certainly get his shots in Chip Kelly’s high flying offense and when he does the Cowboys will have a tough time containing him. It might be a stretch to start Sproles as your number two running back in Week 1 (although he could pay off), but he will make a nice flex option as a lower-end RB2 with a ton of upside. Starting running back LeSean McCoy has already admitted he expects Sproles to get a good amount of action, and in Kelly’s fast-paced offense, there is certainly room for both.   

Ryan Fitzpatrick QB Houston – If you are in a league that starts two quarterbacks or more, Fitzpatrick could be a sneaky QB2 pick. Apparently, there is still a quarterback competition going on in Houston with Ryan Mallett standing by if Fitzpatrick falters – talk about incentive. Houston plays at home against a Washington defense who struggled against the pass last season and any quarterback who has an Andre Johnson to throw to can never be discounted. I like Fitzpatrick as a QB2 with big game potential. 250 passing yards and a couple of scores are not out of the question.

Emmanuel Sanders WR Denver – Talk about a year with breakout indications written all over it. Sanders now is hooked up by one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Peyton Manning, Eric Decker has split to New York and Wes Welker a concussion away from retirement and is currently serving a four game suspension due to breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Let’s not forget that Sanders has always had speed and talent. Week 1 has Denver hosting Indianapolis in what should be a shootout. Sanders will certainly benefit. He was dealing with a minor thigh issue, but fantasy owners should not worry as he has already practiced in full in will be a full go on Sunday. Sanders should be started as a WR2 with confidence and WR1 potential in this very favorable match-up.