Week 2 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Seahawks vs 49ers

A pair of NFC West rivals meet head-to-head in Week 2 as the Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers. FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds list the 49ers as a heavy 8.5-point favorite in a game that is full of talented playmakers on both sides of the football.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's our start 'em, sit 'em advice for this Week 2 NFC West showdown.

Rashaad Penny Fantasy

Start Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Looking at the San Francisco 49ers front seven doesn't usually spell a favorable matchup for running backs. That still rings true in 2022, but doesn't stop Rashaad Penny from deserving a starting nod for your FLEX spot. Throw out Seattle's game script from the wacky Monday Night Football win over the Broncos. Seattle rushed the ball just 40% of the time, a number completely unexpected with quarterback Geno Smith taking over. Penny was the only back featured in Seattle' offense, snapping off 12 rushing attempts and seeing three targets. More importantly, he was utilized the few times Seattle did make the red zone. This includes 1 red zone target and 1 rushing attempt. Smith was the only other player to receive a red zone rushing opportunity (1), and the same for Noah Fant in red zone targets (1). San Francisco's defense prevents a high-upside Week 2 performance, but Penny will have enough opportunities to come in with a stable floor. Simply put, there's not a lot of other fantasy names to trust on the Seahawks roster.

Jeff Wilson Jr. Fantasy

Start Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers: Seattle's front seven also performed well in Week 1, coming in with the No. 3 rush-defense per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric. This is another case of sheer opportunity. Elijah Mitchell went down with an injury and the running back room turns to Jeff Wilson Jr. in Week 2. Wilson racked up 9 carries thanks to the Mitchell injury, and that number is sure to grow for a team experiencing growing pains at quarterback. San Francisco ran the ball a staggering 57% of the time in Week 1, and with a bad weather forecast and big 8.5-point spread, we should see much of the same in Week 2. San Francisco didn't pass the ball once during their trips to the red zone while Wilson's three red zone carries led the team. Deebo Samuel is a must-start, but consider Jeff Wilson Jr. a viable FLEX option in this matchup.

DK Metcalf Fantasy

Sit DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Not only is San Francisco's front seven elite, but so is the secondary. Fresh off a week where the 49ers allowed the sixth-fewest PPR points to opposing wideouts (and 10th-fewest to QBs), it's hard to trust Seattle's passing attack. Metcalf led the team with seven targets in Week1 and projects with a decent floor, but this could be one of his toughest matchups. It's not time to completely bench Metcalf, but rather temper your expectations. It was his route running that concerned me most in Week 1. The big-bodied wideout was known for making plays downfield with Russell Wilson throwing him passes, evidenced by a 13.2-yard average depth of target. That number crashed down to just 4.4 yards in Week 1. He also failed to see one look in the red zone. Don't expect Metcalf to his WR14 numbers (from 2021) just yet, not against the 49ers and in a game projected to be full of rain.

George Kittle Fantasy

Sit George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers: It's not often you'll find George Kittle's name receive a sit designation, but the injury concerns are too much to overcome in Week 2. Kittle didn't practice on Wednesday and his status remains very much up in the air after missing Week 1. A promising late-week injury report could sway this decision, but for now we'll look at other tight end options or playmakers (like Deebo Samuel) in this game. San Francisco's offense was a mess in Week 1, partly thanks to some brutal playing conditions. It was also clear Kyle Shanahan wasn't ready to take the training wheels off for Trey Lance, who only passed 28 times for 164 yards. San Francisco also didn't even attempt a pass in the red zone, and that's simply not enough volume to justify a fantasy start should Kittle somehow suit up. With another rainy forecast projected on Sunday, stay away from many of the 49ers' passing weapons until clear skies give us a better picture of the offense.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.