The San Francisco 49ers rolled to a big lead early in Week 1 before cruising to an easy win. The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, traded punches back and forth before finally losing in overtime. At 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday in San Francisco, the two teams face each other, one looking to continue its early trend, and the other looking to buck it.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 2: Bears vs. 49ers
The Bears travel to San Francisco with two of their biggest stars as question marks.
Rich Schultz
There are a lot of fantasy names to keep an eye on in the game as well:
Bears
Start in every league: Matt Forte
Start if you're desperate: Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, Robbie Gould
Bench: Defense/special teams
The only sure thing in the Bears’ offense this week is Forte, who has an argument for being the No. 1 running back.
And then all the question start. With injury concerns surrounding his wide receivers, Cutler could be in great shape for Week 2 or awful shape. ... Meanwhile, both Marshall and Jeffery are question marks for Week 2. Considering the lateness of the game, fantasy owners of either (especially Jeffery, who is the biggest question mark) should have a Sunday night/Monday insurance policy in case the worst happens. Santonio Holmes, Jordan Matthews, Stevie Johnson, or Hakeem Nicks are all possibilities. You can't enter Sunday night with only a potentially-out player as your option. ... Bennett is my No. 11 tight end in Week 2, but if the team's star pass-catchers are hindered, his stock rises. ... The Bears' offense could struggle on the road against a good defense, which could limit Gould's kicking effectiveness.
The Bears’ defense doesn’t look like it’s any better than last year’s subpar unit.
49ers
Start in every league: Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Phil Dawson, Defense/special teams
Start if you're desperate: Carlos Hyde, Anquan Boldin
Bench: Stevie Johnson
Taking such a big lead in Week 1, the 49ers didn't do much attacking last week, meaning Kaepernick's 17 fantasy points were gathered almost entirely in the first quarter. Give him four quarters and watch the value add up. ... The Bears still can't stop the run, meaning good things for Gore. ... Crabtree had an awful Week 1, but he entered the game banged up and the team ended up not needing him; here's betting on a more productive Week 2. ... Davis has cemented his status as a must-start tight end. ... The 49ers could score a lot of points this season, forecasting good things for Dawson. ... The 49ers' defense had a great outing in Week 1; without Tony Romo opposite them, they might not do as well in Week 2, but this is still a good unit.
Hyde was more involved in the offense in Week 1 than I expected. He’s still behind Gore, but against a defense that doesn’t stop running backs, he could still offer low-end flex value. ... Boldin could easily be productive, but he’s still behind Crabtree and Davis in the rotation.
Johnson is a nice addition to San Francisco, but he’s, like, the team’s seventh offensive option.
