• Start Brock Purdy: The San Francisco 49ers quarterback didn’t score many fantasy points against the New York Jets in Week 1, but there is no defense stronger than the Jets, meaning Purdy should be back.

• To sit George Pickens: Pickens will spend the day confronting Pat Surtain II while the rest of the Steelers offense takes advantage of the Denver Broncos’ defense.

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Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Deciding who should go first or who should sit can be as simple as checking PFF Rankings and pick the highest-ranked player. This starting sit column goes a step further, examining why a typical starter might struggle in a given week or why an overlooked player might perform well. While typical starters often remain the best choices, we also focus on those borderline players who are worth considering.

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QUARTERBACKS

START

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Purdy had a mediocre start to the season from a fantasy perspective, but that won’t be a problem long term. He faced a strong New York Jets coverage defense, completing 19 of his 29 passes for 231 yards and no touchdowns. His 10.3 fantasy points ranked 25th among quarterbacks. However, he was the second-highest-rated quarterback of the week and helped the 49ers win.

He goes from having the second-best defense at keeping quarterbacks from scoring fantasy points last year to a below-average unit in the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota’s defense did a great job last week against Daniel Jonesbut this will be a very different challenge.

Purdy has excelled against zone defense his entire career, posting an 85.7 grade against zone compared to a 68.5 grade against man. The Vikings were a top 10 unit in zone coverage usage last season under Brian Flores and deployed zone at the fifth-highest rate in Week 1.

Purdy was selected as a weekly starter in fantasy drafts. Last week was the exception, not the rule.

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