Cole Kmet Week 2 fantasy outlook: role, matchup and start/sit call

Cole Kmet's fantasy role in Week 2

Cole Kmet goes into Week 2 of the 2026 season as a deep-league TE flyer for the CHI. He is rostered in 1% of leagues and actually started in 0% of them, and we rank him TE39 on our own weekly board at 3.3 projected points.

Roster rates are steady week over week, so his role looks settled rather than in flux.

No injury designation to work around right now, which keeps his projection honest.

Week 2 matchup breakdown

The matchup: vs MIN. Our Pepper Meter heat rating for this spot is 1 out of 5, which is how we grade the combination of role, projection and opponent difficulty.

Against a typical starting TE baseline of 7 points, his 3.3-point projection is 3.7 points short. That gap is the whole start/sit argument in one number.

How to play it

Sit Cole Kmet in Week 2 if you have a real alternative — 3.3 projected points lands 3.7 under the TE starter line.

If you are deciding between him and another TE, compare projections first, then lean on the Pepper Meter heat rating as the tiebreaker.

Sally's take

Peppers & Picks ranks Cole Kmet (CHI TE), our TE39 this week for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season vs MIN, projecting 3.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. At home against MIN, I expect the game to stay competitive enough that his usage holds. The projection sits about 53% under what a startable TE returns, so I can't pretend the price tag matches the output. Mild on the Pepper Meter is generous, honestly.

Tina's take

Peppers & Picks ranks Cole Kmet (CHI TE), our TE39 this week for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season vs MIN, projecting 3.3 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. At home against MIN, I expect the game to stay competitive enough that his usage holds. The projection sits about 53% under what a startable TE returns, so I honestly can't pretend the price tag matches the output. Mild on the Pepper Meter is generous, honestly.