Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

Don't panic. The worst thing you can do after the first week of the fantasy football season is overreact and change your entire strategy.

The NFL season features plenty of ups and downs, with some players exceeding expectations one week before failing the next one. It's important to remain active with your lineups, but don't take out your top picks for a waiver-wire hero after one fluke performance.

Of course, that doesn't mean you should completely ignore Week 1, especially when it comes to usage rates at the skill positions.

All of this goes into the early positional rankings for fantasy football heading into Week 2.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Cam Newton	Panthers	SF	26
2	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	at MIN	24
3	Drew Brees	Saints	at NYG	23
4	Andrew Luck	Colts	at DEN	22
5	Eli Manning	Giants	NO	21
6	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	at LA	20
7	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	CIN	20
8	Matthew Stafford	Lions	TEN	19
9	Carson Palmer	Cardinals	TB	19
10	Matt Ryan	Falcons	OAK	18

Russell Wilson will have better days, but for now it seems like there is a clear top four at this position without him.

Although Cam Newton took a beating physically in Week 1, he is still the best option in fantasy going forward thanks to his ability to pick up yards through the air and on the ground. Aaron Rodgers is as good as ever with Jordy Nelson back on the field.

Andrew Luck and Drew Brees will be able to rack up big numbers while their poor defenses forcing them to keep throwing all game long.

Meanwhile, Week 2 also provides a chance for some quality passers to build off early success with favorable matches.

One defense you might want to target all season long is the New Orleans Saints, which allowed Derek Carr to pass for 319 yards in a 35-34 loss. As Dan Duggan of NJ.com noted, the unit should be even worse next week:

This gives an opportunity for Eli Manning to follow up his three-touchdown performance with an even bigger showing in Week 2.

Matt Ryan could have a big game as well against the struggling Oakland Raiders pass defense that almost blew it against the Saints on Sunday.

Among other names to move into the starting lineup, Matthew Stafford and Jameis Winston (who just missed the list) are off to strong starts to the season and are worth playing if you need them.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	TB	18
2	Lamar Miller	Texans	KC	16
3	C.J. Anderson	Broncos	IND	15
4	Todd Gurley	Rams	SEA	15
5	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	at WAS	14
6	Adrian Peterson	Vikings	GB	14
7	DeAngelo Williams	Steelers	CIN	14
8	Doug Martin	Buccaneers	at ARI	13
9	LeSean McCoy	Bills	NYJ	13
10	Matt Forte	Jets	at BUF	13
11	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	at HOU	13
12	Jonathan Stewart	Panthers	SF	12
13	Ryan Mathews	Eagles	at CHI	12
14	Carlos Hyde	49ers	at CAR	12
15	Eddie Lacy	Packers	at MIN	12
16	Mark Ingram	Saints	at NYG	12
17	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at OAK	11
18	Danny Woodhead	Chargers	JAX	11
19	Ameer Abdullah	Lions	TEN	11
20	Rashad Jennings	Giants	NO	10
21	LeGarrette Blount	Patriots	MIA	10
22	DeMarco Murray	Titans	at DET	10
23	Melvin Gordon	Chargers	JAX	10
24	Tevin Coleman	Falcons	at OAK	9
25	Theo Riddick	Lions	TEN	9
26	Christine Michael	Seahawks	at LA	9
27	Frank Gore	Colts	at DEN	9
28	Arian Foster	Dolphins	at NE	8
29	Latavius Murray	Raiders	ATL	8
30	Justin Forsett	Ravens	at CLE	8

It took just the first game of the season for C.J. Anderson to remind people that he is a top running back in this league.

The Denver Broncos star finished the opening night with 139 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in an offense that functioned the way we expected it to last season. Various injuries kept Anderson from producing the way we expected in 2015, as Ronnie Hillman took away plenty of carries, but it's clear he is truly a dominant force on the field and in fantasy.

"He’s a playmaker," guard Max Garcia said, per Zac Stevens of Mile High Sports. "He’s a guy that we go to when its crunch time. He makes plays, one of the hardest backs that I’ve seen run and glad to be blocking for him."

A Week 2 matchup against the struggling Indianapolis Colts defense gives him a good chance for another big showing.

On the other hand, the stock is falling for Devonta Freeman. Not only was he limited to just 40 yards from scrimmage in Week 1, but the real concern is the presence of Tevin Coleman. The second-year player had eight carries and five receptions compared to 15 total touches for Freeman. Despite a breakout season a year ago, Freeman looks like he is involved in a timeshare in Atlanta.

While one moves up the list to become a realistic starting option, the other can no longer be considered a must-start every week.

A few other committees made noise Sunday, including the San Diego Chargers (Danny Woodhead and Melvin Gordon) and Detroit Lions (Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick). Woodhead should get a boost in the passing game with Keenan Allen out, making him a slightly better play, while Abdullah is the go-to option in Detroit thanks to his work in the run game.

However, all four of them could be worth a start in deeper leagues depending on your options.

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	CIN	18
2	Julio Jones	Falcons	at OAK	18
3	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	NO	17
4	A.J. Green	Bengals	at PIT	16
5	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	KC	16
6	Allen Robinson	Jaguars	at SD	14
7	Brandin Cooks	Saints	at NYG	14
8	Amari Cooper	Raiders	ATL	14
9	Mike Evans	Bucaneers	at ARI	13
10	Jordy Nelson	Packers	at MIN	13
11	Brandon Marshall	Jets	at BUF	13
12	Kelvin Benjamin	Panthers	SF	13
13	Alshon Jeffery	Bears	PHI	12
14	Jordan Matthews	Eagles	at CHI	12
15	Sammy Watkins	Bills	NYJ	12
16	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	at WAS	11
17	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	TB	11
18	Julian Edelman	Patriots	MIA	11
19	Doug Baldwin	Seahawks	at LA	11
20	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	IND	10
21	Jeremy Maclin	Chiefs	at HOU	10
22	Willie Snead	Saints	at NYG	10
23	Michael Floyd	Cardinals	TB	10
24	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	at DEN	10
25	Randall Cobb	Packers	at MIN	10
26	Travis Benjamin	Chargers	JAX	10
27	Will Fuller	Texans	KC	9
28	Jarvis Landry	Dolphins	at NE	9
29	Golden Tate	Lions	TEN	9
30	Mohamed Sanu	Falcons	at OAK	9

Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr. failed to have the huge days fantasy owners want to see every week, which says more about our expectations than anything else. They should both bounce back in juicy matchups against the Raiders and Saints, respectively, both of which struggled against the pass in Week 1 against each other.

In fact, the secondaries are such question marks that Mohammed Sanu and Sterling Shepard could also be in for big weeks.

There are a handful of other potential sleepers available in Week 2, including Will Fuller. The rookie first-round pick finished with five catches and 107 yards and a touchdown on a team-high 11 targets. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is excited to see what the speedster will do going forward:

DeAndre Hopkins is still the man in Houston, but Fuller could have some big weeks.

Travis Benjamin also moves up from last week after Allen's injury. He only had 32 receiving yards in Week 1, but he led the team with eight targets and should get a lot more touches with Philip Rivers throwing the ball.

On the other hand, there is real concern over Dez Bryant, who had just one catch for eight yards against the New York Giants. He finished the game with five targets, while Jason Witten and Cole Beasley combined for 26 targets. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is clearly going to take the short, easier look while he gets comfortable with the offense, which comes at the expense of Bryant down the field. 

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Rob Gronkowski	Patriots	MIA	14
2	Jordan Reed	Redskins	DAL	13
3	Greg Olsen	Panthers	SF	11
4	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	at HOU	10
5	Jason Witten	Cowboys	at WAS	10
6	Delanie Walker	Titans	at DET	9
7	Zach Ertz	Eagles	at CHI	9
8	Antonio Gates	Chargers	JAX	8
9	Dwayne Allen	Colts	at DEN	8
10	Julius Thomas	Jaguars	at SD	8

The tight end group likely won't change much week to week, assuming the players are healthy. You want people who are targeted often in the passing game, which limits your options.

Health is an obvious question mark for Rob Gronkowski, who missed Week 1 with a hamstring injury. If he is active, however, he is the best option in the NFL at the position.

One player who moved into TE1 territory is Dwayne Allen, who tallied 53 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. Although teammate Jack Doyle scored two touchdowns in the Week 1 loss, Allen is a bigger part of the Colts offense and could remain a major threat going forward.

Witten also proved to be a legitimate threat once again after catching nine passes from Prescott. Even at 34 years old, he is still a quarterback's best friend.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Seattle Seahawks	at LA	14
2	Carolina Panthers	SF	12
3	Baltimore Ravens	at CLE	11
4	Denver Broncos	IND	9
5	New England Patriots	MIA	8
6	Houston Texans	KC	8
7	Arizona Cardinals	TB	8
8	New York Jets	at BUF	7
9	Kansas City Chiefs	at HOU	7
10	Los Angeles Rams	SEA	7

The Baltimore Ravens could end up with an inconsistent defense, but they looked good against the Bills in Week 1 and now have a gift matchup in Week 2.

Robert Griffin III was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, which the team announced Monday. All of a sudden, one of the worst teams in the NFL will be playing without its starting quarterback. This gives the Ravens defense a chance at a big week.

The Texans could also keep the momentum going after a strong start to the season. They totaled five sacks and an interception against the Bears is Week 1, and although the Chiefs represent a tougher matchup, the defense is still among the best in football.

Denver is a bit of a riskier play than usual, but this unit is good enough to start against any opponent.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Stephen Gostkowski	Patriots	MIA	10
2	Justin Tucker	Ravens	at CLE	10
3	Dan Bailey	Cowboys	at WAS	9
4	Mason Crosby	Packers	at MIN	9
5	Adam Vinatieri	Colts	at DEN	9
6	Chris Boswell	Steelers	CIN	9
7	Steven Hauschka	Seahawks	at LA	8
8	Mike Nugent	Bengals	at PIT	8
9	Chandler Catanzaro	Cardinals	TB	7
10	Matt Prater	Lions	TEN	7

We didn't really know what to expect from the Patriots offense with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm and Gronkowski not on the field. However, the unit remained as strong as ever with 23 points scored against a talented Cardinals defense.

As a result, Stephen Gostkowski remains a top option at kicker next week and just about every other game.

It's difficult to predict the rest of the field, as kicker points mostly come from being in the right spot at the right time. However, you can't go wrong choosing players on high-powered offenses. 

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.