Fantasy Football Week 2 Rankings: Latest Position-by-Position Rundown
Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season got underway on Thursday night, and Game 1 came with its fair share of fantasy surprises.
Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver had his second straight game with a receiving touchdown, while Philadelphia Eagles running back D'Andre Swift stole the spotlight on the ground. Many fantasy managers were hopeful that Swift would see a large workload with Kenneth Gainwell (ribs) inactive, but they probably didn't foresee 181 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.
If you managed to find Swift into your lineup, kudos. If you're going against Swift, Addison, Justin Jefferson (11 catches, 159 yards) or DeVonta Smith (four catches, 131 yards, 1 TD), you may be scrambling to play catch-up over the final 15 games.
Here, we'll dive into the top plays at each key fantasy position for Week 2, and dive into one potential sleeper for each.
Quarterback
1 of 4
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
4. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
6. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
7. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
10. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
12. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Sleeper: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
While 20222 fantasy stars like Joe Burrow and Geno Smith struggled in Week 1, New Orleans Saints signal-caller Derek Carr had his typical steady performance.
Against the Tennessee Titans, Carr threw for 305 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Those aren't eye-popping fantasy numbers, of course, but Carr is a decent spot-starting option for managers concerned with their current quarterbacks.
The Carolina Panthers surrendered just 91 passing yards in Week 1, but that's more of a reflection of the Atlanta Falcon's run-heavy offense. A year ago, Carolina ranked 22nd in passing yards allowed.
The Panthers have also lost standout cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury. Don't be shocked to see Carr with another 300-yard passing day to go with a couple of touchdowns.
Running Back
2 of 4
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
3. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
5. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
6. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
8. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
9. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
10. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
11. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
12. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
13. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
14. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
15. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
16. Breece Hall, New York Jets
17. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
18. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
19. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
20. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Sleeper: Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler has missed practice this week with an ankle injury. He's certainly worth the start if he's able to go against Tennessee, but he's officially doubtful, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Now is a great time to scoop up backup Joshua Kelley off the waiver wire.
Kelley is rostered in 61 percent of Yahoo leagues and only 41 percent of ESPN leagues.
Against the Miami Dolphins, Kelley compiled 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He saw as many carries as Ekeler, and he'll see an even bigger role this week if Ekeler is at less than 100 percent.
The Titans have a strong run defense, so Kelley's ceiling isn't quite as high as it was against Miami. However, with several backs battling injuries—including Gainwell, Ekeler and Zack Moss—Kelley has strong fill-in potential at the flex spot this week.
Wide Receiver
3 of 4
1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
3. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
6. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
7. Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
9. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
10. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
11. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
12. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
13. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
15. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
16. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
17. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
18. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
19. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
20. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Sleeper: Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
There's simply no reason why New Orleans Saints wideout Rashid Shaheed continues to be undervalued in fantasy. Yes, the Saints have Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, but it's become clear that Shaheed is a big part of the offensive game plan.
Against Tennessee, Shaheed caught five passes on six targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. He also carried twice for 11 yards.
Carr is a capable distributor, and he's going to get more than one player involved in the passing game. Olave will draw plenty of defensive attention, and with Horn out, Shaheed is likely to get several one-on-one opportunities.
Shaheed is rostered in only 44 percent of Yahoo leagues and 19 percent of ESPN leagues. He's a viable flex option for Week 2, and he's worth an immediate target on the waiver wire if he's available in your league.
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Tight End
4 of 4
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
3. Darren Waller, New York Giants
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
5. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
8. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
9. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
10. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
11. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
12. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Sleeper: Hayden Hurts, Carolina Panthers
Going into the weekend, Carolina Panther tight end Hayden Hurst is rostered in only 35 percent of Yahoo leagues and 19 percent of ESPN leagues. He's a top waiver-wire target at his position and a viable starting option for Week 2.
Hurst caught five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's season-opener and proved to be rookie quarterback Bryce Young's most reliable target. The Panthers don't have a ton of dependable receiver depth, so Young will continue looking in Hurst's direction during a pivotal matchup with the rival Indianapolis Colts.
And yes, Young is likely to forgive Hurst for chucking his first career touchdown ball into the stands.
"They threw it back and the ball is in safe hands… everyone can relax and dial it back about 30%," Hurst posted on X, formerly known as Twitter last Sunday.
*Fantasy roster information via FantasyPros. Rankings based on PPR scoring.
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