Fantasy Football Week 2: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Now that Week 1 is done, most fantasy managers will make waiver claims for running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Isaiah Likely.
Par for the course here, we're going to go deep into the talent pool for sleepers in case you miss out on the top pickups.
This week, we have a quarterback-receiver stack within an offense that you may routinely avoid this season, but they have one of the best matchups on the slate.
A wide receiver's longstanding on-field relationship with a high-profile signal-caller should have your attention for the next few weeks.
The Los Angeles Rams will be without a key playmaker for at least a month, so QB Matthew Stafford may turn to a big-bodied target who had a solid debut with his team last week.
Take a look at our Week 2 sleeper list that features eight players available in more than 50 percent of leagues, according to FantasyPros roster consensus percentages.
QB Justin Fields at Denver Broncos (15 Percent Rostered)
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On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that the team will prepare as if Justin Fields will start against the Denver Broncos. He also said they will "play it by ear" with Russell Wilson's calf injury.
If Fields makes consecutive starts, he's easily a top sleeper option this week.
In the Steelers' season opener, the 25-year-old only threw for 156 yards, but he also ran for 57 yards on 14 rush attempts. In 41 career games, he averages nine carries, which is more than enough to keep him on your roster if he's primed to start under center.
This week, the Ohio State product will face a Broncos defense that gave up 30 rushing yards and a score to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who's far less of a threat on the ground with his legs.
Fields may not throw for 250-plus yards against Denver, but if he continues to use his legs, managers should be intrigued by his potential rushing production against the Broncos' 24th-ranked run defense.
As a starter with the Chicago Bears in 2023, he finished eighth or better in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks in six out of 13 games.
QB Daniel Jones at Washington Commanders (6 Percent Rostered)
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Everyone, except for the New York Giants' front office a year ago, knows Daniel Jones is one of the league's worst starting quarterbacks. Yet he's still a viable fantasy option in a favorable matchup.
The 2019 No. 6 overall pick had a stinker in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, completing 52.4 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions.
However, Jones will face the Washington Commanders' 29th-ranked pass defense (in total yards) that gave up the most touchdowns through the air and the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in Week 1.
With first-round rookie wideout Malik Nabers, the quarterback should be able to find some success against one of the league's worst pass defenses.
Moreover, Jones logged six carries for 15 yards, which shows he's comfortable using his legs if necessary, coming off a torn ACL, and that's a big part of his fantasy appeal.
For his career, the Duke product averages 5.7 carries and 31.6 rushing yards per outing, scoring 13 rushing touchdowns in total.
Jones could have an above-average fantasy performance—one of the few times you can say that about his weekly outlook.
RB Justice Hill vs. Las Vegas Raiders (13 Percent Rostered)
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Justice Hill is the third ball-carrier in the Baltimore Ravens offense behind running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, he's the No. 2 tailback with a pass-catching role.
In the Ravens' season opener, Hill finished third on the team in targets with eight, hauling in six for 52 yards. He moved the chains twice for first downs on his receptions.
As running back Keaton Mitchell recovers from a torn ACL on injured reserve, Hill will be the change-of-pace tailback. More elusive than Henry, he's the primary option in passing situations.
Baltimore may operate on a positive game script with a comfortable lead over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, which only scored 10 points last week.
Hill, 26, may pick up the scraps in carries if Baltimore's offense has a quick start, which would bode well for him against a run defense that gave up 176 yards and a touchdown to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
On top of a game flow that may allow the Ravens to run the clock, the Oklahoma State product will probably see a handful of targets as Jackson looks for quick outlets in the passing game behind a shaky offensive line.
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RB Emanuel Wilson vs. Indianapolis Colts (2 Percent Rostered)
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As Malik Willis prepares to start in place of Jordan Love (sprained MCL), the Green Bay Packers may go with a run-heavy ball control offense, with 2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs leading the charge. Still, Emanuel Wilson can carve out a role as the No. 2 running back.
In three career starts, the 25-year-old has thrown three interceptions and zero touchdown passes. Expect head coach Matt LaFleur to feed his ball-carriers against the Indianapolis Colts, which gave up the most rushing yards in Week 1. In fantasy terms, they surrendered the sixth-most points to running backs last week.
For the long run, rookie third-rounder Marshawn Lloyd is the preferred No. 2 running back in the backfield because of his explosive playmaking ability.
For now, though, Wilson will likely provide a more immediate impact.
Both Lloyd and Wilson dealt with injuries going into last Friday's contest in Brazil, but the former sat out while the latter served as Jacobs' backup.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles, Wilson recorded four carries for 46 yards, breaking free on a couple of long runs. He also hauled in two out of three targets for two yards.
Remember, Green Bay placed running back AJ Dillon on season-ending injured reserve.
Wilson has a year of experience in the Packers offense. So, until Lloyd is healthy and shows a good grasp of the system, the Fort Valley State product should be on your radar while the team tries to field a competitive offense without Love.
WR Allen Lazard at Tennessee Titans (39 Percent Rostered)
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In his first full game in 20 months, Aaron Rodgers rekindled his connection with Allen Lazard, who played five seasons with him in Green Bay.
The veteran quarterback tossed a touchdown pass to Lazard on a "free play" when San Francisco 49ers edge-rusher Leonard Floyd jumped offside. Tyrod Taylor threw a touchdown pass to him in garbage time late in the fourth quarter. Lazard accumulated 89 receiving yards along with his two scores.
After a disappointing 2023 term with the New York Jets in which he lost his starting role late in the campaign, the 28-year-old could have a bounce-back year with Rodgers healthy.
The Jets signed wide receiver Mike Williams in free agency, but he played on a limited snap count. Coming off a torn ACL, he took the field for 18 percent of the offensive plays while Lazard played all the snaps.
Until the Jets ramp up Williams' workload, the Iowa State product looks like Rodgers' No. 2 option behind Garrett Wilson in the passing game.
Wilson will have a tough matchup with cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, whom the Tennessee Titans acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs. Lazard should see plenty of targets on Sunday.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson at Washington Commanders (13 Percent Rostered)
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Here's the first QB-WR sleeper stack of the year, and it's a New York Giants combination.
While that seems shocking to many, Daniel Jones and Wan'Dale Robinson could be one of the top fantasy-scoring tandems on Sunday.
As noted above, the New York quarterback has a plus matchup against the Commanders' 29th-ranked pass defense. Washington's porous unit also gave up the most points to wide receivers in Week 1.
If you don't have Malik Nabers, who's a must-start player this week, pick up Robinson, who led the Giants in targets (12) in Week 1.
As the Giants' primary slot receiver, Robinson saw five more targets than Nabers last week. Don't expect him to lead the team in receiving yards because he's not a downfield threat, but with double-digit targets, the third-year wideout could easily rack up points in PPR leagues.
Robinson finished second on the team in targets (78) last year, so his Week 1 target share isn't a fluke in this offense. He's a viable flex option against a generous pass defense.
TE Colby Parkinson at Arizona Cardinals (28 Percent Rostered)
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The Los Angeles Rams have placed wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve. As a result, pass-catchers other than Cooper Kupp must fill a void in the team's passing game.
While most managers will pick up Demarcus Robinson or Tyler Johnson, consider Colby Parkinson, who tied for fourth in targets (five) among tight ends in Week 1.
Tyler Higbee is on the physically unable to perform list. So, as the starting TE, Parkinson should see more opportunities in the passing game with Nacua on the sideline.
The 2020 fourth-rounder didn't average more than 18.9 receiving yards per game in any of his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, but he'll see an uptick in production with the Rams' need for reliable pass-catchers.
TE Hayden Hurst at Carolina Panthers (1 Percent Rostered)
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This isn't a revenge game for Hayden Hurst, who suffered a concussion that caused post-traumatic amnesia while on the Carolina Panthers roster before his release, but fantasy managers cannot overlook this matchup for him.
In Week 1, the Panthers gave up the most fantasy points to tight ends.
Against Carolina last week, New Orleans Saints tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson scored a touchdown apiece. Along with the scores, they recorded six receptions for 69 yards combined.
Last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, Hurst played a higher percentage of offensive snaps (61.4) than fellow tight end Will Dissly (43.9 percent). The former also saw multiple targets (three), while the latter only saw one target in the passing game.
If Carolina cannot stop tight ends from taking trips to paydirt, Hurst could be primed for a big day.
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College football statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.
Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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