Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

Fantasy football has become a national pastime in the United States, and the return of NFL regular-season football has created a frenzy among fans as they look to the rankings for Week 2’s position-by-position breakdowns.

It was a frustrating week for owners of underperforming top stars like Jamaal Charles and Dez Bryant, but other owners had breakout performances from unheralded players like Le’Veon Bell and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 2.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	28 Points
2	Aaron Rodgers, GB	25 Points
3	Drew Brees, NO	25 Points
4	Andrew Luck, IND	22 Points
5	Matthew Stafford, DET	22 Points
6	Matt Ryan, ATL	20 Points
7	Tom Brady, NE	20 Points
8	Jay Cutler, CHI	20 Points
9	Nick Foles, PHI	18 Points
10	Colin Kaepernick, SF	18 Points
11	Tony Romo, DAL	18 Points
12	Cam Newton, CAR	17 Points
13	Philip Rivers, SD	17 Points
14	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	15 Points
15	Geno Smith, NYJ	15 Points

Week 2 of the fantasy season means more of the same from the quarterback position. If you have Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers on your roster, they should be starting every week they are not on bye or injured.

One quarterback getting a lot of attention after Week 1 is Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. With 448 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, Ryan looks to have regained the elite form he showed two seasons ago. Fantasy owners should expect 300-plus yards and at least two touchdowns each week from Ryan moving forward.

A quarterback who could be a big fantasy star this week is Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. After his stock dropped following a late scratch in Week 1, Newton is expected to play in Week 2, per Josh Katzowitz of CBSSports.com, and should be able to beat a lackluster Detroit defensive unit.

If fantasy owners have any question who to start at quarterback in the second week of the season, simply start the better-ranked player on the above list. The same can be said for every position.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	LeSean McCoy, PHI	24 Points
2	Jamaal Charles, KC	22 Points
3	Adrian Peterson, MIN	20 Points
4	Matt Forte, CHI	20 Points
5	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	19 Points
6	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	18 Points
7	DeMarco Murray, DAL	18 Points
8	Arian Foster, HOU	17 Points
9	Montee Ball, DEN	15 Points
10	Eddie Lacy, GB	15 Points
11	Knowshon Moreno, MIA	15 Points
12	Frank Gore, SF	14 Points
13	Doug Martin, TB	12 Points
14	Alfred Morris, WAS	12 Points
15	Reggie Bush, DET	11 Points
16	Rashad Jennings, NYG	11 Points
17	Giovani Bernard, CIN	11 Points
18	Andre Ellington, ARI	10 Points
19	C.J. Spiller, BUF	10 Points
20	Shane Vereen, NE	9 Points
21	Zac Stacy, STL	9 Points
22	Mark Ingram, NO	9 Points
23	Toby Gerhart, JAX	8 Points
24	Chris Johnson, NYJ	8 Points
25	Steven Jackson, ATL	8 Points

Running backs are at a premium this season, so finding the right player to start at the position is pivotal to fantasy success. Nothing hurts worse than having a top pick struggle though, and that’s what Jamaal Charles owners are dealing with.

Just as head coach Andy Reid showed when he was in Philadelphia, he will abandon the rushing attack and fail to utilize his top players when in trouble. Charles should be getting 20-25 touches per game, but he only managed 34 total yards on seven rushes and four receptions. That’s simply not enough and fantasy owners should expect better numbers in Week 2.

One running back that did come to play this week was the Pittsburgh Steelers' Le'Veon Bell. He racked up 21 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, but it was his six receptions for 88 yards that proved he is a serious RB1 in standard-scoring leagues.

If you’re looking for a sleeper in Week 2, look no further than New England Patriots pass-catching back Shane Vereen.

The Patriots have a high-powered offense and one of the running backs must take advantage. After rushing the ball seven times and catching five passes, Brady is looking to Vereen the most. He is a perfect flex play against Minnesota in Week 2.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Calvin Johnson, DET	20 Points
2	A.J. Green, CIN	20 Points
3	Dez Bryant, DAL	19 Points
4	Julio Jones, ATL	19 Points
5	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	19 Points
6	Antonio Brown, PIT	17 Points
7	Brandon Marshall, CHI	17 Points
8	Andre Johnson, HOU	17 Points
9	Keenan Allen, SD	16 Points
10	Victor Cruz, NYG	16 Points
11	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	15 Points
12	Roddy White, ATL	14 Points
13	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	14 Points
14	Jordy Nelson, GB	12 Points
15	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN	12 Points
16	Percy Harvin, SEA	12 Points
17	Reggie Wayne, IND	10 Points
18	Randall Cobb, GB	10 Points
19	Julian Edelman, NE	10 Points
20	Marques Colston, NO	10 Points
21	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	10 Points
22	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	9 Points
23	Vincent Jackson, TB	9 Points
24	Mike Wallace, MIA	9 Points
25	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	8 Points
26	Brandin Cooks, NO	8 Points
27	Steve Smith, BAL	8 Points
28	Torrey Smith, BAL	8 Points
29	Anquan Boldin, SF	7 Points
30	Pierre Garcon, WAS	7 Points
31	Allen Hurns, Jax	7 Points
32	Eric Decker, NYJ	7 Points
33	Markus Wheaton, PIT	6 Points
34	DeSean Jackson, WAS	6 Points
35	Kendall Wright, TEN	6 Points

Starting the correct wide receivers each week is key to winning a championship, but it can be difficult to predict which players will shine and which will falter under the pressure.

One player who thrived as his team’s No. 1 receiver was Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown. Not only did he front kick his way into our hearts with his effort, but he also racked up five receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown. Fantasy owners should expect similar numbers each week.

While there are many top names that proved their worth in Week 1, there were also several unexpected fantasy heroes.

Veterans Steve Smith of the Baltimore Ravens and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts were not expected to return to their elite form of years ago, but each proved to still be viable fantasy option. Smith had seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, and Wayne had nine receptions for 98 yards.

If you took the educated risk on either of these players, it is paying major dividends now. For those fantasy players looking for a flex player with major upside, Smith and Wayne are late-round gems who will blossom into WR2s.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Jimmy Graham, NO	18 Points
2	Julius Thomas, DEN	18 Points
3	Rob Gronkowski, NE	18 Points
4	Vernon Davis, SF	15 Points
5	Greg Olsen, CAR	15 Points
6	Jordan Cameron, CLE	10 Points
7	Jason Witten, DAL	10 Points
8	Dennis Pitta, BAL	10 Points
9	Zach Ertz, PHI	8 Points
10	Martellus Bennett, CHI	8 Points
11	Antonio Gates, SD	8 Points
12	Kyle Rudolph, MIN	6 Points
13	Dwayne Allen, IND	6 Points
14	Jared Cook, STL	6 Points
15	Delanie Walker, TEN	5 Points

The two biggest names this week for tight ends are Julius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski.

Thomas emerged as a fantasy juggernaut this week and owners are taking note. With seven receptions for 104 yards and three touchdowns, there is no doubt that Peyton Manning is looking to Thomas over the middle and in the red zone early and often.

Another player garnering plenty of attention is Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. After dealing with several different injuries over the last year, Gronkowski returned to the lineup and scored a touchdown.

The early fantasy investment in both players is already paying off.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Seattle Seahawks	at San Diego Chargers	18 Points
2	Houston Texans	at Oakland Raiders	15 Points
3	Carolina Panthers	vs. Detroit Lions	14 Points
4	Green Bay Packers	vs. New York Jets	13 Points
5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	vs. St. Louis Rams	12 Points
6	Arizona Cardinals	at New York Giants	12 Points
7	Denver Broncos	vs. Kansas City Chiefs	11 Points
8	San Francisco 49ers	vs. Chicago Bears	11 Points
9	Cincinnati Bengals	vs. Atlanta Falcons	10 Points
10	Miami Dolphins	at Buffalo Bills	10 Points
11	Jacksonville Jaguars	at Washington	9 Points
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	at Baltimore Ravens	9 Points

The Seattle Seahawks proved once again how dominant the team defense can be, shutting down the high-powered Green Bay Packers in Week 1. If you have Seattle’s defense, you should be starting them every week without question.

Some fantasy players like to stream defenses. In this process, owners pick up a new defense off waivers each week depending on the matchup. If this is the theory you subscribe, look no further than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the struggling St. Louis Rams.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	15 Points
2	Matt Bryant, ATL	15 Points
3	Justin Tucker, BAL	13 Points
4	Mason Crosby, GB	13 Points
5	Steven Hauschka, SEA	12 Points
6	Blair Walsh, MIN	12 Points
7	Adam Vinatieri, IND	11 Points
8	Dan Bailey, DAL	11 Points
9	Nick Novak, SD	10 Points
10	Cody Parkey, PHI	10 Points
11	Dan Carpenter, MIA	9 Points
12	Brandon McManus, DEN	9 Points

Picking a kicker to start is not difficult. You should be riding with the kicker you drafted each week and only making a move when bye weeks begin. If you pick a new kicker each week, ride with New England’s Stephen Gostkowski.

If Gostkowski isn’t available or you’re looking for a less talked about option, Matt Bryant of the Atlanta Falcons would be a viable replacement. Bryant hit two field goals of more than 50 yards, added another 40-yard field goal and hit all four of his extra points. That’s worthy of a start in any league.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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