Fantasy Football Week 2 Cheat Sheet: Waiver, Rankings, Projections and More

Week 1 was a perfect illustration of what makes fantasy football so appealing.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns, who most fantasy owners probably never heard of until Sunday, scored 23 points. LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson—three of the top four picks in most drafts—combined to put up 21 points.

While it's possible to project which players will put up the best numbers over the entire season, the week-to-week output is highly variable. That's why making the right lineup decisions is so important in terms of chasing down a championship.

With that in mind, let's check out several different categories of interest for fantasy owners as they begin to look ahead toward Week 2.

Top 5 Skill-Position Rankings

Rank	QB	RB	WR	TE
1	Peyton Manning	Matt Forte	A.J. Green	Jimmy Graham
2	Aaron Rodgers	Adrian Peterson	Antonio Brown	Julius Thomas
3	Drew Brees	LeSean McCoy	Calvin Johnson	Rob Gronkowski
4	Andrew Luck	Arian Foster	Demaryius Thomas	Vernon Davis
5	Matthew Stafford	Jamaal Charles	Larry Fitzgerald	Greg Olsen

Aaron Rodgers struggled in Week 1. He scored just nine points and, given his status as a top pick, he probably caused a lot of fantasy teams to start 0-1. The Green Bay Packers quarterback should have a strong bounce-back outing against a New York Jets defense that isn't as potent as years past.

Of course, any defense should be easy to navigate compared to the Seattle Seahawks. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com passed along comments from Rodgers after the loss and he admitted the reigning champions took away a lot of what they were trying to do on offense.

"We did a lot of check-downs," he said. "We had Jordy [Nelson] a couple times, the flat defender elements where the linebacker or safety really hard out to his side quickly, so it opened up some of the underneath stuff. If you're not breaking a lot of tackles, you're going to have some 2-, 3- and 4-yard gains."

All of the "Big Four" running backs remain in the top five for Week 2 despite some lackluster performances in their respective openers. They are joined by Arian Foster, who should see an extremely heavy workload against a weak Oakland Raiders rush defense.

Larry Fitzgerald had just a single catch in the Arizona Cardinals' opener. The team spread the ball around to 11 different players. The team's stalwart wideout should be much more involved against a New York Giants secondary that got torched by the Detroit Lions on Monday night.

Greg Olsen was expected to take on a larger role in the Carolina Panthers offense this season. Even with Cam Newton sidelined he didn't disappoint. He should continue to see a bunch of targets in Week 2 and has top-five upside for the season.

Sleeper Projections

Position	Player	Team	Projection
QB	Andy Dalton	CIN	20
RB	Fred Jackson	BUF	15
WR	Kendall Wright	TEN	16
TE	Martellus Bennett	CHI	12
D/ST	Buccaneers	TB	11
K	Shaun Suisham	PIT	12

Andy Dalton was quietly a starting-caliber fantasy quarterback last season. He still didn't generate much hype coming into the new campaign. That will change quickly after putting up 18 points in Week 1 and a promising matchup against the Atlanta Falcons coming up on Sunday.

Even with C.J. Spiller getting a lot of touches, Fred Jackson remains a viable fantasy option. The Buffalo Bills understand their only chance to contend is leaning heavily on the rushing attack and defense. Expect to see more of that this week, only with Jackson finding the end zone at least once.

Kendall Wright turned six catches into just 46 yards in the opener. He did find the end zone, however, which allowed him to post a double-digit score. Look for him to find far more space against a Dallas Cowboys secondary that wasn't truly tested in Week 1.

There were concerns about how involved Martellus Bennett would be with the Chicago Bears featuring so many other targets. He's carved out a niche for himself, though. He caught eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. More of the same can be expected this week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't do much against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. That said, the unit should make steady strides under the guidance of Lovie Smith. The progress should be noticeable against a St. Louis Rams offense that has more questions than answers at this stage.

Those seeking a solid kicker to stream for Week 2, look no further than Shaun Suisham. He put up 13 points to open the season and should have plenty of field-goal chances again in a rivalry clash with the Baltimore Ravens.

Waiver-Wire Targets

Position	Player	Team
QB	Jake Locker	TEN
RB	Justin Forsett	BAL
WR	Markus Wheaton	PIT
TE	Antonio Gates	SD

Talent has never been the issue for Jake Locker. It's been staying healthy. While staying off the injury report can't be guaranteed, he looked primed for a breakout season with 19 points in the opener. He's worth a roster spot as a backup worthy of matchup starts for those without an elite quarterback.

Justin Forsett had 10 more touches than Bernard Pierce against the Cincinnati Bengals. He proceeded to average more than six yards per carry, make five catches and score a touchdown. The team will run more after throwing 62 times in Week 1 and he's the most appealing option in the backfield.

Antonio Brown is the Pittsburgh Steelers' big-play threat, but Markus Wheaton actually had one more target than him in the opener. He's ready for a more involved role in his second season, which is why so many, including Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, are bullish on him:

Lastly, it appears the San Diego Chargers aren't ready to move on from Antonio Gates quite yet. He led the team in catches and receiving yards. While that shouldn't be expected every game, it makes him a strong pickup at a position that lacks depth.