Fantasy Football Week 2: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action

Week 2 of the fantasy football season is upon us, and it’s once again time to break down the updated rankings for Sunday’s marquee action.

While fantasy juggernauts like Peyton Manning, LeSean McCoy and Calvin Johnson are must-start players every week, there are other players on the cusp of deserving a spot in your lineup.

If the call is too tough to make, just start the better player on the list below.

Here are the top projected players for Week 2 and the studs and the duds to watch.

Rank	Player	Week 2 Opponent
1	LeSean McCoy, Phi, RB	Indianapolis
2	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB	Denver
3	Adrian Peterson, Min, RB	New England
4	Peyton Manning, Den, QB	Kansas City
5	Matt Forte, Chi, RB	San Francisco
6	Calvin Johnson, Det, WR	Carolina
7	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE	Cleveland
8	Demaryius Thomas, Den, WR	Kansas City
9	Drew Brees, NO, QB	Cleveland
10	Marshawn Lynch, Sea, RB	San Diego
11	Antonio Brown, Pit, WR	Baltimore
12	Julius Thomas, Den, TE	Kansas City
13	Julio Jones, Atl, WR	Cincinnati
14	A.J. Green, Cin, WR	Atlanta
15	Aaron Rodgers, GB, QB	New York Jets
16	Brandon Marshall, Chi, WR	San Francisco
17	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE	Minnesota
18	Le'Veon Bell, Pit, RB	Baltimore
19	DeMarco Murray, Dal, RB	Tennessee
20	Andre Johnson, Hou, WR	Oakland
21	Eddie Lacy, GB, RB	New York Jets
22	Arian Foster, Hou, RB	Oakland
23	Percy Harvin, Sea, WR	San Diego
24	Andrew Luck, Ind, QB	Philadelphia
25	Doug Martin, TB, RB	St. Louis
26	Roddy White, Atl, WR	Cincinnati
27	Alshon Jeffery, Chi, WR	San Francisco
28	Ryan Mathews, SD, RB	Seattle
29	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari, WR	New York Giants
30	Reggie Bush, Det, RB	Carolina
31	Matthew Stafford, Det, QB	Carolina
32	Cordarrelle Patterson, Min, WR	New England
33	Jordy Nelson, GB, WR	New York Jets
34	Reggie Wayne, Ind, WR	Philadelphia
35	C.J. Spiller, Buf, RB	Miami
36	Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB	Detroit
37	Montee Ball, Den, RB	Kansas City
38	Vernon Davis, SF, TE	Chicago
39	Victor Cruz, NYG, WR	Arizona
40	Keenan Allen, SD, WR	Seattle
41	Zac Stacy, StL, RB	Tampa Bay
42	Matt Ryan, Atl, QB	Cincinnati
43	Alfred Morris, Wsh, RB	Jacksonville
44	Randall Cobb, GB, WR	New York Jets
45	Shane Vereen, NE, RB	Minnesota
46	Tom Brady, NE, QB	Minnesota
47	Knowshon Moreno, Mia, RB	Buffalo
48	Marques Colston, NO, WR	Cleveland
49	Michael Floyd, Ari, WR	New York Giants
50	Julian Edelman, NE, WR	Minnesota
51	Giovani Bernard, Cin, RB	Atlanta
52	Jeremy Maclin, Phi, WR	Indianapolis
53	Vincent Jackson, TB, WR	St. Louis
54	Mike Wallace, Mia, WR	Buffalo
55	Chris Johnson, NYJ, RB	Green Bay
56	Trent Richardson, Ind, RB	Philadelphia
57	Frank Gore, SF, RB	Chicago
58	Pierre Garcon, Wsh, WR	Jacksonville
59	Jay Cutler, Chi, QB	San Francisco
60	Nick Foles, Phi, QB	Indianapolis

Studs and Duds for Week 2

Starting the top players each week is no problem for fantasy owners, but when it comes time to sit the high draft picks with lackluster matchups or nagging injuries, it can be difficult to make the move.

On the studs side, the most underrated quarterback this week will be Arizona’s Carson Palmer. After racking up 304 yards and two touchdowns against San Diego, owners should expect similar numbers when he takes on the lowly New York Giants. Big Blue allowed 341 yards passing to Detroit in Week 1.

If you’re looking for a wide receiver who could have a big day, Carolina Panthers rookie Kelvin Benjamin is an intriguing play against a lackluster Detroit secondary. Add in the fact that starting quarterback Cam Newton should get the start Sunday, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press, and he is a smart WR3 or flex option who could catch seven or more passes.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell told David Newton of ESPN.com about Benjamin: "I can tell you he's big. He's got [big] hands and we took a real good look at him, obviously, in the draft. He can play. He's spirited. Got a lot of fight in him. He'll be difficult to handle, but in a different way. Calvin Johnson's different than Benjamin. Different guy. Different skill set."

A running back not getting the love he deserves is Indianapolis’ Trent Richardson. He didn’t have a productive game to start the season, but with Denver taking an early lead and the Colts playing from behind, what was to be expected of him? With a more favorable matchup against Philadelphia in Week 2, T-Rich should be able to rack up close to 100 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

While many fantasy owners feel Richardson will be a dud this week, the real dud at running back will be Steven Jackson of the Atlanta Falcons. Jackson only amassed 52 yards last week against a lackluster Saints’ defensive front seven and will now face a stout Carolina defense. Owners should expect about 50 yards and zero touchdowns.

Finding the quarterback who will have a bad game can be make-or-break for a fantasy team, but picking the dud isn’t hard. All an owner has to do is find Seattle on the schedule, figure out which team the Seahawks are playing and sit that QB on the bench.

This week’s unlucky player is Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers. If you have Rivers, your backup quarterback likely has a better chance of making an impact for your team.

The wide receiver to avoid this Sunday is New York Giants star Victor Cruz. With only two catches for 24 yards and tough matchup against an Arizona secondary that includes Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie, Cruz is a safe bet to disappoint with another low-scoring performance.

If all else fails and you still cannot decide who to start, simply reference the table above and start the high-ranked player.

Stats via NFL.com.

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