Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings Position-by-Position Rundown

We're only one game into Week 2, but many fantasy football fans may already be stressing about their remaining lineup decisions. Quite a few likely find themselves in a hole after the Green Bay Packers dominated Thursday Night Football, and some very difficult matchups loom.

Injuries have also entered the equation, with players like Brock Purdy and George Kittle already sidelined for at least this week.

The main challenge in Week 2 is deciphering which performances and/or trends from Week 1 were authentic and which were the result of opening-game miscues.

While we don't have clear answers yet, we do have ideas. Here, you'll find a look at the top remaining plays of Week 2 at each key position based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. You'll also find some sleeper suggestions for players who may still be available on the waiver wire.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Bengals QB Joe Burrow

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Justin Fields, New York Jets
6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
9. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
11. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
12. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Managers should see few surprises at quarterback this week, with dual-threat signal-callers like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts serving as "safe" plays. Mobile quarterbacks can be contained, of course, and we saw the Packers do just that to Jayden Daniels on Thursday night. However, few of the top quarterbacks have truly unfavorable matchups this week.

Managers should also expect a rebound game from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He floundered against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, but Burrow has traditionally struggled against his in-state rivals. He's back home this week and set to face a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that is a bit more suspect.

Jacksonville allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last week, but it also faced Bryce Young. Burrow should fare better.

Purdy's absence may leave a few managers short of streaming options in Week 2. If so, Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith looms as a potential replacement. He threw for 362 yards and rushed for 10 in Week 1, and he is only getting started in an offense that features Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Ashton Jeanty.

Running Back

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Cardinals RB James Conner

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
4. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
6. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
8. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
9. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
10. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
11. Breece Hall, New York Jets
12. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
13. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
14. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
15. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
16. Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
17. Alivin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
18. Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
19. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
20. TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

Managers will find the usual suspects near the top of our running back rankings as well, though Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner isn't always a fixture of the top 10—but certainly is this week.

Conner did give up a notable amount of touches to second-year back Trey Benson in Week 1, but he had four receptions and a touchdown. This week, he'll face a Carolina Panthers defense that coughed up 200 rushing yards last Sunday. Conner is a must-start, while Benson is a top waiver-wire target.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has a good chance to return to being fantasy's top back, at least for this week. The 49ers won't have Purdy or tight end George Kittle against the New Orleans Saints. With Mac Jones running an offense short on receiving options, McCaffrey will be the focal point of the offense.

Against a New Orleans Saints defense that surrendered 146 rushing yards in Week 1, McCaffrey's floor is high. With PPR and touchdown potential included, his ceiling is even higher.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Falcons WR Drake London

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
4. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
5. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
6. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
8. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
10. Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
11. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
12. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
13. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
14. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
16. DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
17. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
18. Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
19. Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
21. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
22. D.J. More, Chicago Bears
23. Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
24. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
25. Jakobi Meyers, Los Angeles Chargers

Fantasy football has a "big three" consisting of Chase, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. All three should be strong plays in Week 2, which will mean a rebound game for Chase.

New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers should be a solid play, even if his matchup doesn't appear favorable. The Dallas Cowboys did a great job of shutting down receivers in Week 1, limiting Philadelphia Eagles standouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to four receptions and 24 yards combined. However, Philly doesn't need to force the ball to its top pass-catchers. New York does.

Houston Texans wideout Nico Collins is also a sneaky-great play this week. He had just three receptions on five targets for 25 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. However, he'll be up against a suspect Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary on Monday night.

Tampa surrendered 289 net passing yards to the Atlanta Falcons, who should have Drake London available on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings. London left Week 1 with a shoulder injury but is expected to play this week. So is Darnell Mooney, who missed Week 1 with his own shoulder injury.

Tight End

Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

Raiders TE Brock Bowers

1. Tre McBride, Arizona Cardinals
2. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
3. Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
4. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
5. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
6. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
7. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
8. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
9. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
10. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
11. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
12. Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

The biggest storyline at tight end this week involves Bowers, who exited Week 1 with a knee injury. He's missed practice this week but will have until late Monday night to prepare. His status is uncertain, but the second-year star is hoping to face the rival Los Angeles Chargers.

The problem for managers is that the Raiders and Chargers won't face off until 10 p.m. ET on Monday night. Managers may have to make a call on Bowers well ahead of that game.

If he plays, he should have one of the better outings of Week 2. If he doesn't, managers who are willing to wait for his status could be burned. Picking up fellow Raiders tight end Michael Mayer and making a last-minute swap if necessary would be wise.

Mayer had four catches for 38 yards in Week 1—not great, but much better than a blank—and is available in 98 percent of Yahoo leagues and 99 percent of ESPN leagues.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros.