Fantasy Football Week 2 Rankings: Latest Position-by-Position Rundown

Forget Week 1.

Win, lose or draw (in which case you need to alter your league settings), it’s time to set your sights on Week 2 of the NFL season. There are a number of injuries to notable players heading into this week’s action, making some start/sit decisions even trickier than usual.

Below, we’ve laid out position-by-position rankings with studs and duds at each spot.

On to Week 2.

*Note: Numbers and rankings are based on standard-league scoring.

Quarterbacks

Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected points
1	Eli Manning	Giants	vs. Saints	32
2	Drew Brees	Saints	@ Giants	32
3	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	@ Vikings	28
4	Cam Newton	Panthers	vs. 49ers	27.8
5	Derek Carr	Raiders	vs. Falcons	24
6	Matthew Stafford	Lions	vs. Titans	24
7	Carson Palmer	Cardinals	Buccaneers	22
8	Blake Bortles	Jaguars	@ Chargers	22
9	Russell Wilson	Seahawks	@ Rams	21.7
10	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	vs. Bengals	21

Stud: Eli Manning, New York Giants

Roger Steinman/Associated Press

If you’re reading this, you could probably throw for at least one touchdown against the New Orleans Saints' Niagara Falls-level leaky defense, so just imagine what Eli Manning is going to do.

During the New York Giants’ 52-49 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 last season, the Big Blue signal-caller tossed six scores while connecting on 30 of his 41 attempts for 350 yards. Drew Brees was somehow even better, racking up 505 yards, seven touchdowns and two picks.

Why isn’t Brees the stud pick here, then?

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Glad you asked.

For starters, NOLA’s Week 1 shootout with the Oakland Raiders told us that the defense is just as holey as it was a season ago; Raiders QB Derek Carr had no problem throwing for 319 yards in a gusty road victory. The Giants defense is much-improved, boasting a fierce pass rush and revamped secondary highlighted by Janoris Jenkins.

Things already figured to be sliceable for Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., but cornerback Delvin Breaux is also injured, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport: 

That’s like uncorking a hole on a sinking ship.

Manning has surprised fantasy owners with occasional stinkers in tantalizing matchups before, but three touchdowns figures to be his floor this week.

Dud: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Don’t go dropping Russell Wilson. He’s still a top-five quarterback—both in real life and fantasy—and definitely warrants a bench spot.

But you probably shouldn’t be starting him this week.

Wilson injured his ankle during last week’s 12-10 win over the Miami Dolphins when defensive end Ndamukong Suh rolled over his right foot, twisting it in a way no foot should ever be twisted.

It was a wonder that Wilson came back into the game and led Seattle to the semipredictable comeback victory. Everything coming out of the Seahawks' camp indicates Wilson will be fine—but it’s likely somewhat of a smoke screen.

He’s going to play. That’s for sure. Seattle only carried one other QB (rookie Trevone Boykin) before promoting Jake Heaps this week. But it’s hard to believe Wilson is going to be playing at 100 percent.

The Seahawks will probably win this game. Wilson, even hobbled, is shrewd and creative enough to get that done. But it might be ugly.

As Jared Dubin of CBS Sports noted on Friday, Seattle has oddly struggled with the Rams in recent years.

From 2011 to 2015, “Seattle went 4-4 against the Rams and 42-14 against everyone else, while the Rams were 4-4 against the Seahawks and 23-32-1 against all other teams. It makes almost no sense.”

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Wilson has totaled three touchdowns and two picks in his last pair of showdowns with the division rival (both losses) and has not cracked 300 yards passing.

This might be a week to pick up a streamer off waivers. Joe Flacco, owned in 24.5 percent of ESPN leagues, comes to mind. He and the Baltimore Ravens should beat up on the Cleveland Browns.

Running Backs

Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	vs. Buccaneers	21
2	C.J. Anderson	Broncos	vs. Colts	20
3	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	@ Raiders	16.5
4	Todd Gurley	Rams	vs. Seahawks	16
5	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	@ Texans	15
6	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	@ Redskins	14.5
7	Doug Martin	Buccaneers	@ Cardinals	13.5
8	Adrian Peterson	Vikings	vs. Packers	12
9	Latavius Murray	Raiders	vs. Falcons	12
10	Lamar Miller	Texans	vs. Chiefs	12

Stud: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

You can consider this a weekly honor.

David Johnson is the best running back in fantasy football. He’s a three-down horse who is not only his team’s best offensive ground weapon, but also arguably its best aerial weapon, too.

Land, air, even sea—the Buccaneers aren’t going to be able to slow him down in Week 2:

The Arizona Cardinals are coming off of a painful loss to the undermanned New England Patriots, so expect Bruce Arians’ squad to be at its absolute best.

That starts with Johnson.

The second-year back from Northern Iowa was on the field for nearly every offensive snap against New England, per Fantasy Labs' Adam Levitan:

He turned that playing time into 16 carries for 89 rushing yards and four catches for 43 receiving yards. Johnson, the unequivocal goal-line back, also pounded in a one-yard touchdown.

Chris Johnson only received one touch in Week 1, and Arians might give him a few more this week, according to Arizona Sports' Adam Green:

But David Johnson should easily eclipse 100 all-purpose yards, and he’s a strong bet to find the end zone. Start him with supreme confidence.

Dud: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Todd Gurley owners had their nightmare become reality on Monday.

The San Francisco 49ers overplayed the run. They refused to let the Rams’ best player beat them, instead daring Case Keenum to make plays. Gurley was stuffed all night, Los Angeles put up a goose egg and you put a hole in your wall.

(OK, hopefully not the last one. But if you did, we understand.)

Gurley finished with 47 yards on 17 totes to go along with minus-five yards on one reception. His longest run was for 10 yards.

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

“Just stay with it, be patient,” Gurley said of an improvement heading into Week 2, per Turf Show Times. “I felt like some of the runs got busted up a little early. I feel like I was trying to do too much, or wasn’t patient enough in my reads. I just got to stick to the game plan, and just know that everything is going to be fine, and we’re going to break one.”

That’s what you want to hear. But will Seattle allow Gurley to break one?

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Kris Richard know that all the Rams offense has is Gurley. It’s likely they employ the same tactic San Francisco did and challenge Keenum and the rest of the offense to beat them.

Scarier for Gurley owners, the Seahawks are a better unit than the Niners.

It’s probably tough to sit Gurley, given what you invested to draft him, but keep those expectations low this week.

Wide Receivers

Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	vs. Bengals	21
2	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	vs. Saints	20
3	Mike Evans	Buccaneers	@ Cardinals	20
4	A.J. Green	Bengals	@ Steelers	17.5
5	Brandin Cooks	Saints	@ Giants	17
6	Julio Jones	Falcons	@ Raiders	15
7	Brandon Marshall	Jets	@ Bills	14.5
8	Amari Cooper	Raiders	vs. Falcons	12
9	Doug Baldwin	Seahawks	@ Rams	9.5
10	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	vs. Chiefs	9

Stud: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

See the above section on why Odell Beckham's quarterback is a bona fide stud this week. As Manning's No. 1 receiver, he benefits for the same reasons.

Last time he played New Orleans, Beckham (who is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and went to LSU) erupted for eight catches, 130 yards and three touchdowns.

This week, OBJ is understandably the most expensive player on FanDuel, according to Big Blue Bit:

While the trio of TDs will be tough to replicate, Beckham should at the very least blaze past 100 yards.

Dud: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In Week 1, Broncos QB Trevor Siemian looked…OK.

For NFL purposes, he did what he had to do. But for fantasy purposes, he didn’t provide a ton of optimism for receivers Demaryius Thomas (4 catches, 48 yards) and Emmanuel Sanders (5 catches, 49 yards).

They’ll certainly be involved, but based on what he did in Week 1, Siemian won’t elevate them to top-15 fantasy receivers.

Thomas tweaked his hip in the first quarter of the 21-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers, and it’s unclear what his status is for Week 2’s date with the Indianapolis Colts.

Here’s the play in question, per the NFL's official Twitter account:

DT stayed in and made a few more grabs, but he didn’t look like himself.

“I would never suit up a guy if I didn’t assume he could do what he always does,” head coach Gary Kubiak told reporters on Friday, per Nick Groke of the Denver Post. “You may have play counts and those types of things, but if you can play, you can play. Hopefully, we can get them to that point.”

Translation: Thomas is not “to that point” quite yet.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Groke reported this week that the 28-year-old veteran “stood on the sideline more often than he played, participating in about one-third of the Broncos’ offensive snaps Wednesday and Thursday.”

Thomas might play. But you shouldn’t start him. He’s likely to be a decoy on passing plays, but would still figure to provide some blocking for running back C.J. Anderson. Just look at what Sammy Watkins did for the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

While he’s a fine start when healthy, steer clear of a hobbled Thomas week.

Tight Ends

Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projected points
1	Jordan Reed	Redskins	vs. Cowboys	21
2	Rob Gronkowski	Patriots	vs. Dolphins	16
3	Julius Thomas	Jaguars	@ Chargers	11
4	Gary Barnidge	Browns	vs. Ravens	10
5	Greg Olsen	Panthers	vs. 49ers	9
6	Jared Cook	Packers	@ Vikings	9
7	Jason Witten	Cowboys	@ Redskins	8
8	Antonio Gates	Chargers	vs. Jaguars	7.5
9	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	@ Texans	6.5
10	Zach Ertz	Eagles	@ Bears	6

Stud: Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne.

Josh McCown and Gary Barnidge.

If you weren’t already aware, Browns tight end Gary Barnidge has an astounding rapport with quarterback Josh McCown. With the 37-year-old quarterback under center last year, the Barnyard Dog was nearly unstoppable.

Here’s a sweet tidbit from Rotoworld:

"

In games with McCown under center last season, Barnidge averaged a weekly 5.8-80-0.75 receiving line and was a weekly top-10 fantasy tight end for each of McCown's games. Without McCown, he averaged a 4-50-0.38 line. The two have an obvious connection, and McCown's reinsertion to the lineup gives Barnidge a serious boost after he dropped both of his targets Week 1.

"

During his first game with Robert Griffin III, Barnidge dropped both of his targets and finished with zero yards. He should make up for that performance with a big one now that his ol’ buddy McCown is back following an injury to RG3.

Dud: Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Coby Fleener’s summer hype train came to a screeching halt in Week 1.

Even as the Saints poured on 34 points against Oakland, the former Colts tight end snagged one pass for six yards.

This was not a guy you picked up and decided to start on a whim. His average draft position (ADP) was the TE6, which made him the 68th player taken overall. That’s the mid-fifth round in 12-team leagues.

Once again: one catch, six yards.

In late August, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett reported that Fleener was, according to head coach Sean Payton, a “work in progress.”

Perhaps that should’ve raised more red flags than it did. In an offense with mouths to feed all around, take a wait-and-see approach with Fleener. You’d be wise not to start him until he shows that he’s worthy.

D/ST

Rankings

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Seahawks	@ Rams
2	Broncos	vs. Colts
3	Cardinals	vs. Buccaneers
4	Panthers	vs. 49ers
5	Ravens	@ Browns
6	Patriots	vs. Dolphins
7	Raiders	vs. Falcons
8	Redskins	vs. Cowboys
9	Texans	vs. Chiefs
10	Rams	vs. Seahawks

Stud: Carolina Panthers

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

They’re playing the 49ers, who beat up on the Rams and will likely be riding high.

Carolina, now 0-1, should be in top form and bring San Francisco crashing down to earth.

Start ‘em if you got ‘em.

Dud: Green Bay Packers

The Tennessean-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was not good last week.

With backup QB Shaun Hill garnering little to no respect from the Tennessee Titans, AP found himself running into brick walls all game long. He finished with 31 yards on 19 carries.

Great players rarely string together poor performances. Expect Peterson to flirt with 100 yards and a score, thanks in part to signal-caller Sam Bradford, who should be able to hit some big plays with wideout Stefon Diggs.

Green Bay is typically one of the more reliable fantasy defenses, but this week’s outlook is mediocre at best.

Kickers

Stud: Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers

He missed a game-winner last week, so expect the Carolina kicker to find his groove against the Niners. Gano is a strong candidate for double-digit points.

Dud: Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts

It’s hard to truly find a “dud” kicker. Given the parity at the position, Vinatieri could easily come out and knock down five 50-yarders.

But it’s more logical to think that Andrew Luck and Co. stall—or at least struggle—with Denver’s defense. The turnover-prone QB is likely to hand Denver two or three possessions, limiting Vinatieri’s upside.

Props to FantasyPros for providing weekly projections and ADP numbers.