Unfortunately, injuries reared their ugly head last week, with Van Jefferson (knee), Rondale Moore (hamstring), and Allen Lazard (ankle) missing the week entirely and Keenan Allen (hamstring), Chris Godwin (hamstring), and Tee Higgins (concussion) getting dinged up during their games. We’ll keep an eye on all of these players this week, as more than a few would be in starting lineups if they’re active. (Update: Godwin is expected to miss a couple weeks, paving the way for Julio Jones to become a steady WR3.) We’re especially worried about Allen, who’s set to play the Chiefs on Thursday. We also need to watch for updates on Michael Gallup (knee), who missed last week but is expected to return in Week 2 or 3.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
As always, there were a few big breakouts in Week 1 who can’t be ignored. Jarvis Landry (vs. Buccaneers), Julio Jones (@ Saints), and Jahan Dotson (@ Lions) looked more like WR2s than the bench depth they were drafted to be, while Sterling Shepard (vs. Panthers), Devin Duvernay (vs. Dolphins), Curtis Samuel (@ Lions), and Robbie Anderson (@ Giants) had big games despite likely not being drafted at all in most leagues. Samuel and Landry appear to be the most legit based on target totals, but obviously any of these players could continue to produce. We especially like Dotson, Samuel, and Anderson this week thanks to what appears to be favorable matchups, but it’s important to keep in mind that we can’t make any definitive statements about pass defenses at this point in the season either.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:QBs | RBs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
On the flip side, CeeDee Lamb (vs. Bengals), Mike Williams (@ Chiefs), Diontae Johnson (vs. Patriots), Amari Cooper (vs. Jets), Allen Robinson (vs. Falcons), Robert Woods (@ Bills), Darnell Mooney (@ Packers), and DeVonta Smith (vs. Vikings) really disappointed. We’re not too worried about Williams, Johnson, and Cooper, but the rest – including Lamb with Dak Prescott (hand) out – are much bigger question marks. We dropping them lower into the flex tier this week, but it wouldn’t surprise us if they had nice bounce-back outings. Robinson has an especially nice matchup.
WEEK 2 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Again, there’s only so much we truly know about matchups at this point in the season, but bubble receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster (vs. Chargers), Jerry Jeudy (vs. Texans), Hunter Renfrow (vs. Cardinals), Drake London (@ Rams), Mooney (@ Packers), and Dotson and Samuel (@ Lions) appear to be in good spots. We only consider JuJu to be a “must-start,” but all the rest should have plenty of upside.
WEEK 2 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Bubble receivers with potentially tough matchups include Landry and Chris Olave (@ Buccaneers), Woods and Treylon Burks (@ Bills), Lazard and Romeo Doubs (vs. Bears), Adam Thielen (@ Eagles), and Rashod Bateman (vs. Dolphins). We’re not particularly worried about Bateman, but he has been moved down in our rankings compared to last week. The rest are “play-at-your-own-risk” guys.
WEEK 2 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
No one will blame you if you stick with the same WRs you played last week, regardless of outcome. It’s usually a mistake to chase points, but obviously you don’t want to keep one of this year’s big breakouts on your bench either. We’ll continue to learn more about this position this week, once again focusing on targets, red-zone looks, and snaps more so than just yards and touchdowns. If you do that, you’ll usually make more informed decisions. Even if your lineup calls don’t pan out, you’ll at least know you had the right process.
We’ll be updating these standard WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Week 2 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Week 2 WR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
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