Fantasy
9/11/24
4 min read
Fantasy Football 2024: Week 2 Rankings For Every Position
Week 2 of the NFL season will hopefully bring brighter days for fantasy managers.
This past weekend’s action saw a rash of injuries, subpar performances, and a strange league-wide happening: passing production was way down across Week 1.
We're not just talking about a slight dip in passing yardage, either:
Rather than addressing that ad nauseum, just remember that crucial tidbit. It’s a generally fair assessment that there’s room for an uptick in aerial numbers en masse looking forward. It's too soon to panic on the fantasy front.
Still, managers must soldier on and prepare for their matchup ahead.
Together, let’s delve into position-by-position rankings for Week 2 and the research that goes into these projections:
Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
Week 2 Quarterback Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent |
| 1. | Lamar Jackson | BAL | vs LV |
| 2. | Patrick Mahomes II | KC | vs CIN |
| 3. | Josh Allen | BUF | @ MIA |
| 4. | Jalen Hurts | PHI | vs ATL |
| 5. | C.J. Stroud | HOU | vs CHI |
| 6. | Kyler Murray | ARI | vs LAR |
| 7. | Anthony Richardson | IND | @ GB |
| 8. | Joe Burrow | CIN | @ KC |
| 9. | Jayden Daniels | WAS | vs NYG |
| 10. | Dak Prescott | DAL | vs NO |
| 11. | Jared Goff | DET | vs TB |
| 12. | Brock Purdy | SF | @ MIN |
| 13. | Matthew Stafford | LAR | @ ARI |
| 14. | Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | vs BUF |
| 15. | Baker Mayfield | TB | @ DET |
| 16. | Geno Smith | SEA | @ NE |
| 17. | Trevor Lawrence | JAC | vs CLE |
| 18. | Justin Fields | PIT | @ DEN |
| 19. | Caleb Williams | CHI | @ HOU |
| 20. | Aaron Rodgers | NYJ | @ TEN |
| 21. | Justin Herbert | LAC | @ CAR |
| 22. | Kirk Cousins | ATL | @ PHI |
| 23. | Sam Darnold | MIN | vs SF |
| 24. | Derek Carr | NO | @ DAL |
Quick Takeaways
- Only four quarterbacks recorded at least 10 carries in Week 1, per FantasyData: Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts, and rookie Jayden Daniels.
- This quartet, along with Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray, also makes up the short list of signal-callers to clear 50 rushing yards in Week 1. Should this league-wide passing trend continue downward, this archetype of rushing quarterback becomes even more valuable for fantasy managers, hence why all of them (except for Fields, who a healthy Russell Wilson may replace) fall in the top 12.
- Should Fields start in Week 2 vs. the Denver Broncos, I'd be hard-pressed to keep him outside of QB1 territory. He should be speculatively stashed off the waiver wire on the sheer rushing upside he brings.
Trending Up
- Baker Mayfield appeared in my Week 2 waiver wire article as the best waiver wire add for managers in need of a Jordan Love replacement. No one should be too gung-ho about his Week 1 demolition of the Commanders’ putrid secondary, nor should they expect four passing touchdowns again, but there’s reason for optimism regarding his potential vs. the Detroit Lions this coming Sunday.
- The Lions’ secondary is one of only two defensive units to allow more than 300 passing yards to their opponent in Week 1. When thinking about this matchup on paper for Mayfield, it will be incumbent upon the Bucs to keep pace with the Lions' high-powered offense. The likelihood that Mayfield records another 30 passing attempts on Sunday is incredibly high on the projected game script.
- However, such a small sample size to go off of leaves Mayfield outside of the top 12. The Lions’ defense surrendering as many passing yards as they did to Matthew Stafford could be an outlier for what’s expected to be a much-improved unit. But if Week 2 makes you too afraid to start Mayfield, his next two games after this are against the Atlanta Falcons and Broncos — at least go pick him up.
Trending Down
- One of the more disappointing calls from last week’s start/sit picks article is Falcons QB Kirk Cousins. In my defense, I did say that “immediately counting on a 36-year-old coming back from a midseason Achilles tear sounds like a foolish idea,” but I drank my own Kool-Aid. The results from Sunday’s loss vs. the Steelers are concerning.
- Cousins appears limited in what he’s willing to trust his body to do right now. There were plenty of instances caught on film in the tweet above in which the veteran didn’t plant into his throws at all. No need for stats or analytics on this one; that’s just bad news.
- Even more disturbingly, the Falcons’ offense was outrageously predictable due to Cousins’ limitations. Field Yates of ESPN shared some jarring information regarding their playcalling in Week 1:
- An offense that follows such egregiously telling sequencing will not thrive at any level of meaningful organized football. Fortunately, there are another 16 regular season games ahead, and there’s time to clean this up. Regardless, fantasy managers should not trust Cousins. He and lead WR Drake London will remain down the rankings until further notice.
- Maybe this is a bit spicy, but season-long superflex managers might as well go ahead and pick up rookie Michael Penix Jr. off the waiver wire. It's far too soon to call for 1-QB formats, but the odds we get Penix Jr. before Halloween are at least marginally higher now if these issues persist.
Week 2 Running Back Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent |
| 1.) | Breece Hall | NYJ | @ TEN |
| 2.) | Bijan Robinson | ATL | @ PHI |
| 3.) | Christian McCaffrey | SF | @ MIN |
| 4.) | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | vs TB |
| 5.) | Travis Etienne Jr. | JAC | vs CLE |
| 6.) | Jonathan Taylor | IND | @ GB |
| 7.) | Saquon Barkley | PHI | vs ATL |
| 8.) | Isiah Pacheco | KC | vs CIN |
| 9.) | Joe Mixon | HOU | vs CHI |
| 10.) | Derrick Henry | BAL | vs LV |
| 11.) | James Cook | BUF | @ MIA |
| 12.) | Alvin Kamara | NO | @ DAL |
| 13.) | David Montgomery | DET | vs TB |
| 14.) | Kyren Williams | LAR | @ ARI |
| 15.) | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | vs SEA |
| 16.) | Kenneth Walker III | SEA | @ NE |
| 17.) | Rachaad White | TB | @ DET |
| 18.) | De'Von Achane | MIA | vs BUF |
| 19.) | Josh Jacobs | GB | vs IND |
| 20.) | James Conner | ARI | vs LAR |
| 21.) | Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS | vs NYG |
| 22.) | Jerome Ford | CLE | @ JAC |
| 23.) | Aaron Jones | MIN | vs SF |
| 24.) | Najee Harris | PIT | @ DEN |
| 25.) | Jeff Wilson Jr. | MIA | vs BUF |
| 26.) | D'Andre Swift | CHI | @ HOU |
| 27.) | Tony Pollard | TEN | vs NYJ |
| 28.) | Devin Singletary | NYG | @ WAS |
| 29.) | Zack Moss | CIN | @ KC |
| 30.) | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs NO |
| 31.) | Zamir White | LV | @ BAL |
| 32.) | Javonte Williams | DEN | vs PIT |
| 33.) | Ty Chandler | MIN | vs SF |
| 34.) | Austin Ekeler | WAS | vs NYG |
| 35.) | Gus Edwards | LAC | @ CAR |
| 36.) | J.K. Dobbins | LAC | @ CAR |
| 37.) | Zach Charbonnet | SEA | @ NE |
| 38.) | Jaylen Warren | PIT | @ DEN |
| 39.) | Justice Hill | BAL | vs LV |
| 40.) | MarShawn Lloyd | GB | vs IND |
| 41.) | Jordan Mason | SF | @ MIN |
| 42.) | Tyjae Spears | TEN | vs NYJ |
| 43.) | Tyler Allgeier | ATL | @ PHI |
| 44.) | Jaylen Wright | MIA | vs BUF |
| 45.) | Chase Brown | CIN | @ KC |
| 46.) | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | vs LAC |
| 47.) | Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN | vs PIT |
| 48.) | Bucky Irving | TB | @ DET |
| 49.) | Rico Dowdle | DAL | vs NO |
| 50.) | Tank Bigsby | JAC | vs CLE |
Quick Takeaways
- The Miami Dolphins risk missing their tandem of Raheem Mostert (chest injury) and De’Von Achane (ankle injury) on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills. The former has already been ruled out, and the limited nature of Achane's practice participation leaves his ranking to suffer as a result.
- Consider looking out for rookie Jaylen Wright and Jeff Wilson Jr. on your waiver wire. The former Tennessee standout didn’t suit up for Week 1 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he would immediately elevate into a flex-worthy value should at least one of the starters miss the weeknight contest. As for Wilson Jr., we've seen him be effective in this offense before; he's the safer of the two.
- Monday night’s big surprise came from Christian McCaffrey being ruled out with a calf/Achilles injury. Third-year backup Jordan Mason torched the New York Jets in CMC’s absence, recording the second-highest rushing yardage total (147) of any running back in Week 1. His name doesn’t appear on this list, assuming McCaffrey’s health, but Mason would be a fringe RB1 option somewhere within the top 20 on Sunday vs. the Minnesota Vikings if he gets the nod again.
Trending Up
- It turns out that whatever concern fantasy enthusiasts concocted regarding Kyren Williams was for nothing. After being named as a special teams returner and speculation that rookie Blake Corum would cut into Williams’ workload, the latter silenced doubters and recorded a dominant 90.4 percent snap share and received 78.3 percent of the Rams’ rushing attempts in Week 1, per Fantasy Points Data. Corum is literally a zero in this offense after recording nary a snap in the opener, and you should feel a great deal of relief if you took the Williams plunge in drafts.
- Tony Pollard stood out as a clear winner in Week 1, dominating carries at a 16-4 clip against teammate Tyjae Spears. The pair each received four targets out of the backfield against the Bears, indicating some closeness in this committee. Still, enough evidence suggests managers can feel more confident in Pollard.
Trending Down
- D’Andre Swift experienced a disastrous Week 1. Though he did lead the backfield with a 71.7 percent snap share, per Fantasy Points Data. The offseason signee saw a frustrating distribution of touches that resulted in a sub-50 percent share of Chicago’s carries vs. the Titans. Fantasy managers witnessed a bizarre four-way split between Swift, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame, and Khalil Herbert that renders this entire backfield outside of confident starting territory for now.
Potential Breakouts
- MarShawn Lloyd missed the season opener in Brazil vs. the Eagles because of a lingering hamstring injury. In his absence, teammate Emanuel Wilson saw seven touch opportunities (carries + targets) spelling starter Josh Jacobs, leaving open the possibility for a viable secondary role in this backfield. Should Lloyd find himself healthy for Week 2, the third-round rookie would be an intriguing flex option for managers in deep leagues. Speaking as someone who attended the Reese's Senior Bowl this offseason, Lloyd was by far the biggest standout among the running back invitees and brings excellent vision and underappreciated receiving chops.
Week 2 Wide Receiver Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent |
| 1. | Tyreek Hill | MIA | vs BUF |
| 2. | Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | vs TB |
| 3. | CeeDee Lamb | DAL | vs NO |
| 4. | Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | @ KC |
| 5. | Justin Jefferson | MIN | vs SF |
| 6. | A.J. Brown | PHI | vs ATL |
| 7. | Cooper Kupp | LAR | @ ARI |
| 8. | DJ Moore | CHI | @ HOU |
| 9. | Garrett Wilson | NYJ | @ TEN |
| 10. | Jaylen Waddle | MIA | vs BUF |
| 11. | Nico Collins | HOU | vs CHI |
| 12. | Brandon Aiyuk | SF | @ MIN |
| 13. | Mike Evans | TB | @ DET |
| 14. | Rashee Rice | KC | vs CIN |
| 15. | Deebo Samuel Sr. | SF | @ MIN |
| 16. | Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | @ GB |
| 17. | Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI | vs LAR |
| 18. | Chris Olave | NO | @ DAL |
| 19. | DK Metcalf | SEA | @ NE |
| 20. | Davante Adams | LV | @ BAL |
| 21. | DeVonta Smith | PHI | vs ATL |
| 22. | Stefon Diggs | HOU | vs CHI |
| 23. | Chris Godwin | TB | @ DET |
| 24. | Tee Higgins | CIN | @ KC |
| 25. | Drake London | ATL | @ PHI |
| 26. | Xavier Worthy | KC | vs CIN |
| 27. | Amari Cooper | CLE | @ JAC |
| 28. | Malik Nabers | NYG | @ WAS |
| 29. | Tank Dell | HOU | vs CHI |
| 30. | George Pickens | PIT | @ DEN |
| 31. | Terry McLaurin | WAS | vs NYG |
| 32. | Keenan Allen | CHI | @ HOU |
| 33. | Zay Flowers | BAL | vs LV |
| 34. | Christian Kirk | JAC | vs CLE |
| 35. | Calvin Ridley | TEN | vs NYJ |
| 36. | Jayden Reed | GB | vs IND |
| 37. | Tyler Lockett | SEA | @ NE |
| 38. | Jameson Williams | DET | vs TB |
| 39. | Brian Thomas Jr. | JAC | vs CLE |
| 40. | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | @ NE |
| 41. | Diontae Johnson | CAR | vs LAC |
| 42. | Christian Watson | GB | vs IND |
| 43. | Demarcus Robinson | LAR | @ ARI |
| 44. | Greg Dortch | ARI | vs LAR |
| 45. | Rashid Shaheed | NO | @ DAL |
| 46. | Wan'Dale Robinson | NYG | @ WAS |
| 47. | DeAndre Hopkins | TEN | vs NYJ |
| 48. | Courtland Sutton | DEN | vs PIT |
| 49. | Josh Reynolds | DEN | vs PIT |
| 50. | Ladd McConkey | LAC | @ CAR |
Trending Up
- Rams WR Cooper Kupp is the biggest riser in fantasy football. After being sheepishly ranked as my WR22 ahead of Week 1, the veteran went berserk with 14 catches on 21 targets against the Lions. Kupp will be firmly entrenched as a WR1 weekly from here on out.
- Unfortunately, Kupp’s ascent is partly due to his teammate, Puka Nacua, landing on injured reserve with a knee injury sustained in the second quarter. Those looking for a potential beneficiary of Nacua’s absence can look toward Demarcus Robinson, who saw a late-season surge in 2023.
- The ex-Chief played six games last year with at least a 59 percent snap share. In those contests, Robinson averaged six targets and 55.3 receiving yards per game. That’s a potential low-end WR2 type of role if he fends off teammate Tyler Johnson for targets.
Trending Down
- Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson is annually heralded as a “well, he gets the volume” type of draft bargain, but this offensive circumstance is far worse than anything he faced in Pittsburgh. The veteran could only muster two receptions for 19 yards on six targets vs. the Saints, as the Panthers went on to be one of two teams that failed to crack 200 passing yards amid the historic dip. Start him if you have to, but Johnson belongs on the bench until we see signs of life.
- Frankly, the loss of Jordan Love renders every Packers receiver likely useless. The stated plan of attack from the coaching staff is that ex-Titan Malik Willis will be the team’s starter moving forward. We’re talking about a guy with a nightmarish career 48.7 passer rating. From Jayden Reed to Christian Watson, proceed with caution.
Potential Breakouts
- Don’t look now, but Wan’Dale Robinson has recorded at least six targets in 10 of 22 (45.5 percent) career games. Recent seasons have dealt the gadget athlete a slew of long-term injuries, but it’s clear that the Giants want him heavily involved. They're a bad team, but Robinson should be stashed on your bench.
Week 2 Tight End Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent |
| 1.) | Sam LaPorta | DET | vs TB |
| 2.) | Travis Kelce | KC | vs CIN |
| 3.) | Trey McBride | ARI | vs LAR |
| 4.) | George Kittle | SF | @ MIN |
| 5.) | Evan Engram | JAC | vs CLE |
| 6.) | Mark Andrews | BAL | vs LV |
| 7.) | Dalton Kincaid | BUF | @ MIA |
| 8.) | Brock Bowers | LV | @ BAL |
| 9.) | Dallas Goedert | PHI | vs ATL |
| 10.) | Kyle Pitts | ATL | @ PHI |
| 11.) | Isaiah Likely | BAL | vs LV |
| 12.) | Taysom Hill | NO | @ DAL |
| 13.) | Pat Freiermuth | PIT | @ DEN |
| 14.) | Tyler Conklin | NYJ | @ TEN |
| 15.) | Hunter Henry | NE | vs SEA |
| 16.) | Tucker Kraft | GB | vs IND |
| 17.) | Colby Parkinson | LAR | @ ARI |
| 18.) | Foster Moreau | NO | @ DAL |
| 19.) | Dalton Schultz | HOU | vs CHI |
| 20.) | Chig Okonkwo | TEN | vs NYJ |
| 21.) | Noah Fant | SEA | @ NE |
| 22.) | Zach Ertz | WAS | vs NYG |
| 23.) | Mike Gesicki | CIN | @ KC |
| 24.) | Cade Otton | TB | @ DET |
Quick Takeaways
- Only three tight ends received greater than five targets in Week 1: Isaiah Likely, Trey McBride, and (surprisingly) rookie Brock Bowers. This position carries an inherent weekly challenge, so don’t be frustrated if your star doesn’t pop off immediately. Stay the course with players like Evan Engram; they’ll probably be fine.
Potential Breakouts
- It’s worth expanding upon Bowers for a moment. The ex-Georgia standout led the Raiders in targets (eight) and recorded the fourth-highest air yards share (25.2 percent) among all tight ends in Week 1, per Fantasy Points Data. Talk about a debut!
- Sure, it’s only one game. That said, it’s worth noting that only three rookie tight ends (Sam LaPorta, Engram, and Kyle Pitts) have recorded 100 or more targets in their inaugural campaign since 2013. Bowers should be on record watch at this pace.
- If you were savvy enough to take Bowers and a veteran tight end as part of your redraft strategy, you’ve got a good shot at being the winner of the positional lottery. If you roster Bowers in dynasty, then you might have the TE1 overall.
