We saw some monster wide receiver performances and some big-name busts in the season's opening week. That's not uncommon, of course, but it always carries more weight in fantasy football owners' minds when it happens right away. As frustrating or exciting as it might be, you can't overreact this early in the season. After all, we know someone like Mike Evans has been a significant boom-or-bust candidate every week for seemingly his entire career. We have to look past those criminally bad performances and focus more on things like target share and matchups in our Week 2 fantasy WR rankings.
As always, standard leagues call for splash-play threats who do a lot with their receptions. A seven-catch, 43-yard stat line is acceptable in PPR leagues, but explosive WRs with deep speed and YAC ability tend to pay off more in standard. As always, your early-round, stud WRs are going to be solidly in your lineups either way. (Yes, even Brandon Aiyuk...for now.)
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Let's do this list justice and start the conversation off with Antonio Brown. He was electric with five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown last Thursday. Obviously, he was a nice piece in both PPR and standard leagues. He looked like the vintage AB from Pittsburgh and has a tremendous matchup in Week 2 (vs. Falcons). Even with Evans busting, we should really target all Buccaneers pass-catchers.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Last week, we had Allen Robinson ranked as a low-end WR2, and he didn't even produce good enough numbers to qualify as that. However, he had the targets (11), so he wasn't far away from paying off. This week, Robinson (vs. Bengals) doesn't have to see Jalen Ramsey lining up on the other side of him, so he's back in his rightful place inside the top 15 of the rankings.
WEEK 2 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
So, those types of players shouldn't be tough decisions, but there are plenty of borderline guys who will be. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry (vs. Texans) get bumps this week (assuming OBJ actually plays through his knee injury) because the Texans' defense should be bad despite limiting the Jags before garbage time. The Steelers' offense was grossly bad against the Bills, but all three of their big-name WRs (vs. Raiders) should have better luck with a much easier matchup this week. Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor were sleepers heading into this season, and they should continue playing well in Week 2 (@ Jets). Even Sam Darnold looked like a competent QB against the Jets, so why can't Mac Jones find a rhythm with Meyers and Agholor?
WEEK 2 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
More guys on the good matchup front: Mike Williams (vs. Cowboys) looked good in Week 1, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick (@ Jaguars) should take advantage of Jerry Jeudy's ankle injury, and Rondale Moore and Christian Kirk (vs. Vikings) have plenty of upside as flexes.
MORE WEEK 2 DFS: Best values | Best values | Lineup Builder
For notable fallers, it should go without saying the Jaguars' WRs were quite a letdown at Houston before garbage time, and we don't like their chances much against Denver either. Julio Jones (@ Seahawks), Marquez Callaway (@ Panthers), and all Giants (@ Washington) are also on the start-sit bubble because of matchups, while guys like Tyler Boyd (@ Bears), Russell Gage (@ Buccaneers), all Packers not named Davante Adams (vs. Lions) are simply not as attractive because of how they played. We're also worried about Terry McLaurin (vs. Giants) because of his QB situation and Aiyuk (@ Eagles) because of whatever he's dealing with, but we still think they should be started this week.
Check out our full list and analysis to make the right calls at WR. Hopefully, you're going for a 2-0 start heading into this week.
We'll be updating these WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.
Fantasy WR Rankings Week 2: Who to start at wide receiver
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
| Rank | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tyreek Hill, KC @ BAL |
| 2 | Davante Adams, GB vs. DET. Don't overthink it. Adams will be back -- especially in a matchup with the Lions. |
| 3 | DeAndre Hopkins, ARI vs. MIN |
| 4 | DK Metcalf, SEA vs. TEN |
| 5 | Justin Jefferson, MIN @ ARI |
| 6 | Keenan Allen, LAC vs. DAL |
| 7 | Stefon Diggs, BUF @ MIA |
| 8 | Calvin Ridley, ATL @ TB. We know Ridley let us all down with just five catches for 51 yards, but he still should never be sat on the bench. The good news is he did receive eight targets, and we can expect him to bounce back. Even against a tough Buccaneers defense, he'll be heavily targeted, and hopefully, the Falcons will resolve their offensive woes. |
| 9 | A.J. Brown, TEN @ SEA. This should be a rebound game for Brown. As bad as the Titans offense looked in Week 1, Brown did receive eight targets and is always likely to score a touchdown. His prospects look a tad bleaker in PPR leagues, but he's always been more appealing in standard. |
| 10 | Chris Godwin, TB vs. ATL. Godwin looks like the most attractive Buccs pass-catcher in PPR leagues, as he led them all in targets with 14. The next closest Buccaneer was Rob Gronkowski with eight. It seems like he'll be a notch above Mike Evans in the pecking order, but it was only a one-week sample size. |
| 11 | Tyler Lockett, SEA vs. TEN. Titans' passing defense. Enough said. |
| 12 | Amari Cooper, DAL @ LAC. Cooper surpasses CeeDee Lamb on the list, as he received 16 targets to Lamb's 15 but was a more reliable pass-catcher. He had a nuclear performance with 13 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns. We like both Cooper and Lamb, but until further notice, Cooper should be viewed as the Cowboys' No.1 WR. This will probably fluctuate, though. |
| 13 | Antonio Brown, TB vs. ATL. Brown looked like vintage AB from his Pittsburgh days and could be Tom Brady's primary deep threat after a full offseason together. As a general rule this week, play all Tampa Bay pass catchers. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles torched Atlanta, and it would be shocking if the Buccs didn't do it this week. |
| 14 | CeeDee Lamb, DAL @ LAC. See Amari Cooper |
| 15 | Mike Evans, TB vs. ATL. We've known all along Evans is a boom-or-bust candidate every week, but his Week 1 struggles aren't enough cause to keep him on the bench vs. Atlanta. |
| 16 | Allen Robinson, CHI vs. CIN. We knew Robinson getting shut down was in the range of outcomes, and he finished at the WR68 (before MNF) with a whopping 3.5 standard league points. Every time he's played the Rams, he's been ineffective. Don't worry too much, though because brighter days are ahead in a matchup vs. Cincinnati. It may take a QB change to Justin Fields to unlock his full potential, but he's been productive regardless of who has been at QB for the Bears. |
| 17 | Adam Thielen, MIN @ ARI. All Thielen does is score touchdowns. After posting 15 scores last year, he grabbed two in the opener at Cincinnati. It's always tough to project touchdowns, but he's one of the safest bets to score among WRs in the league. This game should play out to be high scoring (or at least Minnesota playing from behind), so we can expect him to get plenty of opportunities -- maybe even 10 targets like he did in Week 1. |
| 18 | Courtland Sutton, DEN @ JAX. Sutton stung fantasy owners with just one catch for 14 yards in week 1, but remember, this was just his first game back after a torn ACL and Jerry Jeudy (ankle) is expected to miss the game. Sutton should be fully cemented in the No. 1 WR role for at least this week, and a matchup with the Jags, who looked atrocious against the Texans, spells a bounceback from Sutton. |
| 19 | Brandin Cooks, HOU @ CLE. All Cooks does is produce big weeks, regardless of which team he's on and who's at quarterback. He was overlooked heading into the season, but we know he'll dominate targets in Houston. It's hard to evaluate Cleveland's defense, as it faced Kansas City in Week 1, but at the very least, we know targets will come Cooks' way. After all, he's probably the closest thing to Tyreek Hill in the league. |
| 20 | Deebo Samuel, SF @ PHI. Samuel was the overall WR3 in standard and PPR formats in Week 1. We can't expect every defense he plays to be as bad as the Lions, but at least while Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with a hamstring injury, Samuel is the clear-cut No. 1 WR for the Niners. Samuel caught nine of 12 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. He showed the game-breaker potential that we all know he has. We'll have to see if the Eagles' defense is good, or Atlanta's offense was just awful in Week 1. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of those two statements. Calvin Ridley was held to just 51 yards on five catches, so Samuel could have a down week. For now, he's a clear starter heading into Week 2. |
| 21 | Cooper Kupp, LAR @ IND. As many suspected, Kupp looked like Matthew Stafford's favorite target in Week 1. He led all Rams with 10 targets and will likely do that often. Stafford loves slot receivers, so the potential is sky-high here. Even though the Colts' defense looked bad in Week 1 against the Seahawks, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt one more time. If Kupp goes off in this game, he'll be a fixture as a WR1, and the Colts' passing defense will be viewed differently moving forward. As always, Kupp is a better play in PPR, but he's a must-start in both formats. |
| 22 | Terry McLaurin, WAS vs. NYG. It was a tough season-opener for McLaurin, who saw just four targets against the Chargers. However, the QB he's worked with all offseason in the first-team offense went down in the first quarter. With Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip) out for a significant amount of time, Taylor Heinicke will have a real chance to build chemistry will all of the WFT pass-catchers. Brighter days ahead should be in order for McLaurin. He'll face the Giants on a short week, who were susceptible to the pass against Teddy Bridgewater and company. |
| 23 | DeVonta Smith, PHI vs. SF. Smith looked the part of a true NFL No. 1 WR and hauled in six of eight targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in his debut. The 49ers didn't give up much to the Lions' WRs, but we know they have a putrid group there. The Niners don't have any shutdown corners that should scare you off Smith, so plug him in at your WR2 spot. His preseason ADP was so cheap that you may even have two receivers ahead of him. |
| 24 | Diontae Johnson, PIT vs. LV. Johnson caught five passes for 36 yards and a touchdown against a respectable Bills defense. Ben Roethlisberger didn't look great, but like last year, Johnson was out there commanding targets. He led all Steelers with 10 looks, and against a bad Las Vegas defense, he should do a lot more with a double-digit target game. For all intents and purposes, it's safe to play all of the Steelers WRs this week, but Johnson has the most upside and the safest floor -- followed by Chase Claypool in standard and JuJu Smith-Schuster in PPR. |
| 25 | D.J. Moore, CAR vs. NO. Moore looked every part of the No. 1 WR in Carolina (except for Christian McCaffrey, of course.) in Week 1 against the Jets. He caught six balls for 80 yards and looked to be on the same page with Sam Darnold. However, the Saints' defense looked quite impressive against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, so we'll see how good that defense is this week. The good news for Moore is that Marshon Lattimore (thumb) is out for the game. If Lattimore was in, there would be huge bust potential here. There is still somewhat bust potential if the Saints' defense looks as scary as it did last week. |
| 26 | Tee Higgins, CIN @ CHI. Higgins received five targets to Ja'Marr Chase's seven, but Higgins left the game early to get an IV. Both scored touchdowns, but Chase looks to be the deep-threat in the offense For now, we'll stick with Higgins as the WR1 to Joe Burrow, but we'll see how it shapes up moving forward. Both should be started as WR2/3s. They could both challenge to be fantasy WR1s on any given week. The potential is there as the young group jells with Burrow. |
| 27 | Corey Davis, NYJ vs. NE. The No. 1 WR job is Davis' to lose in New York, and he was a fruitful fantasy WR in Week 1 (@ Panthers) with five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was in garbage time, but hey, the Jets will be in garbage time a lot this season. The Patriots are notorious for beating up on rookie QBs, so there is bust potential here if Zach Wilson is ineffective. Still, targets matter, so he is still worth consideration in a flex spot. |
| 28 | Chase Claypool, PIT vs. LV. See Diontae Johnson. |
| 29 | Ja'Marr Chase, CIN @ CHI. See Tee Higgins. |
| 30 | Robert Woods, LAR @ IND. Woods only had four targets for three catches and 27 yards, but he did score a touchdown. Unfortunately, it just seems apparent Kupp is going to be the No. 1 WR in this offense. Still, we shouldn't expect such a bad outing like Woods had in Week 1 unless it becomes a pattern. He's a WR3 play for at least another week. |
| 31 | Mike Williams, LAC vs. DAL. Williams caught eight-of-12 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against Washington. This was a rare occasion that he was great across all scoring formats. Dallas' defense is much worse than Washington's, so we could see him eating big time this week. Perhaps he and Keenan Allen could both be WR1s. However, his propensity to disappoint and/or get hurt still has him ranked lower. |
| 32 | Jaylen Waddle, MIA vs. BUF. Waddle hit it off with his college QB right away, securing four-of-six targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. As the season goes by, Waddle will get more and more acclimated to the NFL game, but he has the chance to be the Dolphins' No. 1 WR (although Will Fuller's return from suspension complicates that). It remains to be seen how good the Bills defense is, but it might serve Waddle better to be viewed as a secondary receiver to avoid shadow coverage from Tre'Davious White. (Update: Fuller miss Week 2 because of a personal matter.) |
| 33 | Jakobi Meyers, NE @ NYJ. He'll get catches and targets in this favorable matchup, but as is always the case, Meyers will have more value in PPR leagues than standard. |
| 34 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT vs. LV. See Diontae Johnson. |
| 35 | Julio Jones, TEN @ SEA. Jones looks rusty after not practicing all offseason. He caught just three balls for 29 yards against Arizona, and you could tell he and Ryan Tannehill haven't practiced much together. We expect him to work the rust off eventually, but we have to be cautious for now. We're also well aware he could make us look silly and finish as a top-10 WR. The range of outcomes are limitless against a Seahawks defense that was bad against the pass last year. |
| 36 | Robby Anderson, CAR vs. NO. Like in New York with Sam Darnold, he was used as just a deep threat in Week 1 against the Jets. Last year, he was the PPR machine for this team, but he may be heading back toward a touchdown-dependent standard play. It was only one game, so we'll see how he's used moving forward. |
| 37 | Jarvis Landry, CLE vs. HOU. Landry was the No. 1 WR for Cleveland in the absence of Odell Beckham Jr., but he only got five targets. His fantasy performance was saved by a rushing touchdown, but he should return to more of a PPR play when OBJ comes back. Both could be benched early if the Browns stomp the Texans like expected. UPDATE: OBJ (knee) has been ruled out of this game, but we still don't see a high ceiling for Landry given the presumed offensive game plan. His floor is safer now, though. |
| 38 | DJ Chark, Jaguars, JAX vs. DEN |
| 39 | Marquise Brown, BAL vs. KC |
| 40 | Nelson Agholor, NE @ NYJ |
| 41 | Laviska Shenault Jr., JAX vs. DEN |
| 42 | Rondale Moore, ARI vs. MIN |
| 43 | Christian Kirk, ARI vs. MIN |
| 44 | Tim Patrick, DEN @ JAX |
| 45 | Kenny Golladay, NYG @ WAS |
| 46 | Marquez Callaway, NO @ CAR |
| 47 | Marvin Jones, JAX vs. DEN |
| 48 | Bryan Edwards, LV @ PIT |
| 49 | Sterling Shepard, NYG @ WAS |
| 50 | DeVante Parker, MIA vs. BUF |
| 51 | Tyler Boyd, CIN @ CHI |
| 52 | Jalen Reagor, PHI vs. SF |
| 53 | Cole Beasley, BUF @ MIA |
| 54 | Darnell Mooney, CHI vs. CIN |
| 55 | Brandon Aiyuk, SF @ PHI. Aiyuk's situation is unclear, but for now, it's safe to keep him on the bench if you have better options higher on this list. If not, you're better off taking the gamble. We'll evaluate him after Week 2. |
| 56 | Michael Pittman Jr., IND vs. LAR |
| 57 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB vs. DET |
| 58 | KJ Hamler, DEN @ JAX |
| 59 | Quintez Cephus, DET @ GB |
| 60 | Russell Gage, ATL @ TB |
| 61 | Randall Cobb, GB vs. DET |
| 62 | Deonte Harris, NO @ CAR |
| 63 | Allen Lazard, GB vs. DET |
| 64 | Henry Ruggs III, LV @ PIT |
| 65 | Gabriel Davis, BUF @ MIA |
| 66 | Jamison Crowder, NYJ vs. NE |
| 67 | Marquise Goodwin, CHI vs. CIN |
| 68 | Mecole Hardman, KC @ BAL |
| 69 | Emmanuel Sanders, BUF @ MIA |
| 70 | Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET @ GB |
| 71 | Jalen Guyton, LAC vs. DAL |
| 72 | Darius Slayton, NYG @ WAS |
| 73 | Van Jefferson, LAR @ IND |
| 74 | Quez Watkins, PHI vs. SF |
| 75 | Sammy Watkins, BAL vs. KC |
| 76 | K.J. Osborn, MIN @ ARI |
| 77 | A.J. Green, ARI vs. MIN |
| 78 | Zach Pascal, IND vs. LAR |
| 79 | Braxton Berrios, NYJ vs. NE |
| 80 | Anthony Schwartz, CLE vs. HOU |
| 81 | Hunter Renfrow, LV @ PIT |
| 82 | DeSean Jackson, LAR @ IND |
| 83 | Demarcus Robinson, KC @ BAL |
| 84 | Terrace Marshall Jr., CAR vs. NO |
| 85 | Kadarius Toney, NYG @ WAS |
| 86 | Dyami Brown, WAS vs. NYG |