Weekly Positional Rankings: Week Two

This year, we’re adding something completely new to DLF: Weekly Rankings.

In this series, I’ll give you my top 30 quarterbacks, 60 running backs, 60 wide receivers, and 30 tight ends each week to help you with your start/sit decisions in your leagues. To generate this list each and every week, I examine team trends, Vegas over/unders, implied points, pace of play, among various other factors to build a projection for each player and subsequently adjust rankings for upside and more detailed matchup specifics.

Among the rankings, there will surely be some that surprise you or that you may disagree with. At the end of each position section, I’ll give you my thoughts on some players that perhaps are ranked higher/lower than you might expect and insights as to why they are a good/bad play this week. Ultimately, these rankings should help your start/sit dilemmas and ensure you have the requisite resources to make an informed decision.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Week Two’s positional rankings!

Quarterbacks

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 2 Rank
QB	Patrick Mahomes	@OAK	1
QB	Deshaun Watson	JAC	2
QB	Aaron Rodgers	MIN	3
QB	Lamar Jackson	ARI	4
QB	Dak Prescott	@WAS	5
QB	Tom Brady	@MIA	6
QB	Matt Ryan	PHI	7
QB	Carson Wentz	@ATL	8
QB	Jared Goff	NO	9
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	SEA	10
QB	Cam Newton	TB	11
QB	Josh Allen	@NYG	12
QB	Philip Rivers	@DET	13
QB	Jimmy Garoppolo	@CIN	14
QB	Drew Brees	@LAR	15
QB	Baker Mayfield	@NYJ	16
QB	Jameis Winston	@CAR	17
QB	Russell Wilson	@PIT	18
QB	Derek Carr	KC	19
QB	Kyler Murray	@BAL	20
QB	Marcus Mariota	IND	21
QB	Matthew Stafford	LAC	22
QB	Kirk Cousins	@GB	23
QB	Andy Dalton	SF	24
QB	Sam Darnold	CLE	25
QB	Mitchell Trubisky	@DEN	26
QB	Jacoby Brissett	@TEN	27
QB	Case Keenum	DAL	28
QB	Gardner Minshew	@HOU	29
QB	Eli Manning	BUF	30

Start ‘em: Ben Roethlisberger, QB PIT

Coming off an atrocious week one at New England, a predictably tough matchup, Big Ben and crew look poised to bounce back in a big way in week two. The Seattle Seahawks are coming to Pittsburgh, and the Steelers are a four-point home favorite. Last week, the Seahawks allowed a whopping 418 yards to Andy Dalton, which was his career high. Despite the Seahawks wanting to play a run and play defense style football game, this contest has sneaky shootout potential. My projections have Big Ben eclipsing 300 yards passing and throwing two touchdowns on the day, but there’s potential for an even higher ceiling. He’s a high-floor, high-ceiling play in week two and should be in your starting lineup.

Sit ‘em: Drew Brees, QB NOS

Brees looked unstoppable at times in Monday night’s thriller in New Orleans in week one. The Saints not only have one of the best quarterbacks in the league but also one of the best supporting casts. However, Brees finds himself in the “Sit ‘em” category this week for two main reasons. First, Brees has been historically worse on the road than at home. This was evident last season as well. Below are Brees’s splits at home vs on the road in 2018 from Pro Football Reference.

On the road, Brees averaged over 100 fewer passing yards per game, over one fewer passing touchdowns, and had four times the amount of interceptions. Nearly every per-game stat for Brees is worse, and significantly so. Secondly, he faces a tough Rams opponent that allowed just 6.4 fantasy points to Cam Newton in week one in a game where the Panthers still scored 27 points. All of this is pointing to Brees being a mid-level QB2 on the week, which is great in superflex formats but less appealing in a typical one QB league.

If you’re desperate: Derek Carr, QB OAK

Carr looked sharp in the Raiders opening game on Monday night against the Broncos. Despite no Antonio Brown, Carr completed nearly 85% of his passes, including a few deep balls to new number one receiver Tyrell Williams. Carr was excellent on third down, specifically, completing eight of nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, including seven first-down throws. This matchup, at home against Kansas City, looks to be a shootout as the Raiders try to keep up with the incredible Chiefs offense. Further, the Chiefs defense let rookie Gardner Minshew complete 88% of his passes in week one. Carr has a high ceiling in this matchup and is worth consideration as a desperation play.

Running Backs

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 2 Rank
RB	Christian McCaffrey	TB	1
RB	Le’Veon Bell	CLE	2
RB	Saquon Barkley	BUF	3
RB	Alvin Kamara	@LAR	4
RB	Ezekiel Elliott	@WAS	5
RB	Todd Gurley	NO	6
RB	Nick Chubb	@NYJ	7
RB	James Conner	SEA	8
RB	Joe Mixon	SF	9
RB	Dalvin Cook	@GB	10
RB	Kerryon Johnson	LAC	11
RB	Mark Ingram	ARI	12
RB	David Johnson	@BAL	13
RB	Austin Ekeler	@DET	14
RB	Leonard Fournette	@HOU	15
RB	Josh Jacobs	KC	16
RB	Chris Carson	@PIT	17
RB	Sony Michel	@MIA	18
RB	Devonta Freeman	PHI	19
RB	Damien Williams	@OAK	20
RB	Derrick Henry	IND	21
RB	Duke Johnson	JAC	22
RB	Aaron Jones	MIN	23
RB	Marlon Mack	@TEN	24
RB	Tarik Cohen	@DEN	25
RB	Matt Breida	@CIN	26
RB	Kenyan Drake	NE	27
RB	Latavius Murray	@LAR	28
RB	James White	@MIA	29
RB	David Montgomery	@DEN	30
RB	Jalen Richard	KC	31
RB	Devin Singletary	@NYG	32
RB	Lesean McCoy	@OAK	33
RB	Phillip Lindsay	CHI	34
RB	Chris Thompson	DAL	35
RB	Miles Sanders	@ATL	36
RB	Ronald Jones	@CAR	37
RB	Adrian Peterson	DAL	38
RB	Jaylen Samuels	SEA	39
RB	Justin Jackson	@DET	40
RB	Carlos Hyde	JAC	41
RB	Darren Sproles	@ATL	42
RB	Giovani Bernard	SF	43
RB	Dion Lewis	IND	44
RB	Royce Freeman	CHI	45
RB	Malcolm Brown	NO	46
RB	Jordan Howard	@ATL	47
RB	Jamaal Williams	MIN	48
RB	Alexander Mattison	@GB	49
RB	Mike Davis	@DEN	50
RB	CJ Anderson	LAC	51
RB	Dare Ogunbowale	@CAR	52
RB	Nyheim Hines	@TEN	53
RB	Peyton Barber	@CAR	54
RB	Frank Gore	@NYG	55
RB	Rashaad Penny	@PIT	56
RB	Ito Smith	PHI	57
RB	Tony Pollard	@WAS	58
RB	Gus Edwards	ARI	59
RB	Kalen Ballage	NE	60

Start ‘em: Duke Johnson, RB HOU

Johnson predictably split the total touch count fairly evenly with new teammate Carlos Hyde on Monday night, but Johnson saw five targets in the contest to Hyde’s one. In PPR formats, Johnson brings efficiency on the ground as well as receiving upside in one of the best offenses in the league. Last week, the Jaguars allowed Damien Williams to see six targets out of the backfield. The Texans will look to utilize Johnson/Hyde similarly to how the Chiefs did with Williams/McCoy last week. In what looks to be another high scoring game, Johnson is a locked-in RB2 this week. Play him accordingly.

Sit ‘em: Phillip Lindsay, RB DEN

One year ago to this very week, Phillip Lindsay was at the top of the list of waiver wire pick-ups after a breakout week one game. This year, Lindsay’s week one resulted in a clear timeshare with fellow second-year back Royce Freeman. The two split the rushing workload essentially evenly, and the snap shares favored Lindsay only by a few percentage points. Lindsay did get the majority of the receiving work, which is why he’s still the better option of the aforementioned duo. However, in week two, the Broncos face the Chicago Bears, a team that limited the similarly efficient Aaron Jones to just 3.0 yards per carry in week one. Consider Lindsay no more than a back-end RB3 option for this week and look elsewhere for a higher ceiling.

If you’re desperate: Darren Sproles, RB PHI

Darren Sproles and Frank Gore must have a bet going on to see who can last in the league as a 10+ touch player for longer. In any event, Sproles is set up for a potentially big ceiling in week two against the Atlanta Falcons. In week one, the Falcons let running back Dalvin Cook receiving a 20% target share in the passing game. Now, the Vikings only threw ten times total, but this 20% actually ranked seventh among all running backs in week one. This isn’t just a one-game trend either. In 2018, the Falcons allowed 117 receptions to opposing running backs, which was the most in the NFL. As the primary pass-catching back on the Eagles, Sproles is in line for what could be a big game in a high-scoring affair.

Wide Receivers

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 2 Rank
WR	Julio Jones	PHI	1
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	JAC	2
WR	Juju Smith-Schuster	SEA	3
WR	Keenan Allen	@DET	4
WR	Davante Adams	MIN	5
WR	Julian Edelman	@MIA	6
WR	Michael Thomas	@LAR	7
WR	Odell Beckham Jr	@NYJ	8
WR	Sammy Watkins	@OAK	9
WR	Amari Cooper	@WAS	10
WR	Mike Evans	@CAR	11
WR	DJ Moore	TB	12
WR	Tyler Boyd	SF	13
WR	Kenny Golladay	LAC	14
WR	Adam Thielen	@GB	15
WR	Robert Woods	NO	16
WR	Tyler Lockett	@PIT	17
WR	Tyrell Williams	KC	18
WR	Antonio Brown	@MIA	19
WR	Brandin Cooks	NO	20
WR	Allen Robinson	@DEN	21
WR	Dede Westbrook	@HOU	22
WR	Alshon Jeffery	@ATL	23
WR	Calvin Ridley	PHI	24
WR	Cooper Kupp	NO	25
WR	Stefon Diggs	@GB	26
WR	Chris Godwin	@CAR	27
WR	Jarvis Landry	@NYJ	28
WR	Robby Anderson	CLE	29
WR	TY Hilton	@TEN	30
WR	Mike Williams	@DET	31
WR	John Brown	@NYG	32
WR	Will Fuller	JAC	33
WR	Curtis Samuel	TB	34
WR	Jamison Crowder	CLE	35
WR	Marvin Jones	LAC	36
WR	Michael Gallup	@WAS	37
WR	DK Metcalf	@PIT	38
WR	Josh Gordon	@MIA	39
WR	Corey Davis	IND	40
WR	Courtland Sutton	CHI	41
WR	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	MIN	42
WR	Terry McLaurin	DAL	43
WR	John Ross	SF	44
WR	Marquise Brown	ARI	45
WR	Christian Kirk	@BAL	46
WR	Sterling Shepard	BUF	47
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	@BAL	48
WR	Mecole Hardman	@OAK	49
WR	James Washington	SEA	50
WR	Emmanuel Sanders	CHI	51
WR	Hunter Renfrow	KC	52
WR	Donte Moncrief	SEA	53
WR	Tre’Quan Smith	@LAR	54
WR	AJ Brown	IND	55
WR	Danny Amendola	LAC	56
WR	Randall Cobb	@WAS	57
WR	Desean Jackson	@ATL	58
WR	Cole Beasley	@NYG	59
WR	Geronimo Allison	MIN	60

 

Start ‘em: Calvin Ridley, WR ATL

Ridley got off to an efficient start to the season with 16.4 PPR points in week one on just six targets. While splitting targets with the team’s WR3 Mohamed Sanu, Ridley bested the latter in air yards by 42. This is an important distinction between the two, as the Philadelphia Eagles – the Falcons week two opponent – allowed 278 attempted air yards to Redskins receivers on just 22 targets in their week one matchup. This Eagles team is vulnerable against the deep ball. While Julio Jones will certainly command his fair share of targets, Ridley is the next best option as a deep threat on this Falcons team. He’s a strong start as both a high-floor/high-ceiling play in week two in what should be a shootout in Atlanta.

Sit ‘em: Cardinals WRs

This is a matchup I’m avoiding for essentially all Cardinals not named David Johnson. Travelling to Baltimore in rookie Kyler Murray’s first away game of this career, this has all the makings of a “learning” game for this young Cardinals offense. Aside from a phenomenal fourth quarter, Murray struggled throughout much of his first start against a fairly average Detroit Lions defense at home. With an implied total of just 16.5 points according to the Vegas lines, I’m not comfortable starting any Cardinals wide receiver as more than a WR4 this week. In shallower starting lineup settings, you can safely sit these players for higher upside options.

If you’re desperate: DK Metcalf, WR SEA

Rookie wide receivers are notoriously hard to trust, but Metcalf is one to seriously consider in week two against a vulnerable Pittsburgh secondary. Against the Patriots, the Steelers allowed an average of 19.5 yards per reception to wide receivers as well as three touchdowns. Metcalf surprisingly led all Seahawks wide receivers in targets in week one, earning six of Wilson’s 20 attempts. This high target share, combined with both Metcalf’s 22.5 yards per reception and the Steelers’ propensity to allow the deep ball in week one, set Metcalf up as a solid week two upside play.

Tight Ends

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 2 Rank
TE	Travis Kelce	@OAK	1
TE	George Kittle	@CIN	2
TE	Evan Engram	BUF	3
TE	Zach Ertz	@ATL	4
TE	Hunter Henry	@DET	5
TE	OJ Howard	@CAR	6
TE	Austin Hooper	PHI	7
TE	Mark Andrews	ARI	8
TE	Jared Cook	@LAR	9
TE	Darren Waller	KC	10
TE	Vance McDonald	SEA	11
TE	Delanie Walker	IND	12
TE	Jimmy Graham	MIN	13
TE	David Njoku	@NYJ	14
TE	TJ Hockenson	LAC	15
TE	Jordan Reed	DAL	16
TE	Jack Doyle	@TEN	17
TE	Greg Olsen	TB	18
TE	Eric Ebron	@TEN	19
TE	Kyle Rudolph	@GB	20
TE	Noah Fant	CHI	21
TE	Mike Gesicki	NE	22
TE	Tyler Eifert	SF	23
TE	Blake Jarwin	@WAS	24
TE	Vernon Davis	DAL	25
TE	Jason Witten	@WAS	26
TE	Cameron Brate	@CAR	27
TE	Ian Thomas	TB	28
TE	Tyler Higbee	NO	29
TE	Dallas Goedert	@ATL	30

 

Start ‘em: Vance McDonald, TE PIT

It’s difficult to know what to take away from the Steelers week one game against the Patriots. Trailing early and throughout the game, the Steelers frequently deployed five wide receivers on the field on 23% of their snaps, according to Sharp Football Analysis. For context, no other team utilized this formation more than 5% of snaps, and 81% of teams never used this formation in week one. This is unlikely to repeat in week two, and Vance McDonald will be a beneficiary of a more standard game plan at home against the Seahawks. Given that Ben Roethlisberger is a quality start this week (and for all the same reasons about the Seahawks being vulnerable against the pass), McDonald joins him as a solid option at tight end.

Sit ‘em: TJ Hockenson, TE DET

TJ “Gronk”enson had arguably the best start to a career ever for a tight end last week. With 25.1 PPR points, Hockenson finished as the second-best tight end in week one. Unfortunately for many, this production came on your bench. As tempting as it is to start Hockenson in week two off of this huge breakout performance, remember starting him in week two does not give you his week one fantasy points. Despite his breakout, Hockenson is still a rookie tight end, and with that will come a wider spread of outcomes. In week two, the Lions will face a Chargers team that allowed just two receptions to the Jack Doyle/Eric Ebron combination in week one. Of course, this is just one data point, but the overall matchup leans me towards other solid options in week two. Hockenson is still a high-end TE2 on the week, but there are other, safer options I’d consider over the rookie in week two.

If you’re desperate: Mike Gesicki, TE MIA

If we learned anything from week one, it’s that the Miami Dolphins are going to be trailing a lot in 2019. This team is in complete shambles, but lost amongst the blowout on Sunday was Mike Gesicki’s six targets. With this 19% target share, Gesicki actually finished 11th among all tight ends in week one target share. Of course, simply getting targets does not equate to fantasy production, as Ricky Seals-Jones taught us in 2018. However, with how thin the tight end position is, if you could guarantee another six targets for Gesicki in week two, he has the chance to put up decent numbers. In another potential blowout in Miami this week, Gesicki may be the lone bright spot for your fantasy teams.

That concludes this week’s rankings article! As this series is released on Thursdays, be sure to follow any lingering injuries and changing injury status updates for players as Sunday approaches. If you’re wondering about a player I didn’t dive into detail about, feel free to reach out to me @FFzinger on Twitter. Best of luck this week, and I’ll be back next week to give Week Three’s positional rankings.