Week 2 of the UFL season is in the books and only two undefeated teams remain. The Birmingham Stallions and the San Antonio Brahmas will both attempt to remain unblemished with home matchups on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. On the flip side, last year's XFL champion Renegades sit at 0-2. They will take on the DC Defenders on Saturday afternoon.
Week 2 was headlined by impressive comebacks from San Antonio and DC -- can Week 3 live up to the high standards set by the first two weeks of UFL action?
RotoBaller's UFL experts provide fantasy rankings for Week 3 below.
- Quarterbacks - Brant Henson
- Running Backs - Andrew Lennox
- Wide Receivers - Brant Henson
- Tight Ends - Andrew Lennox
Quarterback UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
The biggest surprise of Week 2 was Birmingham's quarterback usage. Following Matt Corral's impressive Week 1 showing, he got off to a rough start and was used in tandem with Adrian Martinez. Martinez had some run in Week 1, so this was not a complete surprise, but it was still shocking to see him get most of the action under center.
Rank | Player Name | Team |
1 | A.J. McCarron | St. Louis Battlehawks |
2 | Chase Garbers | San Antonio Brahmas |
3 | Jordan Ta'amu | DC Defenders |
4 | Case Cookus | Memphis Showboats |
5 | Luis Perez | Arlington Renegades |
6 | E.J. Perry | Michigan Panthers |
7 | Reid Sinnett | Houston Roughnecks |
8 | Matt Corral | Birmingham Stallions |
9 | Adrian Martinez | Birmingham Stallions |
A.J. McCarron's fantasy tear continues, and this week's matchup with the San Antonio Brahmas should be circled for fantasy purposes, given that these are the top-two passing offenses in the league through two weeks. McCarron's triple-headed monster at the receiver position should allow him to continue to pace the league in passing yards this week. On the other side of the field, Chase Garbers leads the league in passing touchdowns. He is a safe bet in the projected shootout against the defense, allowing the second-most yards in the league.
Tier 2 quarterbacks include DC's Jordan Ta'amu, Memphis's Case Cookus, and Arlington's Luis Perez. Cookus and Ta'amu both offer rushing upside, while Perez is currently third in the league in passing. Memphis could find itself in passing situations against first-place Birmingham, leading to opportunities for Cookus to put numbers up. Arlington has allowed the most passing yards in the league through two games, leading to opportunities for Ta'amu to lean on his talented receiver room.
E.J. Perry, Reid Sinnett, and the Birmingham quarterback tandem make up Tier 3. Following Jarrett Guarantano's injury, Sinnett steps under center in Houston. He delivered a solid game, passing for 221 yards and a touchdown in relief last week, but finds himself in a tough matchup against a pesky Michigan defense this week. Perry looked improved through the air in Week 2, but there are better quarterback options. Matt Corral and Adrian Martinez have both flashed for the undefeated Birmingham squad, but cannot be trusted in lineups given their current split usage.
Running Back UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Andrew Lennox
Aside from St. Louis's running back Mataeo Durant having a breakout performance in Week 2, it was a slow week on the ground. However, there are several backs that showed promise and could make an impact in Week 3.
Rank | Player Name | Team |
1 | CJ Marable | Birmingham Stallions |
2 | Mataeo Durant | St. Louis Battlehawks |
3 | Wes Hills | Michigan Panthers |
4 | Darius Victor | Memphis Showboats |
5 | TJ Pledger | Houston Roughnecks |
6 | Cam'Ron Harris | D.C. Defenders |
7 | Anthony McFarland Jr. | San Antonio Brahmas |
8 | Leddie Brown | Arlington Renegades |
9 | Ricky Person Jr. | Birmingham Stallions |
10 | Wayne Gallman | St. Louis Battlehawks |
11 | De'Veon Smith | Arlington Renegades |
12 | John Lovett | San Antonio Brahmas |
13 | Darius Hagans | D.C. Defenders |
14 | Nate McCrary | Michigan Panthers |
15 | Titus Swen | Memphis Showboats |
Birmingham's offensive attack continues to cruise, with tailback CJ Marable being one of its top producers. In the 20-13 victory over the Panthers, Marable carried 14 times for 54 yards on the ground and caught three passes collecting 29 yards. It looks like he's going to be a major fantasy factor for the remainder of the season.
Not seeing the field in Week 1, Mataeo Durant returned with a vengeance in Week 2, spearheading the Battlehawks' ground game with a remarkable 7.4 yards per carry. As a result, he should see more touches in a Week 3 showdown against the Brahmas.
Darius Victor was Memphis's main rushing threat, carrying 17 times for 54 yards in a loss to the Brahmas. He also collected two passes on three targets for 11 yards. Victor didn't play a huge role in the Showboats offense in Week 2, but he could bounce back if he continues to be the go-to running back in Week 3.
Wide Receiver UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
Week 2 proved that there are very few "alpha" wide receivers in this league. Some passing attacks are far more dangerous than others, leading to far more relevant receivers on a team like St. Louis vs. a team like Michigan.
Rank | Player Name | Team |
1 | Darrius Shepherd | St. Louis Battlehawks |
2 | Daewood Davis | Memphis Showboats |
3 | Marcell Ateman | St. Louis Battlehawks |
4 | Jontre Kirklin | San Antonio Brahmas |
5 | Marquez Stevenson | San Antonio Brahmas |
6 | Hakeem Butler | St. Louis Battlehawks |
7 | Deon Cain | Birmingham Stallions |
8 | Marcus Simms | Michigan Panthers |
9 | Justin Hall | Houston Roughnecks |
10 | Keke Coutee | DC Defenders |
11 | Vinny Papale | Memphis Showboats |
12 | Tyler Vaughns | Arlington Renegades |
13 | Deontay Burnett | Arlington Renegades |
14 | Keke Chism | Houston Roughnecks |
15 | Isaiah Winstead | Arlington Renegades |
16 | Chris Rowland | DC Defenders |
17 | Trey Quinn | Michigan Panthers |
18 | JaVonta Payton | Arlington Renegades |
19 | Kelvin Harmon | DC Defenders |
20 | Anthony Ratliff-Williams | Houston Roughnecks |
21 | Ty Scott | DC Defenders |
22 | Brandon Smith | DC Defenders |
23 | Marlon Williams | Birmingham Stallions |
24 | Jonathan Adams | Memphis Showboats |
25 | Blake Jackson | St. Louis Battlehawks |
26 | Amari Rodgers | Birmingham Stallions |
27 | Binjimen Victor | Birmingham Stallions |
28 | Justin Smith | San Antonio Brahmas |
29 | Emmanuel Butler | Houston Roughnecks |
30 | Jordan Suell | Michigan Panthers |
31 | Gary Jennings | Birmingham Stallions |
32 | Caleb Vander Esch | Arlington Renegades |
33 | Devin Ross | Michigan Panthers |
Five of this week's top-six ranked receivers will be playing Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT. The St. Louis/San Antonio matchup projects as a battle through the air, and investing in the wide receivers in this game is the way to approach it. Darrius Shepherd has been the top target for A.J. McCarron so far this season, averaging 10 targets a game. While he hasn't scored a touchdown yet, his floor is extremely safe.
Marcell Ateman leads the league in both receiving yards and touchdowns, making him another safe bet. Hakeem Butler has yet to have a big game, but it's only a matter of time before he goes off with his elite red-zone ability. For San Antonio, both Jontre Kirklin and Marquez Stevenson have enjoyed strong starts to the season.
Daewood Davis is second in the league in targets (19) and is emerging as the go-to receiver for quarterback Case Cookus. In a game that could offer heavy passing situations, he grades as our WR2 this week.
Rounding out the top 10 are Deon Cain, Marcus Simms, Justin Hall, and Keke Coutee. Cain had a strong Week 1 showing, but Week 2 was nowhere near as productive (three receptions for 30 yards). The Stallions lean heavily on the run game, but when they do passing the ball to Cain is the go-to option.
Michigan's Marcus Simms popped in Week 2, grabbing three receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He leads the team in targets, averaging 6.5 per game.
With offensive weapon Kirk Merritt potentially suffering a season-ending injury, Justin Hall stepped up for Houston and earned seven targets from quarterback Reid Sinnett. He is not the guaranteed fill-in, as Keke Chism saw seven targets and Anthony Ratliff-Williams saw six, but he seems to be the most likely to step into slot duties on an underperforming offense.
The Defenders have the toughest receiver room to project on a weekly basis, as Ty Scott, Brandon Smith, Kelvin Harmon, Keke Coutee, and Chris Rowland have all been involved early. Coutee has the most experience of the group and saw a 29% target share in Week 2, making him our top option for Week 3 against the league's most porous pass defense in Arlington. All of the aforementioned Defenders receivers are worth taking a flier on this week.
Tight End UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Andrew Lennox
It's still very early in the season, but a few tight ends have already been pulling away from the rest of the pack over the past two weeks.
Rank | Player Name | Team |
1 | Cody Latimer | San Antonio Brahmas |
2 | Sal Cannella | Arlington Renegades |
3 | Sage Surratt | Memphis Showboats |
4 | Cole Hikutini | Michigan Panthers |
5 | Briley Moore-McKinney | D.C. Defenders |
6 | Jace Sternberger | Birmingham Stallions |
7 | Braedon Bowman | Houston Roughnecks |
8 | Jake Sutherland | St. Louis Battlehawks |
9 | Alex Ellis | D.C Defenders |
10 | Kaden Smith | D.C. Defenders |
Sal Cannella was targeted only twice, catching both passes for 10 yards. He also scored a touchdown in the 27-24 loss to the Battlehawks. The Arlington tight end is extremely reliable for fantasy, as he has caught six of seven passes this season that have been thrown this way.
As expected, valuable fantasy asset Cody Latimer had an impressive outing, logging 91 yards on eight catches. He was a part of the Brahmas' receiving trio, along with wide receiver Marquez Stevenson and Jontre Kirklin, as they combined for 21 receptions, 247 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in a come-from-behind 20-19 win over the Memphis Showboats. Latimer will continue to be one of the top tight ends throughout the season.
Sage Surratt is another tight end who has been efficient in the season's first two weeks. He's hauled in six passes and he ranks second behind Latimer in tight end receiving.
Moore-McKinney made the most of all three targets in Week 2, hauling in 29 yards and scoring a touchdown during the Defenders' 23-18 victory against the Roughnecks on Sunday. It will be interesting how he is used moving forward, as last season he built some rapport with Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta'amu in the XFL.