X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 2 Rankings Analysis: Nick Mariano vs. Industry Consensus

Week 1 was quite a doozy, wasn't it? Well, sort of. My condolences go out to Keenan Allen and his owners. Be smart, be savvy, attack desperate owners and do not drop a stud who underperformed in Week 1. We are gathered here today to take a look at my rankings for Week 2 and look at how they stack up against the Expert Consensus, commenting on any standouts or points of contention.

Last week went pretty darn well if I do say so myself, so let's just get down to business (to defeat the Huns).

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests for Week 2. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

 

Week 2 Quarterbacks - Rankings Analysis

The quarterback situation is pretty chalky at the top, especially with Eli Manning opening at home against a horrible Saints defense that is down its top corner now. What we need is to show more love for Joe Flacco, who should be ranked a low-end QB1 instead of a mid-range QB2. He gets to hit the road to take on a Cleveland defense that just made Carson Wentz look like a stud muffin.

While you may believe that Wentz is deservedly a stud, the point remains that Cleveland's D is a real letdown and their playing at home isn't going to make them any better. Baltimore still can't run the ball, and Flacco should get a chance to diddy-bop with Mike Wallace, Steve Smith, Kamar Aiken and Justin Forsett catching balls left and right.

For what it's worth, Trevor Siemian actually makes a healthy QB2 against a horribly disparaged Indianapolis defense that you, me and some folks from the local pub could potentially complete a few passes against.

 

Week 2 Running Backs - Rankings Analysis

Everyone is really hyped about David Johnson, and that's cool, I respect it. But he's not the #1 RB this week. Tampa Bay's defense was good against the run last season, and it only improved as a unit heading into 2016.

Yes, they just lost edge rusher Jacquies Smith, but they're still very stout. Johnson is extremely talented, but the Bucs even have an amazing outside linebacker named Lavonte David who is damn good in coverage against those flat routes. No one is benching Johnson and I'd never call for it, but #1 he is not.

Consensus standard rankings have Ryan Mathews at #15 and Rashad Jennings at #18. Way too low. I have Mathews at #9 and Jennings at #11. Mathews gets to feast on a porous Chicago defense that is still trying to establish an identity, while Jennings will be involved in the aforementioned Giants home matchup against the Saints. It won't be all Eli.

The Todd Gurley blowback from a disappointing Week 1 is all too real, and yet this home matchup against Seattle's stifling defense shouldn't even have him in the RB1 conversation. Not with the nice mid-range RB matchups that I just mentioned.

 

Week 2 Wide Receivers - Rankings Analysis

The first standout here is I have Jordy Nelson as a top-8 WR against a consensus ranking of #12. Not huge, but that's fairly notable so high up in the rankings. The Packers will take on the Vikings in a gritty divisional matchup, and while Minnesota's defense scored two TDs last week, they're still exploitable and will likely be without top DB Xavier Rhodes again. Fire up your Jordy's.

I'm pretty much swapping him with Amari Cooper, who projects to work primarily against a great corner in Atlanta's Desmond Trufant. Yes, Tampa Bay threw for four TDs against Atlanta in Week 1, but Trufant has a great track record and Mike Evans' TD came when they moved him into the slot on the left side -- away from Trufant. It's not life-altering stuff here, but it's enough for me to bump Coop down a tick.

Yet another ripple effect of New Orleans' terrible defense is Sterling Shepard getting a +6 bump from me. He's already caught his first TD, and it's clear that he has a role in this offense. Why not Sterling? Victor Cruz also gets a +7 bump. Do not underestimate the horror when the Saints go marching in.

 

Week 2 Tight Ends - Rankings Analysis

Well, obviously one has to really stay on top of the Rob Gronkowski news. It not only affects him, but Martellus Bennett as well. New England has a solid matchup against Miami's subpar defense (despite their solid showing against Seattle), but health trumps opportunity of course.

Everyone is crazy down on Coby Fleener after he ghosted in Week 1's shootout against the Raiders, which is fair...but ill-advised against a Giants team that hasn't been able to cover a tight end since the Paleolithic Era. Jason Witten just caught nine balls for 66 yards against them. The thing is, the Giants are pretty good on the perimeter with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins. Dez Bryant stinking in Week 1 wasn't just because it was Dak Prescott under center. If the Saints are smart, they'll exploit the Giants over the middle against their questionable linebacking corps.

Clive Walford is buried at the tail-end of the TE2s until he proves me wrong. He was a non-factor in the cushiest matchup against New Orleans when Oakland put up nearly 40 points, so I'd rather shoot for upside with others first.

 

Week 2 Kickers - Rankings Analysis

It's a kicker. Just target points totals and you'll probably be fine. Yeah, I'm probably going to be snarky with the kicking section all season long. Why is Chandler Catanzaro #3? I have him at #12, Tampa's defense was covered a bit and Arizona (specifically Catanzaro) did not looked particularly sharp. Let Larry Fitzgerald kick and then we'll talk.

The Giants get kicker Josh Brown back, and he should be a lot higher than #12 considering he's good at kicking, is at home, and as we've drilled into you, faces the Saints. I also have Brandon McManus right above him at #6, since he gets to kick at home in that mile-high air against Indy's banged-up defense.

 

Week 2 Defenses - Rankings Analysis

I think the Broncos and the Cardinals are both a few slots too high. Denver still has to tangle with a Colts offense that can move the ball if given enough opportunities, even if it all comes in the second half, while Arizona goes against an emerging QB1 in Jameis Winston. It's not that they can't turn in good performances, but their likelihood of doing so isn't as high as most seem to be banking on.

The Eagles should also get a bump up, as they get to pick on a Bears offense that looked pretty disheveled for much of their Week 1 matchup against Houston. Admittedly that's a tough draw, but Philadelphia did just tally three sacks and generate two turnovers against a vulnerable Cleveland offense. They can make things happen. They also have one of the best return men in the game in Darren Sproles if your league counts that.

 


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Derrick Henry36 mins ago

Notches Another 100-Yard Game
Lamar Jackson40 mins ago

Bounces Back With Three Touchdowns
Aidan O'Connell1 hour ago

Raiders To Start Aidan O'Connell At Quarterback In Week 13
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

Cowboys Won't Rule Out Mike McCarthy Extension
Kyle Filipowski2 hours ago

Sits Out Second Consecutive Game
Jameson Williams2 hours ago

Won't Face Legal Action
Jordan Clarkson2 hours ago

Back On The Shelf Tuesday
Devin Vassell2 hours ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Joe Ingles2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Mike Conley2 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday's Action
Taurean Prince2 hours ago

Questionable To Face Heat
Giannis Antetokounmpo2 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Macklin Celebrini3 hours ago

Records First Career Three-Point Game
Connor Hellebuyck3 hours ago

Stops 43 Shots In Win Against Wild
Seth Jarvis3 hours ago

Returns With A Three-Point Effort
Sebastian Aho3 hours ago

Racks Up Four Points In Impressive Win
Nico Hischier3 hours ago

Nets Historic Hat Trick Versus Predators
Jakob Chychrun3 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Brandon Hagel3 hours ago

Dishes Out Career-High Five Assists
Demarcus Robinson11 hours ago

DeMarcus Robinson Arrested On Suspicion Of DUI
Aidan O'Connell11 hours ago

Raiders To Open Aidan O'Connell's Practice Window
Ja'Tavion Sanders11 hours ago

Avoids Serious Injury
Tommy Devito11 hours ago

Tommy DeVito Avoids Injury Report To Open Week 13
J.K. Dobbins13 hours ago

Won't Return On Monday Night
Jerami Grant13 hours ago

Injured Versus Memphis
Robert Williams III13 hours ago

Won't Return On Monday Night
J.K. Dobbins14 hours ago

Questionable To Return On Monday
Jonathan Kuminga14 hours ago

Inactive On Monday Night
Keldon Johnson14 hours ago

Listed Probable For Tuesday Night
Daniel Jones14 hours ago

Won't Join The Raiders
Jalen Green14 hours ago

Questionable For Tuesday Night Against Timberwolves
Dennis Schröder15 hours ago

Dennis Schroder Available To Play On Monday Night Against Warriors
Malik Monk15 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday, Won't Have Minutes Restriction
Miles McBride15 hours ago

Active On Monday Night Against Nuggets
Karl-Anthony Towns15 hours ago

Available For Knicks On Monday Against Nuggets
Peyton Watson15 hours ago

Officially Active For Monday Night Game Against Knicks
Nicolas Claxton15 hours ago

Officially Ruled Out For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon16 hours ago

Now Without Timetable For Return
Jordan Poole16 hours ago

Is Questionable For Tuesday
Talen Horton-Tucker16 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday
Baltimore Ravens16 hours ago

Roquan Smith Out On Monday Night
Ladd McConkey16 hours ago

Officially Active On Monday Night
Jake Ferguson17 hours ago

Looking Like A "Long Shot" To Play On Thursday
Ladd McConkey18 hours ago

Expected To Play On Monday Night
Patrik Laine18 hours ago

Practices In Regular Jersey
Mason McTavish18 hours ago

Returns To Ducks Lineup Monday
Chris Kreider18 hours ago

Unavailable Versus Blues
Artem Zub18 hours ago

Out With Fractured Foot
TB18 hours ago

Nicholas Paul To Remain Out For At Least One More Week
Pyotr Kochetkov18 hours ago

Lands In Concussion Protocol
Kirill Kaprizov19 hours ago

Considered A Game-Time Call For Monday
Romeo Doubs19 hours ago

Picks Up DNP On Monday
Brock Purdy19 hours ago

Does "Light Throwing" On Monday
Amon-Ra St. Brown19 hours ago

Listed As Non-Participant At Practice
David Montgomery19 hours ago

Listed As DNP On Monday
Austin Ekeler20 hours ago

In The Concussion Protocol
Devin Williams21 hours ago

Brewers Plan To Hang Onto Devin Williams For Now
21 hours ago

Blue Jays Could Make Aggressive Play For Anthony Santander
Alec Bohm21 hours ago

Phillies, White Sox Have Discussed Alec Bohm, Garrett Crochet
22 hours ago

Mets The Clear-Cut Favorites To Land Juan Soto
Yusei Kikuchi22 hours ago

Signs Three-Year Deal With Angels
Yan Xiaonan23 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci23 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Macau
Muslim Salikhov23 hours ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Macau
Song Kenan24 hours ago

2-2 In Last Four Fights After UFC Macau Loss
Zhang Mingyang24 hours ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC Macau
Ozzy Diaz1 day ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Macau
Jack Roslovic1 day ago

Continues To See Success With Hurricanes
Alex Lyon1 day ago

Starts For Red Wings On Monday
Mikhail Sergachev1 day ago

Collects An Assist In Sunday's Loss
Logan Cooley1 day ago

Leads Utah's Offense Sunday
William Nylander1 day ago

Enjoys Another Multi-Point Outing
Mitchell Marner1 day ago

Extends Multi-Point Streak With Pair Of Goals
Anthony Cirelli2 days ago

Riding Career-Best Goal Streak
Volkan Oezdemir3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Macau
MMA3 days ago

Carlos Uberg Extends Win Streak At UFC Macau
MMA3 days ago

Cong Wang Gets Submitted In Upset Fashion At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes3 days ago

Pulls Off Massive Upset At UFC Macau
Deiveson Figueiredo3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Macau
Petr Yan3 days ago

Gets Dominant Win At UFC Macau
4 days ago

Nationals Non-Tender Kyle Finnegan On Friday
4 days ago

Rays Non-Tender Dylan Carlson
4 days ago

Rockies Non-Tender Brendan Rodgers, Cal Quantrill
Mike Yastrzemski4 days ago

Avoids Arbitration With Giants
4 days ago

Blue Jays Non-Tender Closer Jordan Romano
Dustin May4 days ago

Dodgers Sign Dustin May To One-Year Deal To Avoid Arbitration
Brady Singer4 days ago

Shipped To Cincinnati
Jonathan India4 days ago

Traded To Kansas City
Shohei Ohtani4 days ago

In Early Stages Of Recovery From Shoulder Surgery
Tabatha Ricci4 days ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Yan Xiaonan4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Muslim Salikhov4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Macau
Chris Sale4 days ago

To Have Normal Offseason
Garrett Crochet4 days ago

Drawing Plenty Of Interest
Song Kenan4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Zhang Mingyang4 days ago

Set For His Second UFC Fight
Ozzy Diaz4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Macau
Carlos Ulberg5 days ago

Looking To Cement Himself As A Title Contender At UFC Macau
Volkan Oezdemir5 days ago

Eyes Another Knockout At UFC Macau
Gabriella Fernandes5 days ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Macau
Shohei Ohtani5 days ago

Named National League MVP In 2024
Aaron Judge5 days ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Cody Bellinger5 days ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
5 days ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Chris Sale6 days ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Austin Eckroat6 days ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English6 days ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin6 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy6 days ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Ludvig Aberg6 days ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim6 days ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole6 days ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Taysom Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 13 Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings for Half-PPR: Trey McBride, Taysom Hill, David Njoku, T.J. Hockenson, Jonnu Smith, Cade Otton, Tucker Kraft

Many fantasy managers are looking to clinch a first-round bye or quality for the playoffs as the final two weeks of the fantasy football regular season get underway. Needless to say, it's a critical week, so use our Week 13 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 to guide your start-or-sit calls. Tight ends are […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 13 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings: Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Bo Nix, Kyler Murray, C.J. Stroud, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff

It's Thanksgiving week, and no teams are on a bye! That means all quarterback options are on the table, but that can sometimes make start-or-sit decisions even trickier. If you need assistance this week, we're here to help with our NFL team's Week 13 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024. It's make-or-break time for many […]


Cameron Dicker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups, Kickers, Streamers

Week 13 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

The full slate of games in Week 13 means fantasy managers have a wide selection of kickers available. While this variety is beneficial, it also makes choosing the right option more challenging. The kicker position, often overlooked, can still make a significant impact in tight matchups as the fantasy playoffs approach. Certain kickers benefit from […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Backfield Breakdowns and Target Shares - Fantasy Football Week 13 Outlooks for Patrick Mahomes, Josh Jacobs, Courtland Sutton, and More

Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season is behind us, and what a rollercoaster it was for fantasy. Some even referred to it as "bye-mageddon" with the Bengals, Bills, Jaguars, Jets, and Saints on a bye all making our lineups more complicated, but the games more than delivered. Whether you were riding the highs of […]


Travis Etienne Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

The Cut List - Who to Drop for Fantasy Football Week 13

Each new week of NFL games gives us more information to make more informed decisions. This is crucial when figuring out who to add and who to cut. It can be difficult to admit we were wrong on a particular player. For example, using a high draft pick on someone and cutting them so early […]


nick westbrook-ikhine fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Football Pickups to Target for Week 13 (2024)

Let's strap up for a holiday week with three Thursday games on Thanksgiving and then a Friday tilt for good measure. Many of you face must-win scenarios with the fantasy playoffs right around the bend. We're all going to reach the championships together with our famous waiver wire pickups list and our fantasy football waiver […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 13 Updates for Brock Purdy, Isiah Pacheco, Trevor Lawrence, Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Romeo Doubs, Ja'Tavion Sanders, Josh Downs, David Montgomery

The race to the fantasy playoffs continued in Week 12, a week full of close games and exciting finishes. However, that excitement came at a cost. We didn't see many injuries in Week 10 and 11, but multiple fantasy-relevant players got hurt in Week 12. Unfortunately, impactful injuries exist every week throughout an NFL season. […]


Taysom Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Tight End (TE) Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 13 (2024)

Another week has come and gone, and fantasy managers are one week closer to the fantasy playoffs. As we all predicted back in Week 1, Noah Gray has taken over as the top tight end in Kansas City. Okay, I kid, but he's now posted back-to-back weeks with a pair of scores. Chigoziem Okonkwo gave […]


Garrett Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

WR Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 13 (2024)

With six weeks left in the NFL season, one record I am keeping a close eye on is Mike Evans' consecutive 1000-yard mark. Right now, the streak is in real jeopardy. Heading into Week 13, Evans is sitting at 403 receiving yards on the season. That means Evans would require 597 receiving yards over the […]


Dolphins Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Jalen Ramsey Fantasy Football IDP

IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 13 (2024)

Are you one of the fantasy managers who plays in a league whose playoffs begin in Week 13 or Week 14? Did you complain to your manager that teams are on bye in Week 14? Don’t complain. Read this column instead. In Week 12, I had to suffer through sack leader Trey Hendrickson sitting on […]


nick westbrook-ikhine fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Deeper-League Waiver Wire Adds for Week 13: Devaughn Vele, Elijah Moore, Jeremy McNichols, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Trevor Lawrence, Will Levis

The week of Thanksgiving is always a fun slate for football, and for the first time since Week 8, no teams with be on byes. While all healthy and active players will be available this week, it's never time to stop browsing the waiver wire for potential roster improvements. It's tough to find players with […]


James Cook - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

RB Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 13 (2024)

Now that the Byepocalypse is behind us, it's time to grab those stretchy pants, you know the ones, and grab ourselves an extra helping of football this weekend. We have three games on the docket on Thanksgiving Day that will give fantasy managers a case of the meat sweats. We have the Raiders and Chiefs […]


Anthony Richardson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

Quarterback (QB) Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 13 (2024)

With those fantasy playoffs just around the corner, we've been heating up here on the RotoBaller starts and sits, nailing both Bo Nix and Tua Tagovailoa, giving you the inside edge on your competition. With a weekend that involves three games on Thanksgiving, one on Black Friday, and our regular Sunday and Monday contests, fantasy […]