Week 2 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books and there were plenty of interesting storylines. Many stars showed out, while others disappointed fantasy managers. Some rookies made immediate impacts, while others fell short of expectations. Unexpected players found paydirt, including several who did so twice. And of course, there were some unfortunate injuries we will have to deal with moving forward. As we turn the page to Week 2, it is time to prepare with my Week 2 Flex rankings. I have ranked 300 players based on half-PPR scoring for the upcoming slate.

A quick disclaimer if I may before I reveal these rankings. By and large, I am not going to overreact to Week 1. That does not mean that we should ignore what happened last week completely. There were some takeaways from last week’s action that we can apply to Week 2. But as a general rule, I am not rushing to bench players who performed poorly or start those who had strong showings last week. This may cause me to be late to the party on some players, and I’m fine with that. It is a long season and there will be plenty of edges to be had over the next four months. With that out of the way, let’s get to this week’s Flex rankings.

Running Back Notes

The big news coming out of Week 1 was the MCL injury suffered by Elijah Mitchell. San Francisco placed Mitchell on injured reserve and he is expected to be out for eight weeks. Ironically it was a Week 1 injury to Raheem Mostert last year that opened the door for Mitchell to emerge as San Francisco’s lead back. With Mitchell out, Jeff Wilson is likely the next man up. Sort of. The 49ers can always lean on Deebo Samuel in the run game if need be. Samuel had eight carries last week. Quarterback Trey Lance carried the ball 13 times last week as well. San Francisco also has rookie backs Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason in tow, and also just signed Marlon Mack to their practice squad. I would prefer not to start any of San Francisco’s traditional running backs in my Flex spot this week.

The Hall of Fame induction for Houston running back Dameon Pierce will have to wait at least another week. The Texans rookie played behind veteran Rex Burkhead in their tie with Indianapolis last week. Houston faces Denver on the road in Week 2. The Broncos are one of the biggest favorites on the board this week. If Houston is playing from behind, I expect Burkhead to get a slight advantage over Pierce in terms of touches. Having said that, I have both Texans’ backs outside the typical Flex range. This is another situation where I prefer to take a wait-and-see approach if possible. The same can be said in New England, where Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson are both currently outside my top-25 running backs for Week 2. The Patriots face a difficult matchup in Pittsburgh against the Steelers defense.

Five running backs scored multiple touchdowns in Week 1. None of them were consensus top-20 backs a week ago, and none of the five are in my top 20 this week either. But there are a few that could be Flex-worthy depending on your other options. Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught two short touchdowns in Kansas City’s blowout win in Arizona. Edwards-Helaire handled most of the backfield work for as long as the game remained mildly competitive. Kansas City is on a short week, so I expect the Chiefs to continue to use the committee approach this week against the Chargers. Kareem Hunt and James Robinson each scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. Hunt handled 15 touches, which is enough for him to be viable in a matchup this week against the New York Jets.

Robinson looked better than I expected last week after returning from an Achilles tear suffered just nine months ago. As is the case with Burkhead and Pierce, I bumped Robinson up slightly ahead of Travis Etienne this week. However, I am not in a rush to start either Jaguar running back against the Colts. Jamaal Williams was the only player to rush for two scores last week. He is still behind D’Andre Swift in the pecking order, but keep an eye on Swift’s ankle injury. If he is out, Williams is a solid Week 2 Flex. Lastly, Dontrell Hilliard was on the receiving end of two Ryan Tannehill touchdown passes. Before last week, Hilliard had never caught a touchdown pass in his previous 36 NFL games. So I will need to see more before anointing him as a feasible Flex option.

Wide Receiver Notes

Two consensus WR1s suffered Week 1 injuries to monitor. Keenan Allen is out for Week 2 after suffering a hamstring injury. With the Chargers playing on a short week, Allen never really had a chance to play. Josh Palmer is the player most likely to benefit from increased reps this week. However, I would not necessarily be comfortable starting him. I have him outside my top 40 fantasy wide receivers when the Chargers take on the Chiefs. It is also difficult starting a less trustworthy option when they play on the Thursday game. You run the risk of heading into Sunday behind the proverbial eight ball. Tee Higgins left last week’s game after suffering a concussion. Higgins has reportedly cleared protocols and is a must-start if he can suit up on Sunday, but continue to keep an eye on his progress in the coming days.

11 wide receivers recorded 100-yard games in Week 1. Most are the usual suspects, but there are some interesting names on this list. Jerry Jeudy caught a long touchdown pass en route to a top-12 fantasy finish. I believe Jeudy is closer to a WR2 than a Flex, but I would continue to roll him out in Week 2. Christian Kirk turned 12 targets into 117 receiving yards in his Jacksonville debut. He will need to display more weekly consistency than he has shown throughout his career if he is to have a career year. But the opportunity does seem to be there as the Jaguars’ likely number-one receiver. I would start Kirk as a WR3 this week, and he is a solid Week 2 Flex for those who are deep at wideout.

Jarvis Landry and Robbie Anderson also eclipsed the century mark last week. While I have both outside the range where I would start them in 12-team leagues, I think both are interesting depending on your roster construction. Landry faces a difficult Week 2 matchup against Tampa Bay, who completely stifled Dallas last week. If he can produce this week, he may work himself into Flex range in the coming weeks. As for Anderson, he is difficult to trust given his volatile nature. Even last week, most of his production came on a blown coverage that resulted in a big play. Anderson is the type of wide receiver who is great to use in Best Ball formats but is very frustrating to manage in weekly leagues.

Landry’s teammate Michael Thomas was one of four wideouts to score multiple touchdowns last week. Thomas slipped in some drafts this summer as reports about his health suggested he could miss time early in the year. I would not say he’s quite back to being a WR1 just yet, but it was an encouraging performance. He is a solid bet for WR3 production this week. Devin Duvernay also recorded two scores in Week 1. Slow down, folks. Duvernay was only targeted four times in the contest. And we also have to add the disclaimer that his big day came against the Jets. If you are paying for last week’s production, you are likely to be disappointed. I have Duvernay well outside my top-100 Week 2 Flex options, and also outside my top 50 wide receivers. If he beats me again, so be it.

Finally, we have two Washington wideouts not named Terry McLaurin to discuss. Rookie Jahan Dotson scored twice in his NFL debut and did not look phased by the bright lights. However, his 12.2 percent target share left a lot to be desired. Like Duvernay, I do not feel confident starting Dotson this week. Though I do concede that Dotson is one to watch in the coming weeks. And Curtis Samuel posted a top-20 fantasy performance last week as well. Samuel saw 11 targets and had five carries as well. It seems like Samuel has disappointed fantasy managers forever, but he will have a role in this offense as long as he is healthy. The rub of course is that none of us know how long that will be given his injury history. Samuel could be worthy of starting as a Week 2 Flex depending on your other options.

Tight End Notes

Only eight tight ends scored double-figure fantasy points in Week 1. As usual, you should not start a tight end in your Flex spot unless there are extreme circumstances. George Kittle injured his groin in practice two weeks ago and has yet to take the field since. Because finding a quality tight end is so difficult, I would start Kittle this week even if his activity will be limited. The only tight end to score twice last week was O.J. Howard. Howard was unemployed on September 1, which should tell you all you need to know about tight ends outside of a select few. I am not chasing last week’s production with Howard. I have him ranked outside my top 30 tight ends as well as my top 200 overall Flex options for Week 2.

Week 2 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

More Week 2 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings