Week 2 Flex Rankings

If you won your Week 1 fantasy football matchup, everything is right in the world. If you lost, it is time to panic and completely overhaul your roster. I kid, of course. When all is said and done, last week will be just one of 17. Having said that, some interesting scenarios played out during the season’s initial week. Some of those have a direct impact on how we view players as we head into Week 2. I will touch on a few of them as I reveal my Week 2 Flex rankings. As always, I have ranked well over 200 players. These rankings should encompass leagues of all sizes. Please note that these are based on Half-PPR scoring formats. You may need to adjust these rankings depending on your league specifications.

Running Back Notes

I have made a few adjustments towards the top of my running back rankings, but you are starting all those players in all formats. Therefore, the exact order is a matter of semantics and personal preference. If you get too caught up in whether Bijan Robinson should be the overall RB1, RB6, or RB11, you are wasting your time.

I hesitate to make any declarative statements after Week 1, but it is hard not to notice what has happened in Jacksonville. Travis Etienne Jr. resembled the running back who finished 2023 as the overall RB3 in Jacksonville’s victory against Carolina. The team then turned around and traded Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles. If that is not an endorsement for Etienne (and for Bhayshul Tuten to a lesser immediate degree), I do not know what is. Last week, I had Etienne as a borderline Flex play in 12-team leagues, with Bigsby worth a flier in deeper leagues. Now, I have Etienne inside the top 30 in my Week 2 Flex rankings, while I do not even have Bigsby ranked. I had Bigsby inside my overall top 100 last week. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Last week, I had Cowboys running back Javonte Williams 37th among running backs. I wanted nothing to do with starting him versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Now I have him as an RB2 in 12-team leagues. I cannot say he is an every-week starter moving forward. However, the usage was encouraging. He was on the field for 77 percent of Dallas’s offensive snaps. Miles Sanders fumbled away a chance at points, and the team designated Jaydon Blue a healthy scratch. I cannot imagine many scenarios where you would need to start either backup running back this week. Dallas faces the New York Giants this week. New York has a solid defensive line, but Williams could approach 20 touches in this game. The Giants lost linebacker Micah McFadden last week, which could improve Williams’ outlook.

I continue to have Aaron Jones Sr. ahead of Jordan Mason in Minnesota for now. However, I am keeping a close eye on this situation. Mason played more snaps, saw more opportunities, and had more yards than Jones in Minnesota’s comeback victory. Mason was a top-20 running back in my Week 1 MOP (Minus One Play) metric, several spots ahead of Jones. If Minnesota hadn’t fallen behind, Mason could have been even more involved. He looked like the preferred rusher of the two, while Jones was more effective in the passing game. I would not hesitate to start either of the Vikings’ running backs in Week 2.

Wide Receiver Notes

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown did not instantly become a better player over the past week. However, his circumstances certainly improved following Xavier Worthy’s early exit in Week 1. Brown was targeted on an NFL-high 16 passes last week. Worthy reportedly suffered a separated shoulder and is doubtful for Sunday’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. If Worthy is indeed out, Brown would benefit more than anyone else on the Chiefs. I have Brown as a borderline top-50 overall Flex play in Week 2. Juju Smith-Schuster also becomes interesting in PPR formats. I still have him outside the range where I would be comfortable starting him, but that decision may depend on the other options on your roster.

The hype trains for 49ers wideout Ricky Pearsall and Buccaneers rookie Emeka Egbuka may have officially left the station. Pearsall turned seven targets into 108 yards last week. Perhaps more importantly, San Francisco placed tight end George Kittle on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings is also banged up while dealing with a shoulder issue. Pearsall could take a slight hit if quarterback Brock Purdy cannot suit up. But for now, fantasy managers should start Pearsall in Week 2. The same likely goes for Egbuka. He may not score two touchdowns like he did in his NFL debut on Sunday. But he is a talented player on a potent and pass-happy offense. These are favorable conditions for fantasy production.

I am splitting the baby a bit when it comes to Chargers wide receivers Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston. That is not unlike how I viewed them a week ago, amongst Chargers pass-catching options behind Ladd McConkey. What has changed is that I moved both Allen and Johnston up significantly in my Week 2 Flex rankings. I had both players outside my overall top 100 last week. Now both sit firmly inside the top 100. I cannot designate either a must-start this week. But the matchup looks solid, as they will face the Las Vegas Raiders. If Los Angeles is going to be as aggressive and pass-happy as they were last week, the arrows for both Allen and Johnston will continue to point upward.

Tight End Notes

The tight end position is usually a place where fantasy production goes to die after the first few options. However, there were a few eyebrow-raising performances in Week 1 that could significantly impact the landscape as soon as Week 2. Rookies Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. made an immediate impact, wasting no time. Each had seven catches on nine targets and added a rushing attempt as well. A tight end who can garner double-digit opportunities in a game could be a fantasy goldmine. I rarely advocate for putting a tight end in your Flex spot. However, I can understand the appeal if you have either of these rookies on your roster. I favor Warren over Fannin this week, though I admit that may be more of a draft bias than a true knock against Fannin.

As impressive and involved as both rookie tight ends were in their NFL debuts, neither led the tight end position in receptions, opportunities, or MOP points (another shameless plug!) in Week 1. That distinction went to Juwan Johnson of the New Orleans Saints. Yes, really. The sixth-year veteran tied a career high with eight catches last week. I need to see it again before I consider Johnson a viable Flex play. However, it is worth noting that the Saints are without Taysom Hill for the foreseeable future. Following Hill’s season-ending injury last December, quarterback Spencer Rattler started three games to close the season. He targeted Johnson 19 times across those three outings. At the very least, fantasy managers should target Johnson in waivers this week and see if he can keep this up.