Each week Michael Florio goes position by position to set you up for success in the coming week of fantasy football action. His Week 2 PPR Rankings help you make those tough decisions that can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Week 1 has come and gone just like that. But do not fret, we get more football this week and each of the next 14 weeks as well! The biggest piece of advice I can give you after Week 1, is that it is just one week. Do not panic or overreact to just one game. It doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of lessons learned, but ultimately it is just six percent of the fantasy football season!
- It is no secret that Dede Westbrook was a player that I was hammering the table for. I likely was clamoring more for him than any player this draft season and the reason for that was him and Nick Foles are… errrr… were a perfect match. Foles is out for at least the next eight weeks though, meaning Westbrook’s fantasy value is tied to Gardner Minshew. That does not necessarily have to be a bad thing though. Minshew targeted Westbrook six times in Week 1, the most of anyone. Chris Conley saw five targets from Minshew, while James O’Shaughnessy saw four as did Leonard Fournette. Additionally, Minshew threw to the slot 32 percent in Week 1, while Foles was 36.4 percent in 2018. Minshew may not be Foles, but he can still salvage Westbrook’s season.
- The Cardinals offense started off slow but quickly delivered on an offseason of promises. They ran with four wide receiver sets 68 percent of the time. Larry Fitzgerald also looked like a beast, totaling 153 air yards and averaged 11.7 air yards per target. He’s been at 9.6 or lower in each of the last three seasons. He is going to have a huge year if this usage holds up.
- Miles Sanders may have disappointed in Week 1, but he did lead the Eagles with 16 routes ran in Week 1. That is vital because the Eagles take on the Falcons in Week 2. If you remember last week I highlighted that the Falcons allowed the most receptions to running backs in each of the last four seasons. Sanders is a low-end RB2/flex option this week. Darren Sproles is sneaky in deeper leagues.
- Josh Allen had a very sloppy Week 1, but he still rushed for the second-most yards of all QBs (38). This week he takes on a weak Giants defense that Pro Football Focus ranks as the fourth-best QB matchup. He is a strong play this week. That also means that Bills top receiver John Brown is a strong play. In fact, the Giants allowed the most PPR fantasy points to receivers in Week 1. Expect a few deep shots from Allen to Brown and I am betting that they connect on at least one.
- Matt Breida may have let you down in Week 1, but he should make up for that this week against a Bengals team that allowed the most PPR fantasy PPG to RBs in 2018.
- Darren Waller looked like a breakout star in Week 1 and that should continue in Week 2 against a Chiefs team that allowed the most PPR points to tight ends in 2018. Waller is a Top-10 tight end play this week and for the rest of the season.
- Kirk Cousins will take on the Packers in a divisional matchup. However, it is tough to trust Cousins, as he was asked to throw just 10, yes TEN, times in Week 1. The Vikings are committed to running the ball and it sucks for Cousins in fantasy.
- The Broncos take on the Bears this week which means you have to downgrade their weapons. The Bears allowed the fewest fantasy PPG to RBs in 2018, as well as the sixth-fewest touchdowns to receivers. Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Courtland Sutton, and Emmanuel Sanders are the only viable fantasy weapons, but they each get downgraded this week.
- David Njoku has a tough matchup against a Jets team that allowed the second-fewest PPR points to tight ends in 2018. I would use waiver wire pickups Darren Waller, T.J. Hockenson and Mark Andrews over him this week.
Week 2 PPR Rankings by Position
Are you digging on Michael’s Week 2 PPR Rankings? For more help on your Week 2 decisions also check out Joel Bartilotta’s Fantasy Football Waiver Wire and Scott Engel’s Week 2 FAAB Guide.
Michael Florio is the winner of the 2018 FSWA Baseball Article of the Year and was a finalist for the 2017 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year. He has hosted video/radio shows, written for a number of print and web publications including the AP, NY Daily News and much more!
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