Week 2 PPR Rankings for 2021 Fantasy Football

What a first week of football! After witnessing multiple down-to-the-wire primetime games, major upsets, and other exceptional games, it’s time to turn our attention to Week 2. The best way to do so? Well, I am glad you asked; Week 2 PPR Rankings! Every week, I’ll be providing you with my personal PPR rankings for every position, including defense and kicker. Who’s positioned to do some damage this week? Who might not be the ideal player to start this week? We’ll answer all of that here with my Week 2 PPR rankings!

Stats via Pro Football Focus

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Week 2 Positional Notes

Quarterback

• A new quarterback at the top of my Week 2 PPR rankings? That’s right; Kyler Murray faces a favorable matchup against the Vikings this week, while Patrick Mahomes will have to play a Ravens team that generally does their best to control the time of possession and is a strong defense as is. The top-four quarterbacks are interchangeable, though.
• It’s interesting to see the Seahawks gear to such a run-heavy offense, which could affect Russell Wilson’s overall fantasy ceiling. At the same time, he used play-action on over 40% of his passes, which certainly helps.
• Zero scrambles for Justin Herbert in Week 1? That was odd. I wouldn’t expect that to be the case again in Week 2, where he and Dak Prescott will do wonders for their fantasy value engaging in an exciting offensive shootout.
• Jalen Hurts did finish as the QB5 last week, yet he now faces a tougher 49ers defense. Also, with just a 3.6 average depth of target, he hasn’t been tested to work down the field the way he’ll be against an offense that will score a lot of points.
• In the range of mid-tier quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield’s aggressiveness (10.5 average depth of target) is encouraging, and he has significant touchdown potential this week against the Texans. Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, averaged just a 5.8 depth of target behind a poor offensive line and now faces the Cardinals, though he likely will have volume in his favor.
• I’m really worried about Matt Ryan, who is playing in a run-heavy offense and now faces the Buccaneers.
• Teddy Bridgewater can be a legitimate fantasy quarterback in an offense heavy in play-action with more structure provided with his accuracy, while we can’t forget the sneaky value of Tyrod Taylor based on his rushing ability.
• Considering that Sam Darnold averaged just 6.8 yards/attempt from a clean pocket and had most of his success under pressure, a less stable area of play, I’ll take my chances he regresses against a strong Saints defense. Speaking of the Saints, Jameis Winston did play phenomenally, yet do keep in mind how favorable of a game script he had to work with.
• With Ryan Fitzpatrick going down with an injury, it’s Taylor Heinicke‘s time in Washington! He provides some value via scrambles, yet that’s about it most likely.

Running Back

• Hopefully, in a more positive game script, we see a greater disparity between Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. If so, Jones could be in for a major bounce-back performance against a putrid Lions run defense.
• Austin Ekeler should be healthier this game, and I don’t see his lack of a target last game as something to be worried about. Expect the elite receiving back to be a critical part of a high-scoring Cowboys Chargers game with Ezekiel Elliot.
• Joe Mixon and Najee Harris had A+ usage last week, and that should continue this week. Harris, in particular, is due for a major rebound performance against the Raiders’ round defense.
• Someone I wanted to continue to rank higher in the Week 2 PPR rankings? Chris Carson. He’s back to being the same workhorse back he always is, but in a successful offense geared to run the football. Consider him someone with volume and touchdown upside on his side against the Titans.
• After D’Andre Swift scored over 24 PPR fantasy points in Week 1, would you expect him to rank higher in my Week 2 PPR rankings? It’s hard to project the Lions for over 50 pass attempts again, though there is simply a chance he becomes a PPR cheat code with his receiving prowess.
• Speaking of receiving ability, Jonathan Taylor did have six receptions but did so on just 18 routes run. Yes, a lot of those routes may have been designed touches for him, yet I wouldn’t expect similar dual-threat production again.
• What is Saquon Barkley going to provide your fantasy team in Week 2? Considering it’s a short week, I’d expect a similar limited usage against Washington, but a more run-heavy game script could boost his totals. I definitely feel comfortable moving him lower than this in my Week 2 PPR Rankings.
• It’s Elijah Mitchell time in San Francisco. With Trey Sermon a surprise inactive and Raheem Mostert out for the year with a knee injury, Mitchell took the bulk of the carries last week and should do so again in one of the league’s most favorable rushing systems. With a tremendous athletic profile and college production, the sixth-round pick has, in my opinion, been a better prospect than Sermon from the beginning, and I expect people to go wild with the amount of FAAB they utilize to acquire him.
• Darrell Henderson vs. Sony Michel? Even as Michel gets up to speed with the Rams offense, Henderson is clearly the team’s lead back. If that’s the case, how can’t you treat him as a borderline top-2o running back?
• Ty’Son Williams did perform well against the Raiders on Monday Night Football, benefitting from Baltimore’s potent rushing scheme. I’d expect him to continue to act as the lead back in this offense, even if Latavius Murray takes away from his touchdown potential; Williams’ usage in the passing game was very encouraging.
• Devin Singletary, for the time being, is THE GUY in Buffalo. With such a pass-heavy offense, he’ll be limited to low-end RB2/FLEX status, but this is still great news for those who drafted him as a bench stash.
• We dreamt of Myles Gaskin having a similar workload to last year, where he ranked top-10 in expected fantasy points per game. We…. did not get that. He’s stuck as the receiving back in a committee situation in Miami, which is quite frustrating.
• Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians named Ronald Jones the starter after a costly fumble last year, but I’d be expecting Leonard Fournette to be the main beneficiary of a poor Falcons defense. However, at all costs, PLEASE DO NOT GET INVESTED IN THE BUCS’ BACKFIELD. It should be a cardinal rule at this point!
• Is James RB1Season over? Alas, Carlos Hyde saw more carries for the Jaguars than James Robinson last week. Now facing the Broncos defense, I’d avoid this situation if I could.
• It’s still 50/50 in Denver between Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams. Each had the exact same usage, though Gordon was the one who broke away for a long touchdown. I’ll continue to trust Williams, the player with significant draft capital invested and overall talent, but Gordon doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
• Although Kenneth Gainwell and Tony Jones Jr. saw encouraging roles on Sunday, the amount their respective teams were ahead may have had something to do with that, so be careful with your FAAB bids on them.

Wide Receiver

• After a tough Week 1 performance, Calvin Ridley faces a tough test ahead in Tampa Bay. I’m slightly worried about the Falcons offense as a whole, considering how run-heavy they are likely to be, though his high air yards share helps compensate for that very well.
• Stay patient with your Titans receivers. Bad weeks happen, but AJ Brown and Julio Jones still possess the same qualities they had prior to a tough Week 1 showing against the Cardinals. A high-scoring affair in Seattle should help their respective causes.
• After receiving 12 targets (as per usual) for a pass-heavy Chargers offense, Keenan Allen is about to BOOM against the Cowboys defense. Adjust accordingly.
• With Michael Gallup injured, expect even larger target shares for Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, who are each top-ten receivers playing in a top-notch Cowboys passing attack.
• Why did Robert Woods play fewer snaps than Van Jefferson for the Rams last week? I’d consider this a fluke, though Matthew Stafford did seem to prefer Cooper Kupp as his top option.
• Even without Ryan Fitzpatrick, Terry McLaurin should still be fine. He’s thrived in fantasy with poor quarterback play before, and still will command such a high target share in the Washington offense.
• Deebo Samuel saw his role revert back to 2019, with a higher average depth of target, 40% of his snaps in the slot, and a high target share. I don’t expect him to continue to be WAY above the rest in target share, but while we remain confused about the status of Brandon Aiyuk, he’ll benefit.
• If the Bengals are going to continue to lead the league in neutral-situation run frequency, then it’s going to be hard for Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd all to be fantasy contributors. Chase and Higgins, with more touchdown upside and big-play ability, are affected by this less, but we’ll need the Bengals to air it out more.
• I alluded to Keenan Allen earlier, but what about Mike Williams? He also saw double-digit targets, is the team’s top option in the red zone and earned a PFF grade above 72.5 in each of his past three seasons. Facing the Cowboys, I’m calling my shot: he’s about to have a stellar performance! Well, at least I hope so!
• It was strange to see Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick split time last week, though with Jerry Jeudy injured, that is no longer an issue. I’m not sure how well Sutton, a contested-catch specialist, meshes with Bridgewater, and I think his lack of targets could be a sign of things to come. Hopefully, I’m wrong about this.
• Tyrell Williams may not play with a concussion, but there isn’t a Lions receiver to trust in an ultra-committee situation.
• Andy Dalton, with a 4.5 average depth of target isn’t exactly going to be doing favors for Darnell Mooney (7.2 aDOT), who is at his best working a vertical route tree. Please make that quarterback change soon, Bears; we’re begging you.
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw a high proportion of the Packers’ air-yard share last week, and I’d consider him (vs Lions) and KJ Hamler (vs. Jaguars) two players that could “blow up” this week.
• Stock up for Sammy Watkins, who appeared to be the Ravens’ top pass-catching option on Monday Night Football against the Raiders.

Tight End

• If Jared Goff is going to be as conservative as he is, expect TJ Hockenson to flourish with an absurd amount of receptions. Yep, that’s the beauty of getting one point for every reception, regardless of the value of it for the team.
• Even after a middling Week 1 performance, Kyle Pitts will be fine. Interestingly, he actually was used like a slot receiver in this game, which would improve his fantasy value. He’s a fantastic buy-low candidate right now.
• I’m encouraged by Noah Fant and Tyler Higbee, who each appear to be preferred options for their respective quarterbacks.
• Rób Gronkowski and Jared Cook each appear to have age-discounted in drafts this offseason; they are top-15 tight ends based on their current roles in the offenses they are in.
• Mike Gesicki isn’t even Miami’s full-time tight end, and the offense features three receivers and a running back that command targets. Last year’s peak performance isn’t going to happen again, sadly.
• Adam Trautman is back! After being hyped up as a sleeper tight end all offseason, his stock fell significantly, but he ended up receiving the most targets and in a normal full-time tight end role. Juwaan Johnson leaches some of his touchdown opportunities, but he can be considered a top-20 tight end again.
• The committee situations in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland are fascinating. The latter one is the most intriguing; Austin Hooper was expected to be the clear “top option”, but Harrison Bryant and David Njoku are talented players in their own right. For your own health, stay away from all of these situations

Defense/Special Teams

• Daniel Jones and Taylor Heinicke equal two elite fantasy defenses on Thursday Night Football this week.
• The Saints, after dominating the Packers, now get to face Sam Darnold, and I’d want in on that matchup.
• The Packers and Browns each likely won’t allow a significant amount of points, though without significant turnover potential.
• If Jalen Hurts has to air the ball out more, the 49ers defense could thrive from a fantasy perspective.
• The Bills are a sneaky pick facing Tua Tagovailoa, who appears to be trying to play with more aggression this season, and that comes with turnover upside.
• The Panthers are a nice streaming option against Jameis Winston, while the Bengals and Bears also should engage in a defensive-friendly matchup.

Kicker

• Despite his misses, Greg Zuerlein remains a productive fantasy kicker simply based on sheer volume.
• Aldrick Rosas and Tristan Vizcaino are two very intriguing streamers this week.
• Even without a field goal opportunity this past week, Jason Myers plays for a productive offense facing a poor defense, and is coached by Pete Carroll, who is content to be conservative in fourth-down situations. Maintain faith in the Seahawks kicker.
• Always remember that kicker performance and opportunity are very volatile on a week-to-week basis, so you’ll want to avoid overreacting based on how a kicker performs fantasy-wise in a specific week.

I think I speak for all of us at Fantrax when I say I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming matchup! Here’s to the joy, frustration, and beauty of a very fun week of football! Regardless if you’re watching your favorite team, fantasy players, or just the most intriguing matchups, I’m sure you’ll be treated to a great slate of games!

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Week 2 PPR Rankings

• QB

• RB

• WR

• TE

• K

• DEF

If you liked Justin’s Week 2 PPR Rankings, be sure to check out the rest of our Week 2 Rankings and Analysis!

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