2020 Fantasy Football Week 2 Rankings and Sleepers
#CheckTheLink.
I kid, but I don’t. The kidding is that I want to encourage you to read the intro from last week and/or remember to breathe and not overreact. It’s one week. But, that also includes overreacting to perfectly fine performances. I sat in awe as tweet after tweet came in complaining about Austin Ekeler’s “performance.” Sure, we want to see more passing game work, especially in the days of Half and Full PPR dominating fantasy football. However, 20 touches are 20 touches!
If you told me Ekeler was going to see 20 touches per week guaranteed, I would have pushed him into the first round. That’s 320 touches, which is already nearly 100 more than Ekeler had last year, and only five running backs reached that mark in 2019.
I’m bringing up this specific situation because it’s a great example of fantasy managers’ perception clouding their decision-making. Every running back isn’t Christian McCaffrey. Each receiver isn’t going to go 100/1 every week. And on that note, not every player is going to hit every week.
Ekeler himself had three single-digit scores last year. Kenny Golladay had five (six if you want to include Week 17) with three under-4.0 points and another of 5.9. So, once again, breathe and be happy that some of your players put up 10.0 points in a “bad game” (D.J. Chark anyone?). And make sure to check out the Buy Lows, as many are perception-based.
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TL;DR – Don’t overreact. Perception isn’t reality. Buy low.
ICYMI: Week 2 Waivers
🚨 REMINDER 🚨
- Updated every day (except Saturday) up to kickoff on Sunday
- Sleepers are upside, often riskier, picks. Don’t bench players ranked higher… unless you’re shooting for upside
Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleepers
QUARTERBACK
Carson Wentz, PHI – Yes, the offensive line is concerning, but the good news is that Wentz led the league in Air Yards per Attempt in Week 1, and the Rams couldn’t stop anyone after the catch, allowing 9.75 YAC per reception. They were tied for the league-high in five receptions of 20+ yards, and Wentz has two amazing big-play weapons at receiver (more on them in a moment) plus, Dallas Goedert, who is one of the more dangerous receivers masquerading as a tight end.
RUNNING BACK
Ronald Jones, TB – Putting Jones here makes me as nauseous as it likely did for you to read it. Leonard Fournette barely saw work in Week 1, but we just don’t know for certain if that was due to lack of time with the team or if Bruce Arians was finally telling the truth about his running backs. Either way, the Panthers defense is one of the best matchups for running backs, which means even if Fournette gets a bit more work in Week 2, Jones should be able to do enough on 15 touches to warrant starter consideration.
Joshua Kelley, LAC – I’m trying to find potential needy-team solutions, as Nyheim Hines should be obvious at this point… and he faces that reeling Vikings defense. So, let’s talk Kelley. In case you haven’t read my coverage of him, he’s in the Melvin Gordon mold and filling that role, even if Kelley is on the short end of the work. As with Jones, the matchup helps, as the Chargers host the Chiefs, who led the league with 3.62 rushing yards after contact allowed in Week 1.
CHASING THE RIVER (aka, lotto ticket)
D’Andre Swift, DET – Adrian Peterson is the lead, and he could qualify here as well, but I’m going for the more explosive player. The Packers are a team to target after ranking sixth in Yards Before Contact (2.78) and 13th in Yards After Contact (2.16). If you want the quick math, the Packers allowed nearly five yards per carry when there was contact and 6.09 yards per carry overall against the Vikings in Week 1.
WIDE RECEIVER
Mike Williams, LAC – Don’t bench Keenan Allen, but Williams looked like he might be the better Chargers receiver… at least through one week. Allen ran just one more route (29 to 28), but Williams won the target share at 31.0% to Allen’s 27.6. It’s not a huge gap, but Williams had 16.3 Air Yards per Target (Air/TGT) compared to Allen’s 11.0, and if Tyrod Taylor is going to treat them the same, Williams will have the higher ceiling with the more yards per target. The Chiefs were also one of the worst-graded secondaries in Week 1.
Henry Ruggs, LV – This play is part talent and partly informed assuming. First, Ruggs is a great talent and flashed his potential in Week 1, even if we wanted better. The good news is that he was also one of the top receivers in Air/TGT at 18.6. Second, Bryan Edwards plays outside, while Ruggs can move to the slot. That’s a problem for Edwards and helps Ruggs’ potential. Edwards getting No. 1 corners can be a real problem for his value all year. Meanwhile, similar to John Brown in Buffalo, a great talent getting to feast on No. 2 corners brings a high ceiling and he can blow away Janoris Jenkins.
Jalen Reagor, PHI – Reagor led all receivers (with at least two targets) in Air/TGT at 34.0 (four targets). That’s an insane number, as his teammate DeSean Jackson saw 30.6 on his seven targets. The Cowboys trio saw a decent amount of success, even with the Rams secondary strength, and Wentz just needs to connect on two with Reagor (or DJax) for a big day and Top 30 week.
CHASING THE RIVER (aka, lotto ticket)
Tre’Quan Smith, NO – Emmanuel Sanders is the obvious beneficiary with Michael Thomas out, but as mentioned in the waiver column, don’t overlook Smith. He has more big-play ability and was on the field and running routes more than Sanders in Week 1. Sanders should be out there the same amount as Smith this week, but it won’t stop Smith from being an intriguing boom/bust WR4.
TIGHT END
Logan Thomas, WSH – This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction. Thomas was climbing my ranks as Week 1 drew closer, and Thomas ran the third-most routes on the team (27) while leading everyone in TGT% (26.7). Thomas seeing eight targets and turning them into 4/37/1 isn’t a fluke — and I don’t think you’d assume that, with just 37 yards — but you might assume the touchdown was. Don’t. Thomas is already a significant piece of this passing game, and the Footballs face one of the easiest matchups for tight ends this week, the Cardinals.
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Buy Low and Sell High
Buys
- Previous Week Still Buying
- David Montgomery, RB, CHI
- D’Andre Swift, RB, DET
- Devin Singletary, RB, BUF – seven targets
- Julian Edelman, WR, NE – seven targets as well
- Carson Wentz, QB, PHI – see above
- Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC – automatic #MUTEMBO if you complain about 20 touches and 87 yards (by the way, 87 yards a game is almost 1,400 yards for a season)
- Joe Mixon, RB, CIN – Ekeler part deux (though 71 yards)
- Tyler Boyd, WR, CIN – locked up in a bad Week 1 matchup
- D.J. Moore, WR, CAR – still the most talented receiver and had nine targets
- D.J. Chark, WR, JAX – the dude saved his low receiving volume with a touchdown – that’s what we want from our top receivers; why are people complaining?
- A.J. Brown, WR, TEN – speaking of complaining, yes, Brown had a down week but eight targets and five receptions – he only had three games of each last year. Volume is good!
- Hayden Hurst, TE, ATL – still believe, and I’d be shocked if Russell Gage sees that kind of work for half of the season
Sells
- Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB – sure, he looked like ol’ MVP Rodgers, but people are offering up trades for a quarterback?
- Malcolm Brown, RB, LAR – could be a waiver grab and flip – backfield could be his or lost to Cam Akers in a few weeks
- Kenyan Drake, RB, ARI – Chase Edmonds was too involved for my liking
- John Brown, WR, BUF – I love Brown feasting on No. 2 corners, but is Josh Allen really going to throw this much? Brown had 10 targets
- Noah Fant, TE, DEN – people are going gaga for Fant, and his talent deserves excitement, but Courtland Sutton was out, and Drew Lock didn’t make me feel good about everyone getting plenty of volume with Sutton on the field
Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
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Jake Ciely is rankings: Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball, candy, movies, video games, cereal... anything! Truly, Jake is a ranking prodigy. Oh, he's also the senior fantasy writer for The Athletic, an award-winning analyst and loves DuckTales. Make sure you #CheckTheLink and #BanKickers ... woo-oo! Follow Jake on Twitter @allinkid
