Week 2 of the NFL season was a rough one in the fantasy football injury department, and the rest-of-season rankings below certainly reflect the myriad changes for unlucky fantasy managers. There is a new No. 1 running back and overall player, as Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey succumbed to a high-ankle sprain, though he could return in a few weeks. Still, should you trade for him or trade him away? Hmm. In addition, several top wide receivers missed Week 2, but a few of them could be back this week. However, there will be no return in 2020 for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley or Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
Regardless, whether through injuries or performance, it sure seems like the second rest-of-season rankings for 2020 feature more adjustments than ever, so let us get right to them, with our normal stock watch by position leading us off. Enjoy and stay healthy out there.
QB Stock Up
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals: To be fair, nearly all of the top quarterbacks moved up some in the overall rankings in comparison to running backs and wide receivers, as preseason battles have become clearer and injuries derail those positions at a greater rate. In addition, quarterback depth is not as promising as expected. Yes, Cam Newton and Josh Allen continue to surprise and play great, but they also led this section entering Week 2, and we aim for some different names. Murray was a fantasy starter anyway, but what a start he is off to, with 158 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns so far. Newton, by comparison, boasts 122 rushing yards and four scores. What a scoring race in fantasy between veteran and youngster!
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: An efficient Tannehill boasts six touchdown passes with nary an interception after two games, though he has yet to reach 250 passing yards in either contest. Still, he was the league's top-rated passer in the second half of last season, and that sure seems like it was far from a fluke. He currently boasts more fantasy points than Lamar Jackson does, and it might be only one more week before Tannehill strolls past Tom Brady and Drew Brees in these rankings.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: Herbert is the second rookie to get a chance and it came under unfortunate circumstances, as Tyrod Taylor needed a hospital visit, but Herbert nearly knocked off the defending champion Chiefs in his debut. Perhaps the Chargers, against most wisdom, really do go back to Taylor in Week 3, but Herbert is the one to stash for the bye weeks in fantasy.
QB Stock Down
Daniel Jones, New York Giants: At least he remains healthy, as opposed to his top running back, but it is precisely that loss of Barkley that should concern Jones investors for 2020. Darius Slayton looks terrific, but the running back corps, now led by Dion Lewis hardly inspires, Sterling Shepard cannot stay on the field and Evan Engram seems average. Tannehill, Gardner Minshew II and a resurgent Ben Roethlisberger are among the quarterbacks better equipped to aid fantasy managers.
Editor's note: RB Devonta Freeman signed with the Giants after this story published, but does not impact Jones' "Stock down" status.
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: Well, 113 passing yards and three interceptions is quite a Week 2 performance. Do you like that? OK, so it is one game and Cousins was accurate in Week 1, but this offense sure looks as if it misses new Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Cousins has never reached 14 interceptions in a season, but at his current rate, he gets there before November. It's time to stash other quarterbacks for the bye weeks.
RB Stock Up
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers: So much for concern about the team drafting AJ Dillon in Round 2. Jones ran wild on the Lions on Sunday and as long as Aaron Rodgers keeps throwing the football his way a bit more than he did last season, in conjunction with the losses of McCaffrey and Barkley from the top of the list, Jones should remain a top-five running back indefinitely.
Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sure didn't take long for the coaching staff to veer away from Ronald Jones II to the former Jacksonville Jaguars veteran. Fournette scored on a short touchdown run and later broke free for a 46-yard jaunt, and while Jones probably deserves the starting role, it looks to be gone. Remember, Fournette caught 76 passes last season and can pick up a blitz. This was probably inevitable.
Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins: On the other side of the state there is Gaskin, the second-year player who has more PPR points than Derrick Henry because of his 10 receptions. With Jordan Howard somehow averaging less than a yard per carry, Gaskin moved up the depth chart, and there are a mere three running backs with more receiving targets (Alvin Kamara, Jones, Giovani Bernard). Gaskin is actually a flex option as long as Ryan Fitzpatrick keeps throwing his way.
RB Stock Down
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers: One can certainly argue that if McCaffrey misses a month of action he deserves to fall considerably further in the rankings, but for now he remains in relatively safe RB2 range because, well, look at the options after him. Are they safe? Are they durable? Do they have the potential to score 30 PPR points per week the final two months? I think not. In addition, I refuse to believe that all high-ankle sprains are the same, because not all people and ankle ligaments are, and some heal quicker. Perhaps McCaffrey returns to action for Week 5, and if he does, then you likely had reasonable fill-ins before the bye weeks anyway. Be positive.
Regardless, his trade value in fantasy is problematic and dependent on knowing the unknowable. With the paucity of reliable RB2 options, I think now is actually a wise time to trade for McCaffrey, perhaps offering someone like James Conner or Todd Gurley II, players currently healthy and doing well, but I think we know it might not last. Would it not be great to have a healthy McCaffrey for the second half of the fantasy season? Perhaps that is guesswork as well, but I like to believe it. For those aiming to trade for McCaffrey, always start with the "flavors of the week," such as Nyheim Hines, Malcolm Brown and Joshua Kelley. These are helpful running backs, but they're not close to McCaffrey's level. Just about any healthy wide receiver with WR2 value makes for a fair deal as well.
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers: This is an MCL sprain in his knee and Mostert could miss only a game or two, but let us remember the 49ers boast a deep corps of running backs and like to use them. So even with Mostert and Tevin Coleman missing, they are confident in Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. Mostert is likely to see inconsistent volume this season. This seems like a wise time to use a relatively positive diagnosis to see what you can get for Mostert in trade.
WR Stock Up
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints: He missed the Monday night loss with a high-ankle sprain and, to repeat my point from the McCaffrey section, even though it is technically the same injury, many expect that will be the only game he misses. Everyone is different. Thomas drops a few spots in the rankings, but I regarded the top tier of wide receivers as interchangeable anyway. Thomas was never going to catch another 149 passes for 1,725 yards. I think his stock actually rises in comparison with what we believed a week ago and would trade for him with confidence. I say the same for Buccaneers star Chris Godwin and Detroit Lions star Kenny Golladay. No reason to believe their maladies linger.
Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan is not the problem on this team. Julio Jones is not in the way. Hey, fellows, see that football spinning around with Dallas Cowboys ready to pounce on it? Fall on it! Ugh. Ridley and Jones can absolutely coexist as WR1 options. Frankly, if worried about either of them, worry about Jones with his constant injury concerns and inconsistent touchdown production, because Russell Gage is doing things! This could be a changing of the wide receiver guard in Atlanta.
N'Keal Harry, New England Patriots: Yes, DK Metcalf put on the bigger show among these highly drafted wide receivers from the 2019 draft (Harry went with the final pick of Round 1, Metcalf with the final pick of Round 2), but the Patriots also have a quarterback who can throw deep and Harry is the obvious beneficiary. Only nine wide receivers boast more targets than Harry and his wide receiver partner Julian Edelman. Move each up your lists.
WR Stock Down
Will Fuller V, Houston Texans: Why do we keep falling for this? Fuller is extremely skilled, but he left Sunday's contest with a bad hamstring and even though he barely missed time, he received nary a target for the game, and the Texans were throwing the football. Yes, the Houston offense had to play Baltimore, but still, reasons for concern here. I take no joy typing that Fuller is simply not durable enough to rely upon, either for the Texans or in fantasy.
Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys: Still a player worth relying on, but rookie CeeDee Lamb boasts more of everything after two games, and frankly looks far more likely to reach immediate stardom in a dynamic offense. Something to watch.
Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: One of the most added players at his position entering Week 2, Miller totaled 12 yards from scrimmage on his two catches and one rushing attempt, and that was with Godwin absent. Perhaps Brady and the passing offense eventually thrives, but Miller likely ends up on the most-dropped list this week, and it is tough to argue.
TE Stock Up
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams: Not sure why we are surprised when Higbee averaged better than 100 receiving yards over the final five games of the 2019 season, but he torched the Eagles for three touchdowns Sunday and moves into the top 100 overall. Quite a few tight ends moved up this week, as players such as Noah Fant and Mike Gesicki might be your best flex options if you are dealing with running back uncertainty and/or wide receiver injuries.
TE Stock Down
Irv Smith Jr. and Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings: Cousins sputtered mightily in Week 2, but so far after two games, this decently regarded duo has combined for eight targets and four receptions, the latter total split evenly. Cincinnati's Drew Sample was more productive just in relief of C.J. Uzomah in Week 2, and is a better option moving forward as well.