The second Sunday of the NFL season was kinder to fantasy football managers than the first, with six players surpassing 30 PPR points, led by three of the top wide receivers in the sport.
Well, it was kinder unless you are one who relies on Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. While seven games featured 50 or more combined points (entering Monday night) and individual scoring was abundant, the long-term absence of last season's No. 3 fantasy scorer among quarterbacks should have the most lingering effects to fantasy managers.
Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them.
Quarterback
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (rostered in 0.0% of ESPN leagues): We start with this career backup, but many fantasy managers can do better in single-QB formats. Browning, 29, made seven starts during the 2023 season, and he played capably, averaging 20 fantasy points per game. Burrow (toe) is expected to miss three months. Browning scored 17.74 points in Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, though that included three interceptions. He gets to throw to excellent WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown isn't so bad, either. Still, he may be more for the superflex/2QB community. The Bengals play challenging opponents in Minnesota and Denver the next two weeks.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (33.5%): If you're going to lose a fantasy star in a standard league, let it be a quarterback. There is depth here. For example, while Stafford hasn't registered a top-10 fantasy week yet, scoring 13.6 points against the Houston Texans in Week 1 and 17.32 Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, he is a solid player and far too available. He is playing through a back injury, but he is playing. Let him represent, for this space, numerous veteran passers that deserve streaming attention over Browning. The Rams play a revenge game (from last season's playoffs) in Philadelphia this week, but Stafford threw for 324 yards and two scores there in January. He shouldn't be overwhelmed.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (21.2%): Fantasy managers may not have bought into his Week 1 performance, when he ran for a pair of touchdowns. They wanted to see more in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Jones topped 20 points again, scoring his third rushing touchdown, but he also passed for 316 yards. The Colts play the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and that is an attractive matchup. Jones may not rise all the way past 50% this week, but he appears worth relying on this week.
Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers (0.6%): Jones filled in capably for starter Brock Purdy (toe), throwing for 279 yards and 3 TDs at New Orleans. Jones is no rookie, and certainly there are talented playmakers (and good coaching) surrounding him. He may be starting in Weeks 3 and 4 at home against the Cardinals and Jaguars. We recommend him over Browning, but then again, Browning should have the starting job for considerably longer, and that is a consideration for desperate fantasy managers, too.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
New York Giants starter (for now) Russell Wilson (3.5%) carved up the Dallas Cowboys for 30.3 points, and this may lead some to add him for Week 3. However, the Giants face the Kansas City Chiefs next, then the Los Angeles Chargers. Are you relying on Wilson there? By Week 5, rookie Jaxson Dart may be starting.
Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa (23.9%) bounced back nicely from a rotten Week 1 outing (5.26 points) with 18.6 points against the New England Patriots. Those who moved on from Tagovailoa (and other Dolphins) may or may not regret it. Then again, Week 3 in Buffalo may not be fun.
Running back
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (40.0%): Starter Travis Etienne Jr. scored 16.9 points on Sunday, handling 16 touches, but the rookie Tuten earned 10, which is quite noteworthy. He turned them into 74 yards and a receiving touchdown, for 15.4 points. Most believe Etienne was the beneficiary of the Tank Bigsby trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is probably the ascending Tuten, who already is quickly approaching flex status.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (34.1%): Allgeier is probably overqualified to be a backup, but there is no controversy when it comes to star Bijan Robinson. Still, Allgeier topped 600 rushing yards each of the past two seasons, and he should do so again. The Falcons rushed for more than 200 yards in an impressive Sunday night road win in Minnesota. Robinson, of course, led the way. Allgeier did little in Week 1, so fantasy managers moved on. They may move him back to rosters after he earned 17 touches, a touchdown and 15.0 points.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
Rams backup Blake Corum (5.3%) turned one of his five touches from Sunday into a touchdown, and thus 10.4 points. Ho hum, but there really aren't enough relevant running backs available in 50% of leagues to feature here. Many fantasy managers likely rely on a wide receiver (or even a tight end) in their flex position. Corum may become a star at some point if Kyren Williams gets hurt, but Williams is not hurt.
Pittsburgh Steelers backup Kenneth Gainwell (10%) gained marginally better than he did in Week 1, but still, 59 yards on 20 touches over two games are not so much. Gainwell was among the most-added running backs entering Week 2, but it is tough to make a case for him, or any other available running backs before the bye weeks.
Wide receiver
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (20.3%): Doubs presumably moves up a notch in the hierarchy after starter Jayden Reed fractured his collarbone last Thursday. The problem with the hierarchy is that it is possible no Packers WR breaks out of a solid, deep rotation, especially when RB Josh Jacobs earns massive volume, and TE Tucker Kraft boasts 140 receiving yards in two games. Doubs caught three passes for 28 yards against the Washington Commanders, one for a touchdown. He is readily available. In any given week, it may be Doubs leading the way, or rookie Matthew Golden, or much like last season when nary a Packer reached 60 receptions or 900 receiving yards, nobody will shine. Drop Reed, who may not play again until November, but do not assume any Packers become WR3 options, or even safe WR4s.
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans (7.7%): The Stanford rookie has caught six of 13 targets through two weeks, but he scored a touchdown Sunday, and there is room to grow with fellow newcomer QB Cam Ward. Star WR Calvin Ridley has been held to single-digit points in each game. Keep Ridley rostered, of course, but Ayomanor deserves some attention as well.
DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore Ravens (9.7%): Hopkins has secured shiny touchdown catches in each of the first two weeks, which is great, but it probably is not sustainable unless he sees more volume. Hopkins has only four catches on four targets. That's it. Why is he listed here? Well, people know his name, and it is possible QB Lamar Jackson will look his way more in the coming weeks. Just don't assume you have to get Hopkins when Zay Flowers is the volume receiving option.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
New York Giants starter Wan'Dale Robinson (29.9%) scored 28.2 points in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, as Russell Wilson achieved a hearty 450 passing yards. Don't expect Wilson -- and thus Robinson -- to repeat the performance in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, if ever again.
Denver Broncos second-year option Troy Franklin (2.0%) caught eight passes and a touchdown Sunday, scoring 24.0 points, and he is clearly pushing Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. for attention. This is a good thing. Franklin may be Denver's top WR.
Jaguars WR Dyami Brown scored a touchdown Sunday, and he has 26.4 points after two weeks. Not impressed? It happens to be more points than both established star Brian Thomas Jr. and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Brown probably can't keep his production going to this level, but Thomas and Hunter investors are probably panicking.
Tight end
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (48.2%): A repeat name from last week, Johnson has scored more than 15 points each of the first two weeks, trailing only the aforementioned Kraft for overall tight end scoring. Johnson has outscored RB Alvin Kamara. That shouldn't continue, but it doesn't mean Johnson can't sustain TE1 production for a while, either.
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (50.0%): The wily veteran has touchdown receptions each of the first two weeks, and that is enough to make him popular in fantasy leagues with a Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders looming.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
Carolina Panthers starter Ja'Tavion Sanders (1.0%) was an intriguing, deep-league sleeper this season, but he didn't do much in Week 1. He did more in Week 2, catching seven of nine targets and scoring 12.4 points. Keep him in mind if your starter gets hurt.
D/ST
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
Green Bay Packers (44.8%): It is surprising that the Packers D/ST unit remains available in more than 50% of ESPN standard leagues. It just scored 17 points in dominant wins over the offensively explosive Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. In Week 3, the Packers face the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are not explosive. The Packers should be among the top-10 rostered D/ST units by then.
Indianapolis Colts (36.6%): Similarly, fantasy managers did not react to the Week 1 results by adding the Colts D/ST in many leagues. This unit scored only 1 point against the Broncos on Sunday, but in Week 3 it faces the Titans. That should be easier.
Kansas City Chiefs (12.4%): The Chiefs held the Eagles to 20 points, albeit with nary a takeaway. There will likely be a turnover or three this Sunday night against the Giants.