Admin September 14, 2024
NFL Week 2 picks, predictions and best bets
USA TODAY Sports’ Lorenzo Reyes is back with his NFL best bets for week 2 games of the NFL season.
Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season is officially underway.
Week 1 went just as we all expected – Jordan Mason, J.K. Dobbins and Rhamondre Stevenson were top-five backs. Jayden Reed, Allen Lazard and Jameson Williams were the top three receivers. Isaiah Likely, Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson were the top three tight ends. It was like playing a game of darts without a dartboard.
To assist with your most difficult lineup decisions, you’ll find my Week 2 fantasy football rankings below. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format.
Our team at the USA TODAY Sports Network also has you covered for all your fantasy football needs. Looking for up-to-date player news? We’ve got it. Need to know who the best starts and sits of the week are? We have an article for that. We also have fantasy defense rankings, kicker rankings, and a trade value chart to help with all your trade decisions.
Given the volatility of this league and fantasy football in particular, these rankings will be updated up until a half hour before the Sunday afternoon games kick off. Let’s get to it.
Week 2 fantasy football quarterback rankings
I like them more…
- Jared Goff gets a tasty matchup at home versus the Bucs. Last season, Tampa Bay allowed the sixth-most points per game to quarterbacks over their final 13 games. In fact, if you exclude matchups with Bryce Young and Will Levis, no team was more generous to the position during that period. Goff, meanwhile, has finished as a top-eight quarterback in half of his home starts since 2022.
- Starting Daniel Jones might be less pleasant than walking barefoot on a floor full of Legos, but if there’s any week to do it, this is the one. From Week 2 and on last season, the Commanders ceded 1.6 more fantasy points per game to signal-callers than any team in the NFL. That trend continued into Week 1, as they limited Baker Mayfield to just two fewer touchdown passes (four) than incompletions (six). Danny Pennies was the overall QB1 in Week 2 last year, so he’s not without upside.
I like him less…
- Justin Herbert is going up against the Carolina Panthers, and while that might seem like a good streaming opportunity, that’s not really the case. In 2023, the Panthers allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. They’re a run-funnel team that gets blown out of the water more often than not, which negates the need to pass against them.
Week 2 fantasy football running back rankings
I like them more…
- If you drafted Derrick Henry, you probably already know that he’s the most game-script-dependent top-tier fantasy back. Well, the Ravens (-8.5) are the biggest favorites on the Week 2 slate. On the other side, the Raiders ceded the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing backfields over their final 12 games in 2023. This is a smash spot for Henry.
- In Week 1, Najee Harris received 72% of the Steelers’ backfield touches. He also ran more routes (12) than Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson combined (8). Now he’ll take that usage against a Broncos defense that was third-worst against runners last year and just allowed Kenneth Walker to walk (get it?) all over them in Week 1.
I like him less…
- Rachaad White gets a tough draw in Week 2. In 2023, the Lions surrendered the fewest fantasy points, second-fewest receptions, and zero touchdowns to opposing running backs. White, an inefficient runner who generated 45% of his fantasy points through the air in 2023, had his lowest output of the year (5.3 half-PPR points) against Detroit.
Week 2 fantasy football wide receiver rankings
I like them more…
- With Christian McCaffrey out in Week 1, Deebo Samuel finished second among all wideouts with 17 opportunities (9 targets, 8 carries). That kind of usage should continue if CMC is out again in Week 2. Deebo faces a Vikings secondary that allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to receivers last year.
- Keenan Allen ranked sixth in the league with 11 targets in Week 1, and if Caleb Williams can get it in the right zip code this week, the 32-year-old could easily be looking at a top-20 finish. Houston’s secondary is not one to actively target in fantasy, but they did allow nine receivers to post 85+ yards against them over their final 12 games in 2023.
I like him less…
- DK Metcalf is about to get a heavy dose of Christian Gonzalez, one of the best young corners in the game. Over four career full games, the 22-year-old has gone up against A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, and Ja’Marr Chase, and those four averaged 6.8 targets, 4.8 receptions, and 45.3 yards against him, according to PlayerProfiler.
Week 2 fantasy football tight end rankings
I like him more…
- Mark Andrews is a “squeaky wheel” play after posting a 2/14/0 line in Week 1. The 29-year-old was second among all tight ends in routes run, but the Chiefs double-covered him at a higher rate than any game since 2021.
I like him less…
- Evan Engram managers have a right to feel uneasy after his Week 1 performance. The 30-year-old garnered just four targets after totaling at least six looks in each of his final 16 games in 2023. In Week 2, he’ll face a Browns defense that ranked second against the position a season ago.
Week 2 fantasy football rankings
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