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Kate Magdziuk shares her Week 2 wide receiver rankings for standard scoring leagues and highlights several streaming options.
The good news? Fantasy football is officially back! The bad news? Week 1 wasn’t without without its bumps and bruises.
Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua is going on the injured reserve list after suffering a PCL sprain, set to miss at least the next four weeks. Rookie Rome Odunze is set to miss time with an MCL sprain, while his teammates DJ Moore (shoulder) and Keenan Allen (undisclosed) also suffered injuries, though they returned later. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison suffered a sprained ankle after spending a chunk of training camp nursing an injury to the opposite ankle. In short, it’s brutal out there, folks.
If all that wasn’t enough, there was also a knee injury to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, which could very well temporarily diminish any fantasy value for their receivers, assuming a decrease in the quality of play with Malik Willis under center.
Ahead of Week 2 kickoff, you may need some extra help setting those lineups. Here is a look at my Week 2 wide receiver rankings in standard-scoring (non-PPR) fantasy football leagues, along with some of my favorite Week 2 sleepers to consider if you’ve fallen victim to one of the many injuries of the week.
Week 2 WR sleepers
Rostership percentages in Yahoo! Fantasy leagues are indicated in parentheses.
Wan’Dale Robinson (New York Jets vs. Commanders, 11%)
Admittedly, Wan’Dale Robinson is a player I prefer targeting in full-PPR scoring formats, which are a bit more forgiving when it comes to a lack of efficiency. However, this matchup against the Washington Commanders is too appealing not to put on the radar for those in need of a deep play this week. Despite ranking fourth in routes run for the Giants in Week 1, he finished the day leading the team with 11 total targets. That 29.7% target rate on routes run ranked fourth-highest on the week among wideouts to play 40+ snaps.
This week, Robinson — who plays primarily out of the slot — will face the Commanders, coming off an embarrassing loss where Baker Mayfield & Co. dominated 37-20. Robinson will be matched up against rookie cornerback Mike Sainstril out of the slot, who is credited as allowing a catch on 6-of-7 targets as the nearest defender in coverage for 55 yards and a score per PFF. This is a secondary that could be the ticket to getting the Giants back on track — or, at least, looking like an NFL team again.
Allen Lazard (New York Jets vs. Titans, 8%)
I promise I’m not just chasing points with this recommendation, though I am cringing as I write it. While Allen Lazard’s WR2 performance in Week 1 isn’t likely bound for a repeat, the fact that he earned five targets from Aaron Rodgers through the course of their wallop against the Niners is worth noting.
Understandably, this is an offense that runs through Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. However, Lazard stepped into the WR2 role for the offense as offseason FA signing Mike Williams continues working toward a full-time comeback post-ACL. He commanded targets in the role, too, ranking top-five in target rate on routes run at a whopping 29% — not all that far behind Wilson, who clocked a ridiculous 35.5%.
This week, the Jets will face the Tennessee Titans defense, which is probably an underrated unit in terms of overall hype with playmakers like L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuze and Rodger McCreery at cornerback, but the path for volume for Lazard is undoubtedly there.
Tyler Johnson (Los Angeles Rams vs. Cardinals, 2%)
Demarcus Robinson was the primarily named target in most waiver wire add articles following the injury to Puka Nacua. However, fantasy managers who missed out on Robinson (or are just looking for some upside) might pivot to former fifth-round pick Tyler Johnson. Robinson had already been slated into a near-full-time role as the boundary wideout opposite Puka Nacua, having run just four fewer routes than Cooper Kupp on the day. That means it might just be Johnson who has the most to gain in terms of value following Nacua’s injury.
After running just 12 routes in the first half, Johnson ran 21 total routes in the second half. In that second half, Johnson commanded five targets, hauling in four of them for 77 yards. He also had a higher target rate than Robinson in the second half, having been targeted on 23.8% of his routes run compared to Robinson’s 18.2% (though, notably, neither of them came close to Kupp’s ridiculous 50%).
This week, they’ll face a divisional rival in the Arizona Cardinals, who collectively earned PFF’s fourth-lowest coverage grade, allowing Josh Allen to throw for 232 yards, 2 touchdowns and no picks in addition to the damage their unit caused on the ground. It’s a great matchup for the former fifth-round pick to stand out in this high-volume Rams offense.
Fantasy football: Week 2 WR rankings
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
