Fantasy Football Week 2: Rankings Audit & Podcast Highlights
Each week I’ll be digging through the Fantasy Footballers’ rankings to identify the biggest variances for you to check out. I will be comparing the ranks between Andy, Mike, and Jason. Now that Week 1 is in the books, the ranking comparisons will also note variances versus the posted rankings over at FantasyPros.
Quarterback Rankings
Tom Brady tops the QB rankings for Andy and Jason, with Mike ranking him second. All three are higher on Brady than FantasyPros. The expectation is that Brady will have newly acquired Antonio Brown available for their trip to South Beach in to face an out-matched Dolphins squad who was just dismantled by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Start. Your. Patriots.
Coming off a lack-lust Week 1, Jared Goff is Jason’s #5 QB this week, higher than everyone else, where he ranks 8thor lower. Jason is not being scared off by Ben Roethlisberger’s poor Week 1, ranking him 9th, six spots higher than Mike in a “get-right” game versus a Seahawks team who allowed over 400 yards passing to Andy Dalton.
The Ballers’ are higher on Baker Mayfield (9), but taking the Baltimore defense serious, ranking hometown QB Kyler Murray down at 25.
Runningback Rankings
Dalvin Cook had a great Week 1 performance, but Jason has him ranked as RB9, three spots lower than Mike for his upcoming NFC North match-up with the Packers.
Speaking of RB9, Mike is the highest on David Johnson six spots higher than Jason. While the Ravens’ defense is a tough draw, the expectation is that David Johnson will get plenty of work in both the running and passing game to remain a top option.
Andy and Jason have Derrick Henry in the top 10, but Mike has him down at RB15, which is more in line with FantasyPros consensus rank of 14.
Matt Breida is in a position to lead the San Francisco backfield, ranking in at RB21 on FantasyPros and for Andy. That RB21 ranking is five spots higher than Jason’s RB26 ranking. This is a rather surprising ranking assuming Breida will lead the teams rushing attack against a Bengals defense that was gashed by Chris Carson.
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Rookie RB Devin Singletary falls in as Jason’s RB21, nine spots higher than Andy. Singletary should see a lot of work in this game against a Giants team that may struggle to move the ball with, (checks notes), Cody Latimer likely their top WR for the game. Buffalo has a stout defense which should get Singletary onto the field regularly as the team looks to control the clock later in this game.
Wide Receiver Rankings
Saints WR Michael Thomas is a stud and no surprise to see him ranked as FantasyPros WR3; however, the Ballers’ are a little lower, with Andy coming in the lowest at WR7, even in a possible shootout with the Los Angeles Rams.
Adam Thielen was able to post an acceptable fantasy performance in a Week 1 contest that saw the Vikings attempt just ten passes. Checking in at WR11 on FantasyPros for Week 2, Jason has him the lowest at WR15.
Jason is highest, however, on Cooper Kupp ranking in at WR12. The Ballers’ are higher on the Rams WR trio across the board with all three in the top 15; Robert Woods (10), Brandin Cooks (11), and Kupp( (15). Did I mention a possible shootout in this Saints/Rams tilt?
As a reminder; don’t overreact to Week 1 performances. All those hot waiver wire acquisitions were on the wire for a reason, and while they need to be rostered, they are not likely the best options on most rosters. The top pick-ups from this week still rank down in the 40s; John Ross (41), Marquise Brown (43), Terry McLaurin (47), and Mecole Hardman (48).
Tight End Rankings
Go big or go home! Jason is all-in on Darren Waller for Week 2, ranking him as the #1 TE. Andy is right behind him at TE3, and even Mike’s TE5 ranking is higher than FantasyPros’ TE6 ranking.
Where the waiver wire acquisition WRs are still down the rankings, Rookie TE T.J. Hockenson is going from waiver wire pickup to top 10 TE for both FantasyPros and the Ballers’.
Biggest Takeaways from the Week 2 Podcasts
Monday– Week 1 Studs & Duds + AB Reactions, The Secret Garden
Jason (O – Illness) was a late scratch, leaving Andy and Mike to operate a man down. They kicked off the show with some fun puns from Week One; Vanish McDonald and NO.J. Howard were two of my favorites. The Weekly Rewind segment (5:31) highlighted some of the injury news and rolled right into the Fantasy Studmuffins at 22:24. Hopefully, you had more players on the studs list than you did on the Stinkers of the Week (47:57) list.
Tuesday – Week 2 Waivers + QB Streamers, Buy Low Targets
The Quick Question of the Day (5:08) was regarding favorite Buy-Low targets, one of which was Chris Godwin whose buy-low window slammed shut Thursday night. The major point of discussion was the waiver wire and FAAB bids heading into Week 2 (26:05) when almost everyone has a full budget. Full Stream Ahead (57:04) focused on streaming QBs for Week 2, including Ben Roethlisberger in a perfect rebound spot against the Seahawks. The show closed out discussing Defense streamers for the Week.
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Wednesday – Week 2 Waivers + QB Streamers, Buy Low Targets
With Jason looking to bounce back from his limited performance in Tuesday’s show, the Ballers’ highlighted a few of their favorite NFL bounce-back candidates, including Nick Chubb and Aaron Rodgers. As Indicated in the rankings, the guys are all-in and driving the hype-train for the Walrus, Darren Waller, who played 100% of the Raiders snaps. The Mailbag Segment (30:32) had some great questions, including a discussion about Darren Waller versus another show favorite, Mark Andrews. At 39:02 the Ballers previewed the Thursday Night NFC South Showdown between the Buccaneers and Panthers.
Thursday – Starts of the Week + Week 2 Breakdown, Smooches!
Fantasy Forecasts are the main focus of the Thursday shows, but not before the News & Notes from around the league at the 9:35 mark. A lot of the discussions focused on injuries, including TE Hunter Henry, RB Le’Veon Bell and the mysterious case of mono for Sam Darnold. The show closes with the Starts of the Week at 56:55. Check out who the guys think are absolute must starts for Week 2.
Friday – Week 2 Matchups + In-or-Out, Pantomime Jason
Recapping that ugly, sloppy Thursday night games led to an unsurprising Twitter Poll from Andy: Are you running away from Cam after this performance? 89% said FAR AWAY. Yikes. The In-or-Out segment included a few big names like Le’Veon Bell, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Lockett who should all be fine for this weekend, but also highlighted a few fringe starters like Mike Williams, Sterling Shepard, and waiver-add Marquise Brown. The rest of the show is dedicated to the second half of the weekend’s Fantasy Forecasts.
Have a great weekend and best of luck in Week 2!