Week 1 of the NFL season is officially in the books, and now we shift our focus to Week 2. By now, fantasy managers have had a taste of how their draft picks performed, but the early season is all about reacting without overreacting. Matchups, snap counts, and usage trends start to matter more as we get deeper into September.
Below, you’ll find my Week 2 fantasy football rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends broken down into tiers to help you set your lineups. I’ve also highlighted one must start player at each position who I believe is primed to deliver a strong fantasy outing this week.
Tier 1
1. Josh Allen @ NYJ
2. Lamar Jackson vs CLE
3. Jalen Hurts @ KC
Tier 2
4. Jayden Daniels @ GB
5. Joe Burrow vs JAC
6. Kyler Murray vs CAR
7. Justin Fields vs BUF
8. Justin Herbert @ LVR
9. Baker Mayfield @ HOU
Tier 3
10. Brock Purdy @ NO
11. Bo Nix @ IND
12. Drake Maye @ MIA
13. Trevor Lawrence @ CIN
14. Patrick Mahomes vs PHI
Tier 4
15. J.J. McCarthy @ ATL
16. Caleb Williams @ DET
17. Dak Prescott vs NYG
18. Jordan Love vs WAS
19. C.J. Stroud vs TB
Tier 5
20. Daniel Jones vs DEN
21. Geno Smith vs LAC
22. Jared Goff vs CHI
23. Russel Wilson @ DAL
24. Aaron Rodgers vs SEA
Must Start: Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence @ CIN
Lawrence lands in Tier 3, but don’t let that fool you he’s a strong start in Week 2. Facing a Bengals defense that struggled to contain explosive passing plays last week, Lawrence should have plenty of opportunities to connect with his deep receiving corps. If you drafted him as your QB1, this is the week to lock him into your lineup with confidence.
Week 1 Tight End Rankings
Tier 1
1. Trey McBride vs CAR
2. Brock Bowers vs LAC
Tier 2
3. Sam LaPorta vs CHI
4. Tyler Warren vs DEN
5. Tucker kraft vs WAS
6. Travis Kelce vs PHI
7. T.J. Hockenson @ ATL
Tier 3
8. David Njoku @ BAL
9. Zach Ertz @ GB
10. Dallas Goedert @ KC
11. Mark Andrews vs CLE
12. Evan Engram @ IND
13. Kyle Pitts Sr. @ MIN
14. Jake Ferguson vs NYG
Tier 4
15. Colston Loveland @ DET
16. Harold Fannin Jr. @ BAL
17. Hunter Henry @ MIA
18. Dalton Kincaid @ NYJ
19. Brenton Strange @ CIN
20. Juwan Johnson vs SF
Tier 5
21. Chig Okonkwo vs LAR
22. Ja’Tavion Sanders @ ARI
23. Pat Freiermuth vs SEA
24. Jonnu Smith vs SEA
Must Start: Tight End
Dallas Goedert
Goedert may not always get the elite volume of a Travis Kelce or Trey McBride, but his matchup in Week 2 makes him a sneaky good play. Against a Chiefs defense that can be beaten by intermediate passing routes, Goedert should see steady targets and red zone opportunities. He’s a safe TE1 option this week.
Week 1 Wide Receiver Rankings
Tier 1
1. Ja’Marr Chase vs JAC
2. Puka Nacua @ TEN
3. Nico Collins vs TB
4. CeeDee Lamb vs NYG
5. Malik Nabers @ DAL
Tier 2
6. Justin Jefferson vs ATL
7. Drake London @ MIN
8. Brian Thomas Jr. @ CIN
Tier 3
9. Amon-Ra St. Brown vs CHI
10. Garrett Wilson vs BUF
11. Tee Higgins vs JAC
12. Ladd McConkey @ LV
13. Jaxon Smith-Njigba @ PIT
14. Marvin Harrison Jr. vs CAR
15. Emeka Egbuka @ HOU
Tier 4
16. Mike Evans @ HOU
17. Tetairoa McMillan @ ARI
18. A.J. Brown @ KC
19. Tyreek Hill vs NE
20. Courtland Sutton @ IND
21. Devante Adams @ TEN
22. Zay Flowers vs CLE
23. DJ Moore @ DET
24. Marquise Brown vs PHI
Tier 5
25. DeVonta Smith @ KC
26. Jakobi Meyers vs LAC
27. Terry McLaurin @ GB
28. Chris Olave vs SF
29. Jerry Jeudy @ BAL
30. DK Metcalf vs SEA
31. George Pickens vs NYG
Tier 6
32. Deebo Samuel @ GB
33. Ricky Pearsall @ NO
34. Michael Pittman Jr. vs DEN
35. Travis Hunter @ CIN
36. Calvin Ridley vs LAR
Must Start: Wide Receiver
Emeka Egbuka @ HOU
Egbuka sits in Tier 3, but he could easily outperform that ranking in Week 2. The Texans secondary showed cracks in coverage during their opener, and Egbuka’s combination of speed and route running makes him a dangerous weapon. He’s a great flex play with WR2 upside this week.
Week 1 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1
1. Christian McCaffery @ NO
2. Bijan Robinson @ MIN
3. Derrick Henry vs CLE
Tier 2
4. Chase Brown vs JAC
5. Saquon Barkley @ KC
6. Josh Jacobs vs WAS
7. Jahmyr Gibbs vs CHI
8. James Conner vs CAR
9. Kyren Williams @ TEN
10. De’Von Achane vs NE
Tier 3
11. Jonathon Taylor vs DEN
12. Bucky Irving @ HOU
13. Chuba Hubbard @ ARI
14. Ashton Jeanty vs LAC
15. James Cook @ NYJ
Tier 4
16. Breece Hall vs BUF
17. Alvin Kamara vs SF
18. Travis Etienne Jr. @ CIN
19. Omarion Hampton @ LV
Tier 5
20. Javonte Williams vs NYG
21. Tony Pollard vs LAR
22. TreVeyon Henderson @ MIA
23. J.K. Dobbins @ IND
24. Jaylen Warren vs SEA
25. Zach Charbonnet @ PIT
26. Kenneth Walker III @ PIT
Tier 6
27. D’Andre Swift @ DET
28. Jacory Croskey-Merritt @ GB
29. Nick Chubb vs TB
30. David Montgomery vs CHI
31. Jordan Mason vs ATL
32. Aaron Jones Sr. vs ATL
Tier 7
33. Isiah Pacheco vs PHI
34. Dylan Sampson @ BAL
35. Austin Ekeler @ GB
36. RJ Harvey @ IND
Must Start: Running Back
Travis Etienne
Etienne draws a matchup against the Bengals, but his role in both the running and passing game makes him too valuable to bench. Even if Jacksonville falls behind, Etienne will stay heavily involved as a receiver out of the backfield. That dual threat usage makes him a must start RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 2.
Conclusion
Week 2 is all about balancing patience with decisiveness. You don’t want to overreact to one bad game, but you also don’t want to miss opportunities to capitalize on favorable matchups. With players like Trevor Lawrence, Dallas Goedert, Emeka Egbuka, and Travis Etienne positioned for strong outings, these must-starts can give you the edge in your fantasy matchups this week.
Set your lineups with confidence, trust your tiers, and get ready for another exciting week of fantasy football!