Fantasy Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy QB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Josh Allen (@ MIA)
The Bills are beginning to remind me of the 2007 Patriots team that went 16-0. Even when playing with a big lead, they are willing to continue airing it out. That is great news for Allen’s fantasy value considering they should be playing with the lead often this season.
This week’s matchup against the Dolphins should be a shootout, and Allen continues to deserve Tier 1 all to himself.
Tier 2
Jalen Hurts (@ WAS)
Lamar Jackson (@ NE)
Patrick Mahomes (@ IND)
While Allen is the most likely QB to finish as the QB1 this week (I would give him about a 15% chance), it’s important to remember that it’s more likely that someone from this tier actually finishes as the QB1. All three have about a 8-10% chance.
Jalen Hurts is playing out of his mind right now, and it’s clear that the addition of AJ Brown could in fact unlock a 2019 Lamar Jackson-type of season from him this year.
Speaking of Jackson, he’s certainly channeling his 2019 season right now as the QB1 overall through two weeks. He’s currently the entire Ravens offense right now since their running game (outside of Jackson) has been non-existent. Baltimore has been a pass-heavy offense to begin the season, ranking third in early-down pass rate in neutral game situations. The Ravens may become more balanced once J.K. Dobbins is healthy enough to return, but when that will be exactly continues to be a mystery.
Update: Jackson was spotted with a protective sleeve on his throwing arm. He appears to be dealing with some sort of injury. It’s unclear yet if this is anything we need to be concerned over, but it’s something we will need to monitor.
Tier 3
Justin Herbert (vs. JAX)
Kirk Cousins (vs. DET)
Kyler Murray (vs. LAR)
Justin Herbert gets a slight downgrade as he will attempt to play through a painful rib cartilage injury. With Keenan Allen’s status also in question and a fairly easy matchup against the Jaguars, the Chargers may opt for a more run-heavy game plan than usual. I also doubt we will see Herbert run much here as he attempts to protect his rib injury. Either way, he’s still a high-end QB1 option.
Tier 4
Joe Burrow (@ NYJ)
Matthew Stafford (@ ARI)
Joe Burrow struggled for a second straight game, only throwing for 199 yards and a TD against the Cowboys in Week 2.
Despite the massive upgrades to the offensive line, Burrow currently leads the league in sacks taken with 13. It could take the O-line a few games to mesh, considering there are so many new pieces. I wouldn’t worry about Burrow too much, and I expect the offense to get back on track as soon as this week against the Jets.
Tier 5
Derek Carr (@ TEN)
Marcus Mariota (@ SEA)
Tua Tagovailoa (vs. BUF)
Marcus Mariota sneaks in as a low-end QB1 option for Week 3, and he is my favorite streaming option this week.
Mariota has posted QB13 numbers despite two tough matchups to open the season against the Saints and Rams. Now, he gets to face a Seahawks defense that recently lost Jamal Adams that he should pick them apart with Cordarrelle Patterson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. However, it’s Mariota’s rushing upside that really raises his floor/ceiling combo here.
Tagovailoa erupted for 469 yards and six TDs against the Ravens. I thought Tua had a high ceiling in 2022, but he shattered those expectations in Week 2. It’s clear that Miami head coach Mike McDaniel’s system is going to maximize the potential of having two weapons like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the same team.
Tua was constrained by his offensive line and conservative scheme last year, but he has finally been unleashed and we need to treat him like a low-end QB1. Unfortunately, his lack of rushing upside means we will need to see a couple more weeks of high-end QB1 production before we can start ranking him there.
Tier 6
Jared Goff (@ MIN)
Tom Brady (vs. GB)
Trevor Lawrence (@ LAC)
Carson Wentz (vs. PHI)
Aaron Rodgers (@ TB)
Justin Fields (vs. HOU)
Russell Wilson (vs. SF)
Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson should be viewed as 2QB/Superflex play this week as opposed to low-end QB1 options. Due to various reasons, I expect all three to play more of a “game manager” role this week.
Speaking of “game managers,” Justin Fields has now thrown for 121 and 70 yards in the first two games. Last week’s 70-yard performance came in what turned out to be a trailing game script with the Bears losing 27-10 to the Packers.
I’m very worried to see what the Bears do here in a potential positive game script against the Texans. Fields’ fantasy value is largely driven by his rushing stats so far and even those haven’t been there- he has failed to top 30+ rushing yards after two weeks. He’s nothing more than a low-end 2QB option until proven otherwise.
Tier 7
Jameis Winston (@ CAR)
Joe Flacco (vs. CIN)
Jimmy Garoppolo (@ DEN)
Geno Smith (vs. ATL)
Ryan Tannehill (vs. LV)
Joe Flacco should continue to air it out this week against the Bengals. He has been playing well enough that the Jets are in no hurry to rush Zach Wilson back. As a result, anyone relying on Flacco right now in deeper leagues may be able to eke out one more start from him next week against the Steelers. I would imagine the plan is to have Wilson return to action in Week 5, at the latest.
Ryan Tannehill struggled mightily in Week 2, but we have to stop writing people off if they have a bad game against the Bills (see Allen Robinson). However, in Tannehill’s case, panic is warranted. Not only did he lose A.J. Brown, who he leaned on for uber-efficient targets that came typically from play-action passes, but King Derrick Henry is starting to look like his reign may be nearing an end. Both factors are going to make it difficult for Tannehill to ever return to QB1/2 form.
Tier 8
Daniel Jones (vs. DAL)
Mac Jones (vs. BAL)
Matt Ryan (vs. KC)
Matt Ryan struggled mightily in Week 2 without his top wide out in Michael Pittman Jr., throwing for 195 yards, zero TDs, and three INTs. He should bounce back as a low-end QB2 option this week in a potential shootout against the Chiefs if Pittman and Alec Pierce are able to return to action.
Tier 9
Baker Mayfield (vs. NO)
Jacoby Brissett (vs. PIT)
Cooper Rush (@ NYG)
Cooper Rush managed to lead the Cowboys to an upset win over the Bengals, but he still isn’t someone who should be on our radar outside of deeper leagues.
Tier 10
Davis Mills (@ CHI)
Mitch Trubisky (@ CLE)
The Steelers offense is currently in shambles and how Trubisky performs Thursday Night could dictate when we will see Kenny Pickett make his NFL debut. I’m thinking there is a 50/50 chance that may come as soon as next week against the Jets.
Fantasy RB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Jonathan Taylor (vs. KC)
The gap between JT and Tier 2 is not as big as usual this week. He could struggle again this week if the Colts get down early against the Chiefs.
Tier 2
Dalvin Cook (vs. DET)
Saquon Barkley (vs. DAL)
Christian McCaffrey (vs. NO)
Leonard Fournette (vs. GB)
Leonard Fournette’s underlying usage has been elite, but it hasn’t translated to any TDs or many targets so far. He should be viewed as a mid-range RB1 option against a Packers defense that is currently ranked 30th in DVOA against the run.
Tier 3
Austin Ekeler (vs. JAX)
Joe Mixon (@ NYJ)
The Bengals have leaned on Mixon heavily over the first couple of games with Joe Burrow struggling. However, with the offensive line struggling, so has Mixon’s efficiency. I expect he and the Bengals offense to get back on track once the revamped o-line begins to jell, which will hopefully start to happen this week.
Tier 4
Derrick Henry (vs. LV)
Nick Chubb (vs. PIT)
Derrick Henry is starting to show signs of serious decline. I wouldn’t write him off quite yet as he had a brutal matchup last week against the Bills and lost LG Taylor Lewan in-game to a knee injury. If Lewan is able to return to action, Henry could post solid numbers in what should be a much easier matchup against the Raiders. However, without AJ Brown to keep defenses honest, I’m worried it’s going to be much easier to slow down Henry going forward, who hasn’t shown the same burst so far this season.
Tier 5
Javonte Williams (vs. SF)
D’Andre Swift (@ MIN)
David Montgomery (vs. HOU)
David Montgomery sneaks into the low-end RB1 discussion this week since the Bears have abandoned the pass and should have a positive game script here against the Texans. Chicago has only averaged 48.5 plays a game, so we could see the volume for the entire offense go up 5-10 plays this week and Montgomery is a good bet to see 20 or more touches here.
Tier 6
Aaron Jones (@ TB)
Antonio Gibson (vs. PHI)
Cordarrelle Patterson (@ SEA)
Josh Jacobs (@ TEN)
Alvin Kamara (@ CAR)
Darrell Henderson (@ ARI)
Najee Harris (@ CLE)
A.J. Dillon (@ TB)
Cordarrelle Patterson followed up with his massive Week 1 performance with a Week 2 dud. It should be noted that in Week 1, the Falcons made Tyler Allgeier a healthy scratch and then used Damien Williams as the lead back before getting injured in the first quarter. They were then forced to use Patterson as a workhorse back, but Week 2 made it clear this will be a murky 2- or 3-way RBBC going forward.
I do think Patterson should have a good game here against a Seahawks defense that is vulnerable to pass catching running backs. However, if he comes through with a big game here I would strongly recommend trying to sell high.
Tier 7
Jeff Wilson (@ DEN)
Miles Sanders (@ WAS)
Ezekiel Elliott (@ NYG)
James Conner (vs. LAR)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (@ IND)
Kareem Hunt (vs. PIT)
Jeff Wilson conceded quite a bit of work to Tyrion Davis-Price last week, but the rookie suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss the next few weeks. Wilson should operate as a true workhorse back in the meantime. The 49ers could use veterans Marlon Mack/Tevin Coleman as change-of-pace options, but I do not view either as an immediate threat to Wilson.
James Conner is day-to-day with an ankle injury, so we will have to monitor his status throughout the week. His rank could go up/down a Tier based on reports we get on his ankle.
Tier 8
James Robinson (@ LAC)
Dameon Pierce (@ CHI)
Michael Carter (vs. CIN)
Damien Harris (vs. BAL)
Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. BAL)
The Jaguars, Texans, Jets and Patriots backfields have been some of the trickiest to project early in the season.
James Robinson has dominated the early down work for the Jaguars, which means he should thrive in positive game scripts, similar to the one he just saw in their 24-0 win over the Colts. However, Travis Etienne will see a boost whenever the Jaguars face a trailing game script, meaning this backfield could be fairly even this week with the Jaguars installed as 6.5-point underdogs against the Chargers. I’m viewing Robinson as a high end RB3/Flex option and Etienne as a RB3/Flex option with added value in full PPR formats.
Tier 9
Chase Edmonds (vs. BUF)
Rashaad Penny (vs. ATL)
Tony Pollard (@ NYG)
Travis Etienne (@ LAC)
Devin Singletary (@ MIA)
Jamaal Williams (@ MIN)
Melvin Gordon (vs. SF)
Raheem Mostert (vs. BUF)
Breece Hall (vs. CIN)
Raheem Mostert outplayed Chase Edmonds in the Dolphins thrilling 42-38 comeback win. The Dolphins backfield should be viewed as 50/50 timeshare for the time being and I expect Mostert to be used more on early downs and near the goal line, with Chase Edmonds handling passing down work. In what should be a trailing game script against the Bills, this week sets up better for Chase Edmonds, but this is a backfield we need to monitor closely.
Tier 10
Cam Akers (@ ARI)
Jerick McKinnon (@ IND)
Nyheim Hines (vs. KC)
Rex Burkhead (@ CHI)
J.D. McKissic (vs. PHI)
Kenneth Walker (vs. ATL)
Tyler Allgeier (@ SEA)
Kenyan Drake (@ NE)
After dominating the Texans backfield in Week 1, Rex Burkhead was nowhere to be found in Week 2, failing to handle a single rush attempt and catching two passes for nine yards. Let’s hope the Texans continue to use Dameon Pierce as the workhorse back going forward.
Tier 11
Mark Ingram (@ CAR)
Khalil Herbert (vs. HOU)
Alexander Mattison (vs. DET)
Kenneth Gainwell (@ WAS)
Eno Benjamin (vs. LAR)
Zack Moss (@ MIA)
Joshua Kelley (vs. JAX)
Darrel Williams (vs. LAR)
All eyes are on Eno Benjamin and Darrel Williams in this Tier as there is a chance James Conner could miss some time due his ankle injury. If Conner is ruled out, Williams would likely move up into the bottom of Tier 8 and Benjamin would slot into the middle of Tier 9.
The reason why I would lean towards Williams out of the two was because he was getting the most valuable playing time once Conner left the game, seeing most of the third down and goalline work.
Fantasy WR Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Cooper Kupp (@ ARI)
Justin Jefferson (vs. DET)
Tier 2
Stefon Diggs (@ MIA)
Davante Adams (@ TEN)
I expect Adams to bounce back with a big week against the Titans, who were incapable of slowing down Stefon Diggs despite knowing Josh Allen would target him heavily with Gabriel Davis out. If Hunter Renfrow ends up having to miss Week 3 due to his concussion, it could result in even more targets for Adams and Waller.
Tier 3
Ja’Marr Chase (@ NYJ)
Tyreek Hill (vs. BUF)
Deebo Samuel (@ DEN)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (@ MIN)
A.J. Brown (@ WAS)
After only seeing four end-zone targets last season, Amon-Ra St. Brown has already seen three this year. The only reason why I wasn’t all-in on St. Brown this year was because of that stat, and he has already blown it out of the water. He should be treated as a top-10 option going forward.
Tier 4
Jaylen Waddle (vs. BUF)
Any concerns about Tyreek Hill potentially eating into Waddle’s target share have vanished, especially if Tagovailoa is going to throw for 400 or more yards on occasion, like we saw in Week 2. The offense runs through these two WRs, with Cedrick Wilson and Mike Gesicki proving to be irrelevant in the new scheme. Despite the tougher matchup on paper, I’m still treating Waddle as a low-end WR1 in what should be a shootout.
Tier 5
Tee Higgins (@ NYJ)
Courtland Sutton (vs. SF)
Keenan Allen (vs. JAX)
Gabriel Davis (@ MIA)
Michael Pittman Jr. (vs. KC)
Christian Kirk (@ LAC)
Mike Williams (vs. JAX)
Drake London (@ SEA)
Brandin Cooks (@ CHI)
Diontae Johnson (@ CLE)
CeeDee Lamb (@ NYG)
D.J. Moore (vs. NO)
D.K. Metcalf (vs. ATL)
Marquise Brown (vs. LAR)
Amari Cooper (vs. PIT)
Allen Robinson (@ ARI)
Terry McLaurin (vs. PHI)
Davis (ankle) was limited in Wednesday’s practice, but the Bills will likely be very careful with him this early in the season and it seems like they won’t let him play until he’s closer to 100%. Therefore, if he is active on Sunday, we should be able to confidently fire him up as a high-end WR2. We will need to monitor Davis, Pittman and Allen’s injuries this week.
I told you to be patient with Drake London on your bench as a high-upside stash we would be able to deploy later in the season. Well, I turned out to be wrong because we should have already been treating him as a WR2 option.
London overcame an early season knee injury and two tough matchups against the Saints/Rams to post the WR16 score through the first two games. I’m treating him as a mid-range WR2 option this week against the Seahawks.
Tier 6
Michael Thomas (@ CAR)
Jerry Jeudy (vs. SF)
Jakobi Meyers (vs. BAL)
Elijah Moore (vs. CIN)
Rashod Bateman (@ NE)
Juju Smith-Schuster (@ IND)
Curtis Samuel (vs. PHI)
Hunter Renfrow (@ TEN)
Adam Thielen (vs. DET)
Russell Gage (vs. GB)
Tyler Lockett (vs. ATL)
DeVonta Smith (@ WAS)
Sterling Shepard (vs. DAL)
Jahan Dotson (vs. PHI)
Brandon Aiyuk (@ DEN)
Jerry Jeudy is dealing with a rib injury, and it’s unclear if he will be able to suit up in Week 3. Renfrow is currently in the concussion protocol and his status is also unclear. If either wideout ends up missing this week, I’m not sure there is anyone available in 50% of leagues who would step up into a fantasy relevant role.
Sterling Shepard continues to be a sneaky low-end WR3 option in PPR formats. The Giants’ WR situation is a total mess right now, and Shepard is the only one we can trust. Daniel Jones is facing pressure at a league-high rate of 49%, and his average intended air yards (6.3) is the sixth lowest after two weeks. Based on both of those metrics, we can bank on Shepard continuing to be Jones’ No. 1 target.
Tier 7
Garrett Wilson (vs. CIN)
Chris Olave (@ CAR)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (@ IND)
Robbie Anderson (vs. NO)
Julio Jones (vs. GB)
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave had their rookie breakout game in Week 2, both rookies commanding at least 10 targets despite having plenty of competition for targets. Both are right on the cusp as being low-end WR3 options, although both are an injury (to a teammate) away from potentially becoming WR2 options. The needle is pointing way up on these talented rookies.
Tier 8
Zay Jones (@ LAC)
Marvin Jones (@ LAC)
D.J. Chark (@ MIN)
Jarvis Landry (@ CAR)
Robert Woods (vs. LV)
Tyler Boyd (@ NYJ)
Allen Lazard (@ TB)
Chase Claypool (@ CLE)
Darnell Mooney (vs. HOU)
Breshad Perriman (vs. GB)
Corey Davis (vs. CIN)
Chrisitan Kirk and Evan Engram dominated the target share for the Jaguars in Week 2. That could easily swing Zay Jones’ way in Week 3 since his underlying usage has been solid through two games. Jones is a sneaky WR4 play in deeper leagues because the Jaguars will be forced into a more pass-heavy game script against the Chargers.
The Bears appear to be allergic to throwing the ball, so Darnell Mooney can’t be trusted in the meantime, especially in a matchup against the Texans where the Bears could lean on the run even more. Mooney is nothing more than a WR5 dart throw.
Tier 9
Donovan Peoples-Jones (vs. PIT)
Josh Palmer (vs. JAX)
Treylon Burks (vs. LV)
K.J. Osborn (vs. DET)
Mecole Hardman (@ IND)
A.J. Green (vs. LAR)
Mack Hollins (@ TEN)
Greg Dortch (vs. LAR)
Nelson Agholor (vs. BAL)
Josh Reynolds (@ MIN)
Noah Brown (@ NYG)
Parris Campbell (vs. KC)
I was very bullish on Josh Palmer last week as one of the few experts to rank him inside my top 35 at WR. Sure, his 4/30/1 line seemed pretty underwhelming, but it was good enough to finish WR33 on the week. It’s a reminder as to what sort of production is actually considered to be a WR3 week.
Palmer’s underlying usage was phenomenal, as he ran a route on 98% of Justin Herbert’s dropbacks, saw two errant throws by Herbert and was the victim of a pass interference that prevented a potential big play. He could have had a much bigger game had a few of those plays gone his way. Whenever Keenan Allen or Mike Williams are out of the lineup, we should be treating Palmer as a solid WR3 option.
Fantasy TE Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Travis Kelce (@ IND)
Mark Andrews (@ NE)
Travis Kelce proved to be mortal in Week 2, but he should bounce back with a big game against the Colts,
Mark Andrews erupted for a 9/104/1 game in Week 2. It’s worth noting that the Ravens have only averaged 53.5 plays a game so far this season (fourth fewest). He’s been held back a bit by the lack of play volume, but we should expect the Ravens to be averaging about 10-15 more plays a game going forward.
Tier 2
Darren Waller (@ TEN)
Due to George Kittle’s injury and Kyle Pitts’ slow start, Waller has established himself as a tier above them to start the season.
Tier 3
George Kittle (@ DEN)
Kyle Pitts (@ SEA)
Dallas Goedert (@ WAS)
Kittle is expected to make his 2022 debut this week and considering the 49ers were being very cautious with him, I’m guessing he should be fully recovered from his groin injury by now.
I’m cautiously projecting Kittle closer to a full workload, and he gets a boost from Jimmy Garoppolo taking over for the injured Trey Lance. The 49ers’ passing volume will go up as a result, and that gives all of their pass catchers a slight boost.
Tier 4
T.J. Hockenson (@ MIN)
Tyler Higbee (@ ARI)
Zach Ertz (vs. LAR)
Higbee finds his way inside my top 10 for the second straight week. He’s running a route on 85-90% of Matthew Stafford’s dropbacks and is commanding a 23.7% target rate on those routes. I view him as a low-end TE1 who offers a very high floor.
Tier 5
Gerald Everett (vs. JAX)
Evan Engram (@ LAC)
Tyler Conklin (vs. CIN)
Pat Freiermuth (@ CLE)
Irv Smith Jr. (vs. DET)
Evan Engram and Tyler Conklin are high-floor plays if you ever find yourself in a pinch. Both TEs are seeing a 80% routes run rate most weeks and are a good bet to provide you with a 4/40 type of receiving line more times than not. When streaming TEs, that type of production is all you can ask for.
Irv Smith Jr. offers a bit more long-term upside as his playing time should only go up going forward and he could become Kirk Cousins’ No. 2 or 3 target some weeks.
Tier 6
Dawson Knox (@ MIA)
Hayden Hurst (@ NYJ)
Your weekly reminder to pay attention to Hayden Hurst. He’s running a route on 80-85% of Joe Burrow’s dropbacks and once the Bengals offense gets back on track and/or any of their WRs miss anytime due to injury, Hurst will pop up on everyone’s low-end TE1 radar. Right now, I view him as a discount Tyler Higbee.
Tier 7
Austin Hooper (vs. LV)
David Njoku (vs. PIT)
Albert Okwuegbunam (vs. SF)
Hunter Henry (vs. BAL)
Logan Thomas (vs. PHI)
Dalton Schultz (@ NYG)
Juwan Johnson (@ CAR)
It’s impossible to trust Albert Okwuegbunam until we see some signs of life from him. If Jerry Jeudy ends up being inactive for Week 3, brave souls may want to roll the dice with Albert O, but it’s too soon to know if I’d have the courage to do that.
Dalton Schultz could miss some time with a PCL sprain. Even if he does play through the injury, I’m guessing he will be limited in some fashion. The fact that he plays Monday night means you should already be planning on starting someone else this week.
Tier 8
Cameron Brate (vs. GB)
Robert Tonyan Jr. (@ TB)
Cole Kmet (vs. HOU)
Noah Fant (vs. ATL)
Mike Gesicki (vs. BUF)
Oh, how much potential this tier has, but none of these tight ends are startable for now. Cole Kmet failing to record a catch after two games, despite averaging a 80% routes run rate, has to be one of the more bizarre stats after two weeks.
Tier 9
Harrison Bryant (vs. PIT)
Taysom Hill (@ CAR)
Jonnu Smith (vs. BAL)
Isaiah Likely (@ NE)
Kylen Granson (vs. KC)
Brevin Jordan (@ CHI)
Mo Alie-Cox (vs. KC)
Just when we start to trust Taysom Hill as a sneaky TE2 option, he posts a measly 1.4-point game. That’s just going to be the Hill experience for you.
Like I’ve said, he has the widest range of outcomes of any tight end I’ve ever seen. Now that we have all moved on from him, watch him rush for 45 yards and a TD, chip in two catches for 30 yards and throw a 17 yard TD to Jameis Winston this week on everyone’s bench/waiver wire! I’m only half kidding.