The 2025 fantasy football season started with a bang.
With Monday Night Football pending, three of the top five quarterbacks are Justin Fields, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers.
Javonte Williams, Travis Etienne Jr., Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and J.K. Dobbins are all RB1s. The WR1 group includes Quentin Johnston, Emeka Egbuka, Deebo Samuel Sr., Michael Pittman Jr., Keenan Allen and Calvin Austin III. The current top-four performers at tight end include Travis Kelce, Noah Fant and Zach Ertz. It was Start a Veteran Week, apparently, and Kenneth Walker’s invite got lost in the mail.
Week 2 is upon us now.
Here’s an early look at Week 2 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception) and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format.
Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 2 lineup and roster decisions. Wondering who the best waiver-wire claims are? We have that covered, so you can make your pickups. Need to know what players you can drop? We have that as well. We also have a list of the 11 best buy low/sell high candidates. Finally, here’s the latest on the biggest Week 1 injuries in fantasy.
Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.
(The risers and sleepers sections will focus on players available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues. All snap and target data from PFF.)
Week 2 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Daniel Jones (5% rostered): Ahead of MNF, Jones enters as the QB2 for the week. The 28-year-old racked up 298 total yards and three tuddies, including two on the ground. While the results were encouraging, he’s still best treated as a streaming option in plus matchups, and a Week 2 date with the Broncos is not that.
- Michael Penix Jr. (32%): Penix is currently the QB9, and there’s plenty to be intrigued about in fantasy land. After totaling just seven rushing attempts in three starts last season, the Washington product ran six times for 21 yards and a score in Week 1. He was also elite under pressure. His upcoming schedule makes him a worthwhile add in deeper leagues.
- Aaron Rodgers (14%): Rodgers turned back the clock against the Jets, posting his first four-touchdown, zero-interception game since Week 14 of the 2021 season. A home matchup with the Seahawks will make him one of the top streaming options in Week 2.
- Geno Smith (21%): Last year’s QB13 picked up right where he left off, currently ranking as the … QB13. Geno is essentially a floor play in plus matchups, and is not worth adding if you’re chasing upside.
Week 2 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Quinshon Judkins (55%): This one is cheating a bit, since Judkins is rostered in just over the 50% threshold, but he’s still worth including. Judkins agreed to his rookie deal and will likely be added to the mix soon. It’s not often that you can find a top-36 pick with the potential to be a feature back down the line available in more than 40% of leagues, but here we are. Judkins should be the top priority on waivers wherever he’s not rostered.
- Dylan Sampson (46%): The rookie had a 65% share of Cleveland’s backfield touches in Week 1, including a near-20% target share. Yes, Judkins did agree to his rookie deal and will likely be added to the mix soon, but it’s hard to imagine Sampson being completely irrelevant when that does happen. If nothing else, his value as a pass-catcher makes him an asset in deeper PPR leagues.
- Trey Benson (39%): Potential weekly standalone value makes Benson one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy. The 23-year-old had a 36% backfield share in a game that was competitive from start to finish and would likely be in the high-end RB2 conversation if anything were to happen to James Conner. He’s a priority add in all leagues.
- Rico Dowdle (20%): Chuba Hubbard comfortably led the way in snaps, routes, and touches, which certainly wasn’t unexpected. Hubbard struggled with efficiency, but so did most backs in Week 1. Outside of two snaps, Dowdle was the only other back used, and he’d likely be a valuable fantasy asset if anything happened to Hubbard.
- DJ Giddens (3%): Speaking of valuable handcuffs, any questions about who the No. 2 is behind Jonathan Taylor might have been answered in Week 1. Giddens was on the field for 25% of snaps, and the only other back to see action was Ulysses Bentley IV (two snaps). Tyler Goodson was inactive in Week 1 due to an elbow injury, but Giddens looks like the back to own behind Taylor.
- Kenneth Gainwell (1%): As is tradition in an Arthur Smith offense, the answer is usually ‘none of the above.’ Will Jaylen Warren be the feature back? Will Kaleb Johnson have a role? Nah, Kenneth Gainwell will lead all backs in snaps and routes run. The veteran finished with a 52% snap share, and his 10 opportunities were second behind Warren’s 13. Gainwell is worth rostering in extremely deep leagues as a potential ‘don’t make me do this’ flex play.
Week 2 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Keenan Allen (50%): In a shocking development, last year’s WR10 from Weeks 12 through 17 still has something left in the tank. Allen led the team with a 29% target share in Week 1, and he turned it into 68 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Given his history with Justin Herbert, he should be a priority add in all formats.
- Cedric Tillman (28%): Tillman and Jerry Jeudy finished with the exact same number of snaps, routes and targets in Week 1. After flashing last season before a concussion ended his campaign in Week 12, Tillman is firmly on the fantasy map in 2025. Given that Cleveland will likely have to throw a lot this year, the 25-year-old is worth paying up for on waivers.
- Hollywood Brown (25%): With Rashee Rice suspended and Xavier Worthy injured on his third snap, Brown stepped up as the guy for Patrick Mahomes. The veteran garnered a mouth-watering 40% target share, resulting in 10 catches for 99 yards. While that target share won’t stick, he’s worth adding in all leagues until Rice returns from his suspension in Week 7.
- Kayshon Boutte (1%): New England’s leader in snaps, routes and targets at wide receiver was not Stefon Diggs or DeMario Douglas. That honor belonged to Boutte. Offseason reports on the 23-year-old were glowing, and this performance makes him a worthwhile speculative add.
- Quentin Johnston (9%): Last year’s WR35 in points per game got off to a hot start, totaling 79 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions (seven targets). Johnston’s role should be similar to what it was last year, when he was the quintessential boom/bust flex play.
- Calvin Austin III (2%): Austin and D.K. Metcalf were the only Pittsburgh wideouts to play more than 10 snaps on Sunday. The former fourth-round pick turned his six targets into 70 yards and a score on four receptions. He’ll have flex appeal in deeper leagues as long as he maintains the unquestioned WR2 role.
Week 2 fantasy football tight end rankings: Risers and sleepers
- Juwan Johnson (2%): Johnson led all tight ends in Week 1 with 11 targets. He also played a whopping 74 snaps (out of 75) and ran a team-leading 47 routes. Based on usage alone, he’s worthy of an add. With Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill on the Saints’ PUP list, Johnson should be in the back-end TE1 conversation for at least three more weeks.
- Brenton Strange (22%): The 24-year-old played nearly 80% of snaps in Week 1 and led the team with 59 yards receiving. His 14% target share was disappointing, but he still profiles as a high-end TE2 with upside with Evan Engram no longer in Jacksonville.
- Harold Fannin Jr. (2%): While David Njoku led the way in snaps (64 to 55) and routes (41 to 32), the rookie led the entire team with a 22% target share. Fannin is worth a speculative add in deeper leagues at a thin position.
- Jonnu Smith (31%): An Arthur Smith-led tight end rotation has resulted in last year’s TE4 being rostered in just 31% of leagues, but Jonnu might be back on the fantasy radar in 2025. He and Pat Freiermuth tied for third on the team in routes, and Smith finished behind only Metcalf in target share. There are worse fliers out there.
Early Week 2 fantasy football rankings
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