The NFL season is in full swing, so it’s time to set your lineups for Week 2 of the fantasy football season. There was one big injury among wide receivers, with Puka Nacua going on the IR. This causes a big shake-up in the top five of the rankings. Below are the wide receiver rankings, tiers, and analysis for Week 2.
Wide Receivers Rankings for Week 2 Fantasy Football
Tier 1: Alpha Wide Receivers
1. CeeDee Lamb
2. Tyreek Hill
3. Justin Jefferson
4. Cooper Kupp
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown
6. A.J. Brown
7. Garrett Wilson
8. Ja’Marr Chase
9. Mike Evans
Kupp had a career-high 21 targets in the Rams Week 1 loss to the Lions, catching 14 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown, finishing as the WR2 with 32 fantasy points. With the unfortunate injury to Puka Nacua, who has been placed on IR for at least four games, Kupp’s target share will increase even more. Kupp instantly returns to top-five wide receiver status in fantasy football. Head coach Sean McVay knows how to scheme him open, making Kupp a reliable target hog who will continue to have strong fantasy performances.
On the other hand, Amon-Ra St. Brown had a disappointing opening game, having just three receptions for 13 yards. His total of 4.3 fantasy points was lower than any total from last year. He only had one game scoring single-digit PPR points in 2023. This was an outlier for St. Brown. The Lions leaned on their run game with Gibbs and Montgomery, which limited St. Brown’s usage. Despite the slow start, St. Brown remains a top-five fantasy receiver and is poised for a rebound in Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Tier 2: High-end WR1s to Low-end WR2s
10. Deebo Samuel
11. Davante Adams
12. Chris Olave
13. Drake London
14. Nico Collins
15. Jaylen Waddle
Samuel was used in both the passing and rushing game in the 49ers opener against a good Jets defense. He had nine targets and eight rushing attempts. He caught five passes for 54 yards while rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers made it a point to get him the ball without Christian McCaffrey and with Brandon Aiyuk being limited. McCaffrey should be back in Week 2 and Aiyuk will play more snaps, which will hurt Samuel’s opportunities. However, he is a great playmaker and Kyle Shanahan will make sure that Samuel gets plenty of touches putting him at the top of Tier 2 in the wide receiver rankings.
Waddle proved that he can still be effective as the WR2 on the Dolphins behind Hill. He only had five targets but made the most of them with 109 receiving yards. With limited other options in the passing game beyond Waddle, Hill, and De’Von Achane, Waddle remains one of Tua Tagovailoa’s primary targets. Tua Tagovailoa will throw the ball downfield to both Hill and Waddle. Waddle has big play ability putting him inside this tier.
Tier 3: Solid WR2s
16. Brandon Aiyuk
17. D.J. Moore
18. Rashee Rice
19. Michael Pittman Jr.
20. DK Metcalf
21. Marvin Harrison Jr.
22. Malik Nabers
Rice had a big performance to start the season with seven receptions for 103 receiving yards on nine targets. Mahomes was targeting him early and often. The Chiefs want to use Rice and he is their best playmaker with Travis Kelce having more of a limited role. If this continues, which it should, Rice will push up into the top 15 and potentially top 10 on a weekly basis.
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. had an opening game to forget. He was only targeted three times and caught one pass for four yards. Kyler Murray missed him on a wide-open pass at the end of the game that would have given the Cardinals the lead if they made the PAT. If Harrison Jr. had caught that pass, it would have been a much different storyline for him. The Bills defense focused on limiting his impact, but like many rookies, he struggled in Week 1. It’s important to remember that it’s just one game, and Harrison Jr. will have many chances to shine.
Tier 4: WR3s or FLEX plays
23. DeVonta Smith
24. Stefon Diggs
25. Tee Higgins
26. Tank Dell
27. George Pickens
28. Zay Flowers
29. Jayden Reed
30. Amari Cooper
31. Terry McLaurin
32. Chris Godwin
33. Brian Thomas Jr.
34. Ladd McConkey
35. Jameson Williams
36. Xavier Worthy
There were three rookie wide receiver standouts in Week 1: Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, and Xavier Worthy. Thomas Jr. finished with 14.7 fantasy points, McConkey had 14.9, while Worthy had 20.8. All three caught a touchdown and Worthy added a rushing touchdown. Thomas Jr. and McConkey looked like the best wide receivers on their teams. Worthy is behind Kelce and Rice, but Andy Reid will be creative in getting the speedy Worthy in space. All three are great Flex plays in Week 2 as they have moved up the wide receiver rankings and will continue to move up ahead of veteran wide receivers if they can continue their opening-week success.
Main Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
