The excuses are over as all the NFL season opener jitters are a thing of the past. As professional as they get, the wide receivers did their thing and will look to repeat yet another explosive fantasy week. Here is a look at the week 2 wide receiver rankings for anyone still contemplating whether it was a week 1 fluke or if the wide receivers are ready to take fantasy managers to the promised land.
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Fantasy Football Week 2 Wide Receiver Rankings: No Surprises At the Top
Tier 1: Bonafide WR1
1. Justin Jefferson
2. Tyreek Hill
3. Ja’Marr Chase
4. Stefon Diggs
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown
6. Davante Adams
7. Calvin Ridley
Picking up right where he left off, Justin Jefferson burst into the 2023 season with 150 receiving yards on nine receptions and 12 targets, a performance that made him the fifth-highest-scoring receiver of the week. The list doesn’t necessarily indicate whether or not Jefferson will be the highest player but easily remains the safest option. Start him with confidence even in what will be an exciting matchup against Darius Slay.
If not for Jefferson, Tyreek Hill would be at the top of many lists after leading all receivers with 44.5 points in Week 1. In arguably the most exciting game of the week, Hill notched 215 receiving yards on 11 receptions. Perhaps Hill aiming for 2,000 receiving yards isn’t crazy after all. Among other notes, Ja’Marr Chase and the entire Cincinnati Bengals offense had a forgettable week. Coming into Week 2, the Bengals play host to the division rival Baltimore Ravens who are down starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey and have plenty of question marks in the secondary.
Calvin Ridley took no time to show he still has it. After being suspended for a whole year, all fans were able to hear was the excitement between Ridley and Trevor Lawrence through all of training camp. That all came to fruition in week one and should remain a huge catalyst moving forward.
Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill for the lead with 1:45 remaining.
THIS GAME RULES.pic.twitter.com/hNA51tTB1p
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 10, 2023
Tier 2: Start These Guys With Confidence
8. CeeDee Lamb
9. A.J. Brown
10. Tee Higgins
11. DK Metcalf
12. DeVonta Smith
13. Chris Olave
14. Keenan Allen
In the same scenario as Chase, Tee Higgins was at the mercy of the lackluster Bengals offense. The only difference for Higgins heading into the Week 2 matchup is he gets to play against an even weaker coverage than what will be expected of Chase. Jalen Hurts didn’t necessarily light up the scoreboard for the Philadelphia Eagles, but A.J. Brown still finished with a respectable 79 yards on seven catches. As the gears of the Eagles offense continue to turn, you can expect Brown to remain a key factor for the team’s success and a strong finisher in these wide receiver rankings.
Of the tier 2 receivers, no one impressed more than Chris Olave, a name many believe is destined for a breakout season. Olave finished the week as the 10th-best receiver with 19.2 points (112 receiving yards and eight receptions). Expect the same excitement from Olave in a Week 2 matchup against their division rival Carolina Panthers.
Chris Olave was HIM on Sunday pic.twitter.com/KPUjZqnkVx
— Barstool NOLA (@BarstoolNOLA) September 12, 2023
Tier 3: Definitely Starting Caliber; WR2 Status
15. Garrett Wilson
16. DeAndre Hopkins
17. Jaylen Waddle
18. Deebo Samuel
19. Brandon Aiyuk
20. Mike Evans
21. Chris Godwin
22. Michael Pittman Jr.
23. Amari Cooper
24. Terry McLaurin
The talk of Week 1 came at the tail end of it all. Aaron Rodgers went down just four snaps into the New York Jets opening drive leaving many to wonder what is the next step. Fortunately, the Jets still managed to win in large part due to Garrett Wilson. While Wilson won’t likely be at the top-tier fantasy caliber many managers were hoping for, he is still a viable weapon even with Zach Wilson at the helm.
DeAndre Hopkins quickly made his presence known with his new Tennessee Titans team. While he may not be the same wide receiver that routinely earned a top-three spot in these rankings, finishing with 65 yards on seven catches and 13 targets is something any fantasy manager should be excited about.
The most standout player of the third tier belongs to Brandon Aiyuk who fit right along with all the weapons of the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk’s talent is no question, but it would be nearly impossible to find anyone who would’ve said Aiyuk would finish as the WR2 after Week 1. The performance likely won’t be replicated, but anything close automatically is in the WR2 conversation.
This Brock Purdy-Brandon Aiyuk 19 yard touchdown had the lowest completion probability (16.5%) of any throw in Week 1, per NextGenStats.pic.twitter.com/dEXqmQm9bx
— Steph Sanchez (@Steph49K) September 12, 2023
Tier 4: Wr3/Flex Consideration
25. Mike Williams
26. Puka Nacua
27. Zay Flowers
28. Christian Watson
29. Marquise Brown
30. Jerry Jeudy
31. Jordan Addison
32. D.J. Moore
33. Zay Jones
34. Jahan Dotson
35. George Pickens
36. Jakobi Meyers
Perhaps the most surprising performance from Week 1, Puka Nacua showed the world the Los Angeles Rams are still in business. With the absence of Cooper Kupp, Nacua made the most of his moment finishing with 119 receiving yards on 10 catches. This impressive performance earns him a spot on the fantasy football wide receiver rankings, and he should climb higher if he can prove this wasn’t a fluke.
It was a big day for rookie receivers as Jordan Addison and Zay Flowers showed why they were first-round pick. Addison finished with his first career touchdown while Flowers showed glimpses of how he can break his defenders.
If Diontae Johnson is slated to miss any time, George Pickens quickly becomes the top receiver in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. The Steelers got shut down by the 49ers in Week 1 and will have a bigger chip on their shoulders to outperform.
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Main Photo: Clark Wade – USA Today Sports
