2026 Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 2 Start, Sit

September 17, 2026

2026 fantasy football rankings - Week 2 start, sit overall rankings. Win more with our updated fantasy football rankings and tiers for Week 2.

There were many surprise breakouts and disappointing results from Week 1, including from players like Jalen Coker, Deebo Samuel Sr., Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Stefon Diggs, Bhayshul Tuten, Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore, and Jadarian Price. So, do we overreact to Week 1 results and factor them heavily into start-sit calls? We're here to help answer those questions with our Week 2 fantasy football rankings for all positions.

Our fantasy football rankings for Week 2 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings

Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings 

Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlooks

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) was limited in Week 1 due to recovery from an Achilles injury, and while he remained limited in practice on Wednesday, we expect him to take on a substantially larger role going forward. As a result, he's back in the top-12 tight end range for fantasy purposes as long as he's healthy.

Last year, Kittle ranked as the overall TE2 during his healthy stretch from Weeks 8-16. A healthy Kittle catching passes from Brock Purdy will fight to be the top-scoring fantasy tight end any given week, making him a must-start in all leagues. Managers who might feel spurned by his two-catch performance last week should feel some assurance knowing that he only played 45% of the offensive snaps. If he's healthy enough to play more than 75% of the snaps this week, he's a near-lock for top-12 production at the tight end position, especially after Purdy lost young target De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) to IR.

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (illness) did not participate during Wednesday's practice session, according to Jeff Nowak. Johnson is feeling under the weather, so he sat out of practice to begin the week. Fantasy managers should consider Johnson day-to-day with a good chance of suiting up for the Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

The 30-year-old hauled in three of his seven targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during the Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions. If healthy, Johnson is an interesting starting option for Week 2. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday for another update on Johnson.

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (back, rest) was absent from Wednesday's practice session, according to Tyler Drake. Fantasy managers don't need to panic after McBride was seen working off to the side on Wednesday. It sounds like the Cardinals are just being cautious with their superstar tight end to begin the week.

The fact that he was given a rest tag should mean that McBride isn't dealing with anything significant. Fantasy managers should check back after Thursday's practice just to be safe. Barring any setbacks, McBride should be ready to go for a tough divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta delivered modest production for fantasy managers in his team's Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, recording five catches for 48 yards on eight targets. Still, the 25-year-old played over 80% of his team's offensive snaps and was heavily involved in the Lions' passing game after missing the final eight games of the 2025 season with a back injury. In Week 2, LaPorta and the Lions will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Thursday Night Football.

The Bills were one of the top defenses in the NFL against tight ends in 2025, but they allowed eight catches for 64 yards on 12 targets to Houston Texans tight ends under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard in Week 1. If the Lions matchup against the Bills turns into the high-scoring affair that many expect, LaPorta could see plenty of targets and some red zone opportunities. All in all, LaPorta remains a must-start fantasy tight end in Week 2.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff did not provide standout production in his team's Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, completing 26 of 39 pass attempts for 206 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. While Goff protected the football and completed 66.7% of his passes, he averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt. However, Goff should have another chance at a high-volume game in Week 2 when the Lions head to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Thursday night.

The Bills offense should be able to move the ball with ease against the banged-up Lions secondary, and the Buffalo defense allowed Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud to throw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. Detroit will be without three starters on the offensive line on Thursday, which should obviously give fantasy managers some pause. Still, with the Lions likely chasing points against Buffalo, Goff profiles as a low-end top-12 QB in Week 2.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (back) said he is dealing with some back tightness and soreness from the Week 1 season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Burrow said that he will be fine and expects to play. On the idea that he would not play in Week 2 against the Houston Texans out of precaution, Burrow said, "That's ridiculous." The star signal-caller did not do much throwing during practice on Wednesday and also did not stretch with the rest of the team, which was the first sign that he was dealing with something.

He will most likely be listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report. As long as Burrow does not get worse over the next couple of days, he should be fine to suit up this weekend on the road in a difficult matchup against a Texans team that took the Buffalo Bills to the wire in Week 1. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler threw for 254 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 33-27 Week 1 win over Tampa, and he will be a must-start in fantasy lineups as long as he is active this Sunday.

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was excellent during the team's Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, throwing for 205 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for 29 yards and didn't take a sack. The passing yardage total was on the lower side, but only because the 49ers controlled the game and could afford to run the ball. Once they got in scoring range, Purdy used his arm to rattle off the three touchdowns.

It will be interesting to see if the high rushing yards total is sustainable, as Purdy eclipsed the 29-yard mark just once last year, but he consistently showed that level of mobility back in 2024. Purdy was the QB6 in 2023 and the QB14 in 2024, so fantasy managers certainly wouldn't mind if he returned to that caliber of play. More touchdown opportunities await Purdy in the coming weeks as he prepares for matchups against the Dolphins and Cardinals. He should continue to rank as a top-10 quarterback in fantasy football.

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan made a very positive impression as a rookie last year, and he continues to offer solid WR2 value in fantasy football leagues in 2026. McMillan opened the season with eight targets, five catches, and 75 yards in the Panthers' Week 1 contest against the Chicago Bears.

He came on a little slow but finished incredibly strong, ranking second on the team in catches and yards behind Jalen Coker. He also played an impressive 82% snap share, which indicates that he should continue to occupy a major role going forward, presumably as Bryce Young's No. 1 receiver. The emergence of Coker could have a very slight impact on McMillan's stock, but we're still confident in him as fantasy WR2 with high volume and touchdown upside. He should benefit immensely from a Week 2 matchup against a suspect Atlanta Falcons team.

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson has always had plenty of talent after the Jets took him 10th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft from Ohio State, but the problem is he has never worked with a good enough quarterback in the Big Apple to help him reach his true potential. Fantasy managers mostly overlooked the 26-year-old going into his fifth year in the league because he is working with veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who was disastrous in 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Wilson had a solid showing in the Week 1 season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans, catching six of his seven targets for 79 yards, although he did not find the end zone. He was already New York's unquestioned WR1, but the expected multi-week injury to rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is going to open up even more targets for Wilson as the Jets head into their Week 2 matchup at home against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. Wilson is not in a sexy situation with Gang Green, but he will have WR1 upside in fantasy with Cooper sidelined.

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Week 2 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jalen Coker, Deebo Samuel Sr., Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Stefon Diggs, Bhayshul Tuten, Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore, Jadarian Price. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 2.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.

Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.

Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.

Popular Week 2 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 2 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.

Popular Week 2 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 2 for Jalen Coker, Deebo Samuel Sr., Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Stefon Diggs, Bhayshul Tuten, Jaylen Waddle, DJ Moore, Jadarian Price: