X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Heroes and Zeroes - Week 2 Fantasy Football Picks

RotoBaller lead editor Pierre Camus outlines his favorite picks at each position and players to fade for Week 2 of the 2018 NFL season for fantasy football lineup prep.

I'm an introspective type of fellow, so in preparation for this season's first edition of Heroes and Zeroes (don't look for Week 1, it's in the clouds somewhere along with the missing episode of South Park), I decided to look back at some of last season's articles when I stumbled across this intro to a recommendation for Chris Godwin as a Week 10 streamer:
"You know, Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't terrible...  *ducks under desk
Disgruntled Jets fans have cast him aside long ago, but for a backup QB he's got a lot more upside than most."

Why didn't I reflect on my own thought process before last week and pick up Fitzmagic everywhere? Because logic. The Saints had one of the most improved defenses in the league in 2017 and Fitz was only starting because of Jameis Winston being... himself. It's hard to predict the future, which is why the once-thriving fortune teller business is in decline. At least that's what sources tell me. I won't claim to know who will go off unexpectedly or which stud you should bench for no good reason, but after 25 years of playing fantasy football and the last couple of years working with some of the smartest people in this business, I feel pretty good about these picks. That's all we can ask for when facing the unknown, after all, because if we feel good, then we look good. If we look good, then we are ultimately successful in life. Wait, no that's wrong. That's not what I mean at all. Look, just go with your gut, say a prayer, and hope for the best.

Now, here are my fantasy "heroes" and "zeroes" at each position for Week 2 of the NFL season. For a full set of rankings, look no further than our very own RotoBaller consensus weekly rankings.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Week 2 Lineup Heroes

QUARTERBACK

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
I'll start by saying I was a complete skeptic of Luck until I saw him physically move around the pocket and throw the ball down the field in a regular season game. No amount of "good news" or exhibition stats would convince me he was a QB1 again until he actually did something in Week 1. And he did. Luck went for 319 yards and two touchdowns against a decent Bengals defense despite no running game to help out. Marlon Mack won't be anyone's savior, least of all Luck, but he now has multiple adequate options in the backfield, including Nyheim Hines as an outlet receiver.

Luck is not a player who performs worse on the road historically and Washington isn't the most hostile of environments, at least not inside the stadium itself. The Skins shut down the Cards completely last week, but it seemed more like the Cards shutting themselves down with inept offensive schemes. If there is any hesitation left about starting Luck, even in 10-team leagues, there shouldn't be. He seems almost certain to throw for 300+ yards and a pair of scores once again.

RUNNING BACKS

Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons
Devonta Freeman has been held out of practice late in the week, so it could be the Coleman show on Sunday. This itself makes him worth starting everywhere, but he might be a bigger threat in standard leagues than people expect. In two games last year that Freeman missed, Coleman totaled 58 yards and a touchdown at Seattle, while he ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay. Given the inexplicable ineffectiveness of Atlanta's red zone offense, a running back who can find his way through the crowd is usually the best solution. If Coleman outscores Kareem Hunt this week, I wouldn't be shocked. But maybe that says more about Hunt than anything.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
I've already called Ekeler this year's Duke Johnson, so that tells you how much confidence I have in him as a weekly flex play in PPR leagues. Focusing on this game alone, he will face the Buffalo Bills. End of analysis.

Actually, you should know that despite playing behind one of the few bell cow backs in the league, Ekeler is both efficient and active in the passing game. In Week 1, he was fourth on the team in targets and had the same number of red zone targets (one) as Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon. He's averaging 5.8 yards per carry in his career thus far, so he doesn't need high volume to make a splash. He could see more carries than usual, however, in mop-up duty against the Bills. I'm starting him over the likes of Tarik Cohen, Nyheim Hines or Duke Johnson this week in PPR leagues.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Emmanuel Sanders hogged the fantasy spotlight in Week 1, but this could be Thomas' turn to shine. Mind you, he had a decent showing himself by catching six of 10 targets for 63 yards and a TD, but his matchup in Week 2 outshines his teammate. Thomas could face Rashaan Melvin much of the day, who graded out poorly against the Broncos. While PFF graded him fairly well at 77.9 last season, he has historically graded much lower in the past and can't be forgiven completely for being part of the Colts defense that was one of the worst against opposing WRs. The Raiders could prove to be a choice matchup for both quarterbacks and receivers all year long now that Khalil Mack is gone.

Mike Wallace, Philadelphia Eagles
You might have forgotten Wallace is an Eagle now since he didn't announce his presence in the season opener, catching none of his three targets. Those passes came on deep balls where he didn't have much of a chance, but at least it shows he still has potential for big-play explosiveness. This week, he faces a Tampa team that gave up 40 points in the opener, is without both starting cornerbacks, Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves, and allowed the most fantasy points to WR last season. Nelson Agholor is the obvious play, but Wallace is barely owned and could easily produce one of his signature monster games. Oh, the Eagles face Indy next week so this might be a great time to add him anyway.

TIGHT END

Ricky Seals-Jones, Arizona Cardinals
Talk about keeping the faith. Against the Redskins last week, Cardinals QB Sam Bradford looked as lost as he did in his first game back from injury in Week 5 of last season. Although he's supposedly healthy, the long layoff from regular season action didn't do him any favors. RSJ will be at his mercy once again and this time on the road against the juggernaut Rams and their revamped defense. This seems like a no-brain sit, but those streaming at TE shouldn't gloss over the former receiver. Seals-Jones only registered 19 yards with no score last week, but he was targeted six times and accounted for 26.5% of the team's Targeted Air Yards. The Rams are considered a "funnel defense" and as such will shut down the wideouts while allowing short-to-intermediate passes across the middle. Enter RSJ. He should be good for a few catches, even if the yardage is somewhat low, but honestly you're hoping for a red zone score in the fourth quarter in this situation. I'd still take him over Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, or Will Dissly.

Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints
Aside from getting a wicked senior discount at the local Denny's, Watson brings something else to the table on Sunday morning. Watson caught all four of his targets in Week 1 and will bring a reliable presence that the Saints receiving corps hasn't established outside of its top two players. Cam Meredith was inactive last Sunday because he still hasn't learned the playbook and rookie Tre'Quan Smith was on the field for just 11 snaps. Unless you believe Austin Carr is going to step up as big-time threat, you should trust that Watson will get a steady diet of targets and have a good chance of reaching the end zone in another unbelievably tasty matchup. I must be hungry or something. Do they still serve that Grand Slam thing at 1 pm?

 

Week 2 Lineup Zeroes

QUARTERBACKS

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
First, the good: Jimmy G kept his team within striking distance of a very tough Vikings team depite losing Marquise Goodwin early and having to hand the ball off to Old Man Morris near the goal-line, only to see him get stuffed repeatedly before fumbling. Now the very bad: Garoppolo was picked off three times, completed less than half his passes (45.5%) and his passer rating of 45.1 was lower than every QB other than Marcus Mariota and Nathan Peterman. Ouch.

We could chalk this up to a very tough matchup combined with some tough injuries on the offensive side of the ball and move on. We could also look at how laughable the Lions looked on defense in Week 1 and think that Garoppolo could surprise in a good way. Personally, I have no clear opinion either way about the state of Detroit's defense just yet, but I do about Garoppolo. Jerick McKinnon ain't comin' back and Goodwin is still questionable. Garoppolo was overly aggressive in his first start of the year, posting the fifth-highest Aggressiveness rating of all QBs at 24.2% This is defined by NextGen Stats as "a % of attempts into tight windows over all passing attempts." Here's the list of players atop that chart:

If you're Tom Brady, you are fully excused because you can get away with it. The rest of that list isn't what you'd call "good company." Keenum and Peterman combined for five interceptions, you may recall.

I'm not down on Garoppolo's prospects the rest of the year, but he's too risky to be considered a bounce back candidate in Week 2 unless we're sure he has his full complement of receivers and the team can find some semblance of reliable running game.

RUNNING BACKS

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
My disdain for Henry this particular week isn't about him or my belief that he will continue to play second-fiddle to Dion Lewis or that he's a touchdown/big play-dependent option that shouldn't be counted on in PPR leagues. No, this is more about his supporting cast. If Marcus Mariota is out for any chunk of the game and Blaine Gabbert is forced into action again, that's bad for the whole Titans offense. For his brief career, Henry totals almost four times more yardage in the second and four quarter of games as the first quarter. He averages over five Y/A toward the end of either half, as opposed to 2.2 Y/A in the first and 3.8 in the third quarter. Oh, and almost half his career yards have come on big-chunk plays near the end of games where Tennessee was winning.

All this points to the fact he is one of the most game script-dependent running backs in the league. Last week should have been a positive for him but things soured unexpectedly for the Titans. This week, they face a Texans team with JJ Watt, Jadveon Clowney and a tough linebacker group. Unless Deshaun Watson lays an egg and puts his team in a hole early, Henry can't be counted on. It'll take a missed tackle or a fluky goal-line score for him to give you anything.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Quincy Enunwa, New York Jets
This isn't homerism, I swear! While the Dolphins have a long way to go before they can be qualified in any way as "good," they do have an underrated secondary led by Reshad Jones. As the slot man and TE-hybrid, Enunwa should be covered by first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has a solid debut. Both Jones and Kiko Alonso will help out in coverage as well. Sam Darnold seems to have a special rapport with Enunwa, posting the 17th-highest share of his team's Targeted Air Yards, but he might find it easier to look to the outside receivers this week, in addition to the fact that the Jets should be able to run inside fairly well against a depleted Dolphins D-line. There's also a good chance the Jets don't get away with stealing their opponent's hand signals again now that they've given away the secret to their success.

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Out of the numerous start/sit questions I've answered so far this week, a large number of those have included Lockett as a flex option. He's not a strict avoid for me this week, but the "next man up" theory doesn't necessarily work if that player is in a different role. Doug Baldwin's targets have to go somewhere, but Lockett's role as the slot receiver won't change. I expect more Brandon Marshall and more screens to the RBs, but not a big bump to Lockett, who averages under three receptions per game for his career. Add an angry Bears defense to the mix and I'm not counting on much from any Seahawk this week, Russ included.

TIGHT END

Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings
We outlined the reasons to be concerned about Rudolph in our TE Start/Sit video already, but for those who prefer the written word, here's a brief summary. Although he was on the field for 83% of offensive snaps and remains the clear TE1, he was targeted just twice in Kirk Cousins' first game as a Viking. The other two tight ends, David Morgan and Ty Conklin, combined for an equal share of targets. One game is a small sample, but we can't assume Cousins will love throwing to the tight end as much as he did in Washington. After all, he's got legit receivers now. The Packers were also the fifth-stingiest defense against tight ends last year, so the matchup does him no favors.

Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers
On the flip side, I'm even more pessimistic about Graham. He was on the field all game long, but caught two of four targets for eight yards only. The emergence of Geronimo Allison (eight targets) and re-appearance of Randall Cobb (10 targets, went HAM) may relegate Graham to a red zone specialist. That's not a bad thing in standard leagues if you stream tight ends, but if you have a better option this week than Graham vs. Vikings, go for it.

 

More Start/Sit Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jacob Cowing

Could Handle Gadget Role in San Francisco
Jayden Higgins

to Start for Texans Right Away?
Sauce Gardner

Agrees to $120.4 Million Contract Extension
Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF