X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 2 Do Not Drop List - Don't Panic Yet

Every NFL season, the early part of the schedule sees players dropped in fantasy leagues that wind up having hugely productive fantasy seasons for a team that didn’t draft them.

It’s a phenomenon that is especially important to pay attention to early, as your impatient league mates might cut players that you want on your squad, but it can last even well into the season, to which anyone who dropped Jordan Howard last year can attest.

Right out of the gate, I’ll concede that some of the players listed below may indeed be too difficult to hold in 10-team leagues, but I feel we would be remiss if we didn’t take a closer look at some Week 1 disappointments that we should nonetheless be keeping on our rosters in deeper formats, at least for a little while longer.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins - Washington Redskins

After a preseason in which the entire Redskins offense looked out-of-sync, Kirk Cousins, predictably opened the season with a subpar performance in a Week 1 game for the third straight year. You could be forgiven for believing he looks more like a streamer than a QB1 at present, but he has two straight top 8 finishes at the position and a learning curve with his new weapons was to be expected. Hold tight.

 

Running Backs

Bilal Powell - New York Jets

In what looks like a tank year for the New York Jets, fantasy owners nonetheless pegged Powell as a productive piece as a potential workhorse back. We’d still bet on him being more valuable than backfield-mate Matt Forte, but the early results weren’t good. Nevertheless, the running back landscape in today’s fantasy game makes bailing on a guy with a defined role a proposition you might come to regret. His passing game involvement (he caught 5 of 6 targets) will stabilize his floor most weeks, especially in PPR.

Rob Kelley - Washington Redskins

Kelley hasn’t given fantasy owners much to smile about since his breakout game against the Packers on Sunday night in Week 11 a year ago, but for now he’s still the only game in town on early downs in the Redskins backfield. As I mentioned with Cousins, the Redskins are adjusting to new personnel and a new coordinator. Give Washington a chance to make some in-season adjustments before giving up on a back who is likely to get 15+ touches a week provided the team doesn’t fall behind early.

Paul Perkins - New York Giants

The Giants offense as a whole looked absolutely miserable on Sunday night at the division rival Cowboys. Further depressing Perkins’s value was the heavy usage that Shane Vereen saw once the Giants went into pass-heavy mode while trailing in the second half. Still, for the time being, Perkins is the lead back even if his situation is poor. There’s no doubt the GMen missed the presence of Odell Beckham Jr. and ideally we could see at least one game where the team functioned well enough to put 20 points on the board before deciding that Perkins can’t have value.

Rex Burkhead - New England Patriots

The Patriots running game is historically incredibly difficult to predict on a week-to-week basis. This is the best argument both for and against Rex Burkhead remaining on your fantasy roster. Burkhead was on the field for the first play of the Patriots season and seemed to be a big part of the game plan until being shelved for most of the second and third quarters after missing some potential big plays. The Pats are paying Burkhead three million dollars a season to play football for them. To me it’s worth seeing him play at least one more game.

*Bonus: Samaje Perine - Washington Redskins

Debatably I’m arguing against myself by throwing Perine into this mix. Clearly only a must-hold in deeper formats, the fact that the Redskins had such a difficult time getting a running game going on Sunday shouldn’t inspire an abundance of confidence in Rob Kelley’s job security. While I’m holding on Kelley, as I would any RB who was a threat to accumulate 15+ touches in a given week, if the futility continues, head coach Jay Gruden may look to turn the page sooner rather than later. Perine made some typical rookie mistakes in preseason, but he also showed flashes that he might one day be the guy in Washington. If you can afford to hold, I would.

 

Wide Receivers

Emmanuel Sanders - Denver Broncos

Not heavily involved on Monday night, Sanders *almost* made his fantasy owners happy by hauling in a long TD pass from Trevor Siemian in the first quarter of the opener against the LA Chargers, but it was just out of reach. Posting consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, Sanders probably isn’t yet high on most people’s drop lists, but he shouldn’t be a consideration even in shallower formats.

Jamison Crowder - Washington Redskins

Seemingly picking up right where he left off in last season’s final month, Crowder continued a string of lackluster fantasy games. All too easily forgotten is the offseason hype machine that pegged him as a potential threat for 100 catches as the stabilizing factor in the Redskins revamped passing game. It makes some sense to consider benching him in Week 2, but please do yourself a favor and don’t let the negative point output in the season opener cause you to do anything rash.

Brandon Marshall - New York Giants

Marshall was yet another victim of an atrocious day on the field for the Giants offense, hauling in only one of four targets for 10 yards on Sunday night, and in the game’s final minute to boot. Marshall was drafted as a low-end WR2 and simply can’t be cut loose yet under almost any circumstance. As with Paul Perkins, we need to see this Giants offense in a game with Beckham, and in which they can muster any production on offense generally, before we cut bait.

Chris Hogan - New England Patriots

Late August hype-magnet Chris Hogan was one of several Patriots players to fail notably in the Thursday night season opener. He caught only 1 of 5 targets for 8 yards, but he also carried the ball 3 times for 17 yards and there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to be moderately involved in the game plan with Danny Amendola’s status for Week 2 very much in doubt. All it takes is one play for a guy like Hogan. You saw his floor on Thursday; wait at least a week or two longer and his ceiling is bound to show itself too.

Donte Moncrief - Indianapolis Colts

Moncrief’s stock nosedived from where it was in the early part of the offseason exactly in proportion to our diminished confidence in Andrew Luck’s availability. We’ve seen the Scott Tolzien show, after all, and Moncrief’s appeal came from being a starting WR in an offense helmed by a top 5 QB. Tolzien’s worst case scenario on Sunday was arguably a second-best case scenario for Moncrief as he immediately hauled in a 50 yard pass from Scott’s replacement, the recently acquired Jacoby Brissett. With rumors already swirling that Brissett may get the starting nod in Week 2, better days could be ahead for Moncrief, even without Luck. I’m not starting him in Week 2, but I’m holding him until I see what a Brissett-led offense looks like in Indianapolis.

 

Tight Ends

Tyler Eifert - Cincinnati Bengals

Perhaps a reminder of just what the floor of the tight end position looks like on a weekly basis, Tyler Eifert was another top 10 TE to post a dud on Sunday. Utterly dominated by Baltimore, the Bengals scuffled as a team and failed to put anything on the scoreboard. Naturally, Eifert didn’t add to his run of TD dominance (he had scored 18 over his previous 21 games played), but again, patience is a virtue for a player like Eifert for whom better days are ahead.

Hunter Henry - Los Angeles Chargers

In a lackluster season for TEs in 2016, rookie Hunter Henry bucked the conventional wisdom about first year in-line receivers to lead the NFL in TD catches at his position. As with Eifert above, it’s important to remember that the TE position is one in which very few players boast a high-floor. Hunter Henry is simply too talented to cut after just one game against an elite defense on the road.

 

More Week 2 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nick Senzel3 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray3 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele3 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons5 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler5 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson5 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele5 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle5 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans5 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic6 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney6 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga6 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant6 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith6 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen6 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara6 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele6 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes6 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson6 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar6 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton7 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert7 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Tyus Jones7 hours ago

Unavailable For Friday
Zeke Nnaji7 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Minnesota
Jaden Ivey7 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Rhys McKee7 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Anthony Edwards7 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday Night
Chidi Njokuani7 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson7 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo7 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley7 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque7 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez8 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler8 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel8 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley8 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal9 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes9 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis10 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer11 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw11 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler11 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager12 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz12 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds14 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano15 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad16 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov16 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto16 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin17 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard17 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins17 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist17 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear17 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson1 day ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia1 day ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen1 day ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers1 day ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More