Week 2 Sleepers and Busts: Put Up Your Duke

Last week’s edition of my sleepers and busts column was, largely, a bust. But much like Peyton Barber, I will try to rise above and exceed expectations with my Week 2 sleepers. Is it too late to pretend that I had Barber listed as a sleeper and Christian McCaffrey as a bust before Thursday night?

Here are my Week 2 sleepers and busts. This is not necessarily a start/sit piece. It is more a glimpse into several players I am either higher or lower on than the consensus. My rankings along with the Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) are listed beside each player. If you do have questions on who to start or sit this week, feel free to comment below or on Twitter. Of course, you should also check out my full Week 2 Rankings!

Week 2 Sleepers: QBs

Kyler Murray (My rank: QB14; Expert Consensus Rank: QB21)

There are several quarterbacks I am higher on than the majority this week. The first is Kyler Murray. Arizona’s Air Raid offense took a while to get going last week, but Murray salvaged his day late and wound up a QB1 in 12-team leagues. Murray has a daunting Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. However, I think Murray will exceed expectations. Volume should be plentiful in a game where I do not expect the Cardinals to be able to run the ball against Baltimore’s defense. The Ravens are also a double-digit favorite. Arizona is going to be throwing the football quite a bit in this game. Murray may approach the 54 pass attempts he had last week. Volume is king in fantasy, and I believe Murray will have enough to make him worthy of consideration this week.

Mitch Trubisky (My rank: QB17; ECR: QB25)

Perhaps this rank is a bit high, but I think there is more to Mitch Trubisky than what we saw in the opener. Maybe he needs to go back to “Mitchell”. The Bears travel to Denver, which is not the easiest of matchups. I do, however, see a couple of things in Trubisky’s favor. Chicago will have an extra three days to prepare after playing last Thursday night which should benefit them. The Broncos are led by head coach Vic Fangio, who served as Chicago’s defensive coordinator under Matt Nagy last year. Nagy is familiar enough with Fangio’s schemes to be able to counterattack whatever Fangio has in store. Trubisky is a must-start in SuperFlex leagues for me. I am one of the few who has Trubisky ranked higher than Jameis Winston this week and I am still fully confident in that claim.

Week 2 Busts: QBs

Baker Mayfield (My rank: QB15; ECR: QB12)

Baker Mayfield had an opener to forget against Tennessee last week. Mayfield tied career-highs with three interceptions and five sacks taken. I fully believe Mayfield will have a more efficient game this week. However, I do not think he will have enough volume to post QB1 numbers in a matchup against the New York Jets. The Browns are favored by nearly a touchdown following the news that Sam Darnold will miss the game. New York may also be without C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams. If either or both of those players are not available, it would give the Cleveland running game a boost. Mayfield also bruised his hand in Week 1, so the coaching staff may emphasize the run regardless. Either way, it adds up to a scenario where his ceiling will likely be lower than usual. It may be against the grain, but I would prefer Murray over Mayfield this week.

Russell Wilson (My rank: QB18; ECR: QB15)

Pittsburgh’s defense looked atrocious in Week 1, particularly on the back end. If this game ends up being a shootout, Russell Wilson could post big numbers. But that is not how the Seahawks want to play. They want a script that mirrors the one they implemented last week. In that game, Wilson threw the ball just 20 times against Cincinnati, another team with a bad defense. If you are in a league where yards per attempt or even fantasy points per attempt are included, then Wilson is great. I just do not think he will garner enough volume to score a ton of fantasy points. Wilson emerged from last week’s win as the QB16 despite throwing for 9.8 yards per attempt and posting a 10-percent touchdown rate. I would not be surprised to see him post similar numbers across the board this week.

Week 2 Sleepers: RBs

Duke Johnson (My rank: RB19 in PPR; ECR: RB25)

Duke Johnson had nine carries for 57 yards and tacked on four grabs for 33 yards in Week 1. That was enough to make him the RB21 for the week in PPR leagues. I expect a similar output when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town. Houston will want Deshaun Watson to get rid of the ball quickly against Jacksonville’s pass rush to prohibit their star quarterback from taking a pounding like the one he absorbed Monday night. Johnson will be utilized in the passing game which is where he makes the biggest impact already. Last week, Damien Williams finished as a PPR RB1 against Jacksonville in part by catching six passes. Johnson has similar upside in this matchup and should be trusted accordingly.

Darren Sproles (My rank: RB37 in PPR; ECR: RB51)

I thought about putting Darren Sproles even higher in my Week 2 rankings, so I was a bit surprised the consensus is so low. There is a lot to like here. Sproles finished as the RB26 in PPR leagues last week. He had a combined 12 touches and targets and has the look of someone who will be used quite a bit in this offense. The Eagles are playing in a dome this week in a game with a huge point total. Atlanta’s defense has been notorious during the Dan Quinn era for their inability to handle pass-catching backs out of the backfield. Check, check, and check. It may be tough to squeeze Sproles into your Week 2 lineup depending on your other options. But I would absolutely suggest considering him for your Flex spot in PPR and DFS formats.

Week 2 Busts: RBs

Derrick Henry (My rank: RB21 in PPR; ECR: RB16)

Derrick Henry finished as the overall RB3 last week in a game where the Titans were expected to lose. Not only that, but much of Henry’s damage was done on a 75-yard touchdown catch and run. I certainly did not see that coming. It is encouraging considering his Week 2 matchup against Indianapolis. The Colts allowed Austin Ekeler to catch six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns last week. I just do not think Henry can come close to approaching those numbers or even his own Week1 receiving line. I do have him as a top-12 running back in standard leagues and just outside my top 20 in PPR leagues, so you are probably starting him regardless of format. However, I expect players like Duke Johnson and James White to outscore Henry in PPR leagues.

Devonta Freeman (My rank: RB30 in PPR; ECR: RB24)

To be honest, I did not feel as though I was low on Devonta Freeman until I saw the ECR. Freeman could certainly exceed my expectations. The game is in Atlanta and has one of the highest totals on the board. I just do not love the matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and their defensive front. Philadelphia held Washington’s backs to just 28 yards on 13 carries in Week 1. To be fair, Washington has a weak offensive line. But Atlanta may also, particularly on the right side. I would not go out of my way to bench Freeman, but there are a few running backs who I ranked ahead of Freeman in PPR formats that most people may raise an eyebrow at. Names on this list include Giovani Bernard, Tarik Cohen, and Chris Thompson. I consider Freeman more of a PPR Flex than an RB2 in this game.

Kenyan Drake (My rank: RB49 in Standard; ECR: RB35)

I own Kenyan Drake in a couple of spots, and I am already mortified. The Dolphins may be even worse than we all had expected. That is going to severely limit Drake’s ability to put up points in a given week. I do not want to start him in any format under any circumstances. Miami hosts New England this week. The last time they did so, Drake scored the winning touchdown after a series of laterals. That is probably the only way he will be fantasy relevant in this game. New England just held James Conner (a good running back with a good offensive line) to 21 rushing yards. Do we really think Drake will do any better given Miami’s turnstile offensive line? I could not be more out.

Week 2 Sleepers: WR

Alshon Jeffery (My rank: WR20 in Standard; ECR: WR25)

The only wide receivers that I am considerably higher than the consensus on are ones with questionable availability for Week 2 (Antonio Brown, Mike Williams, and Sterling Shepard). I may be lowering those rankings as gameday approaches. So instead I will highlight Alshon Jeffery in the aforementioned Sunday night game against Atlanta. Atlanta’s secondary was not tested much in a game where Kirk Cousins attempted just 10 passes. But they allowed eight receivers to eclipse the 100-yard mark last season, so they can be beat. I also expect them to pay a bit more attention to DeSean Jackson after he exploded in last week’s game. This should free up Jeffery to do plenty of damage in the underneath and intermediate passing game. A second consecutive top-20 fantasy performance is certainly within Jeffery’s long reach.

Week 2 Busts: WRs

Robert Woods (My rank: WR19 in PPR; ECR: WR12)

I have Robert Woods inside my top 20 wideouts, so this is not me clamoring for him to be benched by any means. I just happen to like the other primary receivers on the Rams better this week. Brandin Cooks had at least 100 yards in both games against the New Orleans Saints last year. He presents a matchup nightmare for his former club. Cooper Kupp is the most likely to draw burnable P.J. Williams in coverage. Eli Apple is not exactly 1995 Deion Sanders, and Woods does line up in the slot a fair amount. Again, this is not me suggesting Woods should not be started in redraft leagues. I just think he will finish third amongst the trio of Rams wide receivers in fantasy points this week. Considering he is the most expensive in DFS and ranked highest amongst the consensus, I am mentioning him here.

Courtland Sutton (My rank: WR51 in PPR; ECR: WR43)

Courtland Sutton had a productive 2019 debut Monday night against Oakland. He put up 120 yards on seven receptions. This week he takes on a much stingier secondary when Denver hosts the Chicago Bears. Chicago held the talented trio of Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Geronimo Allison to a combined 88 yards last week. Sutton should square off against Prince Amukamara on most snaps. A matchup with Amukamara is preferred over one with Kyle Fuller. But Amukamara is no picnic in his own right. I have Sutton as a low-end WR4 this week.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (My rank: WR51 in Standard; ECR: WR44)

MVS looked the part of a number two NFL wide receiver last week. He saw six targets and one carry, which happened to be exactly six targets and one carry more than Geronimo Allison. He produced a modest 4-52 line against a tough Bears defense. Things won’t get much easier for Valdes-Scantling when the Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. The good news is that he lined up in the slot quite a bit (45 percent) last week. Stud slot corner Mackensie Alexander suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 1 and is likely out this week. That would leave Valdes-Scantling to contend with Jayron Kearse. Kearse, though not on Alexander’s level, has been solid when called upon. He also has the size to deal with Valdes-Scantling. I am not expecting a ton from Green Bay’s offense in this matchup and do not plan to start MVS where I have him.

Terry McLaurin (My rank: WR54 in PPR; ECR: WR48)

Terry McLaurin had a fantastic NFL debut last week against Philadelphia. The rookie from Ohio State burned the Eagles for 125 yards and a touchdown. His day could have been even better were it not for a Case Keenum overthrow on a would-be touchdown. McLaurin showed enough to make him one of this week’s most popular waiver wire pickups. While I am a fan of his season-long outlook, I would not rush to insert him into Week 2 lineups. Dallas allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points and big plays (20 yards or more) to opposing wideouts last season. Anthony Brown is not the best cover corner, but he does have the speed (4.33) to combat McLaurin. This is a matchup I would prefer to fade if possible. I have McLaurin outside my top 50 receivers in all formats.

Week 2 Sleepers: TE

Jared Cook (My rank: TE5 in PPR; ECR: TE10)

Jared Cook did not do much in Week 1 against Houston, finishing with just two catches for 37 yards. I am expecting a much better output this week when the Saints travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams. The Rams allowed the third-most receiving yards to opposing tight ends last year. Included in that was a monster game by Cook, who torched the Rams for 180 yards in their Week 1 matchup. Cook will now have Eric Weddle to deal with, but I still believe he will get plenty of looks. Perhaps a top-five weekly finish is a bit lofty. On the other hand, I am one of the few who have Cook ranked higher than O.J. Howard this week. I have a feeling that call will pan out pretty well.

T.J. Hockenson (My rank: TE13 in PPR; ECR: TE9)

T.J. Hockenson had a debut like few players have ever had. He had the most yards by a tight end in his debut in NFL history and was all over the field. If you want to ride that wave of momentum, I really cannot fault you. I would just caution against expecting anything resembling a repeat. Hockenson has a high ceiling, but I think his floor is a bit lower than most would suggest. The Los Angeles Chargers were a middling defense against tight ends in 2018, but they acquitted themselves quite nicely last week. They held the duo of Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle to just 31 combined scoreless yards. I have Hockenson as my TE13 this week. I am not going out of my way to avoid him, but I would not go out of my way to start him either.

Got a few Week 2 sleepers of your own? Let us know about it in the comments below. You can’t brag about it later if you don’t let us know now!

Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.

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