Week 2 of the fantasy football season brought as many questions as it did answers. Cooper Kupp and Tyler Lockett continue to stun with their big-time value for fantasy managers, while their teammates, Robert Woods and DK Metcalf, sit as the wide receivers 33 and 41 in fantasy football, respectively. Allen Robinson currently sits with fewer points in PPR leagues than Braxton Berrios (give yourself a pat on the back if you knew he played for the Jets), and Freddie Swain sits ahead of Chase Claypool in fantasy points through two weeks.
Despite some of these surprises, there’s still plenty of hope and time for big-time bounceback seasons for your WR studs. In the meantime, we’ll try to help you through the drought with some clutch flex plays to keep your teams afloat.
Injury news
Browns WR Jarvis Landry was placed on IR with a knee injury, and the team still has yet to see star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. return from his torn ACL. OBJ has the potential to return in Week 3, and if he does, is likely to see a decent target share given Landry’s absence.
On the final (meaningless) play of the Steelers outing against the Raiders, WR Diontae Johnson suffered a knee injury and had to be helped off of the field. Mike Garafolo reported that the injury wasn’t “serious,” but it remains to be seen what his status for Week 3 is. Johnson has had 10 or more targets in 10 of his last 12 games played. If he’s inactive, JuJu Smith-Schuster remains a high end flex option at home against the Bengals in Week 3.
Streaming options
Brandin Cooks, HOU vs. CAR
If anyone is concerned about the potential production for Brandin Cooks with rookie QB Davis Mills under center, they... probably should be. However, the target volume that Cooks should see is incredibly promising. Though the quality of targets decreases without Tyrod Taylor, it’s worth noting that Cooks saw an astonishing 50% target share with Mills under center. Cooks is the WR11 so far on the season and has seen the fifth-most targets among all wide receivers. In full PPR scoring formats, Cooks is officially a lock until he shows us otherwise.
Sterling Shepard, NYG vs. ATL
Most thought Kenny Golladay was the wideout to monitor for the Giants after his big payday, it’s Sterling Shepard that has been the star of the show. Shepard has racked up 19 targets in the first two weeks of the season with 16 catches and 207 receiving yards to his name. Next up is Atlanta, who has allowed four different wideouts performances of 14+ PPR points through two weeks. Shepard’s volume provides a safe floor in PPR leagues, while a favorable matchup with the sixth-lowest coverage grade by PFF on the season gives him some upside.
Wide receiver PPR rankings for Week 18
Rk | Name | Team | Opp |
---|---|---|---|
Rk | Name | Team | Opp |
1 | Cooper Kupp | LAR | vs SF |
2 | Deebo Samuel | SF | @ LAR |
3 | Tyreek Hill | KC | @ DEN |
4 | Justin Jefferson | MIN | vs CHI |
5 | Stefon Diggs | BUF | vs NYJ |
6 | Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | @ CLE |
7 | A.J. Brown | TEN | @ HOU |
8 | Diontae Johnson | PIT | @ BAL |
9 | Mike Evans | TB | vs CAR |
10 | Tee Higgins | CIN | @ CLE |
11 | Keenan Allen | LAC | @ LV |
12 | CeeDee Lamb | DAL | @ PHI |
13 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | vs GB |
14 | Hunter Renfrow | LV | vs LAC |
15 | D.K. Metcalf | SEA | @ ARI |
16 | Jaylen Waddle | MIA | vs NE |
17 | Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | @ JAC |
18 | Tyler Lockett | SEA | @ ARI |
19 | Brandin Cooks | HOU | vs TEN |
20 | Odell Beckham Jr. | LAR | vs SF |
21 | Christian Kirk | ARI | vs SEA |
22 | Van Jefferson | LAR | vs SF |
23 | Amari Cooper | DAL | @ PHI |
24 | DJ Moore | CAR | @ TB |
25 | Marquise Brown | BAL | vs PIT |
26 | Darnell Mooney | CHI | @ MIN |
27 | Terry McLaurin | WAS | @ NYG |
28 | Brandon Aiyuk | SF | @ LAR |
29 | Mike Williams | LAC | @ LV |
30 | Russell Gage | ATL | vs NO |
31 | Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL | vs NO |
32 | Elijah Moore | NYJ | @ BUF |
33 | Tyler Boyd | CIN | @ CLE |
34 | Chase Claypool | PIT | @ BAL |
35 | DeVante Parker | MIA | vs NE |
36 | Jakobi Meyers | NE | @ MIA |
37 | Cyril Grayson Jr. | TB | vs CAR |
38 | A.J. Green | ARI | vs SEA |
39 | K.J. Osborn | MIN | vs CHI |
40 | Braxton Berrios | NYJ | @ BUF |
41 | Kendrick Bourne | NE | @ MIA |
42 | Jarvis Landry | CLE | vs CIN |
43 | Jerry Jeudy | DEN | vs KC |
44 | Josh Reynolds | DET | vs GB |
45 | Cole Beasley | BUF | vs NYJ |
46 | Rashod Bateman | BAL | vs PIT |
47 | Courtland Sutton | DEN | vs KC |
48 | Gabriel Davis | BUF | vs NYJ |
49 | Marquez Callaway | NO | @ ATL |
50 | Marvin Jones Jr. | JAC | vs IND |
51 | Julio Jones | TEN | @ HOU |
52 | Joshua Palmer | LAC | @ LV |
53 | DeVonta Smith | PHI | vs DAL |
54 | Zay Jones | LV | vs LAC |
55 | Breshad Perriman | TB | vs CAR |
56 | Donovan Peoples-Jones | CLE | vs CIN |
57 | Cedrick Wilson Jr. | DAL | @ PHI |
58 | Kenny Golladay | NYG | vs WAS |
59 | Isaiah McKenzie | BUF | vs NYJ |
60 | Allen Robinson II | CHI | @ MIN |
61 | Kadarius Toney | NYG | vs WAS |
62 | Davante Adams | GB | @ DET |
63 | Jamison Crowder | NYJ | @ BUF |
64 | Tim Patrick | DEN | vs KC |
65 | Robby Anderson | CAR | @ TB |
66 | Allen Lazard | GB | @ DET |
67 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | GB | @ DET |
68 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | @ JAC |
69 | Laquon Treadwell | JAC | vs IND |
70 | Mecole Hardman | KC | @ DEN |
71 | Tyler Johnson | TB | vs CAR |
72 | Emmanuel Sanders | BUF | vs NYJ |
73 | Byron Pringle | KC | @ DEN |
74 | Jalen Guyton | LAC | @ LV |
75 | Antoine Wesley | ARI | vs SEA |
76 | Laviska Shenault Jr. | JAC | vs IND |
77 | Quez Watkins | PHI | vs DAL |
78 | Nelson Agholor | NE | @ MIA |
79 | Rondale Moore | ARI | vs SEA |
80 | Nico Collins | HOU | vs TEN |
81 | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | TEN | @ HOU |
82 | Jauan Jennings | SF | @ LAR |
83 | DeSean Jackson | LV | vs LAC |
84 | Demarcus Robinson | KC | @ DEN |
85 | Tre'Quan Smith | NO | @ ATL |
86 | Scotty Miller | TB | vs CAR |
87 | DeAndre Carter | WAS | @ NYG |
88 | Damiere Byrd | CHI | @ MIN |
89 | Bryan Edwards | LV | vs LAC |
90 | Malik Taylor | GB | @ DET |
91 | Olamide Zaccheaus | ATL | vs NO |
92 | Jalen Reagor | PHI | vs DAL |
93 | Darius Slayton | NYG | vs WAS |
94 | Keelan Cole Sr. | NYJ | @ BUF |
95 | Kalif Raymond | DET | vs GB |
96 | Adam Humphries | WAS | @ NYG |
97 | Tavon Austin | JAC | vs IND |
98 | Kristian Wilkerson | NE | @ MIA |
99 | Ray-Ray McCloud | PIT | @ BAL |
100 | Noah Brown | DAL | @ PHI |
101 | Zach Pascal | IND | @ JAC |
102 | Lil'Jordan Humphrey | NO | @ ATL |
103 | Rashard Higgins | CLE | vs CIN |
104 | Chris Conley | HOU | vs TEN |
105 | D'Wayne Eskridge | SEA | @ ARI |
106 | James Washington | PIT | @ BAL |
107 | Ashton Dulin | IND | @ JAC |
108 | Malik Turner | DAL | @ PHI |
109 | Pharoh Cooper | NYG | vs WAS |
110 | Curtis Samuel | WAS | @ NYG |
111 | Cam Sims | WAS | @ NYG |
112 | Demetric Felton | CLE | vs CIN |