Week 2 Fantasy Football Sleepers: 4 Players Ranked Too Low

Week 1 is over, which means fantasy football has officially entered its annual overreaction phase. A player scores two touchdowns and suddenly he’s a league winner. Someone you drafted in the fourth round catches three passes and you’re wondering if you should trade him for a backup kicker.

Everybody relax. One game shouldn’t completely change how we view a player. But it can tell us something preseason projections couldn’t: how NFL teams actually intend to use them.

That’s what we’re looking for with our Week 2 sleepers. We’re less interested in chasing last week’s touchdowns than identifying players whose snaps, touches or opportunities suggest their Week 2 ranking might be selling them short.

Here are four players who could considerably outperform expectations this weekend.

1. Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Current Week 2 ranking: roughly RB35-40

Christian McCaffrey remains CMC. Nobody is suggesting otherwise. But apparently Kyle Shanahan wasn’t joking about finding ways to lighten his workload.

Black carried the ball 14 times for 65 yards against the Rams in Week 1. McCaffrey had only 10 carries.

Even more interesting, this wasn’t simply Black cleaning up after San Francisco had put the game away. He was involved early, with seven first-half carries compared with three for McCaffrey. McCaffrey still dominated the receiving work, seeing eight targets, but Black’s rushing role looks considerably more legitimate than we expected entering the season.

Now he gets Miami. The 49ers are heavy favorites, and if this game goes the way oddsmakers expect, San Francisco could spend much of the second half doing exactly what Kyle Shanahan enjoys doing: handing the football to running backs while making the opposing defense miserable. And he’s not going to risk CMC’s health running dives to run out the clock.

Black doesn’t need McCaffrey to disappear to have fantasy value. He just needs another 12 to 15 touches.

And after Week 1, that suddenly looks very possible.

Why He Could Have a Big Day

Led San Francisco with 14 carries in Week 1
His workload came throughout the game, not just garbage time
Playing in one of the NFL’s best rushing offenses
Favorable matchup against Miami
Positive game script could create plenty of second-half rushing opportunities
Still being ranked outside the weekly RB3 range by some sources

Week 2 range: 9-16 PPR points

2. Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Current Week 2 ranking: roughly WR55

Wicks caught only two passes in Week 1. Normally, that would be where we stop recommending someone.

Unfortunately for anyone hoping to keep Wicks on the waiver wire, those two receptions went for 73 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, the underlying usage was considerably more encouraging than the two catches suggest.

Wicks played only two fewer snaps and ran only two fewer routes than DeVonta Smith. He also played 15 more snaps than first-round rookie Makai Lemon. That’s the key.

Philadelphia didn’t bring Wicks in to stand on the sideline and occasionally sprint very fast. He’s already playing a legitimate role in an offense quarterbacked by Jalen Hurts. Now he gets the Titans.

We’re not expecting another 64-yard reception every week. If your fantasy strategy requires that, get ready to wear a dress or whatever your league’s last-place punishment is.

But Wicks doesn’t need another bomb to beat a ranking in the mid-50s. Four or five catches with one explosive play could be enough to turn him into a perfectly useful FLEX option.

And if the targets increase? Now we’re talking about something considerably more interesting.

Why He Could Have a Big Day

Played nearly as much as DeVonta Smith in Week 1
Ran a substantial number of routes
Already demonstrated big-play upside
Attached to an elite quarterback
Favorable upcoming matchup with Tennessee
Currently sitting around WR56 in expert consensus rankings

Week 2 range: 9-17 PPR points

3. DeVaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints

Current Week 2 ranking: roughly WR35-40

Vele isn’t exactly hidden anymore. That’s what happens when you catch seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown.

But the reason we’re interested isn’t the touchdown. It’s the nine targets and enormous snap share.

Vele played 82 of New Orleans’ 90 offensive snaps in Week 1 and was on the field alongside Chris Olave when the Saints used two-receiver formations. That doesn’t look like a gadget player who happened to have a good Sunday. It looks like a starting receiver.

The Saints face Baltimore this week, and the game environment could once again create plenty of passing opportunities. If New Orleans falls behind, Tyler Shough isn’t going to have the luxury of handing the ball off for three quarters. He’s going to throw. And Vele just showed us he’s going to be on the field when that happens.

There is always danger in chasing Week 1 production. But nine targets are harder for us to ignore than one random 50-yard touchdown.

If Vele gets another eight or nine looks, his current ranking could end up looking awfully conservative.

Why He Could Have a Big Day

Nine targets in Week 1
Played 82 of 90 offensive snaps
Established himself as a starter in two-WR formations
Baltimore could force New Orleans into another pass-heavy script
Already showed red-zone involvement
PPR scoring gives him a strong floor if the target volume holds

Week 2 range: 11-18 PPR points

4. Kayshon Boutte, WR, Houston Texans

Current Week 2 ranking: outside the normal starting WR range

This one comes with an enormous asterisk: Watch Nico Collins’ injury status.

Collins suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week and his availability against Cincinnati is now in question. Houston is already without Jayden Higgins, which means the Texans could suddenly find themselves searching the locker room for healthy wide receivers.

Enter Kayshon Boutte. Boutte didn’t do much against Buffalo in Week 1, catching one pass for 21 yards on two targets. We’re ignoring that.

He was recently acquired by Houston, and if Collins can’t play, Boutte could suddenly go from rotational receiver to one of C.J. Stroud’s primary perimeter options.

That’s the sleeper profile we’re interested in. Not because Boutte has suddenly transformed into Justin Jefferson, but because fantasy football is largely a game of opportunity. Somebody has to run the routes. Somebody has to get the targets.

And Houston gets Cincinnati this week. Boutte has also shown he can make plays downfield. He averaged 16.2 yards per reception with New England last season and scored six touchdowns.

If Collins plays without limitations, Boutte goes right back to being a deep-league dart throw.

If Collins sits? We’re paying attention.