Heading into Week 2 some of the top fantasy football pickup players include Karlos Williams, John Brown, Marcus Mariota, David Johnson, Bishop Sankey, James Jones, Michael Crabtree, Ameer Abdullah, Benny Cunningham, Donte Moncrief and Stevie Johnson if they remain available as free agents in some leagues.
The first week saw some great performances from players and there were some surprises among the games, including what Marcus Mariota did in his first game in the NFL. Mariota had a perfect rating and put up some good numbers against a bad Bucs defense. While those numbers may not hold up week to week, Mariota is a worthy option to look at in deeper leagues. Injuries also could bring out some new players, as names like David Johnson, John Brown, James Jones and Benny Cunningham could be in good position moving forward with certain players going down.
Cunningham got the start for the Rams with Tre Mason and Todd Gurley banged up and until those players can prove they can stay healthy, Cunningham is a good option. Andre Ellington is dealing with an injury and that could push Chris Johnson and David Johnson into bigger roles if he is out for a little while. Ellington dealt with injuries last season and this could be another one to overcome for the running back.
Karlos Williams had a solid game for the Bills and he is worth checking out even with LeSean McCoy in Buffalo. The Bills are going to rush the ball quite a bit and with McCoy dealing with a slight hamstring issue, expect Williams to be in the mix going forward. The team let go of Fred Jackson because of the confidence in Williams and that is one group of RBs to watch for fantasy owners.
The Cardinals also have John Brown as a sleeper option once again, as he was a good sleeper last season and now could be a breakout player for the Cardinals. Brown had four catches and added a touchdown in the win for the Cardinals against the Saints and he looked in step with quarterback Carson Palmer. Last season Brown had 48 catches for 696 yards and four touchdowns and he outplayed Michael Floyd and now looks like the best WR option for the Cardinals. Donte Moncrief could step up with TY Hilton out.
Bishop Sankey and Marcus Mariota are two players to watch for the Titans, as Sankey had a solid game to start the season. Sankey led the team with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown and he also added two catches and a touchdown in the game. Sankey has the chance to be a versatile player for the Titans and even with Terrance West there, he could be the top back. Mariota won't put up 209 yards and four touchdowns every week, but right now he looks good after the win over the Bucs and the team plays a down Cleveland team next.
James Jones made an impact in his first game back with the Packers and he is worth a pickup in all leagues. Tyler Eifert was great on Sunday with nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns and if he remains healthy, he will be a high upside tight end option for the Bengals.
Check here for more on fantasy football pickups and injuries into Week 2.