Tom Brady is the top fantasy quarterback after two weeks with 754 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Rising

Tom Brady, NE
It seems odd to say Tom Brady is rising, but after the way he dismantled the Buffalo Bills, I feel comfortable listing Brady here. Remember, just one week prior, the Bills made Andrew Luck seems like an average quarterback. Brady just went out against that same defense and threw for 466 yards. If leagues redrafted today, there’s a pretty good chance that Brady would be the first quarterback selected. He is one of the few remaining weekly must starts at the position no matter the league size.

Tyrod Taylor, BUF
Tyrod Taylor should be getting attention from fantasy owners. Taylor looks to have a safe floor, something that comes from his running ability: he has rushed for more than 40 yards each of the first two weeks. With that rushing floor and all the weapons surrounding him in the passing game, Taylor can be considered a weekly starter in 2QB and superflex leagues, and owners in one quarterback leagues can safely run him out if they have a bye week or injury emergency.

Falling

Drew Brees, NO
The days of Drew Brees being a stud fantasy quarterback look like they might be winding down. It started last season when he had his worst statistical year since 2010, but fantasy owners were willing to give him another chance in 2015, making him the fourth quarterback selected in standard leagues according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com. Through two weeks, Brees has as many interceptions (2) as touchdowns. Considering his bruised rotator cuff and small sample size it’s not time to jump ship on Brees, but when he does return to health you don’t have to consider him a weekly must-start.

Sam Bradford, PHI
The Sam Bradford-Chip Kelly partnership has not gotten off to a great start in Philadelphia. In two games, Bradford has five turnovers (four of them interceptions) to go with just two touchdowns, and that second touchdown came as a meaningless score late in Philadelphia’s loss to Dallas in Week 2. His upside remains appealing with the number of passes being thrown (89 attempts through two weeks) and the talent surrounding him, but at the moment he is not trustworthy in 1QB leagues until the Eagles figure out how to make the offense click.

Running Back

Rising

Dion Lewis, NE
I typically pass on naming players in this article in consecutive weeks, but I’ll make a special case for Dion Lewis. In Week 1, he took over the pass catching role in New England’s offense. In Week 2, it appeared Lewis might have simply taken the job of lead running back. The Patriots were in pass happy mode against the Bills, so Lewis only got seven carries, but that was four more than LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden combined. Lewis may not lead the Patriots in carries all year, but for now it appears he will be the team’s running back leader in fantasy points. He can safely be started in PPR leagues and shouldn’t be ignored in standard leagues either.

Matt Jones, WAS
The most popular pickup this week will likely be Matt Jones and for good reason. He ran wild on the St. Louis Rams and he did it without the benefit of something happening to Alfred Morris. For his long term outlook, this is a good sign. In the short term, however, it might be tough to use Jones until the time comes that he officially wrestles the starting job away from Morris (if that happens at all). He should be useful right away, but somewhat risky if he’s being utilized as anything more than an RB3.

David Johnson, ARI
Chris Johnson started and led Arizona in carries, but David Johnson stole the show against Da’ Bears. David Johnson ran for 42 yards on just five carries with a touchdown, while also adding a score via kick return. Chris Johnson is probably the safer start as Arizona remains committed to him as the short term starter while Andre Ellington is out, but David Johnson is the player you want if you’re in the market for a home-run hitter down the road.

Falling

DeMarco Murray, PHI
One of the side effects of the struggling Eagles offense has been this disaster of a start for defending rushing champion DeMarco Murray. Murray has run the ball 21 times for a grand total of 11 yards. I won’t do the math, but that’s a pretty poor rushing average. He’s too talented to be held down all year, but just like Bradford, it will be risky to put Murray in your starting lineup until the Eagles figure out how to get their offense clicking.

Lamar Miller, MIA
Lamar Miller might have been the most popular third-round running back for fantasy owners this summer, and it made sense. He finished 2014 strong and was lined up to be the workhorse in a Dolphins offense projected to be stronger than past seasons. Through two games, he has gained 67 yards on 23 carries, an average below three yards per carry. He carried the ball 10 times (for 14 yards) before exiting with a minor ankle issue. Even if he does return immediately, the next two weeks (Bills, Jets) may be rough on the running game. Miller could wind up looking like an RB1 in 2015, but it might not start happening until mid-October.

Jonathan Stewart, CAR
This was supposed to be the season that Jonathan Stewart finally became a dependable No.2 fantasy running back with DeAngelo Williams out of the picture. Stewart has been the lead ball carrier as expected – he has 35 carries in two weeks – but hasn’t done much with those plentiful opportunities, averaging 3.37 yards per carry. He hasn’t been a factor in the passing game yet either, catching five passes for 22 yards through two weeks. Workhorse running backs are few and far between in the NFL, so Jonathan Stewart will likely remain a starter for your fantasy team for now, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been a big early season disappointment.

Wide Receiver

Rising

Travis Benjamin, CLE
One week might have been written off as a fluke. But two weeks? Travis Benjamin has been a huge play receiver early in the year, turning just six catches into 204 yards and three touchdowns. Benjamin’s competition for targets isn’t exactly putting fear in the heart of defenses (Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins), so there isn’t much stopping Benjamin from leading the Browns in receiving all season. Using Benjamin will likely require the ability to stomach various weeks of huge disappointment, but more weeks like one and two could make it all worthwhile.

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
It looks like the old man still has some juice! Fantasy owners who bought into the idea that Larry Fitzgerald still has some strong statistical performances in his system with Carson Palmer at the helm have been paid off with a solid start to 2015. Fitzgerald already has 14 catches for 199 yards, with a big three-touchdown game against Chicago to boot. As long as Palmer remains healthy, Fitzgerald should be in your lineup.

Leonard Hankerson, ATL
Is there a changing of the guard at wide receiver in Atlanta? Roddy White was active and on the field for the Falcons Sunday, but you wouldn’t know it based on the box score. Leonard Hankerson ended up being option No.2 in Week 2, garnering 11 targets and catching six of them for 77 yards and a touchdown. I’m not saying Hankerson has taken over that role – it’s possible that Week 2 was a case of game planning and White will be fine – but if you have the bench space, it is probably a good idea to target Hankerson, just to see how the Atlanta offense shakes out.

Falling

Roddy White, ATL
So what did happen to Roddy White? While Hankerson got targeted 11 times, White was only targeted once. Even if it turns out Hankerson’s upgrade within the offense was a one week fluke, it’s still worrisome that White is no longer guaranteed a weekly spot in the Falcons’ game plan. It’s too early to completely give up on the veteran but it will be tough to include White in your starting lineup over the next couple weeks until we get some clarity on the situation.

Brandin Cooks, NO
The player being hurt the most by the slow start for Drew Brees has to be Brandin Cooks. Through two weeks, Cooks has been targeted 15 times, catching nine of them for 111 yards. He’s on pace for 72 receptions on 120 targets, numbers that are too low for a player expected to be a reception machine. If Brees gets healthy and picks up his play, Cooks should benefit, but until that time comes, Cooks will continue to be a disappointment for those who invested a third-round pick in him.

A.J. Green, CIN
A.J. Green salvaged Week 2 with a touchdown, but overall, Green has been a big let-down for a second round fantasy pick - he has only has eight receptions for 108 yards. Typically I wouldn’t concern myself with a slow start to a player with Green’s track record, but there might be more to his problem: Tyler Eifert. Eifert has five more targets and five more receptions than Green. If Eifert maintains at least an equivalent target pace to Green, Green will wind up with a lesser than expected statistical season. Hopefully for Green owners, the cream will rise to the top.

Tight End

Rising

Crockett Gillmore, BAL
Crockett Gillmore seemed like he would become the forgotten tight end with the drafting of rookie Maxx Williams, but to this point, Gillmore has been the man in Baltimore at the position. Five catches, 88 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 could be the jumping off point to a solid fantasy season. Gillmore is tied for third on the team in targets, which is enough to make Gillmore a solid streaming option.

Eric Ebron, DET
People must still have a bad taste in their mouth from his rookie season, because it seems like Eric Ebron’s start to 2015 has gone under the radar. He is currently the No.7 fantasy tight end through two weeks, and maybe more importantly, he’s the sixth most targeted. If the Lions are going to keep passing as this rate – Stafford has averaged 42.5 attempts per game – Ebron should continue to have value to fantasy football players.

Falling

Jimmy Graham, SEA
What do Crockett Gillmore, Eric Ebron, Jordan Reed, Ladarius Green, Anthony Fasano, Kyle Rudolph, Darren Fells, Richard Rodgers and Jared Cook all have in common? They’re tight ends owned in less than 50% of ESPN.com fantasy leagues who have outscored Jimmy Graham through two games this season. Given the price tag, you’d think Seattle would utilize him more. Instead, he only has 10 targets in two games. He’s tough to bench given his talent level, but he isn’t the same Jimmy Graham who could compete with Gronk for fantasy supremacy.

Owen Daniels, DEN
With the departure of Julius Thomas, fantasy owners were looking to find the next man up at the position; a role that has very often brought statistical success with Peyton Manning at the controls. As it turns out, players aren’t interchangeable pieces. Through two games, Daniels only has five catches for 24 yards. He may have a few random TE1 performances, but there’s no way to know when they are coming. Anyone who took a stab at Daniels in their fantasy drafts can safely drop him.