Upgrades For Week 2 Wide Receiver Rankings: DJ Moore, Christian Watson & More

Let's get into the Week 2 WR edition of Freedman's Favorites, where I highlight guys I'm upgrading because of …

Favorable betting factors and situational spots
Advantageous defensive matchups (perhaps aided by injury)
Increased usage expectations (again, maybe aided by injury)

For process notes regarding this series, see the end of this piece. Also, check out the rest of my Week 2 favorites and fades.

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Week 2 Wide Receiver Rankings (Top 24)

Rank	Player
1	Puka Nacua
2	Ja'Marr Chase
3	Amon-Ra St. Brown
4	Jaxon Smith-Njigba
5	Justin Jefferson
6	CeeDee Lamb
7	Chris Olave
8	Nico Collins
9	DeVonta Smith
10	Christian Watson
11	George Pickens
12	Garrett Wilson
13	Drake London
14	DJ Moore
15	Rashee Rice
16	Malik Nabers
17	Parker Washington
18	Tee Higgins
19	Mike Evans
20	Jaylen Waddle
21	Emeka Egbuka
22	Tetairoa McMillan
23	Jameson Williams
24	Davante Adams

Week 2 Matchup Upgrades in the WR Rankings: Christian Watson at Jets & Antonio Williams at Cowboys

There are a few "flow chart" defenses so bad that they provide automatic upgrades to whatever WRs they face. If a guy is playing one of them, I aggressively move him up my ranks. If not, I carry on.

Based on the numbers I see in our Fantasy Life DvP (Defense vs. Position) Matrix as well as RBs Don't Matter and FTN, the Jets and Cowboys last year were two of the biggest flow chart defenses for WRs.

Jets: No. 32 in defensive dropback EPA (0.291) and pass DVOA (45.3%)
Cowboys: No. 1 in largest fantasy boost allowed to WRs (+5.1)

Bang a gong.

Christian Watson (Packers) at Jets: Entering the season, Watson had never had even 700 scrimmage yards in any given year (largely on account of his 20 missed games across four campaigns), but his playmaking ability was unquestioned (10.0 yards per target, 11.4 for 2024-25), and it was certainly on display in Week 1 (No. 2 WR with 29.7 fantasy points, 6-147-2 receiving, 8 targets). For Week 2, the Packers are unfortunately playing their second straight game on the road, where QB Jordan Love has tended to underwhelm (11-17-1 ATS, -24.1% ROI, per Action Network), but at least HC Matt LaFleur crushes in Week 2 (7-0 ATS, 93.0% ROI), and the Jets could be without EDGE Joseph Ossai (foot) and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin). Watson's stock is on the rise.

Antonio Williams (Commanders) at Cowboys: I should probably write about veteran Stefon Diggs, who had a team-high 9 targets in his first game with the organization, but I'd rather highlight Williams. A third-round rookie who broke out in college as an 18-year-old freshman, Williams has the athleticism (4.41-second 40-yard dash) to be a legitimate NFL playmaker, and we got a glimpse of that in Week 1 (4-64-1 receiving, 4 targets). Although he's still working his way up the depth chart (29% route rate), Williams certainly made the most of his Week 1 opportunities (36% target rate, 21% air yard share, 50% end-zone target share, 56 Utilization Score, per our Fantasy Life Utilization Report). The Commanders are on the second game of a divisional back-to-back road trip, but at least they're indoors in a game with a strong 50.5-point total. HC Dan Quinn has historically used Week 2 as a launchpad (7-1 ATS, 68.8% ROI), and while the Commanders are underdogs, in Weeks 1-4 divisional road dogs have outperformed (150-117-8 ATS, 9.3% ROI). The Cowboys could be without LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and FS Malik Hooker (forearm), both of whom exited Week 1 with injuries, and Williams could see some extra work this week with the injury to TE Chig Okonkwo (hamstring). In some leagues, Williams might be the No. 1 waiver wire add, and for true desperados, he might be playable in Guillotine LeaguesTM.

Week 2 Scoring Upgrades: D.J. Moore vs. Lions & Davante Adams vs. Giants

Sometimes upgrades are as simple as: "This team is going to score a lot of points, so I need to bump up the WRs."

This week the Bills are No. 2 in implied team total (29 points); the Rams, No. 4 (27.75).

Upgrades warranted.

DJ Moore (Bills) vs. Lions: Last week, Moore was one of my WR fades. Evidently, I was wrong (5-100-1 receiving on 8 targets, an 81% route rate and 46% air yard share). And this week he could be even better against the Lions, who are without SS Brian Branch (Achilles, PUP), FS Kerby Joseph (knee, PUP), and maybe S/CB Christian Izien (groin), who missed Week 1. On top of that, the Bills have a maximized home-field advantage against the Lions, who are outside of conference, on grass (vs. turf), and outdoors (vs. indoors). I don't love the idea of first-year HC Joe Brady preparing a game plan on a short week, but QB Josh Allen has historically done well in the first month of the season (20-12 ATS, 19.8% ROI). I expect the Bills offense to do what it usually does, which should be enough for Moore to have another strong performance.

Davante Adams (Rams) vs. Giants: Last week, Adams was one of my WR favorites. Evidently, I was wrong (3-26-0 receiving on 6 targets). Still, before the season started he was one of my 2026 fantasy favorites, and last week he was No. 1 on the team with a 72% route rate. I expect he'll be better moving forward, starting this week: He's home, he's indoors, he has a three-day rest advantage, and he's facing an East Coast team traveling across the country for a non-divisional primetime game way out of its typical 1 p.m. ET play window. Last year's league leader with 14 TDs receiving, 27 targets in the end zone, and 23 inside the 10-yard line (in just 14 games), Adams feels like a solid bet to hit paydirt this week.

Week 1 Defensive Injury Upgrades: Jalen Coker at Falcons & Mack Hollins vs. Steelers

Here are a couple WRs who get upgrades because of defensive injuries.

Jalen Coker (Panthers) at Falcons: This past week Coker was the No. 1 WR (29.8 points, 8-138-2 receiving on 9 targets, a 93% route rate, and an elite 93 Utilization Score). He probably won't overtake No. 1 WR Tetairoa McMillan in the offense, but he could push him for targets throughout the season, and this week the Panthers get to play indoors while cutting down the home-field advantage for the Falcons, who play in division on a similar turf surface. If CB Billy Bowman (Achilles) is out once again, Coker could dominate in the slot against rookie backup CB Avieon Terrell.

Mack Hollins (Pats) vs. Steelers: No. 1 WR A.J. Brown (ankle, IR) exited Week 1 early, and in his absence Hollins was the top pass catcher in usage (33% air yard share, 50% end-zone target share, 54 Utilization Score), which he converted into functional production (4-51-0 receiving, 5 targets). The Patriots have four extra days to prepare, and they also have a boosted home-field advantage against the Steelers, who are outside division and on turf (vs. grass). Hollins is volatile, but if the Steelers are once again without CB Joey Porter Jr. (back), he might be able to break loose deep for a long score.

Week 2 Offensive Injury Upgrades: Rashod Bateman vs. Saints & Demarcus Robinson vs. Dolphins

Here are a couple WRs who get upgrades because of offensive injuries.

Rashod Bateman (Ravens) vs. Saints: For this game, WRs Zay Flowers (hamstring), Devontez Walker (groin) and Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) might all be out. Without them for most of the game last week, Bateman had just 1 target … but he also had a 90% route rate. If they're out, Bateman will be the team's lone established veteran WR. That's gotta be worth something, right? Plus, the situational spot is good: The Saints are coming off a one-point overtime loss, they're on the road for a second straight week, and they're yielding maximal home-field advantage to the Ravens as non-conference opponents on grass (vs. turf) and outdoors (vs. indoors).

Demarcus Robinson (49ers) vs. Dolphins: Rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) and No. 2 TE Jake Tonges (knee) both exited Week 1, and in their absence Robinson enjoyed a boost in usage (32% air yard share, 50% end-zone target share), which he turned into a splashy 2-50-1 receiving. With Stribling doubtful and Tonges uncertain, Robinson could once again see enhanced playing time, and his setup is good: The 49ers are at home with three extra days facing the Dolphins, who are on back-to-back non-divisional West Coast road games and last year were No. 31 in defensive dropback SR (52.3%). On top of that, the 49ers have a significant survivor-style edge: In the first half of the season, home favorites of more than a TD who have winning records and made the playoffs in the previous year have dominated opponents outside conference who have losing records and missed the playoffs (48-25-1 ATS, 29.3% ROI). As -13.5 favorites, the 49ers could enable a multitude of skill-position players to go off, including Robinson.

Week 2 Indoors Upgrades: Nico Collins vs. Bengals & Quentin Johnston vs. Raiders

In general, I want to be heavy on WRs playing indoors, where they don't need to worry about wind, temperature or precipitation. Here are two such WRs who stand out.

Nico Collins (Texans) vs. Bengals: As I said last week, Collins has been one of the league's most productive yet still underappreciated WRs since 2023, when the Texans drafted QB C.J. Stroud. In his three most recent seasons, Collins displayed elite efficiency (10.4 yards per target) and was one of just six WRs with 1,000+ yards receiving in each campaign. I wish he had a better QB, but even so, whenever Collins is indoors, he's an absolute monster (10.2 yards per target for career vs. 7.9 outdoors). Without WRs Tank Dell (knee, IR) and Jayden Higgins (knee, IR), Collins could get double-digit opportunities (just as he did last week, when he had 7-75-1 receiving on 10 targets plus a seven-year rush). Plus, the matchup is good: Last year the Bengals were No. 29 in defensive pass DVOA (26.9%).

Quentin Johnston (Chargers) vs. Raiders: Week 1 did not go according to plan (2-17-0 receiving, 6 targets), but I don't expect the Chargers to suffer another 26-14 loss this week. With No. 1 WR Ladd McConkey (chest) and rotational WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) both injured, Johnston could have extra playing time. As for the spot: The Chargers are playing their second straight home game indoors to open the season, and QB Justin Herbert has historically been great in Weeks 1-4 (15-8-1 ATS, 24.7% ROI) and in division (22-9-1 ATS, 36.0% ROI), especially against the Raiders (8-3 ATS, 38.2% ROI), who could be without CB Darien Porter (foot).

Week 2 Air Yards Upgrades: Chris Olave at Ravens & Garrett Wilson at Titans

The WRs who are targeted downfield (the guys with high aDOTs, air yard shares and WOPRs) have an elevated chance each week of enjoying a spike performance.

You can see aDOT, air yards and WOPR in our Fantasy Life Air Yards Tool. "WOPR" stands for "weighted opportunity rating," and it measures the overall quality of a player's aerial role in his offense by considering his share of targets and air yards.

Here are two air yard accumulators who have my attention this week.

Chris Olave (Saints) at Ravens: Olave broke out last year (100-1,163-9 receiving) and was especially strong after the Saints traded away No. 2 WR Rashid Shaheed (No. 2 Utilization Score at 92; 45-603-6 receiving on 69 targets in seven games) … and then last week he had a league-high 239 air yards (good for 10-192-0 receiving on 13 targets). With No. 2 WR Jordyn Tyson (hamstring, IR) sidelined, Olave should dominate targets once again in Week 2. However high he is in our fantasy football rankings, there's almost always an argument to be made for him to be higher.

Justin Jefferson (Vikings) at Bears: The king has returned. After a subpar 2025 campaign (84-1,048–2 receiving, 141 targets), Jefferson returned to form in Week 1 (8-92-2 receiving, 9 targets, No. 2 WR with a 95% WOPR). I guess all it takes is someone other than QB J.J. McCarthy throwing him the ball. He should be locked in as a top-5 WR moving forward.

Notes

Week 2 Favorites & Fades: Here's the rest of the pieces.

Introduction
QB Favorites
QB Fades
RB Favorites
RB Fades
WR Favorites
WR Fades
TE Favorites
TE Fades

Defensive Matchups: Since the season is just one week old, I still rely primarily on prior defensive data.

Injuries: Since I write Freedman's Favorites on Monday and Tuesday, I have incomplete injury information. After I submit this article, any updated thoughts I have regarding injuries will manifest in my rankings. For our quick fantasy thoughts every day, subscribe to the Fantasy Life newsletter.

Schedule: This season, I have the following rankings schedule.