Fire & Ice: Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers For Week 2
One week down, and somehow we already know everything, right?
At least that's what fantasy Bluesky/Twitter would have you believe…
Week 1 is always a little chaotic. We get surprise breakouts, disappointing debuts, weird game scripts (thanks Australia), unexpected usage, and approximately 53 people ready to declare that a player they loved all offseason is officially a bust. At the same time, there are people who watched a backup RB get six carries and immediately placed their FAAB bids.
That said, Week 1 did give us plenty to work with. Some players gave us reasons to turn up the heat.
Others? Not so much.
There are players who left us chilly after a Week 1 performance that raised more questions than answers.
That doesn't necessarily mean it's time to panic, but it might be time to temper our expectations. That's what Fire & Ice is all about. Each week, we are highlighting the players our analysts are ranking higher or lower than consensus to help you with tough lineup decisions.
Let's head to the thermostat and get into it (don't tell Dad).
Fire & Ice: Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers For Week 2
Fire Players:
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Consensus Rank: RB37
Nate's Rank: RB22 (+15)
I am not now, have never been, nor will ever be, a part of the Kenneth Gainwell hype train. But sometimes you find yourself on board with a player you wouldn’t usually, and this week it’s Gainwell.
What we expect to be a fairly potent Tampa Bay offense sputtered last week. Gainwell, a new arrival in free agency, saw only six touches in a loss to Cincinnati last weekend (five carries, one reception). Though I’m not high on Gainwell, the rest of the Buccaneers offense was just as bad, managing 193 yards in the air and a paltry 89 yards on the ground.
Luck for Gainwell and company, the pitiful Cleveland Browns roll into Florida this weekend, and Tampa Bay is set up for a get-right game against a bad team. This one should be in hand for the Buccaneers early, and RB Bucky Irving should get plenty of relief in the form of Gainwell snaps.
While a 15-slot jump in ranking feels like a lot, Gainwell as a backend RB2 this week isn’t that crazy, especially in a matchup where Gainwell is expected to take the lead in the second half when this game is out of hand and on the ground.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Consensus Rank: QB17
Kyle's Rank: QB11 (+6)
Looking at his fantasy output, Baker Mayfield was "ICE" personified last week. His 11.6 fantasy points had him at QB 27 for the week. Three lost fumbles is a wild day, even for the reckless former Sooner. Despite the ball-security follies, Mayfield was efficient, completing 23 of 28 attempts for 216 yards.
Baker Mayfield was getting MVP chants in mid-October last season and it wasn't a crazy thoughtpic.twitter.com/IbyZVKCczC
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 27, 2026
I'm betting on a bounce-back fantasy day from Mayfield in Week 2 against a hapless Browns team whose defense surrendered 23 first downs and four touchdowns to the Jaguars in Week 1.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos
Consensus Rank: WR22
Jay's Rank: WR15 (+7)
Every year, I have to have this conversation with my friends in other leagues, and now I will have it here: Let's not overreact to Week 1. Waddle had an undeniably horrible debut as a Denver Bronco, with only one catch for two yards on three targets. But what I am interested in is his role in the offense.
So much of the theory behind Waddle's breakout this season is based on him gaining a new role with the Broncos that he did not have with the Dolphins. We saw the beginnings of that last week, with 19 of his 27 passing-game snaps coming from the slot.
This is the kind of usage we want to see, and the stats will follow.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
Consensus Rank: TE15
Lou's Rank: TE5 (+10)
Have you heard of the Injury Response Protocol (IRP)? If not, you're clearly not following me on BlueSky. Which I can forgive you for. I'm not that interesting, after all. But I did develop an injury replacement and prediction model this summer, and I call it the IRP. Well, I post a lot about injuries and expectations when they happen. And that, Dear Reader, is the crux of my Dalton Schultz ranking this week.
As it is, Schultz saw good volume in Week 1, earning 8 targets. Schultz has been a favorite of C.J. Stroud's for years, and the Texans losing Jayden Higgins for the year definitely helped solidify that role in Week 1. Now we have Nico Collins ruled out. Cue Mr. Schultz.
So now we have not only the healthy targets, we have increased TD potential as well. Unless you have a top-flight TE for Week 2, 2 of whom have already played, you should find a way to get Schultz into your lineup.
Dalton Schultz is still the one guy Stroud routinely trusts to run routes vs zone and settling into soft spots the most https://t.co/l8FpC5B0rU pic.twitter.com/8bpEV7B0Gn
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) September 17, 2026
Ice Players:
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Consensus Rank: QB8
Nate's Rank: QB16 (-8)
I want to make it clear this is less about Justin Herbert and his talent, and more about the team around him. Okay, well, maybe a little about his talent, too.
Last week, Herbert looked outmatched by a Cardinals defense no one expected to be of note. He went 12 of 27 for a pedestrian 209 yards, one TD and one INT, and added five carries for 29 yards on the way to an embarrassing 26-14 loss at home.
Week 1 Justin Herbert = Not Good
— Alfredo Brown (@alfredoabrown.bsky.social) September 17, 2026 at 9:48 AM
On paper, this week should be an easy one for the Chargers, and a get-right game for Herbert. The problem? Last week was supposed to be an easy start for the Chargers. And the Las Vegas squad Herbert faces off against this Sunday isn't the same team as last year.
New coach, new QB, new attitude. They’re not the automatic win they felt like at times last season, and new Head Coach Klint Kubiak has something to prove. The Raiders could be dangerous this season.
Stacking on issues, WR Ladd McConkey is questionable and looks to be a game-time decision. If McConkey ends up inactive, it’s even worse news for Herbert, and QB16 might be too high for him this week. Will I be this low on Herbert all season? I don’t know. But this week, he’s on ice, at least in 1QB leagues.
Harold Fannin, TE, Cleveland Browns
Consensus Rank: TE13
Kyle's Rank: TE20 (-7)
Fannin was the TE31 in Week1. He caught two of his three targets for 21 yards. The Cleveland Browns may be even worse than many of us feared. They were one-for-eight on third down and managed just 272 yards on offense.
We were so close to a Harold Fannin Jr. touchdown against the Jaguars. pic.twitter.com/YXveqnydFG
— Dylan Feltovich (@dyfelt) September 17, 2026
I came into the season pretty high on the second-year player from Bowling Green. In fact, I still like him long-term. But we can't trust him in our lineups for as long as the Browns keep trotting Deshaun Watson out there. I'm holding Fannin for now, suspecting the QB change will be coming sooner rather than later.
Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Consensus Rank: RB11
Jay's Rank: RB17 (-6)
As I stated above, I don't want to overreact to Week 1. Keeping that in mind, I am not overly concerned with Hampton in the long run, but I do think his RB ranking of 11 is just too high this week.
When I look at fantasy RBs, I want them to check two boxes: I want them to get goal-line carries, and I want them to own the receiving role on their team. My concern with Hampton at 11 is that he does not seem to firmly hold that receiving role, with Keaton Mitchell running one more route than Hampton and playing only one fewer passing-down snap.
Omarion Hampton has failed to surpass 4 YPC in 6 of his 10 career starts.
Cause for concern? pic.twitter.com/AnevcGMts8
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 14, 2026
Once I see more out of the passing game, I'll jump right on the Hampton train. For many team builds, he is still a start this week, but there are players behind him, like Chase Brown, D'Andre Swift, and De'Von Achane, who I would be playing ahead of him.
De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Consensus Rank: RB12
Lou's Rank: RB24 (-12)
I have a chance of looking phenomenally foolish on this one, because De'Von Achane has a dynamite skill set and can take literally any touch 50+ yards for a score. And he's going to get volume, too. So I realize that I'm putting Achane at his floor and basing my ranking off of a Week 1 result that very often lies to us. Maybe I need (fantasy) therapy.
And….
Miami is a bad offense. Really bad. Now, is it possible that the Raiders are just a really good defense? Sure. This week, Miami gets San Francisco, who, in my own opinion, should have a much better defensive output than the Raiders did. Not only that, but they've got a better offense, too. Put those together, and you've got a recipe to game-script Achane right out of production.
Devon Achane 84.6% designed carry share is his highest share ever in a single week in his career.
The big fear with Willis joining the team was would he take carries from Achane
His target share was only 14.8% which is a bit low for him but the team also did not run many plays…
— Chris Wecht (@ChrisWechtFF) September 15, 2026
Based on where you had to take Achane, you probably don't have a better option to start than him, and he's still very startable at RB24. But it means you should look at other lineup decisions and chase upside where you can.
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