Week 2 Fantasy Football Quarterback and Tight End Rankings: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1701)

Summary

---

FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast: Week 2 Quarterback and Tight End Rankings – Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1701)

Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Chris Welsh, Pat Fitzmorris, Andrew Erickson

---

Episode Overview

This episode of the FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast focuses on Week 2 quarterback and tight end rankings. Chris Welsh is joined by Pat Fitzmorris and Andrew Erickson—both among the top 15 rankers after Week 1—to break down top plays, fade-worthy options, and under-the-radar suggestions at QB and TE. They share actionable insights, reactions to Week 1 surprises, and weigh in on emerging sleepers while injecting their signature wit and candor to help listeners get an edge for their lineups.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Strategy for Week 2: How to Dominate at QB and TE

• Matchups and Mobility:
  • “We're going to look for matchups. We're going to try to take advantage of that.”—Pat Fitzmorris (01:14)
  • Trusting mobile quarterbacks and not overvaluing poor matchups (Andrew Erickson, 01:31)

2. Quarterback Rankings & Debates

Top 12 QBs for Week 2 (02:56)

1. Josh Allen
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Jalen Hurts
4. Joe Burrow
5. Jayden Daniels
6. Justin Herbert
7. Justin Fields
8. Kyler Murray
9. Patrick Mahomes
10. Drake Maye
11. Baker Mayfield
12. Dak Prescott

Justin Fields: Rebound Candidate (03:56)

• Erickson: “Yes, yes, full, full go with Fields. And I just feel so stupid for just way overvaluing the matchup last year or last week…” (03:56)
• Welsh: Shared regrets for benching Fields everywhere in Week 1 (04:24)
• Fitzmorris: “I've got him QB7 this week, so I'm bullish in the short term…that running ability does lift the floor.” (04:59)

Dak Prescott: Differing Levels of Faith (05:22)

• Fitzmorris: Not sold, ranking Dak at QB15. Criticizes lackluster numbers, questions upside vs. tough Giants defense (05:47)
• Erickson: More optimistic, ranking QB12; credits improved play and preparation time; thinks last week was misleading due to dropped passes (06:44)
  • “He played excellent against the Eagles and I think that builds on it.” (07:40)

Jordan Love: Wildly Opposed Views (08:08)

• Erickson: Bold stance with Love at QB9. Sees upside vs. Commanders, unimpressed by the Commanders D so far (08:28)
  • “I just like the Packers offensive score. I'm not afraid of the commander's defense...” (08:41)
• Fitzmorris: Much less confident (QB18), wary of banged-up O-line, receiver injuries, and potential for run-heavy game scripts. (09:37)
  • “Their defense looked amazing...if the packers do end up having an elite defense, like they're going to have a lot of run friendly game scripts this season...Jordan Love only threw 22 passes.” (09:54)

Jared Goff: Both Bullish (13:26)

• Welsh: Both rank higher than consensus (ECR 18), with Fitzmorris QB14 and Erickson QB13.
• Fitzmorris: Sees a “bounce back week coming for Goff…against the Bears, who are likely to be without their best cornerback, Jalen Johnson.” (13:49)
• Erickson: Points to favorable game script, home “Coors Field” narrative, and possible shootout vs. improving Bears offense. (14:28)
  • “Jared Goff, indoor cat. This is his setting where he can thrive the most.” (14:44)

Bo Nix: Sleeper Both Agree On (15:44)

• Erickson: “Bonix, look, he's not perfect, but he also offers a lot as a rusher and that just gives him a floor.” (16:39)
• Fitzmorris: “Opening day jitters, whatever it might have been for Bonix, I don't think we should overreact to a bad game.” (16:44)

---

3. Tight End Rankings, Injury Fallout & Waiver Gems

Top 12 TEs for Week 2 (17:11):

1. Trey McBride
2. Sam LaPorta
3. Tyler Warren
4. Travis Kelce
5. Brock Bowers
6. Tucker Kraft
7. T.J. Hockenson
8. Mark Andrews
9. David Njoku
10. Kyle Pitts
11. Dallas Goedert
12. Jake Ferguson

Tyler Warren: Week 2 TE3 (17:52)

• Fitzmorris: All in—“Warren is a stud from the get go...we're going to see Warren continue to be a factor every week. Like, he is just a horse.” (17:52)
• Erickson: “Yep, it took all one week for him to be elite tight end.” (18:16)

Kyle Pitts: Is This the Year? (18:22)

• Fitzmorris: Positive outlook (TE8), citing 7 catches for 59 yards on 8 targets in the opener and possible expanded role due to injuries at WR. (19:15)
• Erickson: Cautious optimism, ranked TE12. Acknowledges improved usage but “if Kyle Pitts can't out-target Casey Washington, Ray Ray McLeod, then what are we doing here? ...I still think there might be that sprinkle of frustration.” (20:01)

Waiver Watch: Harold Fannin (21:36)

• Erickson: Notices upside as a stash, but not quite startable—“even if you added Harold Fan in this week, I don't necessarily think that he has to be jammed into your starting lineup...I do kind of want to see it one more week.” (21:36)
  • Surmises possible future value if David Njoku gets traded. (22:17)
• Fitzmorris: “I do think Fan is going to be a factor consistently. But the parallel with the Isaiah Likely thing I can't get past..." (23:31)
  • Warns not to overreact given that he feasted against a particularly bad Bengals TE defense in 2024.

Deep TE Streamers (25:10)

• Fitzmorris: Suggests Jonnu Smith as a deep play—“probably the Steelers tight end to have ... their tight ends are playable.” (25:21)
• Erickson: Likes Juwan Johnson (Saints): “Eleven targets last week, eight cats for 76 yards. He played 99% of the snaps. That alone makes him a viable streaming tight end.” (25:50)
  • Sees positive usage trends with OC Kellen Moore and QB Spencer Rattler.
  • “I just loved how Johnson was used as a slot receiver in Kellen Moore's offense.” (26:45)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fields’ Week 1 Panic:

  • "One of the dumbest things I did in week one is that right there. I benched him everywhere in week one. Buried him in my ranks. What are you doing? So stupid of me. Idiotic.” —Chris Welsh (04:24)

• On Dak Prescott:

  • "I think Dak can be a top 15 quarterback ... if he got dropped after week one ... I think that he is definitely on the radar." —Andrew Erickson (07:58)

• On Jordan Love debate:

  • "Self hating Packers fan." —Chris Welsh (08:38)

• On Goff's home advantage:

  • “Jared Goff, indoor cat. This is his setting where he can thrive the most.” —Andrew Erickson (14:44)

• On Tyler Warren’s breakout:

  • "Warren is a stud from the get go ... we're going to see Warren continue to be a factor, like, every week. He had a rushing attempt in week one. Like he is just a horse.” —Pat Fitzmorris (17:52)

• On Kyle Pitts frustration:

  • "If Kyle Pitts can't out-target Casey Washington, Ray Ray McLeod, then what are we doing here? Like, come on. Like, he has to step up here.” —Andrew Erickson (20:01)

• On Harold Fannin's Outlook:

  • "We probably should have paid more off season attention to a guy who as a junior at Bowling Green led FBS as a tight end with 117 catches and 1,555 receiving yards.” —Pat Fitzmorris (23:31)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• QB Rankings Overview: 02:56
• Justin Fields debate: 03:56
• Dak Prescott spectrum: 05:22
• Jordan Love debate: 08:08
• Jared Goff optimism: 13:26
• Bo Nix sleeper case: 15:44
• TE Rankings & Tyler Warren: 17:11–18:21
• Kyle Pitts analysis: 18:22–20:51
• Harold Fannin waiver breakdown: 21:36–23:31
• Deep TE streamers: 25:10

---

Tone and Style

The conversation is casual and analytic, with a mix of playful self-deprecation (especially about Week 1 mistakes), practical lineup advice, and deep dives into narrative and stat-driven arguments. Both hosts are transparent about hits and misses and aren’t afraid to change their evaluation based on new trends, matchups, and injury news.

---

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive and lively breakdown of the key QBs and TEs for Week 2, with actionable recommendations, sharp debates, and deep-cut sleeper calls. Whether you’re trying to rebound from a rocky start or keep your edge in the league, the hosts offer both laughs and the latest insights to help you win in Week 2.

---

Transcript

[Pat Fitzmorris]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, this is Matt Jones and I'm Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Matt Jones]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining and twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover 0 with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Chris Welsh]

Hello, friends, and welcome into Fantasy Pros. This is the fantasy football podcast and this is the quarterback and tight end ranks episode. I'm Chris Welsh. Joining me is Pat Fitz Morris and Andrew Erickson. Oh, no big deal. Just two top 15 rankers from week one and they're ready to run it back. This week we're talking about quarterbacks and tight ends, essentially the top 12 of each. Maybe a couple players that could boost up. We got it all covered for you. And this was not an area I was super great in last week, especially at quarterback. Fitzy, how are we going to dominate quarterback and or tight end? How are we going to dominate it this week?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

How are we going to dominate at Walsh? We're going to look for matchups. We're going to try to take advantage of that. And tight end, that's become a really interesting position. I can't wait to dive into that.

[Chris Welsh]

Harold Fannin is how we're going to win it. That's right. We're going to do that in a little bit. Erickson, how are we going to win this this week?

[Andrew Erickson]

Trust in the mobile quarterbacks and fade the matchups like I should have done with Justin Fields. He's like, he's a rushing quarterback just playing. It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter who he's playing. He runs, uses legs, just playing.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, you know what playbook set we got the playbook for winning. Quarterback and tight end ranks are happening, but we're going to do some more winning because this is your chance to win the crown jewel of any fantasy football league, the perpetual fantasy football trophy, courtesy of our friends at Trophy Smack, the number one destination for epic fantasy football hardware. This glorious black trophy comes with a perpetual base so you can engrave your league champion year after year. It's not just a prize, it's a legacy piece. To enter, all you've got to do is subscribe to the Fantasy Pros YouTube channel right now. Drop a comment below on any of the videos. Be nice. Say nice things about the like Erickson's hair and Fitz's takes and just me in general and that it's not gonna get you extra. But like, you know, we see you drop any comment on any of the videos and that's it. We'll be announcing a winner right here on the channel. So be sure to turn on noties so you don't miss the opportunity to claim your prize today. Eric Nodies Noties. You a noteie guy?

[Andrew Erickson]

You know, you sound like my wife when she's like, we're gonna. Are we gonna watch an EPI tonight? An epi?

[Chris Welsh]

Ooh, yeah. A nice epi.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

What?

[Chris Welsh]

Yeah. What shows are you watching episode right now?

[Andrew Erickson]

We've been watching Wednesday on Netflix.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, well, let me know how the getting ready for getting ready for.

[Andrew Erickson]

Spooky season coming up.

[Chris Welsh]

Okay. It is spooky season. My house, my kids actually just put all the Halloween hardware out. So we are already set. We're good to go here. All right, fantasypros.com rankings that is where you guys can join along. There's way more than 12 quarterbacks and way more than 12 tight ends if you want to take a look. FantasyPros.com rankings for all your rankings needs, all the positions and they are updated all the time. Quarterbacks top 12 starting with number one, Josh Allen for the week. Lamar Jackson's two, Jalen Hurts at three, Joe Burrow, Jaden Daniels again the five you expect. Justin Herbert shows up at number six though. Justin Fields at seven, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Drake May, Baker Mayfield and Dak Prescott. This isn't on the sheet. Just real quick, Ericsson, we can start with you. Fields. Fields was like a huge fade last week. He comes in at number seven this week. Are you full go after what you saw in week one to start Fields? I mean this is. You're starting Fields over some very predominant names.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yes, yes, full, full go with Fields. And I just feel so stupid for just way overvaluing the matchup last year or last week because I was drafting Fields. Like some turn into some of the best ball streams. Justin Fields and Daniel Jones were my two highest drafted quarterbacks in best ball because I thought they both could offer upside as rushers and for some reason I just panicked in week one. I didn't like the matchups specifically with Fields and that was just totally wrong. So I think, yeah, it's wheels up and Buffalo's defense is banged up.

[Chris Welsh]

So yeah, one of the dumbest things I did in week one is that right there. I have all the. I wrote up about Justin Fields. I have him on both of our content team drafts at Fantasy. I have them everywhere. Benched him everywhere in week one. Buried him in my ranks. What are you doing? So stupid of me. Idiotic. Fitz. What do you think, though? He's deserved after that week one performance to just jump back in. This is like the draft season version where we're all like, hey, listen, he was a top five quarterback. When did it, you know, and it's like, we're all good now. Are you all good?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

I've got him QB7 this week, so I'm bullish in the short term. It's just they're going to be bad passing games and they're going to be games where he does not do enough with his legs to, you know, get him past the 140 passing yards, you know, like he. There are going to be some. Some weak passing games. We know that. But like that, that running ability does lift the floor.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, well, let's talk about Dak. Prescott then. Prescott coming in at ECR 12. Erickson's got him at 12. Fitzy, you got him lower at 15. Felt like you could have some optimism. Giants defense definitely better than being given credit for. No favors were done for Prescott last week from CD Lamb. They still have just really big high flying options. I'm a bit more optimistic. I would say the consensus is you to be at QB15.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, I mean, Erickson said believe in the mobile quarterback stack. Prescott is not that. And the passing numbers in week one were pretty unexciting. 188 passing yards on 34 attempts, no touchdowns. Dak had a tough matchup against the Eagles, even though the Eagles had to play without Jalen Carter after Carter spit on Dak seconds into the game. But I don't know that Dak has a much easier matchup than this week against the Giants. Who can unleash the four horsemen of the apocalypse on opposing quarterbacks with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeau and Abdul Carter? I think I. Dak ranked QB15 in my preseason rankings. I don't really see any reason to rank him any higher than that this week.

[Chris Welsh]

Erickson a little bit more optimistic. You got him right at ecr. He's a starting quarterback. I'm not really sure who you have, like, right under him. I know Jared Goff would be one, but, you know, you're. You're kind of just jumping right back in feet first.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, he's on that QB1. Frangigan where I have him as QB12 and I think that the concerns about the matchup are real. I think the Giants defense is good and if they had just someone that could play quarterback on the other side that they would play much better collectively as a unit and as a team as a whole. But I just love what I saw from Dak Prescott as a quarterback against the Eagles. I thought he looked absolutely fantastic. I thought that he was making every single throw. I mean you talk about the box score, CD Lamb just catches a couple of these passes and it looks completely different. So I mean George Pickens is not going to be. He's not going to stay quiet every single week. Javante Williams isn't going to score two rushing touchdowns every single week. So I came out of week one again. I was very low on Dak Prescott in week one and the minute that Jalen Carter got ejected I was like, oh no, I made a great mistake for telling people to bench Dak Prescott and I got lucky. I think. I don't know if the process of the results, like what was right, what was wrong, but my ranking of him ended up being right in week one because he didn't produce. But it wasn't because he wasn't playing good quarterback. He played excellent against the Eagles and I think that builds on it. They got extra time to prepare for the Giants coming off a Thursday night game and with all these weapons to play with, I think Dak can be a top 15 quarterback. So again like it fits as in burying Prescott at 15. But again, if you're looking for a streamer, if he got dropped after week one after he didn't put up a good performance, I think that he is definitely on the radar.

[Chris Welsh]

You guys are on completely different spectrums when it comes to Jordan love. He is ECR 15. Fitz, he's a little bit closer to ECR but still lower. Coming in at 18. Erickson, you come in at 9. Top 10 quarterback this week in Jordan Love. So you guys dramatically different with only so many quarterbacks. So Erickson, what's got you so positive about Jordan Love?

[Andrew Erickson]

Well, I think this was what we had last week too. I think I was high.

[Chris Welsh]

Was it this exact? I thought it was the inverse, but okay.

[Andrew Erickson]

No, I think it was. Was that right, Fitz? I was the high one on Jordan Love last week, correct?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

I think so, yeah.

[Chris Welsh]

So self hating packers fan.

[Andrew Erickson]

So I felt good about it in the first half of the game but then they just didn't, they didn't throw at all in the second half of the game. They basically just took the foot off the gas and just fed Josh Jacobs because they knew the Lions weren't pushing back in any capacity. So again, this improved packers defense is maybe hurting Jordan Love's upside if games are not going more back and forth. But I think this commander's offense is really good. With Jaden Daniels, I think they can maybe force a little bit more out of Jordan Love to push. And I just like the packers offensive score. I'm not afraid of the commander's defense. Until you face a real offense that's not the New York Giants, I'm going to assume that, hey, maybe the commanders aren't significantly improved from last year quite yet. Now I can be proven wrong. Maybe they are a much better defense. But against the New York Giants, I still think Jordan Love or excuse me, with the commanders facing the New York Giants, I want them to be tested. I think they're going to get a real test on Thursday night with the Packers.

[Chris Welsh]

Fitzy, you not so much. QB18, what do you think?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

I don't think this week sets up well for Jordan Love at all. Like he's playing in a short week. He's probably going to be playing without two of his starting offensive linemen, Zach Tom and Aaron Banks. And Zach Tom, the starting right tackle is probably Green Bay's best. Offensive lineman Jaden Reed is playing through a foot injury. Matthew golden apparently picked up some sort of ankle injury in Week one. And Erickson, I think you and I both believe the packers would not be as run heavy in 2025 as they were in 2024. Well, I'm rethinking that now because their defense looked amazing against the Lions in Week one. We didn't see the Micah Parsons trade coming. And if the packers do end up having an elite defense, like they're going to have a lot of run friendly game scripts this season. And they certainly had one in week one and Jordan Love only threw 22 passes.

[Matt Jones]

Hey, this is Matt Jones, I'm Drew.

[Drew Franklin]

Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining and twice a week that is exactly what you're going to get. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Matt Jones]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that?

[Matt Jones]

Looks like something that should not be sold.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh my.

[Matt Jones]

So that was my other big Colts takeaway.

[Drew Franklin]

They sold that.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Might want to go back to the Colts stadium. Yeah, I might want to back to the drawing board on that.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, I thought the shape we have.

[Matt Jones]

With pretzels was working pretty well.

[Chris Welsh]

It's worked for generations.

[Drew Franklin]

We're just here trying to enjoy it. We hope you all will join us throughout the year. And let's go.

[Matt Jones]

I hope I'm as youthful as Pete Carroll is at his age. He's a young 73.

[Drew Franklin]

He is a young 73. He is spry.

[Matt Jones]

I wouldn't fight him.

[Drew Franklin]

I would listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan]

I'm Dan, he's Ty.

[Andrew Erickson]

Hello.

[Dan]

And we're the Solid Verbal College Football Podcast.

[Ty]

College football season is here and you know what that means.

[Dan]

Your team is going to break your heart three times, probably before Halloween.

[Andrew Erickson]

Uh huh.

[Ty]

But fear not, the Solid Verbal will be right there with you through every soul crushing loss and impossible comeback.

[Dan]

Join us all season long, all year long, as we ride the rollercoaster of this ridiculous sport.

[Ty]

Whether you're a diehard fan or a casual observer, we'll help you make sense of all the chaos and of course, celebrate the madness. Tune in for previews, recaps, bits you won't hear anywhere else, and all the emotional support you need as a college football fan.

[Dan]

We don't just love college football, Ty, we love live it.

[Ty]

Listen to the Solid verbal college football podcasts on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

What's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game. From scouting reports and player development to.

[Bucky Brooks]

Team building philosophies, coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Every week we study the tape, talk to decision makers and share the insights you won't find anywhere else is the.

[Bucky Brooks]

Kind of conversation that connects the dots. From college football prospects to the NFL.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Stars of tomorrow, we break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day.

[Bucky Brooks]

Plus, we dig into coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Whether you're a die hard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture.

[Bucky Brooks]

If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chris Welsh]

This doesn't quite qualify as like the the last thing we're going to do, a quarterback when we're like, hey, you know the guy that didn't make the top 12. But this is a quarterback that is kind of buried in the ranks a little bit that you guys are both agreed more optimistic on. Jared Goff, ECR quarterback, 18 in the ranks. Ditzy 14. Erickson 13. Fitz, why don't you with a quick hitter on. On golf.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, Mad I let Erickson outflank me with the ranking here. Erickson is called the Lions when they play inside Ford Field is the Coors Field of the NFL and bounce back week coming for golf in the lines offense against the Bears, who are likely to be without their best cornerback, Jalen Johnson. Goff's week two ECR just seems like an overreaction to a bad result in a tough matchup back at home indoors against the lesser defense. Wheels up.

[Chris Welsh]

Yeah, Erickson, you've said it in the wide receiver show. Jameson Williams, wheels up. Big offense. Jared Goff, anything to add? You know, you hold, you hold the football home Rockies narrative, Coors Field. So what do you got?

[Andrew Erickson]

Well, actually mentioned another injury on the lion side. So what did we see last year when they had a bunch of defensive injuries? They had to turn Jared Goff and that's when he turned into a fantasy superstar. Well, they just lost another cornerback. Terry and Arnold, you know, he was one of their starting cornerbacks for the Detroit Lions. He's banged up now. So again we could expect if Caleb Williams, with these weapons that he has in the Bear. I don't think Ben Johnson's going to try to stand down to the Lions. Like, I think that he's going to try to be aggressive and try to put up points against his old team. And I think that Dan Campbell realizes, hey, we cannot do what we did last week. Like things have to change. And I think that you're going to see more explosive plays back at the Dome back at home. Again, what is, what does Boggs always say? Jared Goff, indoor cat. Indoor cat. This is his, this is his setting where he can thrive the most. And although I was out on Jared Goff in redraft season because I think that what happened in week one isn't a total anomaly. Like, I think they're going to be games where this offense does struggle, but not in these circumstances where week two, they're at home, it's the Bears on a short week. I think that this is a good spot to buy back into the offense.

[Chris Welsh]

So Goff doesn't qualify as a quarterback that is off the top 12 that should be. But you guys have an agreement on a quarterback, that is Erickson, you kick it off. This is. You guys have the same name. So just give a quick little excerpt on this player that you both agree should be a top 12 this week.

[Andrew Erickson]

It's Bo Nix for the Denver Broncos. After a very, very poor game from him and this Sean Payton offense, you know, we expected that. Hey, in the second year in the system with Sean Payton, this is going to be easy for Bo Nix. Easy for him to take that next step. Did not. Was not the case at all. Just so many penalties, turnovers, just a lot of boneheadedness. I don't know what Sean Payton was doing. I don't know if they were just kind of sleepwalking because, oh, it's the Tennessee Titans, blah, blah, blah. Like we don't need to prepare for them. That probably won't be the case this week against facing the Colts, who just destroyed the Miami Dolphins. I think that this team is going to be a little bit more ready and prepared than they were in week one. And Bonix, look, he's not perfect, but he also offers a lot as a rusher and that just gives him a floor. So against the Colts defense, that I don't think is scary, even though they were able to overwhelm the Miami Dolphins, I think that with one of the best offensive lines with the Denver Broncos, I think Bonix is going to have opportunities to make plays.

[Chris Welsh]

Yeah, Fitz, you got him at QB12. So you guys are lockstep together here.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, Opening day jitters, whatever it might have been for Bonix, I don't think we should overreact to a bad game. The matchup with the Colts is not to be feared, so I'm kind of sticking with my priors here.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, let's go over to tight ends. We got some nice shakeup here, and part of that is like clearly going to be because of injury. But here is your top 12 board, if I can speak. Trey McBride coming in at number one. Sam Laporta at number two. Hello. Tyler Warren. You will step up as the third tight end this week. Travis Kelsey, Brock Bowers. If Bowers is listed healthy, I think we all would agree he's going to be one or two in the ranks here. Maybe I'm wrong. Tucker Kraft at 6. T.J. hawkinson, Mark Andrews and Joku. Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goddard and Jake Ferguson at 12. We didn't have this on the list. Just got to do a quick thing. Tyler Warren coming up at number three. Fitzy, you know, he got his targets. They Talked in post game stuff that they literally. You're talking in video game terms. They're like, we could just spam Tyler Warren for 200 yards a game if we want to. He's at number three. Do you think that's the correct call this week? Do you literally think that people should bench Tyler Tucker Kraft for Tyler Warren?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yes, I do. Warren is a stud from the get go. And what was it that Daniel Jones was saying? He feels bad every time he doesn't throw the ball to Tyler Warren. I think we're going to see Warren continue to be a factor. Like every week. He had a rushing attempt in week one. Like he is just a horse.

[Chris Welsh]

Erickson does Tyler Warren. Should he be started over Travis Kelsey over Tucker Kraft over TJ Hawkinson?

[Andrew Erickson]

Yep, yep. He. It took all one week for him to be elite tight end.

[Chris Welsh]

Easy enough, easy there.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Stick one week.

[Chris Welsh]

Yep. Not easy ever. Is Kyle Pitts. He did get targets. We all want to move away from him and try not to fall into it. This week is even a little bit more unique though, outside of like him actually getting some usage. You've got the Drake London injury stuff. We don't know where Mooney is at. That's pushed him up to 10 ECR 10. Fitzy's got him at 8. Erickson, you've got him at 12. You guys both have. Actually, let's go to Fitzy just for a second. Just because you're the big, big positive on him as a top eight. You guys both have him as a starter here, but you are complicit in the Kyle Pitts Week 2 Ness here. Fitzy, what do you think?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, and I literally have Kyle Pitts as a starter in our content team league because Erickson drafted Tyler Warren and Tucker Kraft. What a great strategy.

[Chris Welsh]

What a great strategy.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Leaving bupkis for some of us at tight end.

[Chris Welsh]

So I'll have Mason Taylor and I had to go and I wavered. Fanon.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

This mean I was pretty pleased when Kyle Pitts had seven catches for 59 yards on eight targets in the opener. And I just think, you know, there is with Darnell Mooney out with a shoulder injury, not sure if there's a chance he comes back. Now Drake London has a shoulder injury of his own. Not entirely clear on his status for this week. Just seems like they need to get Kyle Pitts, have him continue to be involved this week against the Vikings.

[Chris Welsh]

Erickson, you're just willing to. You're willing to go down that road with Kyle Pitts? I. I thought it was the things are actually pretty positive. That was a pretty positive run for week one and it looks like things are lining up where he can get more usage this week. You in theory agree here as tight end 12.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, I think that everything that Fitz said is accurate in terms of situation is playing out in his favor. Where look, the top guys are banged up. Maybe they're going to go. Maybe they're not going to go. Kyle Pitts, I mean, if Kyle Pitts can't out target Casey Washington, Ray Ray McLeod, then what are we doing here? Like, come on. Like, he has to step up here. They have to get him more involved. I will say though, re watching this game, I was kind of disappointed that on the final drive they weren't using Kyle Pitts. Like they're doing end zone shots to Kadaro Hodge and Casey Washington. I'm like, where is Kyle Pitts? Get him in the red zone. This guy is a freak. Come on. So I still think that there might be that sprinkle of frustration still from Zach Robinson with Kyle Pitts. But if there's. If he's the last, last man standing, like I'm gonna take him over the other jabronis, McLeod, Washington because they need them.

[Chris Welsh]

Tight ends are pretty hot in the waiver wires this week, which usually isn't the case. Also kind of speaks to like maybe what the waiver wire was. There were some wide receivers, a lot of tight end injuries. Two tight ends really kind of jumped up to a lot of people. But I think the talk of the town was Harold Fannin. And yes, he's the tight end too there. I think there's some comps you guys are going to make that are pretty interesting. But he looked like a playmaker. Flacco seems to love him. He's ECR17. You guys have got him generally in the same spot 17, 18. But I just wanted to get your quick takes. Erickson, we'll start with you on Harold Fannin and you know, just your comfort level of starting him. I think, you know, there's. I think if he goes off for one more week, we're going to be putting him as a top 12 guy. But I think everybody's worried he's going to just kind of fade and disappear. But looked like a pretty great playmaker. Kind of looked like a slot receiver for the team.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, he definitely stood out. I think that, that when you're a rookie in your first game, you get nine targets, seven catch over 63 yards as the number two tight end on your team. Like, that's substantial. And I think that even if you added Harold Fan in this week, I don't necessarily think that he has to be jammed into your starting lineup. I think this can still be a long term play. Like there's a chance that the team trades in Joku at some point. Like that was kind of some of the rumblings out of Brown's camp this off season where, you know, October, November and Joker may not be part of this offense anymore, he may not be part of the team. So then you feel really good about having Harold Fannin, but just based on his usage in terms of his snapshare, it's just, I mean they have to run really, really hot with him. I mean how many times is it gonna be every single week where we get Brown's receivers, every single one of them is going to be hitting fantasy lineups like Judy produced for fantasy, Tillman produced for fantasy. The only guy didn't produce wasn't Joku. So is that going to happen every single week? Like that's why I'm just a little bit concerned and maybe a little bit more reserved with my ranking for him. Just for this week. I do kind of want to see it one more week of him in this role because we did this last year, right, with Isaiah. Likely he was taken over and then he did it and that was really frustrating. And you took a dud in week one or excuse me, in week two and it didn't end up panning out because there was another tight end of consequence on that roster. So it's not an exact, you know, one for one comparison. Fannin is a rookie. Isaiah likely was not a rookie at the time. So I think talent wise Fanon has a higher ceiling, especially long term. But. But I think that I'm just fine with having him as a stash on my bench even if I already have another tight end. Like I think that his upside is immense because I think that Joku getting moved on is real.

[Chris Welsh]

The likely comps are pretty interesting with Fan. And what do you think Fitz? I mean, you know, if you're putting a situation where you didn't get like a Joanne Johnson on the wire and you lost Kittle and stuff, like I think you could probably just feel comfortable throwing him out here, but what's your level of comfort and how high do you think he can get to?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Well, we probably should have paid more off season attention to a guy who as a junior at Bowling Green led FBS as a tight end with 117 catches and 1555 receiving yards. Yeah, So I do think fan is going to be a factor consistently. But the parallel with the Isaiah Likely thing I can't get past. I remember how many people after that opening, the big opening game that likely had against the Chiefs on Thursday night, how many investors in Mark Andrews asked me if they should pick up Isaiah Likely and I said no, that's just going to be. That is going to be a decision that will have you tearing your hair out every week and you're burning a lot of fab money to, you know, have a really unpredictable tight end situation. I think it's kind of the same thing with Fanon and I've had a lot of David Nijoku investors ask me if they should pick up Fanon and I do not think the Nijoku investors should be the one targeting Fanon because I think they're going to be weeks when Nijoku has the better day. And look, one, one thing people should not forget about this is that the Bengals were smashed by tight ends all throughout 2024. Like tight ends against the Bengals combined for like 111 catches, over a thousand yards and like 10 touchdowns. Like they just destroyed the Bengals and that's who Fan and feasted on last week. It might be a little different story against the Ravens this week. So I just, yeah, I mean I could not in good conscience rank fan in inside tight end one range yet.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, well, deep tight end. Maybe Fanon isn't your guys choice if you're looking for replacement if you add some injuries. But a deeper tight end that you guys are looking at this week. Fitzy, why don't you give us your name?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Oh man, I'm not feeling great about any of this but I, I just said John. Ooh, Smith. Like I think he's playable if you're really in a pinch. I think he's probably the Steelers tight end to have if you're going to have one. And since the Steelers are not going to get a lot from their receivers most weeks, I think their tight ends are playable.

[Chris Welsh]

He's my give me 2.5 reception over King all season long if they're going to give me that. Maybe even 3.5. Erickson, what do you think? Deeper tight end play? I think you're going to be jumping into the waiver wire for this week.

[Andrew Erickson]

Juwan Johnson for the New Orleans Saints. Eleven targets last week, eight cats for 76 yards. He played 99% of the snaps. That alone makes him a viable streaming tight end. Just are you on the field all the time? Yes. And what we saw from Kellen Moore in his debut with Spencer Rattler is this team just willing to drop back and throw it a lot similar to what we saw with like the Browns and Joe Flacco. Now, it's not always going to be super efficient targets coming from Spencer Rattler, and sometimes you get the occasional hospital ball. But I think that there's a connection between Rattler and Dwan Johnson, and this dates back to last season. Remember, Spencer Rattler was starting at the end of last year and we saw Juwan Johnson kind of pop off a little bit towards the end of the year when Rattler was the quarterback. So I think we're starting to see that carry over to this season. And I just loved how Johnson was used as a slot receiver in Kellen Moore's offense. We've seen this before in past stints where the slot receiver for Kellen Moore has been really, really productive. And that's what we saw in week one. 28% target rate per outrun 24% target share he had two red zone targets. He actually almost came down with a red zone touchdown, just got knocked out of his hands. So again, this is not a screaming or scoring bonanza between the 49ers and the Saints this week. But I don't think that Juwan Johnson's necessarily going to be game planned out by San Francisco. I think that he's going to be able to get a lot of targets and even if he gets inefficient volume, he's tight end. Like that's fine. We'll take that at the tight end position.

[Chris Welsh]

FantasyPros.com rankings check out the quarterback rankings, the tight end rankings, as they adjust through the week. You can check out all the other positions as well and all the different formats. We got you covered, so make sure you got it locked there. For Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmorris, I'm Chris Welch. Thank you guys so much for hanging out. Good luck in Week two and we'll talk to you next time right here on Fantasy Pros.

[Fantasy Pros Host]

Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts, at fantasypros.com review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and TikTok @FantasyPros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, this is Matt Jones and I'm Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Matt Jones]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're gonna get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan]

I'm Dan. He's Ty.

[Ty]

Hello.

[Dan]

And we're the solid verbal college football podcast.

[Ty]

Tune in for previews, recaps, bits you won't hear anywhere else, and all the emotional support you need as a college football fan.

[Dan]

Join us all season long as we ride the roller coaster of this ridiculous sport.

[Ty]

Listen to the solid verbal college football podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan]

We don't just love college football, Ty. We live it.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Six. We take you inside the game. From breaking down college prospects and NFL.

[Bucky Brooks]

Rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective. Perspective you won't find anywhere else.

[Bucky Brooks]

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sundays.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

This is an iHeart podcast.