Top fantasy football players of Week 2
The second week of the 2025 NFL season delivered explosive offensive performances across the league. On Sunday, Sept. 14, Amon-Ra St. Brown led the Detroit Lions to a dominant 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears. St. Brown was unstoppable in his first career three-touchdown game, hauling in nine catches for 115 yards. His quarterback, Jared Goff, had a similarly dominant performance, throwing for 334 yards and five touchdowns. This display came as Detroit bounced back emphatically from a disappointing loss to Green Bay in the first week of the season.
Meanwhile, the injury bug has already struck hard this season. Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow went down in their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and will miss at least three months due to turf toe. While this is devastating news to anyone who had him in their fantasy leagues, owners of Bengals wide receivers might not need to hit the panic button just yet. Playing with backup quarterback Jake Browning for most of the game, Ja'Marr Chase still managed to post 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.
Early-season performances from St. Brown, Goff, and Chase often set the tone for the entire fantasy football campaign, whether it's identifying sleeper picks who outperformed their draft position or confirming that established stars remain must-start options. These opening weeks can transform waiver wire priorities and trade discussions, while disappointing showings from highly drafted players create buy-low opportunities. Smart fantasy managers use early-season results not just for immediate lineup decisions but to spot emerging trends and role changes that could pay dividends throughout the long campaign ahead.
Stacker analyzed nflfastR data to determine the best-performing fantasy football players this past week. Points were calculated using PPR (points per reception) rules, with no bonuses or return yards in the scoring system. Rankings focus on single-week production to identify which players delivered the biggest fantasy impact.
Read on to see who the top 10 fantasy football players were for Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season and how well they did.
#10. James Cook (RB, Buffalo Bills)
- PPR fantasy points: 26.5
--- Rushing stats: 132 yards, 2 TD
--- Receiving stats: 1 receptions, 3 yards
- Season-to-date: 47.7 PPR (#1 among all RBs)
#9. Puka Nacua (WR, Los Angeles Rams)
- PPR fantasy points: 27.6
--- Receiving stats: 8 receptions, 91 yards
--- Rushing stats: 45 yards, 1 TD
- Season-to-date: 50.7 PPR (#1 among all WRs)
#8. Wan'Dale Robinson (WR, New York Giants)
- PPR fantasy points: 28.2
--- Receiving stats: 8 receptions, 142 yards, 1 TD
- Season-to-date: 39.7 PPR (#8 among all WRs)
#7. Jonathan Taylor (RB, Indianapolis Colts)
- PPR fantasy points: 29.5
--- Rushing stats: 165 yards
--- Receiving stats: 2 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD
- Season-to-date: 42.3 PPR (#6 among all RBs)
#6. Russell Wilson (QB, New York Giants)
- PPR fantasy points: 30.3
--- Passing stats: 450 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
--- Rushing stats: 23 yards
- Season-to-date: 41.4 PPR (#7 among all QBs)
#5. Rome Odunze (WR, Chicago Bears)
- PPR fantasy points: 31.8
--- Receiving stats: 7 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TD
- Season-to-date: 47.5 PPR (#4 among all WRs)
#4. Jared Goff (QB, Detroit Lions)
- PPR fantasy points: 34
--- Passing stats: 334 yards, 5 TD
--- Rushing stats: 6 yards
- Season-to-date: 44.9 PPR (#5 among all QBs)
#3. Ja'Marr Chase (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)
- PPR fantasy points: 36.5
--- Receiving stats: 14 receptions, 165 yards, 1 TD
- Season-to-date: 41.1 PPR (#6 among all WRs)
#2. Malik Nabers (WR, New York Giants)
- PPR fantasy points: 37.7
--- Receiving stats: 9 receptions, 167 yards, 2 TD
- Season-to-date: 49.8 PPR (#2 among all WRs)
#1. Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, Detroit Lions)
- PPR fantasy points: 39.2
--- Receiving stats: 9 receptions, 115 yards, 3 TD
--- Rushing stats: 7 yards
- Season-to-date: 47.7 PPR (#3 among all WRs)
