NFL Week 2 Power Rankings: Steelers Climb After Opener; Colts, Rams Slide

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Opening weekend of the 2016 NFL season was rich with drama, as 11 of the 16 games were decided by seven points or fewer and four were decided by a single point.

Here’s a look at where each team stands in NESN.com’s NFL power rankings as we head into Week 2. (To see our Week 1 rankings, click here.)

1. New England Patriots (Week 1: 1): The kings stay the kings in these rankings after upsetting the Cardinals on the road in Jimmy Garoppolo’s first NFL start.

2. Arizona Cardinals (2): Despite what general manager Steve Keim might believe, Arizona’s loss to Garoppolo & Co., while surely disappointing, was not the end of the world. The Cards will be a tough out all season.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6): Playing without the suspended Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers shook off a slow start Monday night to trample the Redskins 38-16 behind 143 rushing yards by DeAngelo Williams. It was the second-largest margin of victory of any game on opening weekend.

4. Green Bay Packers (5): A touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams in the final moments of the first half put the Packers ahead for good as they held off a pesky Jaguars squad in Week 1. Rodgers accounted for all three Green Bay touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 27-23 win.

5. Seattle Seahawks (3): We won’t overreact to one game, but needing a last-minute touchdown to beat the Dolphins as 10 1/2-point favorites wasn’t how the Seahawks wanted to begin their season.

6. Carolina Panthers (4): The beatdown the Broncos put on Cam Newton bordered on unsettling. The Panthers’ franchise quarterback is a physical freak, but Carolina can’t have him taking those type of hits week in and week out.

7. Denver Broncos (9): Trevor Siemian looked … actually pretty good in his real taste of NFL action. If he can maintain that, the Broncos will climb this list in a hurry.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (7): Andy Dalton was sacked seven times but still managed to carve up the Jets’ defense to the tune of 366 passing yards, his highest total since Week 3 of last season.

9. Oakland Raiders (10): Twenty-two points in the fourth quarter, a gutsy two-point conversion and the tweet of the weekend? That’s enough to earn Oakland a one-spot bump.

10. Kansas City Chiefs (9): Like the Raiders did, the Chiefs fell into a massive hole early before staging a wild comeback. The AFC West rivals combined to score 45 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of their respective season openers.

11. Houston Texans (13): Quarterback Brock Osweiler, running back Lamar Miller and rookie receiver Will Fuller all looked solid against the woeful Bears.

12. New York Jets (11): The Jets only lost to the Bengals by one point, but A.J. Green’s demolition of Darrelle Revis has to concern Gang Green supporters.

.@ajgreen_18 when covered by Darrelle Revis today…very impressive. #CINvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/64edP0OuI6

— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2016

13. Baltimore Ravens (15): Baltimore held old friend Rex Ryan and the Bills to a single score in a 13-7 win.

14. New York Giants (16): Eli Manning’s troops did just enough to beat the Tony Romo-less Cowboys.

15. Minnesota Vikings (14): Minnesota’s defense was ferocious in a win over Tennessee, but failing to score a single offensive touchdown would result in a loss against most NFL opponents.

16. Washington Redskins (12): The Redskins led the Steelers 6-0 20 minutes into their Monday night matchup. They were outscored 38-10 the rest of the way.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (18): The Jags hung right with the Packers all game. They could surprise some people this season.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22): The Bucs’ climb up the rankings has begun after Jameis Winston’s four-touchdown performance against the Falcons.

19. Detroit Lions (21): Neither the Lions nor the Colts deserved to win their Week 1 matchup…

20. Indianapolis Colts (17): But Indy definitely deserved to lose after falling behind 21-3, rallying all the way back to take a 38-35 lead with less than a minute remaining and then immediately squandering it by allowing a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.

21. Buffalo Bills (19): Through one week, the Bills rank last in the NFL in yards and passing yards and second-to-last in points.

22. Atlanta Falcons (20): The Falcons just look destined for mediocrity this season.

23. Miami Dolphins (26): Kudos to Miami for hanging tough with Seattle. That front seven has the potential to be seriously disruptive this season.

24. Dallas Cowboys (23): C’mon, Terrance Williams. Just run out of bounds, man.

25. Chicago Bears (24): See: Falcons.

26. San Diego Chargers (27): We’re just going to leave this here:

27. San Francisco 49ers (30): The Chip Kelly era got off to a rollicking start Monday night, hence the slight rankings bump.

28. New Orleans Saints (28): Saints defense: Still bad.

29. Los Angeles Rams (24): Rams offense: Possibly even worse.

30. Philadelphia Eagles (31): Is Carson Wentz the real deal? He certainly looked like it in Week 1, albeit against the miserable Browns.

31. Tennessee Titans (29): Three turnovers and dearth of offense in the second half doomed the Titans against the Vikings.

32. Cleveland Browns (32): The Browns lost to the Eagles in an early-season Toilet Bowl, and their quarterback already is on injured reserve. So, business as usual in Cleveland.

Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images

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2016 fantasy football rankings: Top 5 rookies at each offensive position

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We take a look at how the rookie class stacks up at each position in fantasy.

Editor"s note (9/9/16): We have updated the rankings heading into the first weekend of the NFL season. For changes,

In the world of fantasy football, drafting rookies is always risky business, especially in re-draft leagues. Keeper leagues and dynasty leagues offer the benefit of deeper foresight for your investment. For everyone else simply looking to capture a strong rookie performance for one season, it’s a bit more difficult. Regardless of the collegiate accolades and the draft pedigree of a player, the reality is that we’re taking a gamble on an unproven Pro.

In 2016, we’re faced with a relatively weak class of quarterbacks and tight ends. Fortunately, the potential that wide receivers and running backs present this season make up for it.

Let"s take a look at each skill position, and consider which rookies are the best poised to become fantasy assets for your roster.

Quarterbacks

1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (4)


2. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles


3. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (1)


4. Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos (3)


5. Cody Kessler, Cleveland Browns

Editor"s update: Dak Prescott has taken over as starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys while Tony Romo rehabs his injury. Carson Wentz is starting for the Philadelphia Eagles following their decision to trade Sam Bradford.

Jared Goff may be the only fantasy relevant quarterback among the rookies in 2016, and even that may be a generous description of him. Goff will likely be the starter in Los Angeles in Week 1, but it’s difficult to envision him putting up any significant fantasy numbers. Neither the Rams nor coach Jeff Fisher have delivered a fantasy quarterback worth rostering in this decade, and rookie quarterbacks are a big enough risk as it is. The remaining quarterbacks among the top-5 rookies listed are primarily in order of who has the most opportunity to see playing time in 2016. Carson Wentz is behind Sam Bradford on Philadelphia’s depth chart, and it will take a lot for Bradford to keep the team’s second overall pick on the bench. Paxton Lynch is a player that his team is really hoping can step up. Mark Sanchez is currently the favorite to start Week 1, but it’s difficult to envision Sanchez offering much upside to the defending champions. Dak Prescott and Cody Kessler are simply a possibility either due to a veteran injury (Tony Romo) or a shaky starter for a dysfunctional organization (Robert Griffin and the Cleveland Browns).

Running Backs

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys


2. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans


3. CJ Prosise, Seattle Seahawks


4. Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens


5. Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos

Editor"s update: No changes, but Dixon will move up once he recovers from his knee injury.

The only surefire workhorse on this list is Ezekiel Elliott, who will start behind one of the league’s best offensive lines in 2016. Elliott is battling a hamstring injury that could put his Week 1 status in jeopardy. Regardless, he’s the rookie RB to own. The remaining running backs have plenty of potential. Derrick Henry and CJ Prosise are each waiting for their chance behind shaky veterans (DeMarco Murray) or an unproven workhorse (Thomas Rawls). Kenneth Dixon and Devontae Booker have a shot for meaningful snaps in 2016. Dixon is behind an aging Justin Forsett in Baltimore, and Booker is battling for snaps with Ronnie Hillman in Denver. Dixon and Booker have more upside in dynasty leagues, but either one could take the reins and are worth monitoring on the waiver wire this season.

Wide Receivers

1. Sterling Shepard, New York Giants


2. Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns


3. Laquon Treadwell, Minnesota Vikings (4)


4. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (3)


5. Will Fuller, Houston Texans

Editor"s update: We bumped Treadwell up, as Thomas is dealing with an ankle injury for the time being.

Sterling Shepard tops the list of wide receivers this season. Corey Coleman may be more likely to lead in targets his rookie year, but Shepard has more stability at quarterback and an elite talent sharing the field with him in Odell Beckham. Michael Thomas is one of the more intriguing rookies this season. Much like Shepard, Thomas has plenty of young talent around him. Of course, he also has the benefit of Drew Brees under center. If Thomas can continue his reportedly impressive offseason, he could see some very meaningful snaps in 2016. Laquon Treadwell should impress in Minnesota, but he may be held back a bit by a run-first offense and a dominant defense. We also have yet to see quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connect with any of his receivers on a consistent basis for a full season. Will Fuller is the final receiver on the list. He’ll see plenty of playing time alongside wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. However, Fuller’s targets may get watered down with Cecil Shorts and Jaelen Strong commanding a share of snaps. Fuller owners may need to be patient, as the Texans could ease him into a bigger workload through September.

Tight Ends

1. Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons


2. Hunter Henry, San Diego Chargers


3. Tyler Higbee, St. Louis Rams (4)


4. Cole Wick, Detroit Lions (NR)


5. Jerell Adams, New York Giants

Editor"s update: Not a lot of changes, but Nick Vannett"s injury bumps him out.

It was a relatively weak year for tight ends entering the draft in 2016, and consequently there isn’t much to be thrilled about in the world of fantasy football. Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry may be the only two tight ends worth talking about in 2016. Both have the opportunity to step into a starting role under the right circumstances. Hooper only has Jacob Tamme to compete with in Atlanta. The Falcons are in search of new weapons to compliment wide receiver Julio Jones. Hooper could serve as a red zone threat if he can prove to be a mismatch as a rookie. Hunter Henry has a much better outlook than Hooper. Henry was the top tight end in the draft and is learning behind veteran Antonio Gates. If Gates gets banged up during the regular season, the Chargers won’t hesitate to put the second-rounder on the field. Beyond Hunter and Henry, we have tights ends like Nick Vannett and Tyler Higbee, who are unlikely to see much work behind veteran tight ends on their respective teams. Jerell Adams has plenty of upside, but he’s even deeper down the depth chart than the rookies ranked above him.

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