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Sept. 13 (UPI) -- David Johnson might be lost for the year and Jay Ajayi is playing in his first game of the season to headline the Week 2 running back group. If you owned the super talented Arizona Cardinals running back, you should consider dropping him if you are in a shallow league. Those looking for replacements can check out our weekly add/drop article.
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There are plenty of good matchups on the Week 2 slate, here our my Top 30 options for the position.
TOP 30 WEEK 2 RANKINGS BELOW
TOP SHELF
Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi is fresh and has the benefit of facing the Los Angeles Chargers on a short week. The Chargers just allowed 140 yards and a score on 36 carries on Monday Night Football to Denver Broncos running backs. None of those backs have the talent of Ajayi. The Dolphins Pro Bowler is my No. 2 running back for the week and is an RB1 for the remainder of the season. Last year, the Chargers tied for allowing the third-most rushing touchdown to running backs.
Todd Gurley is another no-doubter RB1 this week, coming is as my No. 4 running back. This week the Los Angeles Rams get the Washington Redskins. Washington stuffed the Philadelphia Eagles last week for 58 yards on 24 carries, but I expect Gurley to find success here. Last year, the Redskins tied with the Chargers for allowing the third-most rushing scores to running backs. Gurley had 96 yards and a score on 24 touches in a win against the Indianapolis Colts.
SNEAKY PLAYS
Green Bay Packers running back Ty Montgomery has a road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. He comes in as my No. 7 running back, mostly due to his dynamic skillset. Montgomery totaled 93 yards and a touchdown on 23 touches Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons allowed 125 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries to Chicago Bears running backs in Week 1. The Falcons also had trouble stopping Bears running backs as receivers out of the backfield, allowing 61 yards and a score on 11 receptions. Montgomery is a midrange RB1 this week in this matchup. You should expect at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
Rookie Christian McCaffrey managed 85 yards on 18 touches in his pro debut Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Although the Buffalo Bills stuffed the New York Jets for 38 yards and a score on 15 carries in Week 1, I don't think they will be as lucky against McCaffrey. Last year, Buffalo allowed the fourth-most fantasy points, third-most rushing yards and second most rushing touchdowns to running backs. McCaffrey is a high-end RB2 this weekend.
LONGSHOTS
Lamar Miller managed 96 yards on 19 touches in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I expect an RB2 perfomance in week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals allowed 80 yards and a score on 19 carries to Terrance West in Week 1. Cincinnati also allowed 71 yards on 21 carries to Javorius Allen. Don't hesitate to plug in Miller in this spot.
You might have been distracted by his number of touchdowns, but Mike Gillislee didn't rush for many yards in his Week 1 New England Patriots debut. But I expect that to change in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. While I don't think Gillislee gets into the end zone three times again this week, I do see him succeeding more against this defensive line. The Saints are coming off of a Monday Night Football loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In that game, rookie Dalvin Cook had 22 carries for 127 yards. The Saints tied for allowing the second-most rushing touchdowns and the third-most fantasy points to running backs last season. Gillislee is a low-end RB2 here.
