JC Fantasy Football National Poll Week 2

Ladies and Gentlemen, after a week of being sick and catching up from vacation, your favorite Commissioner is back! Week 2 is complete, and the National Poll is beginning to look much less like a preseason projection and much more like a résumé, both in fantasy and in the real NFL. Are the Saints for real? Might the Raiders actually be cooking a little bit? Are the Chargers the worst team in NFL history??? Week 3 will tell us a lot more!

Every manager now has four results on the books — two head-to-head games and two league-median games — meaning records range from 4-0 to 0-4. Actual performance now drives the majority of the rankings through record, division-normalized all-play performance, scoring, consistency and schedule context, while the preseason roster/history component continues to fade.

And after two weeks, we have a new No. 1, four unbeaten teams inside the Top 16 that began the year outside the Top 25, and some preseason favorites already fighting just to remain nationally relevant.

Week 2 National Poll

1. Vikki Simpson — Division D

4-0 | Week 2: 145.18 points | Week 1: #5 | ▲ 4

Simpson takes over the No. 1 ranking after following her 170.60-point opener with another excellent 145.18, the second-highest score in Division D this week.

She is now 4-0 with an 88.9% normalized all-play rate through two weeks, so this is no longer simply the veteran-heavy roster receiving preseason respect.

There are several unbeaten teams chasing her, but nobody has combined two elite weeks with as strong a preseason foundation as consistently as Simpson has.

2. Trey Matey — Division A

4-0 | Week 2: 149.84 points | Week 1: #12 | ▲ 10

The defending champion follows 175 points with 149.84 and has now posted the highest score in Division A in both weeks, giving him a perfect 100% all-play mark through two games.

Matey’s mediocre Week 0 draft grade is rapidly becoming irrelevant because the actual lineup has been better than every opponent it could possibly have faced so far.

A twelve-spot Week 1 ranking already looked like a correction; No. 2 now reflects what has unquestionably been one of the two best starts in the entire league.

3. Zac Grantham — Division A

4-0 | Week 2: 132.20 points | Week 1: #13 | ▲ 10

Grantham has quietly done exactly what a perennial contender is supposed to do: 133.66 in Week 1, 132.20 in Week 2 and all four available wins.

He finished third in Division A scoring this week and has avoided the wild week-to-week swings that have hurt several teams ranked around him.

The ceiling has not been as spectacular as Matey’s, but a 4-0 record with excellent consistency in Division A is one of the strongest résumés in the field.

4. Todd Wilson — Division C

3-1 | Week 2: 106.98 points | Week 1: #3 | ▼ 1

Wilson finally takes a loss after Colton Black erupted for 150.58 against him, but 106.98 barely cleared the Division C median and salvaged a 1-1 week.

That was a substantial step down from his strong opener, so the preseason No. 1 no longer has enough current production to remain at the very top.

Still, a 3-1 record combined with one of the league’s best preseason profiles keeps Wilson firmly in championship territory rather than turning one mediocre week into an overreaction.

5. Tryten Kelly — Division D

3-1 | Week 2: 124.40 points | Week 1: #1 | ▼ 4

The first regular-season No. 1 falls four spots after scoring 124.40 and missing Division D’s median by the cruelest possible margin — one-hundredth of a point.

Kelly still beat Eric Collier head-to-head and has scored 303.20 points through two weeks, so very little about the overall résumé is concerning.

The difference between No. 1 and No. 5 right now is simply that several other contenders are still perfect while Kelly has finally surrendered a result.

6. Daniel Horn — Division C

3-1 | Week 2: 140.18 points | Week 1: #20 | ▲ 14

Horn is rapidly becoming one of the best early stories in the league, following a strong 137.96 debut with the second-highest score in Division C this week.

His only loss through four results came because he drew Mark Handy’s 178.66 in Week 1, while his 77.3% all-play rate says the underlying performance has been legitimately excellent.

Horn began the year outside the Top 25 with no established JC résumé; two weeks later, the newcomer is sitting at No. 6 on merit.

7. Trey Reynolds — Division E

3-1 | Week 2: 163.88 points | Week 1: #24 | ▲ 17

Reynolds delivered the highest score in Division E this week, beating Kent Larson by more than 72 points and defeating every other E roster in all-play.

His lone loss remains the Week 1 head-to-head defeat to Chad Skipworth despite Reynolds beating the median that week, so the 3-1 record actually understates how strong the two-week performance has been.

The preseason model already liked the roster; Week 2 finally provided the massive scoring performance needed to send it into the national Top 10.

8. Mark Handy — Division C

4-0 | Week 2: 134.32 points | Week 1: #18 | ▲ 10

Handy follows his league-shaking 178.66 opener with 134.32, gives Michael Russo his first rough week and remains a perfect 4-0.

He has beaten 90.9% of Division C opponents in all-play through two weeks and owns the highest cumulative score in the division.

The only reason Handy is not even higher is the preseason No. 40 starting point, and that anchor will continue disappearing rapidly if he keeps producing like this.

9. Julius Foster — Division A

3-1 | Week 2: 121.12 points | Week 1: #11 | ▲ 2

Foster ran into Trey Matey’s division-leading score but still cleared the Division A median, turning a difficult matchup into a perfectly acceptable 1-1 week.

The newcomer has now scored well in consecutive weeks and owns a 68.2% all-play rate in arguably the league’s toughest draft environment.

Week 0 asked whether Foster’s talented starting lineup could overcome a few questionable draft choices; so far, the answer has been yes.

10. John Breeze — Division E

3-1 | Week 2: 129.62 points | Week 1: #14 | ▲ 4

Breeze lost a close head-to-head matchup to Cindy Able but stayed safely above the Division E median to preserve a 3-1 overall record.

He has now finished above two-thirds of his possible all-play opponents through two weeks without needing one enormous outlier score to carry the résumé.

The Top 10 placement is built more on steady quality than fireworks, which may actually make Breeze one of the safer early-season teams in the poll.

11. Chad Skipworth — Division E

3-1 | Week 2: 119.00 points | Week 1: #10 | ▼ 1

Skipworth’s Week 2 was dramatically quieter than his 157.90-point opening statement, as DJ Billmeier beat him head-to-head while 119.00 still cleared the E median.

That leaves Skipworth 3-1 with a strong 77.8% all-play rate, so the Week 1 breakout clearly was not built entirely on one fortunate matchup.

The challenge now is showing that the roster can return to the scoring ceiling we saw in Week 1 rather than settling into the middle of a loaded Division E.

12. Heath Strickland — Division B

4-0 | Week 2: 130.46 points | Week 1: #17 | ▲ 5

Strickland remains perfect after surviving Mark Bentley by 0.34 points while also finishing above the Division B median.

His Week 1 explosion still carries much of the scoring résumé, but an 83.3% two-week all-play mark shows this is much more than a lucky 4-0 record.

Strickland began at No. 36 in the preseason and has already forced the model to move him twenty-four places in two weeks.

13. Jen Grantham — Division A

3-1 | Week 2: 109.56 points | Week 1: #6 | ▼ 7

Grantham defeated Steven Matey head-to-head but fell below Division A’s median, producing a 1-1 week after her strong opener.

The 3-1 record and elite historical résumé provide plenty of stability, but her two-week all-play performance has now fallen into the middle of Division A rather than the top.

No. 13 is still safely inside the playoff picture, but another sub-median week would begin making the preseason pedigree much less persuasive.

14. Aaron Quarles — Division B

4-0 | Week 2: 157.28 points | Week 1: #28 | ▲ 14

Quarles may be the most underrated team through two weeks, following 156.24 with 157.28, the highest score in Division B this week.

He is 4-0, has beaten 83.3% of his all-play opponents and owns the highest two-week scoring total in Division B, so virtually every actual-performance metric now screams contender.

The only thing suppressing the ranking is a preseason start at No. 46, and that will not matter much longer if Quarles continues doing this.

15. Michael Russo — Division C

2-2 | Week 2: 97.90 points | Week 1: #4 | ▼ 11

Russo experiences his first real adversity after Mark Handy beat him comfortably and 97.90 failed to reach the Division C median.

The excellent Week 1 performance and highly rated roster prevent one bad week from erasing him, but a 2-2 record now gives the teams below him a legitimate opening.

The veteran-heavy construction was always expected to carry both a strong ceiling and some volatility, and Week 2 provided the first glimpse of the latter.

16. Lynn Burkhead — Division D

4-0 | Week 2: 124.42 points | Week 1: #23 | ▲ 7

Burkhead remains unbeaten after defeating Charissa Burkhead and clearing the Division D median by — incredibly — one-hundredth of a point.

The 4-0 record is excellent even though the all-play profile has been more middle-of-the-pack than the other perfect teams, which keeps Burkhead right on the edge rather than near the top.

For now, however, the former runner-up has done the only thing that ultimately matters: keep collecting results, and the reward is the final playoff position.

— CURRENT PLAYOFF LINE —

17. Aaron Crawford — Division C

3-1 | Week 2: 84.46 points | Week 1: #8 | ▼ 9

Crawford managed to beat Aiden Horn head-to-head but finished near the bottom of Division C scoring and lost the median game, making the 1-1 week much shakier than the record suggests.

His strong Week 1 keeps him only one spot outside the playoffs, but 84.46 is the kind of score that becomes increasingly difficult to overlook once preseason influence fades.

18. Steven Matey — Division A

2-2 | Week 2: 105.62 points | Week 1: #7 | ▼ 11

Matey follows his 173.56-point explosion with 105.62, losing narrowly to Jen Grantham and also falling below the Division A median.

The championship pedigree and enormous Week 1 ceiling remain important, but this is exactly the volatility that separates a Top-10 résumé from a bubble résumé after two weeks.

19. DJ Billmeier — Division E

3-1 | Week 2: 141.66 points | Week 1: #42 | ▲ 23

Nobody inside the Top 24 makes a bigger jump than Billmeier, who posted Division E’s second-highest score and handed Chad Skipworth his first head-to-head loss.

After a merely average Week 1, the 141.66-point breakout gives DJ a 3-1 record and suddenly places the preseason No. 45 team directly in the playoff conversation.

20. Raiden Weeks — Division B

3-1 | Week 2: 109.02 points | Week 1: #15 | ▼ 5

Weeks beat Andy Miller head-to-head but missed the Division B median after his excellent opening performance, leaving him 3-1 with a much more ordinary second week.

The record keeps him securely ranked, but the scoring will need to rebound if Weeks wants to return to the Top 16.

21. Shane Able — Division B

2-2 | Week 2: 153.78 points | Week 1: #38 | ▲ 17

Able delivers one of Week 2’s strongest bounce-backs, posting the second-highest score in Division B and easily sweeping April Marlow and the median.

The Week 1 0-2 hole keeps him outside the playoffs for now, but 153.78 immediately transforms Able into one of the most interesting teams on the bubble.

22. John Matey — Division A

1-3 | Week 2: 119.48 points | Week 1: #22 | —

Matey earned his first result by beating Tanner Harris but missed the Division A median by only 0.82 points, leaving the underlying Week 2 performance much healthier than the 1-3 record.

His history and preseason roster evaluation still provide some patience, but the wins now need to begin arriving before that safety net disappears.

23. Colton Black — Division C

2-2 | Week 2: 150.58 points | Week 1: #43 | ▲ 20

Black posts the highest score in Division C, knocks off preseason No. 1 Todd Wilson and flies twenty places after one of the most impressive Week 2 performances in the league.

At 2-2 with a 63.6% all-play rate through two weeks, the preseason No. 39 ranking suddenly looks much too pessimistic.

24. Eric Collier — Division D

2-2 | Week 2: 82.50 points | Week 1: #2 | ▼ 22

The Week 1 No. 2 suffers the largest fall in the poll after posting Division D’s lowest score and losing both available results to Tryten Kelly and the median.

Collier’s dominant opener and elite preseason roster keep him inside the Top 24, but Week 3 will tell us whether 82.50 was simply a bad Sunday or the beginning of a real problem.

25. Allen Barnes — Division C

2-2 | Week 2: 91.16 points | Week 1: #9 | ▼ 16

Barnes falls sharply after losing to Robby Meek and the median with 91.16, turning his excellent 2-0 debut into an even 2-2 start.

26. Nathan Nunley — Division E

3-1 | Week 2: 108.20 points | Week 1: #27 | ▲ 1

Nunley narrowly beat Dwayne Landry head-to-head but missed the median, so the 3-1 record remains excellent even if Week 2 itself was fairly ordinary.

27. Mark Bentley — Division B

2-2 | Week 2: 130.12 points | Week 1: #32 | ▲ 5

Bentley lost to Heath Strickland by just 0.34 points but still beat the median, making his 2-2 résumé considerably stronger than a simple record check suggests.

28. Cindy Able — Division E

2-2 | Week 2: 134.48 points | Week 1: #40 | ▲ 12

Able responds to a brutal opener with a 2-0 Week 2, beating John Breeze and clearing the median with Division E’s third-highest score.

29. Danielle Abbott — Division B

2-2 | Week 2: 139.66 points | Week 1: #34 | ▲ 5

Abbott completely reverses her 0-2 debut by beating Earnest Vincent and the median with 139.66, immediately reopening the possibility that her preseason Top-10 roster evaluation was not crazy after all.

30. Braxyn Smith — Division A

2-2 | Week 2: 124.36 points | Week 1: #36 | ▲ 6

Smith gets back to even by beating Dustin Barnett by only 0.28 points while also finishing safely above the Division A median.

31. Kent Larson — Division E

2-2 | Week 2: 91.76 points | Week 1: #16 | ▼ 15

Larson falls out of the playoff field after Trey Reynolds overwhelmed him 163.88 to 91.76 and the score also finished near the bottom of Division E.

32. Dusty Glass — Division A

2-2 | Week 2: 113.98 points | Week 1: #25 | ▼ 7

Glass drops seven places after losing both results to Zac Grantham and the median, though the two-week résumé remains much healthier than several teams below him.

33. SJ Buchanan — Division D

3-1 | Week 2: 130.56 points | Week 1: #48 | ▲ 15

Buchanan earns both Week 2 results with 130.56 and improves to 3-1, making the low ranking mostly a product of the preseason starting point rather than the actual record.

34. April Marlow — Division B

1-3 | Week 2: 97.88 points | Week 1: #21 | ▼ 13

Marlow’s preseason No. 4 ranking continues to unravel after a second straight sub-median week, this time against Shane Able’s 153.78.

35. Aiden Benge — Division D

1-3 | Week 2: 125.54 points | Week 1: #41 | ▲ 6

Benge lost to Kile Brandon’s huge score but beat the Division D median, earning an important result and showing improvement despite the 1-3 overall record.

36. Kile Brandon — Division D

2-2 | Week 2: 155.78 points | Week 1: #49 | ▲ 13

Brandon rebounds from Division D’s lowest Week 1 score by posting its highest Week 2 score, sweeping both results and jumping thirteen positions.

37. Ashton Matey — Division A

2-2 | Week 2: 133.48 points | Week 1: #46 | ▲ 9

Matey answers her rough opener with the second-highest score in Division A, beats Michael Matey and the median, and gets all the way back to 2-2.

38. Jay Robinson — Division B

0-4 | Week 2: 71.10 points | Week 1: #19 | ▼ 19

Robinson’s highly rated preseason roster is now in genuine trouble after Division B’s lowest Week 2 score drops the newcomer to 0-4.

39. Andy Miller — Division B

2-2 | Week 2: 88.06 points | Week 1: #26 | ▼ 13

Miller gives back much of his Week 1 surge with 88.06, losing both the matchup to Raiden Weeks and the median.

40. Tanner Harris — Division A

0-4 | Week 2: 109.68 points | Week 1: #35 | ▼ 5

Harris improved on Week 1 but still lost to John Matey and finished below the Division A median, leaving him searching for his first result at 0-4.

41. Charissa Burkhead — Division D

0-4 | Week 2: 96.82 points | Week 1: #30 | ▼ 11

Burkhead’s preseason Top-12 expectations are fading quickly after another 0-2 week leaves her winless through four results.

42. Dustin Barnett — Division A

1-3 | Week 2: 124.08 points | Week 1: #44 | ▲ 2

Barnett missed a head-to-head win by only 0.28 against Braxyn Smith but did beat the Division A median, making the 1-3 record harsher than his Week 2 performance deserved.

43. Earnest Vincent — Division B

0-4 | Week 2: 119.64 points | Week 1: #33 | ▼ 10

Vincent improved significantly from his disastrous opener but still fell short of both Danielle Abbott and the Division B median, leaving the preseason No. 12 team at 0-4.

44. Tammie Simms — Division C

2-2 | Week 2: 118.62 points | Week 1: #53 | ▲ 9

Simms earns a full 2-0 week over Israel Flores and the median, escaping the bottom of the poll after one of the stronger bounce-backs among the lower-ranked teams.

45. Robert Buchanan — Division D

1-3 | Week 2: 100.62 points | Week 1: #37 | ▼ 8

Buchanan follows his promising Week 1 score with 100.62 and loses both results to SJ Buchanan and the median.

46. Matt Billmeier — Division E

0-4 | Week 2: 68.08 points | Week 1: #29 | ▼ 17

Billmeier’s preseason No. 15 roster hits rock bottom in Week 2 with the lowest score in Division E, and the 0-4 start now outweighs nearly all of the preseason optimism.

47. Robby Meek — Division C

2-2 | Week 2: 116.94 points | Week 1: #50 | ▲ 3

Meek earns both available wins against Allen Barnes and the median, giving himself a clean 2-2 record after beginning the season near the bottom.

48. Israel Flores — Division C

1-3 | Week 2: 98.38 points | Week 1: #47 | ▼ 1

Flores loses both Week 2 results to Tammie Simms and the median, but his Week 1 head-to-head victory keeps him from joining the 0-4 group.

49. Aiden Horn — Division C

0-4 | Week 2: 69.80 points | Week 1: #31 | ▼ 18

Horn posts the lowest score in Division C and falls eighteen places as the promising preseason roster starts 0-4.

50. Mallory Crawford — Division C

0-4 | Week 2: 104.60 points | Week 1: #45 | ▼ 5

Crawford improves considerably from Week 1 but loses to Daniel Horn and misses the Division C median by just over a point, keeping her at 0-4.

51. Beverlye Landry — Division E

1-3 | Week 2: 105.92 points | Week 1: #52 | ▲ 1

Landry earns her first head-to-head result by beating Matt Billmeier, although 105.92 remained below the Division E median.

52. Michael Matey — Division A

0-4 | Week 2: 71.62 points | Week 1: #39 | ▼ 13

Matey falls thirteen spots after posting Division A’s lowest score and losing both results to Ashton Matey and the median.

53. Darren Tankersley — Division D

0-4 | Week 2: 112.98 points | Week 1: #51 | ▼ 2

Tankersley shows some scoring improvement but draws new No. 1 Vikki Simpson and again misses the median, leaving him without a result through two weeks.

54. Dwayne Landry — Division E

0-4 | Week 2: 105.62 points | Week 1: #54 | —

Landry came within 2.58 points of beating Nathan Nunley but missed both the matchup and the median, keeping him at No. 54 for another week.

Two Weeks Down

Week 2 gave us our first real separation.

Vikki Simpson, Trey Matey, Zac Grantham, Mark Handy, Heath Strickland, Aaron Quarles and Lynn Burkhead are all still 4-0, but they arrived there in very different ways. Some have dominated their divisions statistically, while others have repeatedly found ways to secure both available results even without producing the week’s biggest score.

Meanwhile, the poll is already correcting some enormous preseason misses. Mark Handy has gone from #40 to #8, Aaron Quarles from #46 to #14, DJ Billmeier from #45 to #19, and Colton Black just jumped twenty spots in a single week.

At the other end, the preseason safety net is disappearing quickly. The games are beginning to tell us who these teams actually are.

The Top 16 remains the only line that ultimately matters.

Check back every Tuesday morning for the updated JC Fantasy Football National Poll.