After a nightmare week filled with off-the-field controversy in the National Football League, the second week of games yesterday was unfortunately dominated by injuries to high-profile players. The maladies wreaked havoc across the fantasy football landscape, and if you managed to avoid the chaos on Sunday, consider yourself extremely lucky. The fantasy football gods are certainly trying the patience of many owners to this point of the season.

But let me address how this column will be formatted. Between the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions, their most recent games will be judged from a fantasy perspective under the following three categories: “The Good, The Mediocre, and The Ugly.” The rankings will try to reflect said players performance in relation to their expected output coming into the game. I hope you enjoy the format, and let me know if you would like to see any changes to the column.

Week Two QB’s: The Good

Aaron Rodgers: 25-42-346-3 (6 rushes, 28 yards)…. In an appetizing matchup against the New York Jets, Rodgers lit up their secondary and looked to be in vintage form after a rough Week 1. His connection with Jordy Nelson is lethal and he will look to keep the good times rolling against the shaky Detroit Lions secondary in Week 3.

Philip Rivers: 28-37-284-3 (11 rushes, 17 yards)…. In perhaps the most surprising fantasy performance of the day, Rivers had his way with the vaunted Seattle Seahawks defense. Rivers and Antonio Gates showed why they are one of the most prolific QB-TE duos in NFL history as they hooked up for three scores and the Seahawks had no answer. Fire him up as a QB1 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.

Jay Cutler: 23-34-176-4 (5 rushes, 25 yards)…. After a shaky first half that could largely be attributed to Brandon Marshall (ankle) and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) not being 100% due to injuries and general ineffectiveness, Cutler capitalized on turnovers by the San Francisco 49ers in the second half for his scores. Cutler has proven to be a worthy QB1 through the first two weeks, and he has a nice matchup against the Jets in Week 3.

Peyton Manning: 21-26-242-3 (1 rush, -1 yards)… It was once again a tale of two halves for Manning as the Broncos got off to a scorching start in the first half before struggling once again in the second half. Owners can’t complain about three touchdown passes but his 26 attempts leave a lot to be desired. Manning has a tough matchup in Week 3 as the Broncos will head to Qwest Field in Seattle. Don’t expect the usual Peyton numbers you’ve grown accustomed to.

Cam Newton: 22-34-281-1 (4 rushes, 19 yards)…. After missing Week 1 due to a rib injury, Newton toughed it out to deliver a solid fantasy performance in his first start of the season. Newton appeared to be favoring his surgically repaired ankle at points, but the coaching staff wasn’t afraid to use him in the run game. Look for Newton to deliver a fine performance against a burnable Steelers defense in Week 3.

The Mediocre

Drew Brees: 27-40-2 TD-1 INT (1 rush, 3 yards)… Widely considered to be a top-3 QB entering the year, Brees is only averaging 18.5 points through the first two games. The New Orleans Saints aren’t the same team on the road, and it wasn’t any different on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. He’s lucky he has Jimmy Graham on his side or Sunday’s effort could have really been bad. Expect him to rebound in a big way against the Vikings this week at home.

Matthew Stafford: 27-48-291-1 TD-1 INT (1 rush, 8 yards)… After a scintillating debut last week, Stafford predictably regressed a bit as he faced a great defense in the Carolina Panthers. Owners should have nary a worry though; Stafford is going to go off against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3.

Josh McCown: 16-21-179-1 INT (2 rushes, 6 yards, 2 TD)… McCown has certainly looked more like the 35-year-old journeyman he is than the Pro-Bowl caliber QB he was on the Chicago Bears last year. Don’t write him off yet after two games, but McCown needs to establish better rapport with both Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans if they want to have any success in the passing game.

Tony Romo: 19-29-176-1… Many forecasted a rebound performance from Romo after a pitiful performance last week, but he played the role of game manager as the Dallas Cowboys rode DeMarco Murray to victory. He did find Dez Bryant 10 times and looks to be rounding into form after not getting in much work in the offseason.

Ryan Tannehill: 31-49-241-1 TD-1 INT (4 rushes, 11 yards)… Tannehill came into a hostile environment in Buffalo and had a forgettable performance. His inability to connect with Mike Wallace on deep balls is concerning as it would really open up the field.

The Ugly

Colin Kaepernick: 21-34-248-1 TD-3 INT (9 rushes, 66 yards)… Kaepernick tossed three picks and lost a fumble in a horrendous performance against a mediocre Bears defense. His running saved his fantasy day and things won’t get much easier against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3.

Jake Locker: 18-34-234-1 TD-2 INT (2 rushes, 9 yards)… Locker had one of the easiest matchups of any QB but failed to capitalize after an encouraging performance last week. The lack of a running game is partially to blame, but Locker simply has to perform better to be a consistent QB2 option. Leave him on benches next week as he gets to face the fearsome Bengals defense.

Matt Ryan: 22-44-231-1 TD-3 INT (3 rushes, 20 yards)… After an incredible performance in Week 1, Ryan fell flat on his face this weekend. The Bengals defense needs to be given credit, but Ryan put forth a miserable effort. Start him with confidence as he gets to face the Buccaneers at home this week.

Tom Brady: 15-22-149-1… The Patriots defense dominated the game and Brady wasn’t asked to chuck it as much as he would in a competitive game. Rob Gronkowski is still less than 100% and until he gets back to speed, Brady could struggle to put up big numbers as they don’t have many other great red zone options.

Ben Roethlisberger: 22-37-217-1 INT… Playing on Thursday Night Football seems to guarantee a low-scoring affair and it was no different as Big Ben faced a familiar foe, the Baltimore Ravens. His streak of 30 straight games with at least one touchdown pass ended and the going doesn’t get much easier against the Panthers in Week 3.

RB: The Good

Giovani Bernard: 27-90-1, 5-79… Even with Jeremy Hill commanding a larger share of the workload, Bernard had a masterful day. Gio needs to improve upon his 3.36 YPC but his involvement in the passing game ensure him RB1 value for the time being. Bernard should find some holes against the Titans.

DeMarco Murray: 29-167-1, 1-6… Murray is averaging 5.58 YPC and is an absolute beast with the rock in his hands. The Cowboys are riding the run game more than ever and Murray is a top five running back at the moment.

Arian Foster: 28-138-1, 2-12… Foster is on pace for an unfathomable 440 carries and owners should hope his workload is slightly scaled down in order to preserve his health. Volume and talent aren’t the issue here, health is.

Darren Sproles: 4-26-1, 7-152… Sproles is playing like a man possessed since he was traded by the Saints to the Eagles and fantasy owners are laughing all the way to the bank. Chip Kelly obviously has grand plans for Sproles in the Eagles high-octane offense, and he’s a reliable RB2 in PPR formats.

Alfred Morris: 22-85-2… Morris had his way with an overmatched Jaguars defense as he found pay dirt twice. With RG3 set to miss a sizable chunk of time, the Redskins would be wise to lean on him. Fire him up as a RB2 in PPR formats.

Stevan Ridley: 25-101-1… Ridley only played in roughly a quarter of the snaps in Week 1, but the coaching staff relentlessly fed him on Sunday. Ridley gashed the Vikings but is wildly unpredictable and is better suited for standard formats. He is a good bet to score against the hapless Raiders defense in Week 3 though.

Bobby Rainey: 22-144, 3-30… Rainey gave the Buccaneers a much needed spark on offense and he looked more explosive and shifty than fellow running back, Doug Martin. Martin is expected to come back this week and will probably be inserted back into the starting role, but Rainey is definitely worth a pickup until the situation shakes out.

The Mediocre

Marshawn Lynch: 6-36, 4-27-1… Beast Mode was only given six carries due to the Seahawks only possessing the ball for 17:45 and he was also dealing with back issues. If not for a 14-yard touchdown catch in the third, Lynch owners would be muttering some not-so-nice things under their breath. Assuming his back is ok, expect a normal workload in his next game against the Broncos.

Rashad Jennings: 18-64, 4-45… Jennings is only averaging 3.24 YPC but he’s also averaging 17 touches a game and he’s caught four balls in both games. With Andre Williams nowhere to be found, Jennings is a quality RB2.

Andre Ellington: 15-91, 1-10… Ellington is still hampered by his foot injury, but his 5.14 YPC indicates he’s more than effective enough to make an impact. Jonathan Dwyer will be a constant vulture at the goal-line which hurts his prospects more in standard formats than PPR. Look for him to be more involved in the passing game next time out.

Joique Bell: 10-36, 6-61… Facing a tough matchup against the Panthers, Bell’s fantasy owners salvaged a decent effort out of Bell thanks to his six catches. Bell has more value than Reggie Bush due to him receiving the majority of early-down work as well as goal-line chances. Add in his ability to contribute as a pass catcher and you have a RB2 with RB1 upside.

Montee Ball: 12-60, 3-29… Although Ball has faced underwhelming defenses so far (IND/KAN), he has yet to deliver a solid fantasy outing. His 3.63 YPC is rather pedestrian and he gets to face the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 3 before their Week 4 bye. You’ll probably be able to get Ball for pennies on the dollar after next week.

The Ugly

Matt Forte: 12-21, 5-15… Forte owners are just going to have to dust themselves off after his putrid performance against the 49ers. He’s averaging 6.5 catches through his first two games, a huge boon for PPR formats. Forte may struggle again in Week 3 against the Jets, but you have to start him.

Reggie Bush: 6-26, 2-6… Bush couldn’t find the creases against a stingy Panthers defense and thanks to Joique Bell’s presence, he’s going to be a bit inconsistent. He obviously has more value in PPR formats and you should start him with confidence against the porous Packers defense.

Eddie Lacy: 13-43, 2-18… After a concussion did him in in Week 1, Lacy returned to face the stifling Jets front seven and he had little success. He faces the Lions fine front four next week and it may be another week of tough sledding for Lacy owners. Don’t lose faith though, he’s the bellcow back in a great offense. The touchdowns will come in bunches.

Shane Vereen: 6-40, 1-0… Trusting a Patriots running back isn’t for the faint of heart and Vereen proved that theory true on Sunday. Vereen should be much more involved in the passing game against the Raiders and owners shouldn’t be second guessing themselves over whether to start him in PPR formats.

Chris Johnson: 12-21, 1-0… In a money matchup, CJ2K had a horrendous game. Chris Ivory is the favorite for goal-line chances and he’s the better pure runner at this stage of their respective careers. CJ2K is no more than a flex option.

Toby Gerhart: 7-8, 2-9… What more is there to say? On a day when Chad Henne was sacked 10 teams and they fell behind early, Gerhart never had a real shot to make an impact on the game. He also doesn’t look completely healed from his sprained ankle. Inserting Blake Bortles as QB could do wonders for the offense as a whole, but as of now Gerhart has to be benched unless you’re desperate. At this stage, he must prove he’s worthy of being a potential starter.