Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2 (Fantasy Football)
Could we have asked for a better first week of the NFL season? After the early window, I was giddy with excitement. I had just watched a barn burner between the Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills and a million-point game between the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears. Plus the later games with the Vikings and Giants upsets? It was incredible.
Now, here we are after the glow has faded a bit, and we need to start thinking about next week. How did our fantasy team look? Who stood out among the barely rostered? And who do we want on our team moving forward? That, my friends, is what waiver wire pickups are for! Let’s get into who to focus on for Week 2.
Tune in to the weekly waivers episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast!
Quarterback Waiver Rankings
Carson Wentz, QB, Minnesota Vikings
One QB I think you should consider this week is Carson Wentz. Wentz entered into a terrible situation after the Vikings’ leading QB, Kyler Murray, went down from a scary head injury. Against their biggest rival at home, Wentz delivered 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three TDs, plus the win. With Justin Jefferson on his side and playing against the Chicago Bears next week, Wentz is an excellent pickup and play this week.
Running Back Waiver Rankings
Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Rookie RB Kaelon Black established himself as a solid backup RB option for the San Francisco 49ers in his first regular-season game in Melbourne. He saw 43% of snaps behind the abominable, yet slightly fragile, Christian McCaffrey and had 14 carries for 65 yards. The 49ers had this game well in hand, which likely had an impact on Black’s usage in the offense, but the coaching staff will want to lean on him throughout the season to manage McCaffrey’s workload regardless of game script. Right now, he is a stash that could become a weekly start should McCaffrey go down.
Emmett Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Much like the aforementioned Kaelon Black, Emmett Johnson is a solid rookie backup option on a fire offense, behind a player who often falls victim to injury, Kenneth ‘Ken Bone’ Walker III. He started seeing most of his usage against the Denver Broncos as their lead in the game was established, but what he did with those touches looked excellent. Johnson rushed eight times for 24 yards and made two catches for 44 yards. If anything happens to Kenbone, you will want Johnson on your bench to save your season.
Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets
If Braelon Allen’s 23-yard rushing TD against the Tennessee Titans was not called back for holding, we might have a more enthusiastic case to make for him compared to our other backup RB options – but here we are. Without the TD, he still landed a 40% snap share with 10 rush attempts and 40 yards. The Jets schedule will be more difficult from here on out, so time will tell if they will continue to prioritize the run. For now, he is a stash that could end up as a decent flex option in deeper leagues if he starts to see more receiving or goal-line work.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Arizona Cardinals
There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding the Cardinals RB room this offseason with the surprising pickup of third-overall pick Jeremiyah Love during the draft, followed by his subsequent ankle injury in the preseason. We were unsure if Love was going to start in Game 1, and if he did, what would his role look like alongside veteran RB Tyler Allgeier?
After their win against the Los Angeles Chargers, it looks like the team will take a conservative approach with Love. He had 11 carries for 41 yards, caught two targets for nine yards, and hauled in his first NFL TD. In contrast, Allgeier led the team with 17 rush attempts for 61 yards and two catches for nine yards. If Allgeier is available in your league, he is looking like a solid pickup for at least the first half of the season while Love fully heals and is integrated into the offense.
Emari Demercado, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Emari Demercado came out of the woodwork in Dallas after their primary backup to Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, suffered a hip injury during practice. Demercado signed with the team on August 31 and served as the RB2 in Week 1. He only recorded two carries for seven yards, but he has room to grow as he familiarizes himself with the offense. The Cowboys have since signed Tyler Goodson off the Atlanta Falcons‘ practice squad, so time will tell how the team will manage this RB room moving forward, but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Wide Receiver Waiver Rankings
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Something felt right about seeing Deebo back in a 49ers uniform in their first game against the Los Angeles Rams, and the good vibes carried over to his performance. In the Week 1 win, he caught six of seven targets for 48 yards and a TD, and he rushed once for 12 yards. The highly anticipated rookie WR, De’Zhaun Stribling, unfortunately suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter of the game, resulting in more work for Deebo. The opportunities for Deebo will continue to present themselves at least for the next month while Stribling is sidelined. If he is available, he will be a solid flex option.
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
Jalen Coker had an electric performance in the Panthers’ contest against the Chicago Bears, where he recorded eight receptions for 138 yards and two TDs. He is the unanimous number one waiver wire pickup for Andy, Mike, and Jason, and he is worth up to about 15% of your FAAB depending on your league and roster. The downside for Coker, and why he’s priced on the low end, is primarily due to relying on Bryce Young as his QB. It is no secret that Young has struggled in his young career. He started to show some glimpses late last year, but we still need to see if he will continue to grow in 2026. Regardless, Coker has talent, and you should try to get him on your team.
Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins
Oh boy… is always my reaction when I have to think about the Miami Dolphins. Their offense is a mess, starting with this WR room. It has been difficult to know how the three WRs, Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Malik Washington, will split snaps and targets, but Douglas seemed to separate himself from the rest in Game 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He led the Dolphins in receptions and receiving yards while finishing second to Washington in targets. He is worth a pick up as we monitor how the offense and QB Malik Willis will evolve through the first couple of weeks of the season.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
On a team that is down an elite WR, it was good to see Wicks step up. He caught two of four targets for 73 yards and a TD against the Washington Commanders. QB Jalen Hurts was inefficient, landing 14 of 25 pass attempts. Hurts spread the ball around a bit among the receiver corps, so we will want to see an improvement in accuracy to be able to keep Wicks relevant in fantasy.
Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints
Devaughn Vele stood out as a reliable WR option for the Saints in their first game against the Detroit Lions. He finished second in targets, receptions, and receiving yards behind their star, Chris Olave. Olave has a bit of a storied history with injury, making Vele an even more valuable add in case the Saints’ WR one becomes unavailable mid-season. It looks like their QB Tyler Shough will be able to perform well enough to support fantasy relevance for his WRs.
Tight End Waiver Rankings
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Goedert does not feel like a fun pick, but he is a stable option that will benefit from vacated A.J. Brown targets. Hurts likes to target him, and he showed us why this week. Goedert caught four of his five targets for 77 yards and two TDs, finishing as the TE2 in fantasy this week. If he is out there in your league, he is worth picking up for a matchup against the Tennessee Titans next week.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans
Another waiver wire pickups episode, another suggestion for Juwan Johnson. He always feels like a mid-option, probably because he hardly ever booms, but he is consistent enough to get you by. This year, Juwanson can eat up more of a role, especially at the start of the season when they are missing rookie WR Jordyn Tyson and veteran RB Alvin Kamara due to injury.
Team DST Waiver Rankings
The Bucs look to bounce back this week with a matchup against the “chuck that ball up in the air” Deshaun Watson and the questionable Browns offense. You could use them the following week against Minnesota as well.
The Niners DST looks revived with a healthy Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, and they get Miami this week and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Sign me up.