Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2 (Fantasy Football)

Week 1 is officially in the books and it’s time to pick up the pieces after the aftermath. Between messy starts and injuries, the waiver wire will be hot heading into Week 2.

Below is a list of potentially available players to consider targeting in your league(s). Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s show: Week 2 Waivers

Wide Receivers

There are several options available for you to target in the wide receiver pool this week. Here are some players who should be rostered and who mostly are not.

Let’s start first with the rookie Jahan Dotson who had himself a game for the Washington Commanders. He logged 88% of the snaps and scored two touchdowns on five targets, three receptions, and 40 yards to total 16.5 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring. Dotson has a good matchup against the Lions and QB Carson Wentz should continue to target him on deep passes. Similarly, Curtis Samuel is also widely available on the same team. He finally emerged after years of being sidelined due to injury and is Mike Wright’s preferred wide receiver to target for the Commanders.

With Chris Godwin still working through injury, it’s time to recognize that Julio Jones looks like he’s a thing again. He is the downfield threat alongside Mike Evans in the Buccaneers’ offense. Godwin will likely miss time, so expect those targets to be distributed among the receivers. Jones played in over half of the offensive snaps (52%) and scored 10.1 fantasy points on five targets, three receptions, and a whopping 69 yards. It’s only a matter of time before that translates to touchdowns.

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Continuing with injuries, Bengals WR Tee Higgins suffered a concussion and is questionable heading into Week 2. Tyler Boyd should see an immediate uptick in targets and is available in 72% of leagues. He found the end zone in Week 1 on 80% of the snaps, seven targets, four receptions, and 33 yards. Joe Burrow is getting hit early and often and needs the short/intermediate targets to keep himself upright and alive.

Remember to listen to today’s waiver wire episode to get Andy, Mike, and Jason’s wide receiver targets for more detailed information on these players, and who to drop to make room on your roster. 

Running Backs

He may already be rostered, but go to the waiver wire and IMMEDIATELY check to see if Jeff Wilson is available. Elijah Mitchell is expected to miss two months. Kyle Shanahan will continue with the run game without skipping a beat. Wilson will see a much larger workload with Mitchell out.

Three big names who should also be high atop your waiver radar are James Robinson, Jamaal Williams, and Darrell Henderson.

Robinson returned true to form despite all of the doubts over his torn Achilles. In a Doug Pederson led offense, expect Robinson to be heavily involved alongside Travis Etienne. On 49% of snaps (to Etienne’s 51%), he scored nearly 20 points either on the wire or on your bench on 11 rush attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown. He also added a receiving touchdown on one reception for three yards, much to the chagrin of Etienne managers. Robinson will continue to be leaned on as Trevor Lawrence continues to grow in his young career and rekindles his chemistry with Etienne.

There is no way around it. Jamaal Williams isn’t going anywhere in the Lions’ offense as long as he is healthy and on the field. He is beloved in the locker room and was the goal-line back against the Eagles. There isn’t much evidence showing this was a fluke and not a trend. He only played 33% of the offensive snaps, but those were critical opportunities. He turned 11 rushing attempts for 28 yards into two touchdowns while D’Andre Swift was explosive in the passing game between the 20s. Williams is available in 46% of leagues and has stand-alone value in Detroit.

Finally, both Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson should be rostered. Akers was both battling a soft tissue injury and was also in the dog house after missing a block and was pretty much absent. As long as Akers continues to struggle (whether because he is hurt or not playing well) Henderson will get the rock. Couple that with questionable QB play from Matthew Stafford, and Henderson is a must-add. At best, he’s an RB1 with a ton of volume. At worst, he is a high-end insurance plan when Akers comes back into the fold.

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It would be remiss of me to leave out Jaylen Warren of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He may not be a high-priority add, but Najee Harris’ injury is concerning. I don’t care what the reports say. If you have room to stash him as an insurance policy, I would do so. If Harris’ foot/ankle continues to bother him, Warren could see more work earlier rather than later. This “not serious” injury prevented Harris from getting back on the field in overtime when the game against the Bengals was on the line.

Remember to listen to today’s waiver wire episode to get Andy, Mike, and Jason’s running back targets and more detailed information on these players, and who to drop to make room on your roster. 

Tight Ends

If you are desperate for a spot-start in deeper leagues, then Taysom Hill may be your only option. He was the beneficiary of a rib injury that Alvin Kamara sustained and he made the most of it. He rushed four times for 81 yards and a touchdown, but be aware that this volume is not sustainable. There is no guarantee that Kamara will miss more time and Mark Ingram is still on the roster for the Saints.

A more realistic add is either Gerald Everett (with Keenan Allen sidelined) or Robert Tonyan. Aaron Rodgers needs as much help as humanly possible in that offense and Tonyan has experience with the MVP. The offense looked bad all around so the five targets, three receptions, and 36 yards should increase as Rodgers and the Packers get their act together.

Remember to listen to today’s waiver wire episode to get Andy, Mike, and Jason’s tight end targets for more detailed information on these players, and who to drop to make room on your roster. 

Team DEF/ST

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Team	Player	Matchups
DET	Jared Goff	WAS / @MIN / SEA
WAS	Carson Wentz	@DET / PHI / @DAL
CHI	Justin Fields	@GB / HOU / @NYG

Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s show: Week 2 Waivers

Good luck with your waiver claims!