Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Best Pickups for Week 2

It looked like it would be a mostly boring week on the waiver wire, no disrespect to Isaiah Likely, and then Christian McCaffrey was surprisingly ruled out on Monday night.

Jordan Mason was on the add list last week, but now he is easily at the top of that list with an argument for going heavy on FAAB bidding since it seems like McCaffrey suffered a setback.

But we will get into all of that as well as some other backs to target later in the article.

As a reminder, the drop list consists of players who are no longer must-roster assets in shallow leagues, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.

The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in no more than 5% of ESPN leagues for all you “not in my league” degens.

I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because that decision comes down to too many factors to make an accurate recommendation including league size, team weaknesses, and the aggressiveness of the other managers in your league.

That said, I will try to clarify when there is a player I am going big on in FAAB bidding.

Also, FAAB Lab is a great, crowdsourced way to get a feel for how much a player will cost in FAAB bidding each week.

Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because frankly I don’t care about them and want them to disappear from the game.

With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.

Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Matthew Stafford
2. Justin Fields
3. Baker Mayfield
4. Jameis Winston (Superflex)
5. Michael Penix (Superflex)

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Jordan Mason
2. Jaylen Wright
3. Jeff Wilson
4. Tank Bigsby
5. Bucky Irving
6. Justice Hill
7. Samaje Perine
8. Alexander Mattison

J.K. Dobbins is rostered in over 75% of ESPN leagues, but his availability varies at other sites. The No. 1 add if available.

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Brandin Cooks
2. Demarcus Robinson
3. Tyler Johnson
4. Andrei Iosivas
5. Rashod Bateman
6. Quentin Johnston
7. Treylon Burks
8. Jalen Nailor
9. Alec Pierce
10. Adonai Mitchell
11. Greg Dortch
12. Devaughn Vele

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Isaiah Likely
2. Colby Parkinson
3. Zach Ertz
4. Tucker Kraft

Fantasy Football Players Who Can Be Dropped

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert
RB:
WR: Mike Williams, Dontayvion Wicks
TE: Dalton Schultz

Rodgers and Herbert are two quarterbacks rostered in too many leagues based on their names. Rodgers will certainly have better games, and Herbert likely will too when teams force the Chargers out of their preferred game script. But they are just streaming options, and Rodgers is rostered in 80% of ESPN leagues.

I did not list Blake Corum at running back because I want to hold him where possible, but he played a grand total of zero snaps on offense in Week 1. Ronnie Rivers played 7. Corum is purely a handcuff at this point.

Williams ran a total of 6 routes on Monday night. It looks like they are going to ease him in early in the season. Wicks is the clear No. 4 receiver for an offense that is going to have serious quarterback issues for at least the next couple of weeks.

There are no good tight ends, so it does not really matter, but Schultz is going to struggle for targets behind the top three receivers and, more importantly, struggle to command end zone looks.

Best Quarterback Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Matthew Stafford – Available in 64.2% of leagues

Here we are back again after Stafford was my No. 1 streaming option last week. Stafford was one of two quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards in Week 1, and while he did not have an outstanding fantasy day thanks to just one touchdown, he gets a great matchup this week against the Cardinals.

2. Justin Fields – Available in 88.9% of leagues

With Russell Wilson expected to miss Week 2, Fields will get what likely remains a good matchup against the Broncos even though they were able to stifle the Seahawks a bit last week. No touchdowns killed his fantasy day in Week 1, but Fields still ran 14 times for 57 yards. That kind of rushing production is usually going to result in a solid fantasy outing.

3. Baker Mayfield – Available in 66% of leagues

Mayfield did not quite hit the 300-yard mark, but he did toss 4 touchdowns against the Commanders in Week 1, a game in which Chris Godwin looked great in addition to Mike Evans. The matchup this week is not as good against the Lions, but it is a high total in a dome against an offense that should be able to put up points to push the Bucs. These two teams combined for 54 points in the playoffs last year.

4. Jameis Winston – Available in 99% of leagues

These next two are only for people playing in Superflex leagues and are based on the possibility of a benching ahead of them. Deshaun Watson was awful in Week 1, which has been the case for his entire time with the Browns. Cleveland has talent, and we saw Joe Flacco average 323 yards per start at the end of last season. If Watson continues to struggle, they have to give Winston a shot (without even considering the new legal concerns). The roster is too good to waste.

5. Michael Penix – Available in 98.8% of leagues

Conspiracy theories flew when the Falcons decided to keep Penix on the bench through most of the preseason, but after watching Kirk Cousins in Week 1, maybe those theories were not too far off base. The veteran did not look healthy and did not look like he really trusted his leg. It is just a stash, but Penix needs to be on rosters in superflex leagues.

Watch List: My hear me out worked last week, and Sam Darnold had a nice game (QB14) that could have been better in a more competitive contest. I am not running things back this week against the 49ers, but Darnold should be a streaming candidate as long as he is starting…We did see Geno Smith score on a long run, which is promising for his fantasy value, but the offensive line looks like it is once again going to be a concern…Daniel Jones was abysmal in Week 1, but he did rush 6 times with 4 of those as designed runs. He also gets a great matchup against the Commanders…Derek Carr did whatever he wanted against the Panthers and likely would have had a much bigger fantasy day if Bryce Young did anything on the other side, but we need to see it again this week against the Cowboys before I start to believe.

Best Running Back Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Jordan Mason – Available in 62.5% of leagues

Mason was listed as a pickup last week, but he is the kind of pickup you considering going big on in FAAB bidding this week. Adam Schefter said the team expected McCaffrey to play even after he pulled himself out of practice on Friday, but his calf “still was tight” on Monday. He went on to say, “It looks like there is a real strong possibility McCaffrey will not play Sunday against the Vikings.” It sounds like McCaffrey suffered a setback. Even if not, it seems like the 49ers are going to take it easy with his recovery. The concern is this is all speculation, and it is possible McCaffrey is back in time to face the Vikings on Sunday. If so, you have burned FAAB dollars on a handcuff. That said, we know what the upside is for Mason if he gets a few starts, and it is possible Mason has a bigger role than expected even when McCaffrey is healthy as they look to keep the star back fresh. That is the risk-reward. This situation is also why it is good to get ahead of the wire when possible, which it might be with Tank Bigsby and Bucky Irving below.

2. Jaylen Wright – Available in 77.6% of leagues
3. Jeff Wilson – Available in 99.9% of leagues

I was not initially worried about De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert missing time, but both logging DNPs on Monday and Tuesday has to be taken seriously on a short week. Wilson closed things down in Week 1, rushing 5 times for 26 yards for the only real success the Dolphins had on the ground. We know he can lead a backfield, but Wright is the much more exciting prospect given what we saw from him in the preseason. He is also probably a better replacement for how the Dolphins use Achane. I would prioritize Wright just based on his profile and potential upside even though he was inactive in Week 1, but both are worth adding.

4. Tank Bigsby – Available in 95.4% of leagues

I would not argue with anyone if they wanted to flip the next two backs, and if looking for a long-term stash, both Bigsby and Irving are better options than Wilson. Bigsby finished with the same number of carries as Travis Etienne in Week 1 and was much more effective, going for 73 yards on his 12 carries. Etienne also had a back-breaking fumble into the end zone in the third quarter. From that point on, Bigsby had 5 carries to 3 for Etienne and played 1 fewer snap. At best for Etienne, it does not look like he will be the clear workhorse back those who drafted him were hoping to see. At worst, he might find himself in a full-fledged competition with Bigsby. It is worth picking up Bigsby to see what happens.

5. Bucky Irving – Available in 79.3% of leagues

Rachaad White out-carried Irving 15 to 9, but White once again could not get things going on the ground. 40% of his runs were negative with just a 6.7% explosive rate. Irving also struggled with negative runs (22.2%), but he had an explosive run on 22.2% of his carries, obviously over a very small sample. White was still excellent in the passing game. More importantly, White out-carried Irving 11 to 4 when the game was within two scores. Still, it is fair to wonder how much longer White can hold a clear workhorse role if he does not improve as a runner.

6. Justice Hill – Available in 96.7% of leagues

It was kind of a perfect situation for Hill in Week 1 with the Ravens chasing the scoreboard in the second half – he out-snapped Derrick Henry 15 to 9 in the fourth quarter – but he was involved throughout the entire game, finishing fifth on the team in routes. He ran twice as many as Henry. Hill is clearly going to be involved as a pass catcher even if future game scripts are not as friendly to his touch totals.

7. Samaje Perine – Available in 94.9% of leagues

Perine did not get a carry and only ran 8 routes in the season opener, but that is not surprising given when he joined the team. He remains a solid stash to see how things shake out behind Isiah Pacheco.

8. Alexander Mattison – Available in 89.8% of leagues

The concern with Zamir White during draft season was that he is a clear two-down back who could get scripted out of games. That did not necessarily happen in Week 1 – White had 13 carries to 5 for Mattison – but he did play 23 snaps to 36 for Mattison. White was also out-snapped in the first half and had just one more carry than Mattison before the break. I am not going to go all in on Mattison because ultimately he is just a passing back in an offense we don’t expect to be very good, but he is on the right side of this platoon if the Raiders are who we think they are. The game at Baltimore this week certainly feels like a Mattison spot.

Watch List: MarShawn Lloyd was inactive in Week 1 while both Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson had good games. That is not great for his immediate fantasy upside, but Lloyd is still a fine handcuff…The injury to Ty Johnson opens up more runway for Ray Davis, who amassed 27 yards on 4 touches in his debut…Nothing worked in the Bears offense Week 1, so it is tough to put much blame on D’Andre Swift. Travis Homer played the most snaps of the other backs, but Khalil Herbert is the most likely to take carries if Swift continues to struggle…It is just something to know for handcuff purposes, but Braelon Allen is the No. 2 option in New York…Dalvin Cook was not activated for the Cowboys this week, but neither Ezekiel Elliott nor Rico Dowdle put on a show.

Deep Cuts: Ronnie Rivers and not Blake Corum served as the No. 2 back for the Rams on Sunday night. I still would expect Corum to be the guy if something happened to Kyren Williams, but that is not a given at this point…Emanuel Wilson served as the No. 2 in the season opener and looked good. Will he keep that job once MarShawn Lloyd is back? Will it matter if the offense falls apart? Both are good questions, but for now, he is at least interesting in deep leagues…Jerome Ford continues to be bad. Pierre Strong was the No. 2 back in the season opener, but D’Onta Foreman might be a better fit for the lead job if the Browns decide to move on from Ford…Dameon Pierce held onto the backup job in Houston over Cam Akers…I don’t know why Arthur Smith used Cordarrelle Patterson more than Jaylen Warren, but he did.

Best Wide Receiver Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Brandin Cooks – Available in 70.3% of leagues

Things looked a lot like last year for Cooks in Week 1 when he finished second on the team with 7 targets. He was only able to turn those into 40 yards, but he found the end zone. With Jake Ferguson likely to miss time, the Cowboys will need to lean more into their secondary receivers. Jalen Tolbert (available in 94.7% of leagues) was third on the team in routes for those in deep leagues.

2. Demarcus Robinson – Available in 85.2% of leagues
3. Tyler Johnson – Available in 100% of leagues

With Puka Nacua headed to injured reserve, there are suddenly targets available in the receiving corps. Preseason standout Jordan Whittington might emerge at some point, but he did not run a route in Week 1. Instead, Robinson and Johnson picked up the slack. Robinson ran 22 routes in the second half, turning 4 targets into 42 yards. Johnson ran 21 routes but turned 5 targets into 77 yards, although there was a somewhat fluky YAC play that skewed those numbers. I prefer Robinson because I expect him to get more targets down the field and in the scoring areas – Robinson was second on the team in end zone targets last season – but both players need to be added.

4. Andrei Iosivas – Available in 92.6% of leagues

It was not the performance we were hoping to see, but Iosivas led the team in routes run and tied with Ja’Marr Chase for the team lead in targets. It would not be surprising if Tee Higgins misses more time after he suffered a hamstring injury in practice late last week. We need the passing game and Joe Burrow to be better for those routes and targets to matter for fantasy, but Iosivas should get more chances as the No. 2 option in this offense.

5. Rashod Bateman – Available in 93% of leagues

It was not the prettiest game, but Bateman was at least on the field – second on the team in routes – and made a good catch down the field late in the game. The Ravens will have easier matchups including this week at home against the Raiders. I still struggle to believe in Bateman because of his history, but at least he was on the field.

6. Quentin Johnston – Available in 95.7% of leagues

With D.J. Chark on injured reserve, Quentin Johnston was second on the Chargers in routes and targets in the season opener, and the new offense gave him some chances to make plays after the catch, which is something he is actually good at. I am not going to go out of my way to get Johnston onto my roster, but he was a first-round pick just last year in a receiver corps desperate for a lead option.

7. Treylon Burks – Available in 99.7% of leagues

DeAndre Hopkins ran just 9 routes in the opener as he attempts to play through an MCL tear. It is possible the Titans have to shut him down, and even if they don’t, Burks was third on the team in Week 1 with 28 routes. Tyler Boyd, who is available in 92.4% of leagues, was second on the team and logged 5 targets, but Burks is the higher upside option if he ends up in that Hopkins role.

8. Jalen Nailor – Available in 99.8% of leagues

Full disclosure, I have been team Nailor for a long time, so there may be some bias involved here. Still, the injury to Jordan Addison, who now has injuries to both ankles and is reportedly dealing with a significant amount of soreness, opens the door for Nailor to be the No. 2 receiver in Minnesota. The Vikings did not have to throw much last week, but Nailor did convert his one chance into a touchdown.

9. Alec Pierce – Available in 99.5% of leagues
10. Adonai Mitchell – Available in 66.6% of leagues

Pierce has to be on this list after going for 125 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, but the reality is he just happened to hit on his long targets. Mitchell ran just 2 fewer routes and saw 2 more targets than Pierce. One of those should have been a walk-in touchdown. Anthony Richardson only dropped back 24 times in this game, and Michael Pittman is going to command a large share of the targets without even considering the return of Josh Downs. That does not leave much for the other receivers, which means there will likely be a lot of dud games from these two. There will also be some explosions, as Pierce showed in Week 1.

11. Greg Dortch – Available in 98.4% of leagues

I am not sure that Dortch is any different than Wan’Dale Robinson, who I cited in the watch list, or even Ray–Ray McCloud, who is in deep cuts, but at least he is attached to a good offense. Dortch ran fewer routes than Marvin Harrison Jr, Michael Wilson (who is available in 81.8% of leagues and scored a touchdown), and Trey McBride, but he finished with 8 targets, catching 6 of those for 47 yards. I ultimately expect this passing game to be concentrated around Harrison and McBride, but Dortch is worth stashing to see what happens.

12. Devaughn Vele – Available in 99.9% of leagues

Pour some out for Marvin Mims. The actual No. 3 receiver in Denver is Vele, who logged the same number of targets as Josh Reynolds (also available in 98.3% of leagues and ran a lot more routes). Vele is slightly more interesting as a bench stash because he is a rookie who earned praise all offseason and seems to fit well with how the Broncos want to run the passing game with Bo Nix. Vele averaged 2.12 air yards per target in Week 1. We will need better than that for him to make any noise in standard formats, but he could be a cheap source of catches in deep PPR leagues moving forward.

Watch List: I am not that interested in getting involved with the Giants passing game outside of Malik Nabers, but Wan’Dale Robinson did stack 12 targets in the season opener. The owner of a career 8.9 yards per catch average, Robinson is much more appealing in PPR formats…Romeo Doubs was exactly what we expected in Week 1, leading the team in routes and targets. Unfortunately, the Jordan Love injury makes it difficult to call him a must roster player right now…K.J. Osborn led the Patriots with 6 targets but was tied for sixth in routes. It looks like New England plans to use a rotation at receiver, which makes it impossible to get excited about any of them…Jahan Dotson did serve as the No. 3 receiver in Week 1, but the top three options are going to dominate targets as long as they are healthy…Luke McCaffrey ran the second-most routes among Commanders receivers in Week 1. I still think Noah Brown is going to end up in that No. 2 spot, but McCaffrey needs to be rostered in deeper leagues.

Deep Cuts: I have not given up hope on Noah Brown, who was inactive in Week 1 but is likely still trying to learn the system. The Commanders need someone to step up at that No. 2 spot…Jalen McMillan actually tied for the team lead in routes thanks to some garbage time and caught a long touchdown. He could have a couple of other long plays, as well. It will be tough to consistently command targets behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but McMillan looks like a player…Ray-Ray McCloud is probably not going to lead the Falcons in targets again this season. Then again, maybe he will if Kirk Cousins just can’t move…As I wrote last week, Mack Hollins is going to play snaps and run routes in an offense quarterbacked by Josh Allen.

Best Tight End Waiver Pickups, Fantasy Football Week 2

1. Isaiah Likely – Available in 90.2% of leagues

There is not much reason to belabor this, but there are two things that point to Likely’s performance in Week 1 being real. First, the Ravens discussed using him more like their No. 3 receiver in the offseason, and he ended up fourth on the team with 35 routes. Second, he played 30 pass snaps with Mark Andrews also on the field, and he earned 8 targets on those plays. If you need a tight end, I can understand going up to 20% in FAAB bidding even though there is some risk here.

2. Colby Parkinson – Available in 98.5% of leagues

Parkinson might end up getting the biggest bump with Puka Nacua out, although he did only see 1 target in the second half. It is possible the injury issues along the offensive line played a role there. Parkinson was the clear No. 3 option in the first half, though, and finished with 5 targets. As mentioned last week, Parkinson was sixth among qualifying tight ends in yards per target and seventh in fantasy points per target over the last two seasons.

3. Zach Ertz – Available in 97.7% of leagues

Ertz is only an option in PPR leagues, but as expected he was second in the team in routes and tied for the team lead with 4 targets. We need the passing game to be better moving forward, but Ertz should at least provide some bankable target volume for desperate teams.

4. Tucker Kraft – Available in 96.3% of leagues

Kraft would have been second on this list if not for the injury to Jordan Love. As it stands, this looks more like a stash for the future than someone who can help immediately unless the Packers figure out the quarterback situation in a hurry. Kraft was second on the team in routes run in the season opener and was clearly ahead of Luke Musgrave in the pecking order. If I am just stashing a tight end, he is ahead of Ertz.

Watch List: Jordan Akins should be the next man up if David Njoku can’t play, but investing in Cleveland’s passing attack does not seem like the best idea right now…Chasing the Cowboys’ tight end spot is tough both because there are reports Jake Ferguson could play this week and we don’t know if any one tight end would step into a lead role. Luke Schoonmaker might play the most snaps, but the official site speculated Brevyn Spann-Ford is a better bet for receiving work…Mike Gesicki almost had a touchdown and logged four targets on 16 routes. If the Bengals continue to have issues at receiver, he should get some looks, but this matchup in Kansas City is not ideal even after Likely had a big game in the season opener…Chig Okonkwo had a great touchdown catch, but he was fourth on the team in routes. It is tough to see him getting consistent targets…Both Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau found the end zone, but it is tough to take too much from that game. It is not promising for either that they were splitting time, although the Saints were in 12 personnel on 27.4% of their snaps (9th)…Hunter Henry led the Patriots in routes and got the lone end zone target, but Austin Hooper was also involved…Noah Fant ran the same number of routes as Tyler Lockett, saw as many targets as DK Metcalf, and was targeted twice more than Jaxon Smith–Njigba. It will be hard for him to get consistent fantasy value with those receivers ahead of him, but the usage was promising…Hayden Hurst ran as many routes as Ladd McConkey and was targeted 3 times, so maybe there will be something there…Theo Johnson was third on the Giants in routes run and clearly ahead of Daniel Bellinger in the pecking order for whatever that is worth.