Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 2. I’m on the road this week, so the column is brief and to the point. If you could see the breathtaking view I’ve got while writing this column, you’d wonder how I even got five words out. And no, I’m not using ChatGPT.
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players.
I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch (this is usually more important during Bye weeks). Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the Week 1 Monday night game (MIN @ CHI).
Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Travis Etienne, Zach Charbonnet, Keon Coleman, or Deebo Samuel this week, among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues. All are priority pickups if available.
Two quick words about Week 2 waivers: (1) If you’re in a league that uses FAAB bids to process waivers, (a) good for you for doing it the right way and (b) remember that your dollars are worth more right now than they will be later, since you’re using them to buy players for the entire season, potentially; and (2) People overreact to Week 1, and they do so every year. So try not to overreact, no matter how badly some of your players performed this weekend. But also, keep an eye on who gets dropped this week, and especially rookies who did very little in Week 1. You might be able to scoop up someone else’s discarded treasure.
WEEK 2 BYES: NONE
Week 2 Waiver Wire
Quarterback:
A couple of “QB2s” had big weeks in Week 1, and the question is how fluky those performances were. I’ll list those quarterbacks in the order I’d prioritize them, and all are potentially good pickups if you need help at QB.
Trevor Lawrence. He was on my “target at ADP” list in the preseason, and I’ll continue to push him. He didn’t need to throw in the second half, but his first half of football under Liam Coen’s guidance was exactly what we wanted to see. Lawrence is a high-end QB2 with upside this season.
Michael Penix. The sample size at the end of last season was small, but Penix can air it out and he put up good numbers in his 2024 starts and great numbers in Week 2 (QB9 heading into Monday night, with 24 fantasy points). Darnell Mooney and Drake London are dealing with shoulder injuries, and Penix will need them both healthy to reach his ceiling in 2025. I was on him all preseason as a QB2 with high upside for Superflex and still am.
Daniel Jones. Week 1 (29.5 fantasy points, including two rushing TDs) was obviously very encouraging, but it was against the Dolphins, who might be this year’s biggest train wreck when all is said and done. Jones faces the Broncos in Week 2 which will be a stern test. Proceed with caution, but his rushing ability has always given him nice upside and that’s still true.
Aaron Rodgers. I’m not really a believer, and in Week 1 he had a chance to stick it to the team that flew him to NY just to tell him they weren’t keeping him for 2025. Stick it he did, with four TD passes and a big road win. He can still spin it when he has time to throw.
Running Back:
There is little to recommend coming out of Week 1. If either of Dylan Sampson or Quinshon Judkins is available in your league (they shouldn’t be, but in shallower leagues they might be), both are definitely worth adding, in a priority kind of way. Jerome Ford was mostly relegated to passing downs work in Week 1, while Sampson appears to be the early-down back for now while Judkins ramps up. Trey Benson saw meaningful work in Week 1, and could be more of a “1B” to James Conner in his second season. Kareem Hunt had the same number of carries as Isiah Pacheco in a game where the Chiefs trailed all night, and was in on most of the third downs, so he’s once again worth holding. Finally, Jaydon Blue didn’t dress, and while Javonte Williams punched in two short scores, he looks slow and Miles Sanders is, well, Miles Sanders. Blue is worth stashing.
Wide Receiver
Marquise Brown is the only healthy and non-suspended starting wide receiver on the Chiefs right now, so the usage (10-99 on 16 targets in Week 1) should stay high for a while. While we’re here, if you’re really stuck at wide receiver, Ju Ju Smith-Schuster is likely to see increased targets for as long as Xavier Worthy is out.
Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen both feasted against the Chiefs, and both can be considered if you need help in the WR3/Flex range. Allen is a reliable and familiar target for Justin Herbert which gives him a decent floor, while Johnston is more boom-or-bust. Fun fact: Johnston’s stat line for his last two regular season games (combined): 18-265-2 on 21 targets. And in between those two games he had a zero-catch game in the playoffs. That’s the QJ ride, if you care to buy a ticket.
Others to consider for wide receiver depth (or maybe even to use as a WR3/Flex): Calvin Austin III, Cedric Tillman, Kayshon Boutte, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Hopkins, Isaac TeSlaa, and DeMario Douglas.
Tight End:
Here are a few players to consider if you need help (I’m talking to you, George Kittle managers), and I like them in this order: Hunter Henry (probably not available in a lot of leagues), Juwan Johnson, Harold Fannin, Jr., Brenton Strange, and Jake Tonges. And for the longer-term, Isaiah Likely is a nice stash if you’ve got the space.
PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 2 (ranked outside the Top-15 for the week):
PK: Brandon McManus (vs. WAS), Chad Ryland (vs. CAR), Matt Prater (@NYJ).
D/ST: IND (vs. DEN).
That’s all I’ve got. Good luck with your waiver claims!
***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here. ***
