The 2026 NFL season is officially under way, which means fantasy football managers must begin scouring the waiver wire for potential additions to the lineup.
It was a thrilling Week 1 with several high-scoring games and fantasy stars showing out to begin the campaign. Even so, there are a handful of names to keep an eye on the waiver wire going into Week 2.
Bye weeks don't begin until Week 2 so managers don't have to worry about that. Meanwhile, we'll update any changes as more information comes out throughout the day Monday. We will be looking at players rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo! leagues.
In no particular order, here are the best waiver wire pickups for Week 2 in fantasy football:
QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (14% rostered)
Going into a crucial season for Young, he got the campaign
started on the right foot. Despite being on the wrong end of a 59-37 loss, Young is the QB3 on the week going into Monday night after scoring 33.4 fantasy points. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 23-of-37 passes for 361 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while adding 10 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. He won't be in a shootout like this every week but for managers looking for some quarterback help, Young is near the top of the list.
QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (40% rostered)
The Saints again proved they are going to be among the teams with the fastest pace. The second-year quarterback enters Monday night as the QB4 after completing 35 of 56 passes for 410 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Like Young, Shough won't be featured in a shootout every week, but Kellen Moore's offense is clearly going to push the envelope when it comes to plays called. That volume should scream success for the young quarterback in fantasy.
RB Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers (27% rostered)
Christian McCaffrey isn't going anywhere, but the rookie third-round pick looked good in his debut. The Indiana product was explosive with his touches, taking 14 carries for 65 rushing yards. Black isn't someone to add to the starting lineup, but he's clearly the backup to McCaffrey. That's enough to keep him rostered.
RB George Holani, Seattle Seahawks (4% rostered)
Though first-round pick Jadarian Price is expected to lead the way, Holani is going to be in the mix. He ran only four fewer routes than Price in the season opener, per Pro Football Focus. He and Price also split the carries with the latter favoring a 10-8 split. Holani wont be cracking any starting lineups, but he's a fine piece to add to the end of the bench until Zach Charbonnet returns.
WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (49% rostered)
Samuel looked good in his return to San Francisco. He's going to have a clear role in Kyle Shanahan's offense and the recent injury to rookie De'Zhuan Stribling should offer Samuel even more opportunities. According to PFF, Samuel ran the third-most routes (19) among 49ers wideouts in the opener, behind Mike Evans (21) and Demarcus Robinson (21). Even so, he logged seven targets while posting a 6-48-1 receiving line.
WR Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins (12% rostered)
One of my favorite additions this week will be Douglas. The Dolphins offense doesn't offer much in the way of excitement, but the rookie receiver has a clearly defined role. Entering Monday night as the WR23 on the week, Douglas posted five receptions for 94 yards on seven targets. Fellow rookie Chris Bell will be ramping things up, but Douglas is a big-play target who has some WR3/Flex appeal if his usage continues this way.
WR Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints (7% rostered)
Piggybacking off of the Shough snippet, the Saints are going to be running plays at an extremely high mark this season. They are clearly not afraid to let Shough throw, and Vele is the clear No. 2 behind Chris Olave. Entering Monday night as the WR12, Vele posted seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He and Olave currently lead all NFL wide receivers in routes run. We should be trying to add pieces of this offense if we can.
TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (26% rostered)
There's a chance Raiders star Brock Bowers (knee) returns in Week 2 after missing the opener. If that's the case, Mayer can be left on the waiver wire. If Bowers doesn't return, Mayer could be in for another solid outing. Though he garnered only 32 yards, Mayer posted six receptions on seven targets. His 24 routes run entering Monday night are tied for 13th among tight ends. It's not a flashy addition but for those in need of tight end help, Mayer should have a solid floor as long as Bowers is out.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST (3% rostered)
The Bucs get the pleasure of playing at home against the Cleveland Browns, who seem to be on their way toward the No. 1 overall pick. In a Week 1 blowout, the Jacksonville Jaguars recorded five sacks, one fumble recovery, one interception and a defensive touchdown while allowing just 10 garbage-time points. Don't overthink this one.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Fantasy Football: Top waiver wire targets for Week 2
