As usual, the season’s first week was full of ups and downs. Hopefully, you rode that roller coaster to a win, but if you did not, it’s a long season, and there is time to recover. And the rest of your journey starts on the Week 2 waiver wire.
Below you will find my top picks at QB, RB, WR, and TE. I don’t mention kickers or defenses because you should be streaming those, and I’ll help with that tomorrow! Every player listed will be available in 50% or more ESPN leagues. Using ESPN is a change for me and this article. A recent study showed that over 65% of fantasy players use ESPN, 15% more than Yahoo in 2nd place. I want my info to matter to you, so ESPN will be our default.
Enough explanation. Let’s get to the Week 2 Waiver Wire!
Week 2 Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz (83% Available)
When you play the waiver wire QB game, there will be risks. Meet risk. His name is Carson Wentz. He went off for four TDs in Week 1 but still had two turnovers. The next four weeks are pretty friendly schedule-wise, starting with Week 2 in Detroit, who just gave up 20+ fantasy points to Jalen Hurts. So if you’re going to be streaming, maybe you lost Dak Prescott; Wentz might hold you down for a month!
Jameis Winston (63% Available)
Did someone say risky? Winston went for 25 fantasy points in Week 1 but was quiet for almost three-quarters of the game. He also didn’t turn the ball over, which means he’s due. A revenge game with Tampa Bay is on deck for Week 2, but you can’t deny that with weapons like Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave, and Alvin Kamara, Winston feels like a guaranteed two TDs every week.
This will be one of the busiest weeks of your fantasy season. On top of waivers, you can also expect a ton of trade offers. If you want more personalized advice from Ryan Weisse, you should check out ConnectGo! It’s an app that lets you get 1-on-1 advice from some of your favorite fantasy analysts. You can text them and even set up video calls to discuss waivers, trades, lineups, and whatever other fantasy football questions come to mind. Download the app today!
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Running Backs
Darrell Henderson (54% Available)
Do you want the Rams’ starting RB? Of course, you do! While people who don’t follow me drafted Cam Akers, it appears that 46% paid attention and took Henderson 10 rounds later. Time for the rest of you to get on board. Henderson touched the ball 18 times in an ugly loss and will likely keep this workload moving forward. However, I wouldn’t blow a top-3 waiver priority on him unless I were desperate.
Jamaal Williams (64% Available)
We discussed Jamaal Williams on our new Monday reaction show. While Josh doesn’t believe he can repeat his role as vulture every week, he doesn’t have to in order to remain fantasy-relevant. The Lions looked better than most people thought they would (it’s me, I’m most people), and Williams is in line for 10-15 touches every week. Plus, if there were an injury to D’Andre Swift, his value would be through the roof!
Jeff Wilson Jr /Â Tyrion Davis-Price (96% Available)
Wilson will be your league’s #1 add this week. I’m not sure I would press the issue. Yes, it was an ugly game, but he only scored five fantasy points in replacement of Eli Mitchell. Mitchell will miss two months, and everyone wants a piece of the new starter for the 49ers…but they will use a committee. The rookie Davis-Price, a healthy scratch in Week 1, could be a dark horse to make some noise and will cost you far less.
Rex Burkhead (82% Available)
Targets matter, and Burkhead will see them in this offense. Dameon Pierce is the darling, but Burkhead will score the fantasy points.
Khalil Herbert (75% Available)
He is in an almost even split with David Montgomery, which is in line with training camp reports. So if you need an RB3 for bye week prep, Herbert is your guy.
Kenneth Gainwell (71% Available)
Miles Sanders is still the man here, but they are running a committee. He may not score a TD every week, but four targets make him well worth a spot on your bench for now.
Jaylen Warren (98% Available)
This SCREAMS D’Ernest Johnson to me. Everyone is worried about Najee Harris‘ foot problems, and they are rushing to land his backup. While Johnson has a good game or two for Cleveland, he was not worth the FAAB spent on him and was back on waivers a few weeks later. I’m not sold on Warren, and Harris might not even miss time. But, if you already have Harris, I get it.
If you missed our new Monday Hangxiety show, you missed a great time! Josh, Ryan, and Kyra gave their reactions to Sunday’s action to let you know whether you need to worry or Chill TF Out! We’ll be live every Monday at 11 AM EST. Check out last week’s episode now!
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Wide Receivers
Julio Jones (56% Available)
Chris Godwin is already dealing with a hamstring injury, and Jones looked good in his debut. If he can stay healthy, Jones’ connection with Brady will grow. We could be talking about a top-30 season for a guy you landed on waivers. I’m not sure I’d give up top priority, but I’d put in a claim with any other waiver slot.
Curtis Samuel (91% Available)
Post. Hype. Sleeper. We were excited for Samuel last year, but he was disappointing, and nobody drafted him in 2022. Now, he is on waivers and suddenly involved in the Washington offense. He added four carries to his 11 targets, and 15 opportunities are great for a guy you can add after Week 1.
DJ Chark (50% Available)
Nobody was sure what to make of this offense, but Chark was a great complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown. He ended up with eight targets and caught four for 52 yards and a TD. It won’t be 15 fantasy points every week, but he has some flex appeal.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (98% Available)
While the opposing defense spends all their time stopping the run and blanketing Amari Cooper, DPJ looks like a target monster. He led the team with a career-high 11 targets, and his six catches for 60 yards is no small thing against a good Carolina secondary.
Tight Ends
Gerald Everett (86% Available)
You want pieces of good offenses and a great quarterback. Everett is a cheap entry point to Justin Herbert and the Chargers. He’ll have some down games, but three catches for 54 yards and a TD means he should be on your roster if you’re streaming or accidentally drafted Cole Kmet.
Tyler Higbee (50% Available)
Higbee is more of a streaming option, but there could be some upside here. He has shown top-10 potential in the past, and his 11 targets in Week 1 cannot be overlooked. We have to assume (read: hope or pray) that Allen Robinson will be more involved moving forward, but Higbee can have good weeks in the right matchups.
Hayden Hurst (80% Available)
Another excellent streaming option to get ahead of the crowd. When streaming TEs, you’re either chasing volume or TDs. Of course, volume is easier to predict, and Joe Burrow will throw to his TE: this season, that will be Hayden Hurst. It may not be eight targets every week, I suspect Tee Higgins‘ injury had something to do with that, but 5-6 heading Hurst’s way ain’t bad!
Keep an eye on our Article Page all week. We have will have features for Streams of the Week, NFL betting, Prop betting, Starts and Sits, and DFS to help you in Week 2!