These are Waiver Wire Week 2 recommendations from PlayerProfiler’s own Theo Gremminger (Note: All Players Listed as available in 75 percent or MORE of Yahoo Leagues).
Quarterbacks
Shallow League Add: Derek Carr | New Orleans (38%)
Carr passed for 305 yards and looked good doing so. In Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed, Carr has three strong pass-catching weapons. Olave is a star that can take over any game. Carr completed five passes of 20 yards or more. Add him.
Shallow League Add #2: Jordan Love | Green Bay (31%)
Love had an impressive debut on the road in Chicago. Love finished with 257 combined yards and three TD passes. He will get back stud WR Christian Watson as early as this week.
Mac Jones | New England (8%)
Jones passed for 316 yards on 54 attempts in game one under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. He connected on TD passes with Kendrick Bourne twice. Jones only passed for 300+ twice in 2022, which could be a positive sign. He makes for an interesting streamer and a must-start in Superflex in what should be a high-flying matchup against Miami in Week 2.
Running Backs
Shallow League Add: Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia (47%)
A no-brainer. Needs no mention. I apologize for the “Not available in my league, bro!” type of player, but if he is available, make it rain FAAB dollars.
Kyren Williams | Los Angeles (5%)
Williams had some buzz this offseason after an injury-plagued rookie season, but most expected Cam Akers to be the bell cow, with Williams being utilized on passing downs. While Akers had 22 carries and a TD, he finished with only 29 yards rushing and no targets. Williams was the featured back, outsnapping Akers 53-28 and running 29 routes to Akers four. Williams ended up with 52 yards rushing and two TDs. With his reputation as a pass catcher and this sort of usage, Williams is a weekly RB2 moving forward. Prioritize him this week.
Gus Edwards | Baltimore (20%)
Justice Hill | Baltimore (4%)
It’s devastating news for J.K. Dobbins managers, but the show must go on. The Baltimore run game will be a committee approach, but the split will be one to monitor. When Dobbins left the game, Edwards saw the first rushing attempt, but Hill found the end zone twice. Hill is also the more talented receiver of the two.
Roschon Johnson | Chicago (16%)
If Johnson was somehow not drafted in your league, then your league-mates probably do not follow PlayerProfiler. Khalil Herbert started, but Johnson paced the backfield. Johnson scored a rushing TD and led Chicago with six receptions. He has the third-down role locked down and is the most well-rounded RB on the roster. Johnson could be this year’s version of Dameon Pierce or Tyler Allgeier– a day-three pick who is a fantasy starter week in and week out. Williams is the priority add this week, but Johnson should also be aggressively bidded on.
Joshua Kelley | Los Angeles Chargers (6%)
Kelley is not only the handcuff to Austin Ekeler in one of the league’s better offenses, but also looks to have a weekly role. Kelley had a career-high 91 yards rushing and scored a TD- in a close loss to Miami. Los Angeles may want to keep Austin Ekeler as fresh as possible or feel very comfortable with Kelley. Either way, he must be rostered everywhere and treated as a high-end handcuff. Ekeler is also dealing with a possible ankle issue, so Kelley will be a wise addition but also a costly one this week.
Tyjae Spears | Tennessee (15%)
Spears out-snapped Derrick Henry 34-30, out-targeted him 4-2, and ran twice as many routes. Spears is one of the best handcuffs to roster in fantasy football and would see an every-down role if Henry were to miss some time. If neutral game scripts call for a split like this, Spears could have some production even with Henry. It will be very interesting to see how Week 2 plays out.
Sean Tucker | Tampa Bay (4%)
Rachaad White dominated RB touches, but his production was poor. Tucker is the clear handcuff to the roster in Tampa. He had five carries and two catches in his debut game as a pro. If you have White, prioritize Tucker in case there is ever a change of the guard. Tucker was dynamic at Syracuse, and he looks healthy.
Chuba Hubbard | Carolina (15%)
Miles Sanders–Chuba Hubbard is more of a split than most Sanders managers wanted to see. Hubbard had nine carries for 60 yards. He added two catches for nine yards. Sanders had twice the carries and catches, but Hubbard is, at the very least a high-end handcuff. His usage would skyrocket in this conservative offense if Sanders were to miss time.
Jerome Ford | Cleveland (9%)
Ford had a career-high 15 carries as the Browns ran the clock out to win a convincing win over Cincinnati. Do not expect this sort of weekly volume, but it is very clear that Ford is the handcuff to roster behind Nick Chubb in Cleveland. If you have Nick Chubb, handcuff him with Ford. If you do not have Chubb on your roster, consider him a lottery ticket stash.
Ty Chandler | Minnesota (8%)
Chandler was not the handcuff, plus many anticipated in game one, but he is the handcuff. Prioritize him if you have Mattison or are lotto ticket hunting.
Tight Ends
Luke Musgrave | Green Bay (19%)
FFPC and NFFC Drafters routinely drafted Musgrave throughout the summer, but he is somehow available in percent of 81 % Yahoo leagues. Musgrave had a solid debut, with three catches for 50 yards. Expect many games like this. Musgrave has the role and ability to finish as a TE1. He is a mega athlete in a somewhat open target tree. Dynasty managers- go and get some Musgrave. He is less expensive than Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta, but he has tons of fantasy potential. I can’t write about him next week, as sharp managers will push him past the 25-percent threshold. Well, Luke, I enjoyed writing about you this week.
Logan Thomas | Washington (2%)
Thomas’ final stat line of four catches for 43 yards was not impressive, but his eight targets in a close game were. Thomas is on the radar. If you have room for him, consider adding him to see if he is the 2023 version of early-season Tyler Conklin.
Hunter Henry | New England (16%)
Henry benefited from the game flow and multiple injuries with the New England WRs. Henry finished with five catches on six targets and 56 yards when the dust settled. He found the end zone. The Mac Jones–Hunter Henry QB/TE combo is not the stack anyone ever wanted, but it is the stack we may be able to use in Week 2.
Zach Ertz | Arizona
I wish I was writing about Trey McBride, but it is still very much the Ertz show out in the desert. Ertz is 33 years old and is coming off of a torn ACL, but he has been a target magnet throughout his NFL career. Against Washington, Ertz saw ten targets and caught six of them. This is a moribund Arizona offensive attack, but targets are targets. Ertz will have a weekly floor for as long as he is healthy- do not expect too much of a ceiling.
Hayden Hurst | Carolina (11%)
Hurst was the safety blanket for rookie QB Bryce Young, earning seven targets and catching five of them- both Panthers highs. He also caught Bryce Young‘s only TD pass. This offense will struggle this season, but Hurst could be a weekly floor play. Last season in Cincinnati, Hurst had 70 targets- he could see even more this season.
Irv Smith | Cincinatti (11%)
Another floor-play TE option, Smith drew five targets in his first game in Cincinnati. He finished third behind only Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase and outdrew Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd. This is more of a possible player-to-roster recommendation than a start him one.
Durham Smythe | Miami (0%)
A rare 0% rostered player. Smythe is the starting TE in Miami and drew seven targets in his first game of the season. He led all Miami pass catchers in snaps and routes run. Monitor him.
Wide Receivers
Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams (7%)
Ladies and gentlemen, Nacua is your No. 1 Waiver Wire addition at the WR position. The fifth-round pick was dominant on Sunday, with ten catches on a mind-blowing 15 targets. Nacua was the No. 1 read on multiple Matt Stafford plays. This is not a one-off; this was game planned for. He finished with 119 receiving yards. Make no mistake about it: Nacua will cost A LOT this week, but brushing aside a performance like this, especially in Week 1, is a dangerous game. When was the last time a player received 15 targets in Week 1 and did not continue to be heavily utilized? If you do not believe in Nacua, at least price-check him so your league mates do not have a shot at him.
Tutu Atwell | Los Angeles Rams (4%)
Nacua is not the only Rams pass catcher to have flashed in the absence of Cooper Kupp. Atwell, a 2021 second-round pick, has top-notch speed. He had increased playing time in the second half of last season and looks to be taking another step forward this year. Atwell had eight targets, catching six of them, finishing with 119 yards. Atwell looks to be one of Matt Stafford’s top two targets. I am intrigued by him, and he will be overlooked in many leagues due to Nacua fever. Are we already discussing Puka Nacua arbitrage?
Jayden Reed | Green Bay Packers (12%)
Green Bay’s second-round draft pick, Reed, lived in the slot against Chicago. He had an impressive 25-percent target per route run debut. He led Green Bay’s WRs with 48 yards receiving. It will be interesting to see how he is used when Watson returns, and when Romeo Doubs gets healthier, but Reed is a talented player.
Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans (17%)
I believe in Rasheed Shaheed. Shaheed is the No. 3 WR in New Orleans, but he is explosive, and the team seems to want to feature him. He connected with Carr on a 19-yard TD catch and finished with five catches for 89 yards and a TD. He also had two rushing attempts. New Orleans wants to get the ball in his hands, and we should want to get him on our rosters. Dynasty managers- prioritize him!
Josh Reynolds | Detroit (1%)
Reynolds admirably filled in for the Jameson Williams role, pacing Detroit with 80 receiving yards and catching four of his seven targets. Reynolds had several usable games last season, and I am intrigued by his weekly role for the next five weeks until Williams is back. He will be an inexpensive player FAAB wise but could have a weekly floor.
Allen Robinson | Pittsburgh (3%)
Robinson’s eight targets and five catches were more than in any game he had last season in Los Angeles. Diontae Johnson is banged up, exiting the game with a hamstring injury. Should he miss, Robinson can be considered for very deep league managers.
Jonathan Mingo | Carolina (19%)
Mingo had only two catches for 17 yards, but he led Carolina WRs in targets with five. Mingo is only a stash, but one I do not mind holding on my bench- especially in deeper formats. The second-round pick could see his usage tick up as the season progresses.
Kendrick Bourne | New England (3%)
Deep league managers note that Bourne drew 11 targets, catching six of them. Bourne finished with two TD catches and 64 receiving yards. Bourne benefited from the absence of DeVante Parker, but he was Mac Jones preferred read on multiple plays. If this offense is going to be passing at this rate, Bourne could be a sneaky WR4/5 type.
Joshua Downs (1%)
Downs, Indianapolis third-rounder, had seven targets. This is one to monitor rather than roster, but it was a promising debut usage-wise.
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