This is the Waiver Wire Week 2! Welcome back to the greatest Waiver Wire column available anywhere. No, really—check last year’s articles. Last season, we hit on a number of players before the market. In this column, I pride myself on being one week ahead. I want to save you FAAB dollars. Last season, we hit on Trey McBride, CJ Stroud, Tank Dell, De’Von Achane, Kyren Williams, Devin Singletary, Jayden Reed and many more. But who is counting?
In this column, I go deep. There will be players available in deeper 20-man roster formats like the FFPC and NFFC every week. My usual threshold for diving into players will be if they are available in at least 70% of Yahoo Leagues.
Each week, I will also list some players that are Shallow League Additions. These players are available in some leagues, but not most. My threshold for these players is 40%, and that is it—I do not go higher than that.
The Obvious
You do not need me to tell you to add players like J.K. Dobbins (50% rostered) or Rashid Shaheed (55% rostered). If you are reading a Waiver Wire column like this one and looking for players that can give you an edge on the rest of your league, I am not going to waste your time writing about them.
This year, we do not have a Puka Nacua or Kyren Williams-type player. We have a few no-brainers, and spoiler alert—one of them is Isaiah Likely, but none are as clear-cut as Nacua or Williams were after Week 1 last year. Nevertheless, this is a helpful week, and one you should actively be involved with. Do not dismiss Week 1 usage. This is the Waiver Wire Week 2!
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Shallow League Additions (Players Available in 60% of Yahoo Leagues)
Quarterbacks
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (35%)
Mayfield is above my roster threshold to rank him inside my top 10, but if he were available, he would be a strong addition. He finished QB11 last season and looked like he’s going to challenge for another QB1 finish after Week 1’s strong performance against Washington.
Running Backs
RB Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (38%)
The next man in behind Christian McCaffrey.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos (37%)
McLaughlin and Javonte Williams‘ ADPs should have been much closer to one another. McLaughlin has juice and should be rostered.
RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota (33%)
Aaron Jones played very well, but Chandler is still a must-roster player. Jones played only 12 games last year, and Chandler has the two-way ability to provide a high amount of RB utility if Jones were to miss time.
Chandler had 11 total touches and out-targeted Jones 3-2. Chandler is one of my favorite handcuffs to roster.
Wide Receivers
WR Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (33%)
Cooks will see an uptick in usage with Jake Ferguson set to miss time with an MCL injury. The Jalen Tolbert threat was greatly exaggerated, and Cooks is the clear-cut No. 2 target in the offense behind CeeDee Lamb. He can be inserted into the flex this week.
WR Gabe Davis, Jacksonville Jaguars (37%)
Davis was only targeted three times, but he led Jacksonville WRs in snaps. Most notably, he out snapped Christian Kirk 50-38. He is effectively a full-time player in this offense. Davis is somewhat of a “never again bro!” player who disappointed fantasy managers in previous seasons because of inflated ADP costs. But if Davis is going to be a full-time player, he will have spike weeks. Including the NFL playoffs, Davis has 33 career TD catches. He has had nine games with 15+ PPR points over the past two NFL seasons. Davis should be rostered to see where this is going, and he won’t cost much FAAB at all. Don’t spend too much—let’s make sure he is not just a cardio guy—but throw a few dollars on him if you need WR depth.
Players Available in 70% of Yahoo Leagues or More
Quarterbacks:
QB Justin Fields, Pittsburgh (14%)
Fields filled in for the injured Russell Wilson and won a difficult road matchup against a strong Atlanta defense. Winning will go a long way in Fields retaining the position, and if he does, he is a player we should consider in fantasy. Fields only passed for 156 yards, but he added 14 rushing attempts for 57 yards. The weekly rushing floor he provides is massive. An away game in Denver should be an opportunity for the offense to take another step further. Pittsburgh could very well turn back to Russell Wilson, but if they don’t, then Fields should be rostered.
QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota (10%)
Darnold was in my Week 1 Waiver article last week. While the numbers did not deliver, he got the road win in New York. He connected with Justin Jefferson on one of his two TD passes. He is a must-roster player in Superflex formats.
Running Backs
RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay (21%)
Irving is one of my favorite additions this week. He led Tampa Bay in rushing yards with 61 and added two catches for 14 yards. He was out-targeted 6-3 by Rachaad White, but pass-catching ability is not a concern with Irving. While at Oregon, he led the nation in receptions at the RB position. Irving is already a handcuff plus, and despite his limited snap total, he already has a weekly touch floor in place.
Rachaad White was one of the best picks at ADP last season, but he sometimes struggles as a runner. Irving is a threat to turn this into a 50/50 timeshare. If White were to miss time, Irving has the juice to be a league winner. Prioritize him.
RB Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas (4%)
Mattison is in a split backfield with Zamir White. He out snapped and out targeted his more highly drafted teammate. He caught four passes for 43 yards and a TD and added five carries. If you drafted Zamir White, this outcome is awful. Neither can be trusted in lineups, but Mattison should be rostered.
RB Ray Davis, Buffalo (19%)
Davis is a priority handcuff for James Cook managers and a speculative lottery ticket for others. He looked good on a limited sample size and has a lot of juice. He should be rostered everywhere.
RB Jaylen Wright, Miami (21%)
Wright was inactive, but if anyone in your league cuts him, then he should be quickly scooped up. He is a contingent upside play. If De’Von Achane or Raheem Mostert miss time, then Wright would instantly have starting value. Be patient with Wright. This is the sort of lottery ticket we want on our benches.
RB Antonio Gibson, New England Patriots (23%)
The clear-cut RB2 in New England. Gibson is probably more of a contingent value play with Rhamondre Stevenson seeing a massive workload. If Stevenson missed time, Gibson would hold value as New England’s attack looks RB-centric.
RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (5%)
“We really like Tank, and he will have a bigger role for us this year.” Doug Pederson’s comments in March were somewhat dismissed by the fantasy community. The Jaguars selected Bigsby in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he created a lot of buzz among drafters searching for contingent upside. But last year was a major disappointment. It appears as though Bigsby will have a significant weekly role. He had the same amount of rushing attempts as Travis Etienne, finishing with career highs of 12 carries and 73 rushing yards.
Bigsby is certainly not a full-time player, and his 17 snaps indicate he is far from a handcuff plus. But he is a player the coaching staff likes and whose role could grow. If you have Travis Etienne on your roster, Bigsby should be a priority add. He should be viewed as a high-end handcuff.
RB Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens (4%)
Hill out snapped Derrick Henry 42-37 and finished with eight targets—the most of any RB in Week 1. The Baltimore coaching staff has always liked Hill, and he has a great deal of experience under John Harbaugh. There were reports out of Baltimore this summer that Hill would be a weekly part of the Ravens’ game plan, and it certainly appears that way after Thursday night’s loss. Hill finished with six catches for 52 yards and added one carry. Next week’s game against Baltimore looks like a game Baltimore should control with a heavy dose of Derrick Henry, but if the game flow dictates, the Ravens will turn to Hill. This is a high-quality offense that we want pieces of. Treat Hill as a priority handcuff to Henry with a chance at some handcuff plus usage.
RB Marshawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers (13%)
Lloyd should be rostered wherever possible. Jordan Love‘s injury could create more opportunities for Packers RBs (with some manufactured touches for War Daddy Reed). Emanuel Wilson had a 20% rush share and three targets in the vacated Lloyd role. Consider that Lloyd’s floor. He has the juice and profile to cut into Josh Jacobs‘ weekly touches.
RB Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers (2%)
Wilson played well, rushing for 46 yards and catching two passes. He is a useful speculation play until MarShawn Lloyd returns.
Wide Receivers
WR Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay (5%)
The Bucs continue to run 11 personnel at a high rate, and McMillan’s Week 1 usage was a positive. He scored a TD on his only grab but also drew an interference. He is a very talented player but is more of an upside stash than someone we can use at this point. If Chris Godwin or Mike Evans missed time, McMillan would enter lineups.
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
The Giants are a trainwreck of an offense. There were very few positive takeaways in Sunday’s beatdown loss to Minnesota, but Robinson’s positive play was one of them. He was targeted 12 times, catching six of them for 44 yards. He also had a rushing attempt.
The total output was not excellent, but the usage was. The Giants will be underdogs for the foreseeable future, and they should have some game scripts that Robinson could thrive in. This is the sort of usage that will be dismissed by many of your league mates. Don’t make that mistake. There are not enough weapons on this offense for Robinson to be ignored.
WR Demarcus Robinson, LA Rams (6%)
Robinson was a frequent visitor to this column last season, and he had some useful games down the stretch. Between Weeks 13 and 17, Robinson had a TD or at least six catches in every single game. He should be considered a low-end WR3/flex option in weeks that Puka Nacua misses.
WR Ty Johnson, LA Rams (0%)
For deeper formats where Robinson is rostered, add Johnson. Johnson looked good and was targeted seven times, catching five for 79 yards in Monday Night’s loss to Detroit. This offense will be 35 percent Cooper Kupp, and the rest of the targets will be distributed out. Johnson could surprise. He played ahead of Jordan Whittington. Do not go crazy with this one and pay for the stats, but a 1-percent bid on Johnson may get the job done.
Jordan Whittington, LA Rams (1%)
Whittington makes for a stronger speculative addition than Johnson if you are a fantasy manager trying to long play the Nacua injury. While he was behind Robinson and Johnson, Whittington was impressive in the preseason, and the Rams coaching staff could self-scout him into a more prominent role.
WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (26%)
If you have room for Downs, consider stashing him. He should immediately become the No. 2 target in Indianapolis as soon as he returns to full health. Downs is an underrated talent and had a terrific offseason. He finished with the most catches for a Colts rookie all-time last season with 68. I have a lot of Downs and will look to add him in leagues where he is available.
WR Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (5%)
We do not want to overreact to Marvin Harrison‘s disappointing debut game, but we do want to react to Dortch. Dortch is a thing, albeit with a capped-ceiling thing. Going back to last season, he has led Arizona WRs in targets in four out of his last nine games. He appeared to be part of Arizona’s game plan and led the Cardinals in targets and catches. Who had Dortch outproducing MHJ and Trey McBride combined? He is a must-add in deeper formats and WR-heavy formats like the NFFC.
WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (2%)
Pierce had a stretch run in this column during his rookie season and popped up last year as a player to watch. His profile and role are not mysteries to me. He is a former second-round draft pick with elite athleticism and speed, but little consistent fantasy production. But this week felt slightly different. I would not recommend breaking the bank, but Pierce’s long speed combined with Anthony Richardson‘s rocket launcher cannon of an arm seemed to click. Is this a one-week wonder? Maybe. But Pierce was on the field for 84% of snaps.
He finished with three catches for 125 yards and a TD on only three targets. Pierce connected with Richardson on a gorgeous 60-yard score. I would assume most of your league is dismissive of Pierce’s gaudy stat line. I personally want to see where this is headed if it only costs me a few FAAB dollars. He appeared to be ahead of Adonai Mitchell, but it is anyone’s guess how the Colts WR room shakes out when Josh Downs returns.
WR DeVaughn Vele, Denver Broncos (0%)
WR Josh Reynolds, Denver Broncos (1%)
I recommended a speculative add with Vele or Josh Reynolds last week, and each was targeted eight times. Reynolds dominated Vele in snaps (55-34), but the rookie should be the priority addition. This is a promising debut, and Vele will see increased slot opportunities this season. He has size and should fit in well with Bo Nix‘s skill set. Vele is well ahead of Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin. Ask yourself this: if either Mims or Franklin had eight targets yesterday, how would drafters be treating them on the Waiver Wire this week? Vele continues to surprise—add him to your bench for cheap and see where this story is headed.
If you are in a super deep format or WR-heavy format like NFFC or FFWC, Reynolds is also a player you can consider rostering.
WR Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (16%)
Lost in the Carolina trainwreck was Legette posting a 22.6-percent target share in his first NFL game. As bad as the Panthers looked, Legette needs to be rostered in more leagues if he sees this sort of usage. He is a first-round NFL draft pick with incredible athletic testing numbers.
WR Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati (12%)
Iosivas only caught three passes, but his usage was promising. He had a 20-percent target share and nearly full-time usage. He is a big-time athlete. I had him in my preseason waivers article and sleepers’ article and would have liked to add him in more leagues. I would anticipate his numbers improving.
Tight Ends
TE Isaiah Likely, Baltimore (28%)
Likely is about as much of a no-brainer addition as we can find this week and should be the No. 1 add everywhere. His performance was incredible. He ripped the Kansas City defense to shreds and was the No. 1 target on multiple reads from Lamar Jackson. As a chef’s kiss, he scored on one of the nastiest jump cuts of the weekend. If you need a TE, he is a difference-maker and will finish as a TE1.
No, this is not Sam LaPorta from last year, and he probably won’t be a top 5 finisher at the position, but he is an instant starter for most managers. He also is an immediate safety boat addition for David Njoku and Jake Ferguson managers. Even if you have a strong TE, you need to price check Likely. He is only 24 years old and has had multiple smash games to end 2023 and now to start the 2024 season. Even if Mark Andrews rebounds all the way back, Likely should be treated as the Ravens’ WR2. Okay, that is enough praise from me—just add him.
TE Colby Parkinson, LA Rams (6%)
I recommended Parkinson as a Waiver Wire addition last week in the final preseason run—he was cheap and had a full-time underrated role in the Rams’ offense. The price of a brick just went up. Parkinson led LA in first-half receiving yardage with three catches for 45 yards. He finished with only one more catch, but four catches for 47 yards was a positive start and could be the sign of better things to come. Puka Nacua is now headed to the IR, and Parkinson’s role could be even stronger.
TE Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (21%)
I am writing this column before Monday Night Football but keep an eye on Conklin having a strong season. He has had three straight seasons with 87 targets and has 119 catches over his last two seasons in New York. If Aaron Rodgers upgrades this offense significantly, then Conklin could be a sneaky beneficiary.
Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas (0%)
Schoonmaker makes for a strong speculative addition with the Ferguson injury. A next level athlete with almost no production to speak of, he will be the ultimate test of “Dak makes the TE.” He was a 2nd Round Draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Athleticism will not be an issue: Schoonmaker runs a 4.63 40 yard dash and has a speed score of 110.
TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay (2%)
Kraft is far ahead of Luke Musgrave and dominated him in usage. This is quite notable because it was Kraft who was banged up this summer, and Musgrave was fully healthy. However you considered Musgrave in ADP, flip him with Kraft. This was a situation we all got wrong this past offseason, and it should quickly be corrected on the Waiver Wire. Kraft is a TE2 and should be rostered in TE Premium formats.
TE Jordan Akins, Cleveland Browns (0%)
David Njoku left the game with an ankle injury and will undergo further testing. HC Kevin Stefanski downplayed the severity, but Njoku was spotted in a walking boot after the game. The initial reports are that it is a high ankle sprain. Akins becomes a priority addition for TE premium fantasy managers as the next man in.
TE Zach Ertz, Washington (6%)
Ertz dominated snaps over second-round draft pick rookie Ben Sinnott.
TE Theo Johnson, New York Giants (1%)
The athletic rookie dominated TE snaps. He was only targeted four times, but rarely left the field. Daniel Bellinger is not a threat, and was even outsnapped by Chris Mahertz. This is Johnson’s position moving forward.
He makes for an interesting speculative addition and should be rostered in TE premium formats like the FFPC. Johnson is one of the most athletic TEs in football, and athleticism correlates more at the TE position than any other for fantasy success.
TE Gerald Everett, Chicago Bears (1%)
Everett out snapped and out-targeted Cole Kmet this week. Rome Odunze is having an MRI on his knee. Everett could see increased usage if Odunze misses time. This is a deep consideration for TE premium managers.
Top 10 Overall Waiver Wire Additions
- Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore
- Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay
- Demarcus Robinson, WR, LA Rams
- Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville
- Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore
- Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona
- Colby Parkinson, TE, LA Rams
- Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh
- Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo
- Marshawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay
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