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Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, and C.J. Stroud in Week 2 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Sundays belong to football once again. We saw some great action in Week 1, including some young quarterbacks who look ready to take the next step.
In this article, we will focus on three QBs: Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, and C.J. Stroud. Shough almost completed a legendary comeback win, coming up just short on a two-point conversion attempt in a heartbreaking loss. Willis played his first game as the Dolphins' franchise quarterback, while Stroud was excellent barring the final 30 seconds against the Bills.
Are Shough, Willis, and Stroud worth adding off the waiver wire in Week 2? Here are the latest outlooks on each for fantasy football.
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Tyler Shough Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 40% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 10 Team Leagues
Plenty of people doubted the Saints when they drafted the then-25-year-old Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but Shough silenced the doubters when he went 5-3 in his last eight starts with 12 total touchdowns and a 97.1 passer rating.
TYLER SHOUGH FINDS Chris Olave FOR 43 YARDS LATE IN THE 4TH
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/cs39B0lI1r
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2026
Shough finished second behind Tetairoa McMillan in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, and he might have won the award had he started in the first half of the season. Heading into his first full year as the QB1, Shough was determined to start the 2026 season with a bang.
The Saints went down 21-0 with less than nine minutes left in the third, but Shough didn't back down. He led four consecutive scoring drives, highlighted by an insane 42-yard pass to Chris Olave late in the fourth. He set up his kicker Daniel Carlson to win the game with a 62-yard field goal, but he failed to score as the game went to overtime.
Shough answered the Lions' touchdown drive with one of his own, but failed to score the two-point conversion to complete the biggest comeback in Saints history. He led the league in passing with 410 passing yards, and finished as the fantasy QB6. He is a top add in all standard leagues.
Malik Willis Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 40% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12 Team Leagues
After throwing three interceptions to zero touchdowns in his first two years in the NFL, it seemed like Malik Willis would never become a franchise quarterback.
Malik Willis rushes into the end zone for his FIRST TD as a Dolphin 🐬
MIAvsLV on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/V9bwozd5JL— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
However, he had an incredibly efficient backup stint with the Packers, leading all QBs (with at least 140 plays) in EPA/play from 2024 to 2025.
That historic efficiency convinced the QB-needy Dolphins, who had just ended the Tua Tagovailoa era, to offer Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract in the 2026 offseason. Willis didn't have an outstanding showing in Week 1, but showed off his dual-threat ability.
He finished with 259 yards from scrimmage, one total touchdown, and one turnover in a 13-27 loss to the Raiders. Willis finished as the fantasy QB12 with 17.7 points, and his connection with rookie wideout Caleb Douglas (who racked up 94 yards) makes him an intriguing streamer moving forward.
While his upside as a passer may be limited, his ability to use his legs provides him a high floor in all formats.
C.J. Stroud Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 29% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12 Team Leagues
After his dominant rookie season, C.J. Stroud regressed in 2024, and while he had a good stretch in the middle of the 2025 season, he was woeful in the playoffs.
Stroud using his legs to get the first down 😤
BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/4PRkvEma7h
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
Many fans argue that the Texans' defense would have carried them to the Super Bowl last season had Stroud not committed seven turnovers in two postseason games
After agreeing to delay contract extension talks until the conclusion of the 2026 NFL season, Stroud entered Week 1 with a chip on his shoulder.
He played as well as he could for 59 minutes and 30 seconds against the Bills and had the Texans on the Buffalo nine-yard line with 30 seconds left, needing a touchdown to win.
Unfortunately, two sacks and a fumble ended Houston's dreams of starting 1-0. Houston will play the porous Colts, Cowboys, and Titans defenses from Week 3 to Week 5, which will be good chances for Stroud to rebuild his confidence. He should be viewed as a top streamer across all 12-team leagues for the foreseeable future.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, C.J. Stroud. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, C.J. Stroud. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections and more.
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How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and update it constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players that are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Tyler Shough, Malik Willis, C.J. Stroud:
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