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Kaytron Allen Carving Out Role Despite No. 3 Spot on Depth Chart
Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen was able to carve out a role in Week 1, despite ranking third on the depth chart behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. It wasn't the prettiest or flashiest performance, but his four rushing attempts for 10 yards ranked ahead of many other teams' No. 3 running backs in terms of involvement. It was very encouraging to see the Commanders carve out playing time (10% of snaps) for the rookie in the season opener, as it indicates that his role could only grow going forward. Managers in deeper leagues should consider adding Allen off the waiver wire now, because if his role continues to grow, there will be more competition to get him on fantasy rosters. There's a very real chance that the rookie's fantasy stock will never be lower than it is right now, so managers are advised to get in on the ground floor.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
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Oronde Gadsden an Impact Playmaker with Streaming Potential
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden had a relatively quiet Week 1 showing, but the track record from his rookie season in 2025 suggests that he could be a key waiver-wire target for managers this year. Gadsden ranked as the TE15 in PPR leagues with 49 catches, 664 yards, and three touchdowns last year, and most of that production came in Week 6 or later. However, there's a new obstacle in his path this year, and it's the depth chart. Gadsden fell to second in the tight end pecking order after the Chargers signed David Njoku in free agency. Njoku played a modest 55% of snaps in Week 1, but Gadsden's snap share was even lower at just 18%. The 23-year-old needs one domino to fall in his favor, and there's a chance that's the injury to Ladd McConkey (chest). The veteran wide receiver went down last week, leading to a void in the passing game. Gadsden has a great opportunity to step up with more volume in Week 2, ranking as a TE2 for fantasy purposes. He's definitely a riskier target, but the Syracuse product is a proven player who knows what it takes to produce at the NFL level. There's some deep-league streamer appeal here for Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders, especially if McConkey doesn't end up playing.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
JuJu Smith-Schuster Works Out for the Jets on Tuesday
The New York Jets hosted veteran free-agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) for a workout on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The 29-year-old is looking for another chance in the NFL after the Giants released him while he was recovering from a knee injury during training camp. He hasn't achieved fantasy relevance since 2022 with the Chiefs, but the Jets are interested in bringing him aboard. After all, they have an opening at the wide receiver position with Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle) diagnosed as week-to-week. The Jets worked out a few receivers, so it's not a lock that Smith-Schuster even gets offered a contract. However, at the very least, there's mutual interest from both sides. Any signing would keep Smith-Schuster off the fantasy radar in most leagues.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Ameer Abdullah Looking for Role in Crowded Backfield
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ameer Abdullah carried the ball four times for 32 yards and had one reception for zero yards in a 34-10 Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Abdullah played just five offensive snaps, but he made the most of his opportunities with five touches in total. Abdullah played far behind Bhayshul Tuten (28 snaps) and Chris Rodriguez Jr. (23 snaps). Tuten led the Jaguars with 15 rushes for 66 yards, but Abdullah actually out-rushed Rodriguez on fewer attempts. Rodriguez finished the game with six carries for 23 yards. The Jaguars dominated the game from the start, and Abdullah benefited from the blowout with an efficient performance. Abdullah is currently rostered in 0% of Yahoo leagues and will continue to play behind Tuten and Rodriguez. For now, he is safe to leave on the waiver wire.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Joshua Palmer Makes the Most Of Limited Targets in Week 1
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer recorded a 34-yard touchdown reception that proved to be the game-winner for the Bills in a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 1. However, while Palmer was able to make the most of his opportunities, he played a low-volume role. Palmer was targeted just twice in the season opener, and both came in the late fourth quarter. He played just 18 offensive snaps. In a game where Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw for 334 yards, Palmer's usage was discouraging. Palmer is currently rostered in 0% of Yahoo leagues, and while the secondary of the Detroit Lions was torn up in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, there is not much reason to add Palmer to your fantasy team right now ahead of the Week 2 matchup with the Lions.
Source: Pro Football Focus
Source: Pro Football Focus
Ben Sinnott One to Watch on the Waiver Wire
Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott did not record a single statistic in Week 1. The Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by a final score of 24-22, but Sinnott was a non-factor in the passing game. According to Pro Football Focus, Sinnott played 18 offensive snaps and 16 snaps on special teams. He played well behind Chig Okonkwo (hamstring), who had 39 offensive snaps, and John Bates, who had 34 offensive snaps. Okonkwo and Bates recorded two receptions each. Sinnott has amassed just 16 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns throughout his NFL career thus far, but he could have a slightly bigger role going into Week 2 action against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys if Okonkwo's hamstring injury keeps him out.
Source: Pro Football Focus
Source: Pro Football Focus
Noah Fant Building Momentum Heading into Week 2
New Orleans Saints tight end Noah Fant was targeted eight times in Week 1 and caught four passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. The Saints fell to the Detroit Lions 31-30 in overtime, but quarterback Tyler Shough put up 410 passing yards and showed he will spread the ball around. Fellow tight end Juwan Johnson recorded three receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown, proving further that Shough has no issue targeting tight ends. The Saints have a Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens, and while it is likely going to be a tougher matchup for Fant, he could be worth a roster spot for fantasy teams in need of better tight end play. Fant is available in every league, as he is currently rostered in 0% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Aaron Rodgers Doesn't Offer Much Streaming Appeal in Week 2
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a tough matchup with the New England Patriots in Week 2. Rodgers had a somewhat pedestrian performance in the Steelers' 20-13 season-opening victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He completed 24 out of 40 pass attempts (60%) for 221 yards and one touchdown. He did not throw an interception. Rodgers averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt and was sacked twice. The Patriots held the Seattle Seahawks to just 200 yards passing in Week 1, although Sam Darnold was injured early and the Seahawks had to rely on Drew Lock at quarterback. The Patriots also boasted one of the NFL's best passing defenses in 2025. Rodgers is currently rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues and can likely stay on the waiver wire for Week 2 in most formats.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
Cole Kmet is Earning Deep-League Value
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet didn't have a major role in the offense, but he was able to have success during the season opener. Kmet caught two of his three targets for 35 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Carolina Panthers. Despite being behind Colston Loveland on the depth chart, Kmet made more of an impact than him on Sunday. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect that to happen weekly, but it's nice to see that Kmet is still getting involved in the offense. The Bears have two viable tight ends, so expect them to use them to their advantage. Kmet could be worth adding in deep leagues after a decent showing in the season opener.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Jacoby Brissett is Gaining Traction After Strong Start
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett helped lead his team to an impressive win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. Brissett completed 27-of-37 passing attempts for 277 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also rushed the ball six times for 14 yards during the upset victory. It looks like Brissett is picking up right where he left off last season. The 33-year-old has excellent chemistry with tight end Trey McBride, and it showed again on Sunday. The Cardinals will head into a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 2. Brissett could be a matchup-based streaming option, but he won't be an ideal choice for Week 2.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Jack Bech has Stash Value After Scoring in Season Opener
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech made the most of his opportunities during the Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. He only played 27 of the 68 offensive snaps, but he made the most of his time on the field. Bech hauled in three of his four targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in the win. There is no clear No. 1 wideout in Las Vegas right now, so Bech has room to grow into the top option in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old probably won't be a viable starting option in 12-team leagues, but he's someone worth stashing in deep leagues and dynasty formats while he develops.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Mack Hollins Likely to See Expanded Role
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins stepped up in a big way during the season opener. Hollins was not expected to be a significant part of the offense, but he ended up being one of the lone bright spots. The 33-year-old hauled in four of his five targets for 51 yards in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He saw an expanded role in the offense once top wideout A.J. Brown (ankle) exited the contest. It sounds like Brown is going to miss over a month of action, which could lead to a bigger role for Hollins in this offense. Hollins will probably move into a starting role for the Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He could be worth stashing in deep leagues while Brown is out.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Marquez Valdes-Scantling Signing with Chargers
According to Jeremy Fowler, the Los Angeles Chargers are signing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad on Tuesday. The veteran wideout was with the Dallas Cowboys during training camp, but he didn't make the final roster. He has bounced around the league in the past few seasons, but he could still provide depth to this roster. The Chargers could need another wideout with Ladd McConkey (rib) considered day-to-day right now. If he misses Week 2, Valdes-Scantling could be elevated to the active roster, but it's unlikely he'd do much during his first week with the organization. Fantasy managers can ignore MVS for the moment.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Jonah Coleman Still Worth Rostering as RB Depth in Deep Leagues
There was a lot of offseason buzz around Denver Broncos rookie fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman, despite the fact that the team also has J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey primed for big roles in their backfield in 2026. The 23-year-old from the University of Washington got off to a slow start in his regular-season debut on Monday night in the 31-10 loss to the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, playing just three snaps on offense and not seeing a single touch out of the backfield. He did return one kickoff for 27 yards on special teams. Coleman came in projected as Denver's RB3, but he was a distant third behind Dobbins and Harvey, with the Broncos abandoning their running game early on in KC. Denver has a lot of room for improvement on offense after an ugly showing out of the gate, and perhaps that means more involvement for Coleman alongside Dobbins and Harvey. The 5-foot-8, 220-pounder does not have any current standalone fantasy appeal heading into a Week 2 tilt at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he remains an intriguing deep-league stash for RB depth because of his power as a runner between the tackles. Coleman is rostered in 33% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Daniel Jones Merely a Superflex Stash Option at QB Going into Week 2
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones had a lackluster 2026 season opener in Sunday's Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, going 19-for-31 passing for 166 yards for one touchdown and one interception. The 29-year-old had one carry for a gain of four yards. Most of the production on offense came from star running back Jonathan Taylor, as Jones had a measly 5.4 yards per pass attempt. We will give the former first-rounder from Duke a pass, though, in his first game back from an Achilles tendon tear late last season while going up against a formidable defense in Baltimore. Jones was on pace for a 4,000-yard passing season in 2025 in his first season in Indy before his season-ending injury, so fantasy managers should not be so quick to completely write him off in 2026 as he continues to put his Achilles tear further in the rearview mirror. Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs on the road on Sunday Night Football probably is not the place to trust him in two-QB superflex leagues, but Jones is still a solid QB depth stash in those formats. He is currently rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Aaron Donald Could Make his 2026 Debut on Monday Night
The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that there is "a very realistic chance" that All-Pro interior pass-rusher Aaron Donald will make his return for the Rams in Week 2 at home against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Rapoport reports that, based on people he has spoken to, Donald is targeting Monday night for his return for the first time since 2023 after hanging up his cleats. Head coach Sean McVay was a little more non-committal on Donald potentially returning in Week 2, saying, "We haven't decided that yet." The former 13th overall pick by the Rams in 2014 from Pittsburgh was a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his previous seasons, which included eight first-team All-Pro selections, but he is 35 now and coming off a long layoff without football. It will still be a shot in the arm for a Rams defense that was spanked by the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 in Australia, especially after they placed star edge rusher Myles Garrett (knee) on Injured Reserve. Fantasy managers in IDP formats should keep expectations tempered for Donald, who is expected to return to more of a rotational pass-rushing role at defensive tackle, especially during his debut.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Chargers Place Keandre Lambert-Smith on Injured Reserve
The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Tuesday that they placed wide receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) on Injured Reserve and signed receiver Gary Jennings in a corresponding move. Lambert-Smith injured his hamstring in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and will now be forced to miss at least the next four games. The earliest he will be eligible to return to the Chargers' active 53-man roster will be for the Week 6 divisional clash against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Oct. 18. With top wideout Ladd McConkey (rib) also banged up coming out of the season opener, the Bolts could be down to Quentin Johnston and Tre' Smith as their top receivers this weekend for a Week 2 tilt against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Lambert-Smith did not play a single snap on offense on Sunday before getting injured.
Source: Los Angeles Chargers
Source: Los Angeles Chargers
David Njoku Deserves Waiver Consideration After Five-Catch Week 1
Los Angeles Chargers tight end David Njoku came to the Chargers in the offseason to little fanfare and was considered the TE3 going into the Bolts' Week 1 season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Njoku surprisingly led the Chargers' tight ends in the 26-14 loss by catching all five of his targets for 58 yards in his first game with the team. His 58 receiving yards were second on the team, behind only receiver Ladd McConkey's (rib) 82 yards. The 30-year-old played the same number of offensive snaps (30) as Charlie Kolar, who was talked up all summer during training camp as a potential TE sleeper in his first season in L.A. Njoku fell out of favor with the Cleveland Browns last year due to the immediate emergence of rookie Harold Fannin Jr., catching 33 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns. The former Pro Bowler will have competition for targets all year from Kolar and Oronde Gadsden, but Njoku has by far the most pass-catching experience in his 10-year NFL career, racking up over 4,000 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns. With McConkey up in the air to play in Week 2 versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, Njoku should definitely be on the waiver-wire radar for fantasy managers in need of depth at the TE position.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
John Bates on TE Streaming Radar Due to Teammate's Injury
Washington Commanders tight end John Bates only caught two of his three targets for 13 yards in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday while playing just under half of the offensive snaps. The 28-year-old is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but the former fourth-rounder from Boise State could find himself on the streaming radar in two-TE leagues going into a Week 1 matchup on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, who allowed two touchdowns to Giants TE Isaiah Likely in Week 1, if fellow TE Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) cannot play after suffering a hamstring injury in the season opener. Bates has never had more than 249 receiving yards or one touchdown in any of his previous five seasons with the Commanders, so he is merely a speculative deep-league pickup in two-TE leagues in case Okonkwo's injury is serious enough to keep him from suiting up this weekend in Dallas. For what it is worth, Bates had more than two targets in Week 1 for the first time since Week 9 of last year, although that likely had something to do with Okonkwo getting hurt.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Kyle Williams has Opportunity for Bigger Role Going Forward
New England Patriots second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams only caught 10 passes after being taken in the third round last year out of Washington State, but he did average 20.9 yards per catch and found the end zone three times in 17 regular-season games. Williams had a forgettable 2026 season debut in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Wednesday, playing only 17% of the offensive snaps while not being targeted at all by quarterback Drake Maye. The 23-year-old is currently not rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but that could change quickly after Week 2 against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers with top pass-catcher A.J. Brown (ankle) potentially out for up to six weeks due to a high-ankle sprain that he suffered last Wednesday night. Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas should see more targets from Maye going forward, but Williams will also have a bigger role as a field-stretcher, giving him some deep-league waiver-wire value going into the second game of the season as a boom/bust depth option at WR.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Chargers Working Out Marquez Valdes-Scantling Amid WR Injuries
The Los Angeles Chargers are working out free-agent veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Tuesday, sources told Jordan Schultz. The two-time Super Bowl champion was with the Dallas Cowboys during training camp this summer before being released, and he has 219 catches, 3,686 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career. He played in 10 games (one start) last year with the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers and caught 14 of his 29 targets for only 120 yards and one touchdown. The Chargers are seeking a little more WR depth going into their Week 2 divisional tilt against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday after top wideout Ladd McConkey (rib) suffered a rib injury that has him listed as day-to-day this week. Additionally, Keandre Lambert-Smith (hamstring) is expected to miss some time after getting hurt in the Week 1 season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Chargers' top wideouts this Sunday will likely be Quentin Johnston and Tre' Harris if McConkey is not cleared to suit up.
Source: Jordan Schultz
Source: Jordan Schultz
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