X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper Sleepers for Standard Leagues (Week 2)

Well, this week happened, didn't it? There were some really bad performances by some NFL teams--hi Cincinnati! hi Houston!--and some disappointing performances by players you were counting on in fantasy. There were also surprises. Also, you lost David Johnson. You were likely getting ready to stand up and holler about how good the catch he'd made but then you stopped because it was taking him a second to get up and then you felt really bad. David Johnson's injury is bad for fantasy teams, but it's also bad for people who want to watch the best players play the best football every week. For these reasons, as fantasy owners we sometimes need to dig deep on the waiver wire to somehow find a way to replace these losses.

This week I'll be looking at deeper waiver wire targets and sleepers for Week 2, players whose ownership is currently under 20% and are likely available in many of your leagues. Sometimes I'll be highlighting these players because they have long-term value. Other times I'll be pointing out players who can get you through key injures.

Note: All ownership percentages are for Yahoo leagues.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 3 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Deeper Waiver Wire Targets for Week 2

DeShone Kizer (QB, Cleveland Browns) - 10%

Kizer is a work-in-progress right now - a talented player who is going to have some bad outings on a bad team. But in his debut, he flashed a competence that the Cleveland Browns haven't known in a long, long while. Kizer completed 66% of his passes with a touchdown and a pick, plus added 17 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Kizer won't set the world on fire with his arm this year, but the rushing threat he adds gives him solid value. Kizer is worth picking up if you need help at quarterback.

Jared Goff (QB, Los Angeles Rams) - 6%

Jared Goff actually looked like a competent NFL quarterback on Sunday, going 21-of-29 for 306 yards and a touchdown. It needs to be said that this came against the Colts and that you really need to take it with a grain of salt, but it's also worth noting that a lot of quarterbacks looked very bad in Week 1 and Goff didn't. I'd rather own Goff as my back up quarterback right now than own Andy Dalton, Blake Bortles, or Joe Flacco. The Rams have two good receivers in Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp, and the running game seems to be working again this year. Goff isn't worth starting until we see if he can sustain the level of play we saw Sunday, but he's worth grabbing and stashing.

Chris Carson (RB, Seattle Seahawks) - 15%

Wow, the Seahawks offense struggled on Sunday. With Thomas Rawls out, the Seattle rushing game consisted of Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise, and Carson. Lacy's five carries for three yards don't inspire much confidence. Prosise had 11 yards! Carson was the best back against Green Bay, taking six carries for 39 yards, though 30 of that came on one play. You probably don't want to own any shares of this backfield at the moment, but Carson has the best chance of emerging from it if Thomas Rawls doesn't return soon.

Tarik Cohen (RB, Chicago Bears) -  13%

Cohen was used as a change-of-pace back and a pass catcher out of the backfield on Sunday and it worked--he had five carries for 66 yards and eight catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Cohen is in an interesting position with the Bears--it's very unlikely he unseats starter Jordan Howard because he doesn't have the build of an every down back, but with the Bears receiving unit just filled with injuries, Cohen could end up seeing plenty of targets from quarterback Mike Glennon. Except to see Howard and Cohen sharing the backfield at times, and to Cohen split-out wide at times. He's much more valuable in PPR than in Standard, but he could get enough usage to make him an interesting FLEX play.

Marlon Mack (RB, Indianapolis Colts) - 9%

Mack had ten carries against the Rams, which was the same amount as starting running back Frank Gore. They aren't in a timeshare--Mack touched the ball so much because the Colts were getting embarrassed and were trying whatever they could--but Mack could start to see the ball more and more going forward. Gore looked strong, though, so any hope that Mack would surpass him based on Gore declining seem to be out the window for now. There are better backs to own from this list right away, but Mack is an intriguing lottery ticket depending on how things develop with the Colts offense.

Kerwynn Williams (RB, Arizona Cardinals) - 5%

Williams is on this list for one reason: David Johnson is going to be out 2-3 months. Williams and Andre Ellington should be the backs for Arizona with Johnson out. Arizona has already seen what Ellington can do as a starter, so expect them to turn to Williams the majority of the time. He isn't a great back, but he'll get enough opportunities that you can plug him into your team as a Johnson replacement and...still feel really bad, but maybe a tiny bit less bad?

Javorius Allen (RB, Baltimore Ravens) - 3%

This is one of those that came out of nowhere. "Buck" Allen was a big part of the Ravens offense as a rookie in 2015, but it seemed like those days were over--if Kenneth Dixon wasn't missing this entire season, I'd be willing to bet Allen wouldn't be a Raven. But with Woodhead hurt and Joe Flacco not throwing the ball at all, Allen received 21 carries against the Bengals. I'm honestly shocked by that usage, but also--if you give a player 21 carries and it works for you, you have to keep doing that, right? I expect him to see the ball less going forward, but it is very tempting to pick him up and hope he gets the ball fifteen or so times until Woodhead returns. Allen has also shown an ability to catch the ball in the past, though we didn't see that on display Sunday.

Kenny Golladay (WR, Detroit Lions) - 17%

Golladay was hyped up during the preseason, but as the regular season dawned it looked like he'd struggle to find playing time on the Lions. Oops. Golladay hauled in two touchdowns against Arizona and looked explosive. There's risk here--scoring on half your receptions is a very unsustainable number--but if Golladay can continue to grow in the Lions offense he could be a productive player. A bonus: the Lions offense was outstanding, but Eric Ebron was mostly invisible. If that trend continues, Golladay could find himself getting targets down in the red zone.

Nelson Agholor (WR, Philadelphia Eagles) - 13%

Agholor had six catches against Washington, ending with 86 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles passing game looked strong, Agholor looked better than Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, and...is it repeatable? Agholor has flashed his skill at times in his career, but we haven't seen him put it all together yet. If Carson Wentz continues to play well and the Eagles run game continues to struggle, Agholor could see his share of the ball. Worth a speculative add if you need receiver help, but not the top option.

Jermaine Kearse (WR, New York Jets) - 2%

If you need volume, just know that Kearse was targeted nine times on Sunday. He caught seven of those for 59 yards. The Jets will be playing from behind a lot this season and there's going to be plenty of chances for Kearse to put up games like this and add in the occasional touchdown.

Jesse James (TE, Pittsburgh Steelers)- 6%

Jesse James is on this list more by necessity than anything else. James hauled in six catches for 41 yards and a couple touchdowns against the Browns, but it was an unusual showing for Pittsburgh--Le'Veon Bell only touched the ball 13 times and Martavis Bryant only had two catches. I don't expect that James will have another game this season in which he gets into the end zone twice, but tight end isn't the deepest position and James could be worth a speculative add just in case the Steelers decide to keep him involved in the offense.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trae Young

Traded to Washington
Ja Morant

Remains Out on Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Will Suit Up Versus Utah
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Good to Go Against Phoenix
Santi Aldama

Cleared to Play on Wednesday
Sam LaPorta

Plans to be Back for Training Camp
Brandon Miller

Unavailable Versus Raptors
Owen Caissie

Shipped to Miami as Centerpiece of Trade
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Officially Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
Onyeka Okongwu

Sidelined Wednesday
Nathan Walker

Ready to End 16-Game Absence
Rutger McGroarty

Out Indefinitely With Concussion
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Downgraded to Questionable For Wednesday
Kevin Stenlund

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Ty Dellandrea

Ruled Out Wednesday
Matas Buzelis

Set to Suit Up Wednesday
Adam Erne

Misses Wednesday's Action
Tom Wilson

Aliaksei Protas Won't Play Wednesday
Coby White

Sidelined Versus Pistons
Anze Kopitar

Out Wednesday
Draymond Green

Upgraded to Probable on Wednesday
Rome Odunze

Plans to Play on Saturday
LeBron James

Considered Questionable For Wednesday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Finalizing Deal to Acquire Edward Cabrera From Marlins
New York Giants

Giants "All-In" on Hiring John Harbaugh
CFB

Jackson Arnold Signs with UNLV
CFB

Sam Leavitt Scheduled to Visit Tennessee
Devon Toews

to Miss at Least Two Weeks
Gabriel Landeskog

Out for Several Weeks
Jamie Drysdale

Makes Early Exit Tuesday
Bobby Brink

Injured in Tuesday's Win
Adam Henrique

Expected to Miss Time
Brad Marchand

Dealing With Lingering Health Issue
Haydn Fleury

Hospitalized Tuesday
Moussa Diabaté

Ryan Kalkbrenner Out, Moussa Diabate Probable Wednesday
Brandon Miller

Listed as Probable Wednesday
Alex Caruso

Absent for Second Consecutive Game
Nicolas Claxton

Available Wednesday
Moritz Wagner

Still Out Wednesday
Franz Wagner

Not Ready to Return Wednesday
Jalen Suggs

Remains Out Wednesday
Draymond Green

Questionable to Suit Up Wednesday
Jalen Smith

Ruled Out for Second Straight Game
New York Giants

John Harbaugh Expected to be Favorite to Become New Giants Head Coach
Mason Marchment

Out Tuesday
Sean Monahan

Available Tuesday
Jason Zucker

Set to Return From 11-Game Absence
Matvei Michkov

a Game-Time Call Tuesday
Matthew Schaefer

Cleared for Action Tuesday
Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh Won't Return as Ravens Head Coach
Adam Fox

Landing Back on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Seth Jarvis

Back for Hurricanes Tuesday
Bo Bichette

Unlikely to Return to Toronto?
Jordan Love

Ready to Start in Wild-Card Game Against Bears
CFB

Jadan Baugh Staying with Florida for Junior Season
Washington Commanders

Commanders "Mutually" Parting Ways With OC Kliff Kingsbury
CFB

Byrum Brown Officially Commits to Auburn
CFB

Austin Simmons Signing with Missouri
CFB

Ty Simpson Undecided on 2026 Plans
CFB

Quarterback AJ Hill Following Ryan Silverfield to Arkansas
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Have Requested an Interview With Klint Kubiak
Deshaun Watson

Browns Expect Deshaun Watson to be on the Team Next Year
Wan'Dale Robinson

Dealing With Fractured Ribs
Cam Skattebo

Hopes to be Back by Training Camp
Cameron Ward

Won't Need Surgery on his Shoulder
Davante Adams

Rams Expect Davante Adams to Return in Wild-Card Round
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Fire Head Coach Jonathan Gannon
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Head Coach Pete Carroll
Malik Nabers

Unsure if He Will Be Ready for Week 1 of 2026 Season
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Will Return to Ole Miss If Granted Sixth Year of Eligibility
Cincinnati Bengals

Zac Taylor Will Return as Bengals Head Coach in 2026
New York Giants

Giants Expected to Show Interest in Former Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
Daniel Jones

Colts, Daniel Jones Appear to Have "Mutual Interest" in a 2026 Reunion
Cleveland Browns

Browns Fire Kevin Stefanski After Another Losing Season
Zay Flowers

Goes Off for 138 Yards, Two Touchdowns in Loss
Bo Bichette

Phillies Have Interest in Bo Bichette
Kansas City Royals

Matt Quatraro Signs Three-Year Extension With Royals
CFB

Transfer QB Billy Edwards Commits to North Carolina
CFB

Sam Leavitt Visiting Texas Tech on Saturday
CFB

DJ Lagway Expected To Visit Florida State
Kyle Tucker

Blue Jays "Remain the Favorite" to Sign Kyle Tucker
CFB

Joey Aguilar Undergoes Surgery to Remove Tumor on Friday
CFB

Texas the "Team to Beat" for Transfer Running Back Isaac Brown
CFB

Rocco Becht to Follow Matt Campbell to Penn State?
CFB

Texas Targeting Cam Coleman in Transfer Portal
CFB

Former Texas Running Back CJ Baxter Visiting Kentucky
CFB

Beau Pribula Visiting Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP