👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up 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

Joey Gallo

Throwing for Interested Teams
Jason Adam

Thinks he Could be Ready for Opening Day
Zac Gallen

Diamondbacks Re-Sign Zac Gallen
Zac Veen

Overcomes Substance Abuse, Adds Muscle
Yohel Pozo

Drops Significant Weight Heading into 2026 Season
Sandy Alcantara

Adding a Sweeper
Cleveland Cavaliers

Riley Minix Signs Two-Way Deal With Cavaliers
Nate Pearson

Coming Off Offseason Elbow Surgery
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Available for All-Star Game
Clarke Schmidt

Seen Throwing on Friday
Chris Paul

Retires From Basketball
Spencer Steer

Quad Injury a Thing of the Past?
Zach LaVine

to Undergo Season-Ending Hand Surgery
John Means

Royals Agree to Two-Year Minor-League Deal With John Means
Gleyber Torres

Should be Good to Go for Opening Day
Kyle Manzardo

Packs on Muscle in Offseason
David Pastrnak

Gets Off the Mark at Olympics
Macklin Celebrini

Pots Another Goal Friday
Kevin Fiala

Stretchered Off Against Canada
Bryan Woo

Turns Down WBC as he Eyes Larger 2026 Workload
Rowan Wick

Giants Agree With Rowan Wick on One-Year Deal
Luis Rengifo

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Brewers
Francisco Alvarez

Drops 10 Pounds
Aaron Rodgers

Likely to Return to Steelers?
Emmanuel Clase

Used Coded Language for Pitch-Rigging Plans
Kyle Teel

to be Chicago's Everyday Catcher?
Chris Paddack

to be in Opening Day Starting Rotation
Shelby Miller

Cubs to Sign Shelby Miller to Multi-Year Contract
Roman Anthony

to Play for Team USA in World Baseball Classic
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Want Terry McLaurin to Get 10 Targets a Game
Deandre Ayton

Remains Day-to-Day for Lakers
LeBron James

Posts Historic Triple-Double in Win
Ja Morant

Still Without Clear Return Date
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Expected Back After All-Star Break
Oscar Tshiebwe

Enters Concussion Protocol Thursday
Naji Marshall

Exits Early with Foot Strain
Daniel Gafford

Leaves Game with Ankle Issue
Jordan Binnington

Records 26-Save Shutout Against Czechia
Connor McDavid

Ties Canadian Record With Three Assists in Olympic Debut
Josh Morrissey

Hurt in Olympic Opener
Robert Williams III

Will Not Play Against Utah
Deni Avdija

Sidelined vs. Jazz
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Multiple Weeks
Naji Marshall

Gets Upgraded to Probable
Myles Turner

Will Not Play Thursday
Caleb Martin

is Downgraded to Doubtful
Jeremy Sochan

Heading to New York
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Eligible for 2026 Season
Kyle Kuzma

Cleared to Play Against Thunder
Ryan Rollins

Remains Sidelined Against Thunder
Shaedon Sharpe

Sidelined Against Utah
CFB

BYU's Parker Kingston Charged with Felony Rape
Cameron Young

Looking for Pebble Beach Success
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Turn Things Around at Pebble Beach
Collin Morikawa

Eyes Turnaround at Pebble Beach
Jake Knapp

Brings Hot Form to Pebble Beach
Nick Taylor

in Good Form Going into Pebble Beach Event
Viktor Hovland

Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
Tommy Fleetwood

Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Harris English

Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
Justin Rose

Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Keegan Bradley

a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
Maverick McNealy

Playing Well with Pebble Beach Looming
Russell Henley

Carries Momentum to Pebble Beach
Shane Lowry

Makes 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Michael Kim

Putting Well with Pebble Beach on the Horizon
Billy Horschel

a Little Rattled After Consecutive Missed Cuts
Ben Griffin

Solid But Not Spectacular Early in 2026
Wyndham Clark

Has Question Marks Heading to Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger

Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth

Looking For a Return to Form at Pebble Beach
Juuse Saros

Starting Wednesday
William Nylander

Iffy for Olympic Opener
Martin Necas

Ready for Thursday
Drake Maye

Says his Shoulder Injury was Significant
Xander Schauffele

Trying to Get the Motor Going at Pebble Beach
Hideki Matsuyama

Trying to Overcome Sunday Collapse
Kenneth Walker III

Runs Away With Super Bowl MVP Honors
Vinicius Oliveira

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Mario Bautista

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyoji Horiguchi

Dominates At UFC Vegas 113
Amir Albazi

Gets Dominated At UFC Vegas 113
Rizvan Kuniev

Earns His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 113
Marc-Andre Barriault

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Gets His Third Win In A Row
Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak Confirms he Will be Next Raiders Head Coach
Jonas Rondbjerg

Out for Olympics
Brad Marchand

Good to Go for Olympic Opener
Gabriel Landeskog

Healthy for Olympics
Jack Hughes

Cleared for Olympics
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Returns to Super Bowl After Injury Scare
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Being Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
James Pearce Jr.

Arrested Following Police Chase
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF