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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.

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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




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Davion Mitchell

Tagged as Doubtful for Sunday
Noah Clowney

is Downgraded to Out
Caris LeVert

Won't Suit up on Sunday
Cade Cunningham

is Available on Sunday
CFB

Arthur Smith to Become Ohio State's Offensive Coordinator
Zach LaVine

Iffy for Sunday Against Detroit
Bo Nix

Sidelined for 12 Weeks With Broken Ankle
Stephen Curry

De'Anthony Melton Could Sit Sunday vs. Minnesota
Peyton Watson

Uncertain to Play Sunday in Memphis
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Questionable Again Sunday in Memphis
Jamal Murray

Faces Another Game-Time Call vs. Grizzlies
Cade Cunningham

Likely to Play Sunday vs. Kings
Devin Vassell

Cleared to Return Sunday vs. Pelicans
Austin Reaves

Nearing Return on Lakers Road Trip
Christian Braun

Remains Out Sunday Against Memphis
Santi Aldama

Remains Out Sunday Against Denver
Alex Caruso

Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso Ruled Out Sunday vs. Raptors
Isaiah Hartenstein

Out Again Sunday vs. Raptors
Devin Booker

Ruled Out Sunday vs. Heat
Jose Altuve

to Mainly Play Second Base
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Cleared to Suit Up on Saturday Night
Nolan Traoré

Nolan Traore Ruled Out on Sunday
Nicolas Hague

Out Week-to-Week
Yu Darvish

Considering Retirement
Aaron Gordon

Ruled Out Against Memphis
Simon Edvinsson

Misses Second Straight Game
Alexandre Texier

Cleared for Original Six Matchup
Cam Thomas

Won't Play on Sunday Against the Clippers
Anze Kopitar

Still Out Saturday
Drew Doughty

Set to Rejoin Kings Lineup Saturday
Matt Boldy

Expected to Return Saturday Night
Brad Marchand

Available Saturday
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Steelers Finalizing Deal to Make Mike McCarthy Their Head Coach
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Signs Seven-Year Extension With Guardians
Gunnar Henderson

is Fully Healthy Heading into Spring Training
Bo Horvat

Rejoining Islanders Lineup Saturday
Dylan Holloway

Out Friday
Ross Colton

Won't Play Friday
Filip Chytil

Ready to End Three-Month Absence
Mason McTavish

Misses Second Straight Game Friday
Anthony Stolarz

Returns to Action Friday
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Available Friday
Tyreek Hill

Dolphins Expected to Release Tyreek Hill
Paddy Pimblett

Set For Interim Lightweight Title Fight
Justin Gaethje

An Underdog At UFC 324
Song Yadong

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
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Sean O'Malley Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Derrick Lewis

Returns At UFC 324
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Philip Rivers

Interviewing for Bills Head-Coaching Job
NFL

Fernando Mendoza Officially Declares for NFL Draft
CFB

Arch Manning Undergoes Foot Surgery
Dalton Kincaid

Played Through Torn PCL
CFB

College Football Playoff Expected to Remain a 12-Team Field in 2026
Quinn Hughes

Makes History With Three-Assist Effort
Anthony Mantha

Scores Twice Against Oilers
Jet Greaves

Keeps Stars Off Scoreboard With 28 Saves
David Pastrnak

Leads Bruins to Victory With Three-Point Effort
Jonathan Huberdeau

on Track to Return Friday
Darcy Kuemper

Cleared for the Weekend
Zach Benson

Hurt in Thursday's Win
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as Their Head Coach
Indianapolis Colts

FBI Investigating the Death of Colts Owner Jim Irsay
MacKenzie Gore

Rangers Acquire MacKenzie Gore From the Nationals
Brandon Sproat

Dealt to Brewers in Four-Player Trade
Jett Williams

Brewers Acquire Jett Williams From Mets
Freddy Peralta

Mets Acquire Freddy Peralta From Brewers
Kyle Tucker

Expected to Bat Second or Third in Dodgers' Lineup
Brandon Aiyuk

has "Played his Last Snap as a Niner"
Cody Bellinger

Signs Five-Year, $162.5 Million Contract With Yankees
Adam Scott

Looks to Overcome Putting Woes at American Express
Billy Horschel

Looking to Rebound at The American Express
Josh Allen

Might Need Foot Surgery
Russell Henley

Looks to Build on Strong Start at The American Express
Jason Day

Looking to Start 2026 Strong at The American Express
Wyndham Clark

Looking to Regain Form at The American Express
Sam Burns

Looks to Continue Success at The American Express
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looking to Build on Strong Fall in Season Debut
Kurt Kitayama

Hopes To Continue Strong Start to 2026 Season at American Express
CFB

Princewill Umanmielen Expected to Sign with LSU
Scottie Scheffler

Returns To American Express After Missing Last Year's Edition
Robert MacIntyre

Keeps Momentum Rolling Heading Into American Express
Brian Harman

Can Challenge at American Express if His Putter Stays Hot
Ben Griffin

Outstanding Form Continues Heading Into American Express
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Following Outstanding Finish to 2025 Season
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Get a Jump Start on His 2026 Season
Blades Brown

Set to Make First PGA Tour Appearance of 2026
Kevin Roy

Has Some Confidence Heading to Southern California
Min Woo Lee

Poised to Make Bigger Impact in 2026
Max Homa

Needs a Better Start for 2026
Tony Finau

Trying to Reverse Disturbing Trend
Cam Davis

Aims for More Accuracy at American Express
Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuna Sent to White Sox in Trade
Luis Robert Jr.

Mets Acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel Expected to Become Chargers Offensive Coordinator
Carlos Beltran

Andruw Jones Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Expected to Land at Georgia Tech
Malik Nabers

Giants Hope Malik Nabers Will be Back for Start of Training Camp
CFB

Duke Suing Quarterback Darian Mensah
Cam Skattebo

Should be Ready by OTAs
George Kittle

Expects to Return "Well Before November"
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Entering Transfer Portal
Mookie Betts

Plans to Retire at the End of his Current Contract
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Expected to Hire Jeff Hafley as Next Head Coach

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