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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire sleepers for Week 2 (2024). His top free agent sleepers for 14-team fantasy football leagues or deeper.
Week 1 of the 2024 NFL campaign had plenty of excitement, but there weren't many surprising performances from players available on deep league waivers. Last year in Week 1, we saw players like Puka Nacua, Tyler Allgeier, and Jakobi Meyers have fantastic season-opening games. This year, the choices are less obvious, so we'll have to do a deeper dive. Everything is a bit more speculative in Week 1 this time around.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 2 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions could have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future.
We won't cover chalk waiver wire pickups for shallower leagues like Alexander Mattison, Isaiah Likely, and Rashid Shaheed. Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 2, including Tank Bigsby, Samaje Perine, Jalen McMillan, Demarcus Robinson, Colby Parkinson, Sam Darnold, and more.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Tank Bigsby could be considered a "chalky" waiver wire pickup, but he only scored 7.3 half-PPR fantasy points, so he may be ignored by your league mates. However, he saw as many rushing attempts as Travis Etienne (12) in Week 1 and he outrushed him 73 to 44. Etienne also had a costly fumble near the goal line. Could Bigsby continue to eat into Etienne's workload and even handle some goal-line work? In deep leagues, he's worth picking up to find out.
Tank Bigsby had some pretty runs yesterday!!
Great job breaking the first tackle🔥
Nice Block by Gabe! pic.twitter.com/9fSN8oJdCK
— J-Villains Podcast (@JVillainsPod) September 9, 2024
Jaleel McLaughlin's ceiling is probably going to be limited by playing in one of the worst offenses in the league, but if he continues to soak up targets, he's at least a weekly low-end flex play in PPR setups. McLaughlin caught all five of his targets for a whopping one yard in Week 1. He also rushed 10 times for 27 yards, leading all Broncos RBs in total opportunities. He might simply be the RB1 for Sean Payton.
Will Shipley and Kenneth Gainwell saw a combined one touch during Saquon Barkley's three-touchdown Eagles' debut on Thursday night. For now, neither has any standalone value, but one or both have paths to touches later in the year. The Eagles would be smart not to run Barkley into the ground given his injury history, so his 26 touches from Week 1 should come down. And if they don't, he's one of the more likely players to get banged up.
Gainwell played 14 offensive snaps to Shipley's four in Week 1, so he's likely the better option to stash. Whether he gets some opportunities behind Barkley or steps into a split backfield with Shipley following a potential Barkley major or minor injury, he would become a top waiver wire option. Go ahead and stash him now.
Samaje Perine played just eight offensive snaps in Week 1, but that's not surprising since he was only signed by the Chiefs eight days before the Thursday Night opener. The Chiefs have had extra time off before the Week 2 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, so he might have a larger role right away. Isiah Pacheco is the clear lead back, but Perine can become a factor in the high-powered passing attack. He's a trusted pass protector with solid pass-catching chops.
Ray Davis was sparsely used in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals, but he posted three carries for 13 yards and one reception for 14 yards. It was a far better outcome in Week 1 than a zero-opportunity week, and his role could increase as the season moves forward. At the very least, he's a top-tier running back handcuff behind James Cook.
Braelon Allen may not have a heavy role behind Breece Hall right away, but he's a great injury stash, and he could handle early-down work later in his rookie campaign.
Ronnie Rivers was the first man off the bench behind Kyren Williams in Week 1, not Blake Corum. While Week 1 is often deceiving, that fact puts Rivers at least somewhere close to the fantasy football radar.
Jamaal Williams looked horrendous in 2023, but with Kendre Miller (hamstring) on IR, he's the direct backup to the aging Alvin Kamara. Williams rushed 11 times for 38 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' blowout win over the Carolina Panthers. He may not play much when New Orleans is in closer games, but his Week 1 showing puts him back as a solid handcuff stash.
Emanuel Wilson is occupying the Packers' RB2 role in the absence of MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring), but there's a chance he will keep the backup job when Lloyd is back. Wilson rushed four times for 46 yards in Week 1 and looked full of speed and burst. Both Packers backups should be rostered in deep setups.
Jaylen Wright was a surprising Week 1 inactive to begin his career, but so was teammate De'Von Achane last season. Wright likely won't make an impact if Achane and Raheem Mostert remain healthy, but the former is undersized and the latter is 32 years old. If one gets banged up, expect Wright to jump over Jeff Wilson Jr. on the depth chart and see touches.
Keaton Mitchell will miss at least the first four games of the season while recovering from an ACL tear from last year, but he's a free stash option in your IR spot. He could enter the RB2 role over Justice Hill behind Derrick Henry when he's activated at some point this year.
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Jalen McMillan only saw three targets in his NFL debut, but he caught one pass for 32 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he played 53 offensive snaps, which is more than Chris Godwin (50) and Mike Evans (45) lined up for. Of course, he's not going to outscore either of those guys, but it's a promising sign that he was a full-time player right away. If either Evans or Godwin has to miss any time, he would immediately have flex value.
Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch are two totally different players, but both pass-catchers made at least small fantasy impacts in Week 1, while rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. did next to nothing. Dortch caught six-of-eight targets for 47 yards and rushed once for four yards. He's not a down-the-field threat, but you can do worse than Dortch in your flex spot. Meanwhile, Wilson, who caught one pass for five yards and a touchdown, is a fine touchdown-or-bust desperation flex play.
Harrison Jr. should still be expected to emerge as the WR1 in the offense, but it could take longer than many expect. Not all rookie wideouts have incredible rookie seasons like Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Puka Nacua.
Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson figure to be locked into three-wide sets in Sean McVay's offense while Puka Nacua (knee) is on Injured Reserve. Nacua exited the SNF loss to the Detroit Lions in the first half, and both Robinson and Johnson took advantage. Both players saw seven targets and caught at least four passes. Matthew Stafford attempted 49 passes in a game that wasn't even a shootout, so there could be plenty of volume to go around.
Ray-Ray McCloud III led the Falcons in targets (seven) and receiving yards (52) in the first game of the season. While it's a large jump to assume he'll continue to see more targets than Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and even Darnell Mooney despite playing fewer snaps, Kirk Cousins looked his way often in his Falcons debut. That's noteworthy.
Andrei Iosivas failed to deliver in the absence of Tee Higgins, but the same can be said for almost the entire Bengals offense. More importantly, he tied Ja'Marr Chase for the most targets (six) among Cincy pass-catchers. Whether Higgins remains out or not, Iosivas appears to be the clear top option behind the Bengals' stellar WR duo.
K.J. Osborn and Demario Douglas are more wideouts in lackluster offenses, but Osborn led New England with six targets on Sunday, while Douglas led the team in receiving last year. It could take a while for Ja'Lynn Polk to get comfortable in the NFL, and Javon Baker was a healthy scratch in Week 1.
Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell were each targeted deep down the field in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. Pierce caught all three of his targets for 125 yards and a score, while Mitchell was open for two deep touchdowns that Richardson overthrew him on. It'll be interesting to see how the target share works out when Josh Downs (ankle) is back in the lineup, but if Week 1 told us anything, it's that Indy will be firing deep shots this season.
Anthony Richardson 60-YARD DIME TO ALEC PIERCE.
📺: #HOUvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/p0xddm5Kl1— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Rashod Bateman failed to produce once again in his first game of the 2024 season, but he did finish second among Baltimore's pass-catchers with 53 receiving yards. Baltimore lacks a true downfield threat, so he appears to be the potential chunk-play target early in the season.
Jalen Nailor entered the season as somewhat of a sleeper, but since he was set to play with Sam Darnold at QB and start behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the depth chart, it was hard to buy in. However, Addison is banged up with an ankle injury, and whether or not he could miss time is currently unclear. While Nailor is still far from a high-end flex option, he's on the fantasy radar following a one-catch, one-touchdown game in Week 1.
Xavier Legette might be in (by far) the worst offense in the league, but he led the Panthers with seven targets in his first NFL contest. Could he become at least a PPR flex play down the road? It's possible.
Mack Hollins caught both of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in his Buffalo debut. Will he be a consistent producer? Probably not, but he's in an offense led by Josh Allen, and an injury or two in the Buffalo pass-catching group could put him in a premier role.
Josh Reynolds and Devaughn Vele saw eight targets each in the Week 1 loss to Seattle, trailing only Courtland Sutton (12). Bo Nix and Denver are not likely to pass 42 times every week, but given how ineffective their run game was, we could see a lot more of the "dink and dunk" offense moving forward. Reynolds is the preferred pickup here, but both players have limited upside.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Colby Parkinson caught four of his five targets for 47 yards against the Lions. He's another beneficiary of a Puka Nacua injury absence.
Juwan Johnson has never been a great target earner, but he's hauled in 12 touchdowns in his last 30 games despite playing in a mediocre offense for most of that stretch. Touchdowns are unpredictable, but he's proven to be a significant factor in the end zone.
That's THREE first-half TDs for Derek Carr 🎯
📺: #CARvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/Cvhjfc4NHY— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Zach Ertz isn't quite what he used to be, but he could prove to be one of Jayden Daniels' favorite targets as an underneath option in the passing game. Ertz tied for the lead among Commanders pass-catchers with four targets in Week 1.
Mike Gesicki had a touchdown called back due to a penalty in Week 1, but he was officially credited with four targets. If the Bengals offense can finally get on track with Joe Burrow for the first time in what feels like forever, he has touchdown upside.
Jonnu Smith didn't play many snaps in his Miami debut, and he only caught one pass for seven yards. He's unlikely to be anything close to a consistent producer given the immense target competition, but the explosive YAC specimen has plenty of boom-week upside in one of the NFL's best offenses. That makes him at least worth monitoring.
Luke Schoonmaker didn't catch a pass last week, but he's potentially slated to start in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints after Jake Ferguson suffered a knee injury in Week 1. Peyton Hendershot is off the roster, so Schoonmaker should play the majority of snaps at tight end in a top-tier offense.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields should each be rostered in 14+ team leagues and all Superflex leagues. It's unclear who will start in Week 2, but Fields has always had a high ceiling in fantasy football despite his struggles as a passer, while Wilson has finished as the QB14 and QB16 over the last two seasons.
Sam Darnold completed 19 of 24 passing attempts for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the Week 1 win over the Giants. It wasn't a perfect showing, but it was impressive. He's worth a look in deep league, but the matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 means he should probably be left on the bench.
4th down? Touchdown!
Darnold finds Jefferson for SIX.
📺: #MINvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/XCnBrz9cGv— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Gardner Minshew II tossed for 257 yards, one touchdown, and one pick against the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 2, he'll face the Baltimore Ravens, meaning his team is likely to be in "come-from-behind" mode. He's likely still not worth starting since no teams are on a bye yet, but he has a solid group of weapons in Las Vegas.
Malik Willis is set to be the short-term starter in Green Bay in the absence of Jordan Love (knee). The former third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans has failed to flash upside in the NFL thus far, but let's see if Matt LaFleur can develop a QB-friendly game plan for him. For what it's worth, he does have speed and untapped rushing upside.
Backup Quarterbacks To Stash For Two-QB/Superflex Leagues
- Drake Maye, Patriots
- Jameis Winston, Browns
- Aidan O'Connell, Raiders
- Drew Lock, Giants
- Nick Mullens, Vikings
- Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
- Mason Rudolph, Titans
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