Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire: Deeper League Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE)

September 15, 2026

Dan's top fantasy football Week 2 waiver wire pickups, sleepers, stashes for deeper leagues for 2025. His waiver targets include Tyler Shough, Caleb Douglas, Kenyon Sadiq and more

Week 1 is officially in the books. Everybody loves their fantasy team right after the draft, but the best fantasy managers can objectively identify areas to improve and address them on the waiver wire.

RotoBaller has plenty of articles to help fantasy managers in all league formats, but this one will cover deep-league waiver-wire targets each week.

This article will focus on fantasy football players who are at or below a 40% roster rate on Yahoo -- and can be considered deeper-league waiver-wire options. We'll cover a few players from QB, RB, WR, and TE. Let's get to it!

Quarterback Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All QBs are rostered in 40% of leagues or less

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints- 40% rostered

Tyler Shough had a rough first half against the Detroit Lions in Week 1. Shough was 10 of 22 for 85 yards and an interception in the first two quarters of the game, but rebounded to complete 25 of 34 passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the second half and overtime. The end result was a QB6 finish with 25.2 fantasy points.

It was a continuation of what we saw from Shough at the end of the 2025 season, when we saw Shough also finish as the QB6 while averaging 20.1 fantasy points per game from Weeks 13 to 18. It also showed that head coach Kellen Moore trusts Shough to throw the ball down the field, even when he is struggling.

The Saints showed they were comfortable being one of the fastest-paced offenses in 2025 and, through one week, are continuing that momentum. If Shough is available on the waiver wire, he is a worthwhile stash (or even upgrade) in all formats. He’s consistently proving that he can be a top-12 fantasy quarterback.

Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins- 40% rostered

The Malik Willis experience got off to a rocky start for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. Willis completed just 55.6% of his passes against the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing for 220 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception. Thankfully, his rushing production (six carries for 39 yards and a touchdown) secured him a top-12 finish through Sunday’s games (17.7 points).

Sunday’s loss against the Raiders was the full experience that fantasy managers who drafted Willis expected. The passing production was subpar with so many unproven pass catchers, but the day was saved by Willis’s ability to produce points on the ground.

Malik Willis rushes into the end zone for his FIRST TD as a Dolphin 🐬

MIAvsLV on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/V9bwozd5JL

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Willis’s rushing ability is what we covet out of fantasy quarterbacks, even if the Miami passing attack doesn’t look like it will provide much fantasy production early in the season. Willis will have top-12 upside, regardless of matchup, as long as he’s willing to use his legs.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons- 3% rostered

Michael Penix Jr. was inactive for the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he continues to work his way back from his 2025 season-ending ACL injury. Penix is medically cleared and fully participating in practice, hoping to gain enough confidence in his knee to debut in Week 2 or Week 3.

The Falcons named Tua Tagovailoa their starter in Week 1, but a back injury suffered in practice forced him to miss the game. However, Tagovailoa had a disappointing training camp, failing to outright earn the starting job over Penix despite getting most of the first-team reps throughout the summer. Cooper Rush ultimately started Week 1, but completed just 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

It’s clear that Atlanta’s coaching staff has little confidence in Tagovailoa, giving Penix a clear runway to the starting job once he’s healthy. Proactive fantasy managers can potentially sneak him on their bench to see if he can produce with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts on the field.

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All RBs are rostered in 40% of leagues or less

Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers- 27% rostered

Kaelon Black emerged as the clear RB2 for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Black played 43% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps, handling 14 carries for 65 yards and catching his lone target for five yards.

What we can’t know for certain at this point is how sticky that role is going forward. Starting running back Christian McCaffrey was dealing with cramps throughout the game, which may have led to an expanded role for Black in his NFL debut.

Regardless, McCaffrey missed time in training camp and is coming off a 2025 season where he handled a career-high 413 touches. The 49ers may want to try to protect him throughout the season, leading to a consistent role for Black.

Even if McCaffrey takes on his typical, larger workload going forward, Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in football as the clear RB2 in San Francisco. He should be rostered in all formats as a priority handcuff going forward.

Braelon Allen, New York Jets- 15% rostered

Braelon Allen played on 40% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in Week 1. His final stat line (10 carries for 40 yards) is unremarkable, but would have looked far more impressive if a 23-yard touchdown run wasn’t negated by a holding call.

Allen is not a player you can confidently start in fantasy with Breece Hall healthy (22 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown with two receptions for 16 yards), but Week 1 showed he will have a role. If the Jets offensive line can maintain their run-blocking dominance against teams that aren’t the Titans, then there will be potential for fantasy points down the road, especially if Hall gets injured.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All WRs are rostered in 40% of leagues or less

Dontayvion Wicks, Philadelphia Eagles- 16% rostered

There was a steady drumbeat throughout the summer that Dontayvion Wicks had earned the WR2 job in Philadelphia while DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon missed time with hamstring injuries. Week 1 seemingly confirmed that narrative.

Wicks logged a 91% snap share in his first game as an Eagle, catching two of his four targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. The veteran wide receiver showed downfield playmaking ability on a 64-yard reception, a skill that wasn’t frequently utilized in Green Bay.

Jalen Hurts launches it to Dontayvion Wicks for a first down 🚀

WASvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/tMyv1EWyIj

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

There are still plenty of questions that need to be answered about the Eagles' passing attack with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion after a bumpy first game, but Wicks looks like he is going to be a key cog in this passing attack.

Philadelphia’s passing attack still needs to find its footing and improve, but Wicks is a player worth grabbing for when that happens.

Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins- 12% rostered

Somebody needed to emerge from the Miami Dolphins passing attack in 2026. It appears that rookie Caleb Douglas is the favorite in the clubhouse after Week 1.

Douglas was the most productive piece of Miami’s passing attack in Week 1, finishing second on the team in targets (seven) while leading in receptions (five) and receiving yards (94). Among 98 wide receivers with at least 10 routes run in Week 1, Douglas ranked 16^th in yards per route run (3.13) and 12^th in yards per target (15.67).

There will be plenty of volatility in this passing offense, but Douglas parlayed a strong summer into production in his first week. He needs to be rostered in all formats.

Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints- 7% rostered

There were questions about which pass catcher would emerge as the complement to Chris Olave once Jordyn Tyson went down with a hamstring injury during training camp. In Week 1, veteran receiver Devaughn Vele stepped up.

Devaughn Vele makes a diving catch and we've got a one-score game in Detroit 👀

NOvsDET on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/vASfQLavrg

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Vele caught seven of his nine targets for 69 yards and a touchdown, finishing as the WR10 in PPR points per game (19.9) through the Sunday games. Vele’s final three games with the Saints in 2025 showed a connection with Shough (19 targets, 16 receptions, 202 yards and a touchdown in three games) that carried over into this season.

As long as Tyson is out, Vele will have fantasy appeal in an offense that wants to run a lot of plays and throw the ball at a high volume.

Tight End Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All TEs are rostered in 40% of leagues or less

Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders- 26% rostered

Brock Bowers was shockingly placed on the injured reserve before Week 1 kicked off after getting minor knee surgery. Bowers may return in Week 2 but realistically will need time to heal and fully integrate back into the offense. That should lead to a larger role for veteran tight end Michael Mayer to start the 2026 season.

Mayer led the Raiders in targets against the Miami Dolphins (seven), finishing with six receptions for 32 yards. The veteran tight end is not as dynamic as a route runner or after the catch as Bowers, but he can be a reliable, volume-based tight end if Bowers is off the field. However, Week 1 showed that he will need to have touchdowns to crack into the top-12 tight ends in fantasy consistently.

Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets- 14% rostered

Kenyon Sadiq missed most of the summer for the New York Jets after undergoing core muscle surgery. Sadiq played a limited role in his first game (42% snap share), but made the most of it, catching all three of his targets for 21 yards.

More importantly, the Jets showed a willingness to utilize him in creative ways, giving him his first career touchdown on a three-yard rush. That touchdown pushed Sadiq to a TE11 finish in PPR points per game (11.4) in Week 1.

Kenyon Sadiq starts off his NFL career with a rushing TD!

NYJvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/80wsuFz8mf

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

The Jets will need Sadiq to play a big role with fellow first-round rookie Omar Cooper Jr. sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. Expect his production to grow in an offense needing playmakers to complement Garrett Wilson in 2026.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers- 6% rostered

Pat Freiermuth was an afterthought in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense this offseason. However, Week 1 showed that he could provide fantasy managers with a stable tight end option. Freiermuth finished as the TE6 in PPR points (15.6) after catching all five of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown.

The veteran tight end accounted for 20.8% of Pittsburgh’s receiving production in Week 1 and was the only wide receiver or tight end who was targeted inside the 20-yard line. It isn’t fair to put that on him for the entire season, but it does show that Freiermuth will be a main part of the Steelers’ offense in the valuable parts of the field.

Who Should I Pickup Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here.

2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Caleb Douglas, Malik Willis, Kenyon Sadiq, Michael Mayer, Devaughn Vele, Dontayvion Wicks, Kaelon Black. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Caleb Douglas, Malik Willis, Kenyon Sadiq, Michael Mayer, Devaughn Vele, Dontayvion Wicks, Kaelon Black:

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