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Week 2 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for DJ Giddens, Jaxson Dart, Ollie Gordon II in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
During the opening week of the campaign, many rookies have already begun to live up to their ADP. In Washington, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is already appearing to be the steal of most fantasy drafts.
In this piece, we will look at two rookie running backs and a quarterback and determine if fantasy managers should look to target them on the waiver wire.
Are DJ Giddens, Jaxson Dart, and Ollie Gordon II worth adding off the waiver wire in Week 2? Here are the latest outlooks on each for fantasy football.
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DJ Giddens Week Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 5% of leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ team leagues (pure handcuff)
The Indianapolis rookie had a surprisingly significant role in their season opener on Sunday. Facing the Dolphins, the former fifth-round pick was given 12 attempts on the ground. Giddens ran for 41 yards but did not see a target in the passing game.
With the Dolphins having a sizeable lead against the Dolphins, the Colts opted to give their rookie a significant workload in the second half. In addition, top running back Jonathan Taylor suffered a minor neck injury and was monitored as they were winning the game by multiple scores. He is not expected to miss any time due to this injury.
While Giddens will likely have his upside limited as Taylor will handle the lion's share of the backfield, the rookie could be worth a look in deeper 12+ team leagues as a pure handcuff. Seeing Taylor already suffer an injury in the season opener is not a positive sign, as he could be in danger of a setback.
In 2024, Taylor appeared in only 14 games, and he played in just 10 the previous season, so he is no stranger to missing time on the sidelines.
Managers looking for a one-week replacement should not look to target Giddens as a "plug-and-play." Instead, Giddens provides strong insurance for Taylor managers as he would immediately take over the starting job if he were to miss any time this season.
DJ Giddens a Rookie Stash with Upside https://t.co/TLbXVYNjkh
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 31, 2025
Jaxson Dart Week Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 55% of leagues
Baller Move: Stash in 14+ team leagues
Dart had a near-perfect preseason, but that was not enough to earn him the starting job in New York, as the Giants opted to turn to veteran Russell Wilson to lead their offense. In their season opener, Wilson and the entire Giants offense stumbled in D.C. as they fell to the Commanders.
In this game, Wilson went 17-for-37 with just 168 passing yards and no touchdowns.
Even though head coach Brian Daboll named Wilson their Week 2 starter, Wilson's time as QB1 in New York may not last much longer. Dart was able to jump veteran Jameis Winston to claim the No. 2 job on the depth chart, and the Giants have already been working on plays to get Dart on the field, even while serving as the QB2.
If the Giants have another disappointing show if they have offense this weekend, expect them to turn to their franchise quarterback to spark their offense.
He is worth stashing in all superflex leagues and even holds value in deeper single-QB leagues, as he would possess low-end QB1 upside as soon as he takes the field.
Giants Rookie Jaxson Dart Could Debut In Week 1 https://t.co/9oG6ZR4Vmr
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 7, 2025
Ollie Gordon II Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 40% of leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
The final rookie we will take a look at is Gordon of the Miami Dolphins. Gordon emerged as a potential starting option in Week 1 as the top running back, De'Von Achane, was dealing with a calf injury.
However, Achane was able to suit up and took on his typical workload during their loss to the Colts. Given that the Dolphins trailed throughout most of the game, Achane took just seven carries but was every efficient, racking up 55 yards (7.9 YPC). In the passing game, the running back caught three of his four targets for 20 yards and a score.
In this contest, Gordon ran the ball just two times for four yards. While his production was limited, he was the only other running back who took a carry, suggesting that he is the clear RB2 to an injury-prone Achane.
Lieke Giddens above, Gordon should be viewed as the primary handcuff heading into Week 2. He is not worth adding if you do not have an expansive roster, as he will hold minimal standalone value. However, managers in deeper 12+ team leagues wanting to stash a potential upside RB2 should look to add Gordon, as he will likely be given a substantial workload if Achane were to miss time this season.
Ollie Gordon II Could be a Hidden Gem for Dolphins https://t.co/DiMCry3o33
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 29, 2025
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
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