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Week 2 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Tyler Allgeier, Najee Harris, Will Shipley in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
During the opening week of the season, many backup running backs flashed solid upside and proved they could hold standalone value despite being in a reserve role. Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson and Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson were among the position's top performers despite opening the season in a No. 2 role.
In this piece, we will look at three No. 2 running backs who could provide standalone value in the near future, despite having a limited role on their offense.
Are Tyler Allgeier, Najee Harris, and Will Shipley worth adding off the waiver wire in Week 2? Here are the latest outlooks on each for fantasy football.
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Tyler Allgeier Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 60% of leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ team leagues
As a rookie, Allgeier immediately broke out on the scene, running for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns on 210 attempts. He added 139 yards and a score on 16 receptions. However, before the 2023 season, the Falcons added Bijan Robinson, one of the top running back prospects of recent memory, to the depth chart, which immediately pushed Allgeier to a reserve role.
While he still totaled 683 yards in 2023, Allgeier's upside was significantly limited. In 2024, Allgeier tallied a similar 644 yards, serving as a rotational piece in the backfield.
However, in the season opener, Allgeier was given a surprisingly significant role. In the game against the Buccaneers, Allgeier ran the ball 10 times, just two fewer than Robins's 12 attempts. In fact, Allgeier matched Robinson's rushing yardage total (24 yards). However, Robinson accounted for most of his production through the air, as he tallied 100 yards and a score on six catches.
While fantasy managers should expect Robinson to eventually re-take his role as the clear No. 1 option in the backfield, it appears the Falcons could be opting to protect their franchise cornerstone at least early in the season. Allgeier will carry most of his value as a pure handcuff, but could produce low-end flex value in deeper 14+ team leagues.
If Robinsion were to miss time, Allgeier would have a low-end RB1 value.
#Falcons Tyler Allgeier enters a contract year with the goal of 'continuing to be an all-around back'---saying the 'sky's the limit' for Atlanta's offense in 2025 @ATLNewsFirst pic.twitter.com/jR1D8552Ge
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) July 27, 2025
Najee Harris Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 50% of leagues
Baller Move: Add in All Leagues
The Chargers signed Harris to a one-year deal at the start of the offseason as the team opted to let J.K. Dobbins walk in free agency. While Harris appeared poised to take over the backfield, the Chargers selected running back Omarion Hampton in the opening round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of UNC.
While many expected there to be a timeshare early in this season, Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks incident in July, which allowed Hampton to see all of the first-team opportunities. As a result, Hampton was deployed as the clear RB1 in their season opener on Friday evening.
Facing the Chiefs, Hampton ran the ball 15 times, while Harris took just one carry.
While this workload may seem to suggest Harris is nothing more than a depth option, his workload may increase as the seasons progress. Since Harris missed most of training camp and the preseason, the team opted to give him a much smaller workload. On Monday, head coach Jim Harbaugh noted that his workload could change in their Week 2 match against the Raiders.
While managers should take a cautious approach, they should not expect a former fourth-round 1,000-yard rusher to spend most of the game on the sidelines. He is a top waiver wire target as he should provide solid flex value, despite sharing time with the emerging rookie.
Najee Harris Could Have Bigger Role in Week 2 https://t.co/32tJACrWJW
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 8, 2025
Will Shipley Waiver Wire Outlook
Rostered: 35% of leagues
Baller Move: Monitor in 14+ team leagues
The final running back we will look at in this piece is Shipley of the Philadelphia Eagles. During Thursday's victory over the Cowboys, Shipley was deployed as the clear RB2 behind superstar Saquon Barkley. In this game, the second-year running back ran the ball three times for 26 yards. However, he suffered a minor rib injury, which kept him out of the game for most of the second half.
Once he hit the sidelines, veteran AJ Dillon moved up the depth chart.
While Shipley appeared to have avoided a significant injury, on Monday evening, the Eagles traded for Jaguars backup Tank Bigsby. Even though reports suggest that the trade was not due to injury concerns for Shipley, it will still significantly limit his future upside.
Fantasy managers should not look to add him off the waiver wire. While he appeared to have value as a standalone handcuff, with Bigsby now in the mix, the Eagles may turn to a committee approach if Barkley were to miss time.
As a result, managers should only look to add him as a low-end RB4 in deeper 14+ team leagues. Managers looking for an immediate replacement should not look to spend their FAAB on the Clemson product, as he will likely split the RB2 role with Bigsby and Dillon.
The Tank Bigsby trade is not related to Will Shipley’s rib injury against the Cowboys last week, to my understanding.
The Eagles like their RB room. They like Bigsby’s effectiveness as a kickoff returner — a role they’ve been exploring.
— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) September 8, 2025
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Tyler Allgeier, Najee Harris, Will Shipley:
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