The waiver wire going into Week 2 of the NFL season is one of the most crucial things you need to get right in fantasy football. Now, of course, there will always be hidden gems down the line, but after Week 1, the waiver wire gets wrung dry.
After seeing everyone play their first real game, a lot is revealed to us. It's not just about who had the best overall scoring performance; so many other factors go into making these decisions.
Arguably, the most important thing to focus on is usage from Week 1. We have an entire utilization report you can check out. Knowing who is getting the volume necessary for big fantasy performances can help set you up for success.
So, here are some of the names that caught our attention in Week 1 that are worth checking out on your waiver wire.
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Best fantasy waiver wire pickups for Week 2
NEW - Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills (64%)
If you are an avid fantasy football manager, having Keon Coleman on the waiver wire might seem off. However, him being only 64% rostered is way too low for the potential WR1 attached to Josh Allen.
In Week 1 on SNF, Coleman led the team in targets with 11 and receiving yards with 112. Though the TD was a lucky headsup play by Coleman, he still had the volume and production for a great fantasy performance.
This will probably be your only chance to grab Coleman if he is still on the waiver wire.
Hollywood Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (25%)
There should be no surprise that we kick things off with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.
Chiefs WR1 Xavier Worthy collided with Travis Kelce on the first drive of the game. Worthy immediately left the game and did not return. An MRI later confirmed that Worthy had dislocated his shoulder, and he is expected to miss at least a few weeks.
Brown immediately stepped into that top WR role for the Chiefs. He was targeted 16 times, which is the most Brown has been targeted since 2022, and was just once target shy of tying a career-high.
Brown caught 10 of those targets and was just one yard short of a 100-yard receiving game.
Brown is a must-grab player off the waiver wire, but there's no doubt he's going to be one of the most sought-after players in fantasy. Until Worthy returns, which he might not, Brown should receive this sort of usage until Rashee Rice returns in Week 7.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (8%)
It's been an up-and-down career for Quentin Johnston so far. After having legit trouble catching the ball, he's seemingly turned that corner.
Johnston's fantasy performance was inflated by the two touchdowns he caught on Friday night in Brazil. However, he did receive 8 targets with a fully healthy Chargers WR room.
This Chargers team looked like they wanted Justin Herbert to throw early and often. This will only help Johnston's upside. While he might be touchdown dependent, he offers a fun ceiling in an explosive Chargers offense.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons (32%)
Any doubt that was had coming into this season should be gone as it relates to Michael Penix's ability to produce in fantasy. The Falcons were in a back-and-forth game with Tampa Bay, and the Atlanta coaching staff did not shy away from letting Penix air it out.
Penix threw the ball 42 times, of those he completed 27 passes for 298 yards. He had one TD to Bijan Robinson through the air and had a clutch rushing TD late in the game.
This sort of game script is possible for the Falcons every game. Their defense is not elite and can give up points. This will lead to Penix getting tremendous volume in the passing game.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (1%)
The TE position is always scarce when it comes to fantasy football. Getting a guy like Juwan Johnson off the waivers can help support that positional need.
Johnson was targeted 11 times in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He caught 8 of these targets for 76 yards, which is a great output for PPR leagues.
When discussing his volume, he could be the safety blanket for Spencer Rattler, a young and inexperienced QB. Johnson was targeted just two fewer times than WR1 Chris Olave. However, Johnson led the entire team in receptions and receiving yards.
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Week 2 waiver wire streamers
QB Fantasy Streaming Pickups
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (52%)
Lawrence never quite got going in Week 1 against Carolina; this can possibly be credited to the long rain delay and the game script in which Jacksonville was up big most of the game.
In Week 2, Lawrence gets to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who are always susceptible to large passing performances. Jacksonville likely will have to sling it through the air way more often to keep pace.
TE Fantasy Streaming Pickups
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (59%)
Henry continues to be one of Maye's favorite weapons to go to. In Week 1, he was targeted 8 times and was able to catch 4 of them for 66 yards. In Week 2, Henry takes on the Miami Dolphins, who allowed an excellent game from rookie TE Tyler Warren.
Team Defense Fantasy Streaming Pickups
New England Patriots (14% rostered)
If you watched the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, I'm not sure you can walk away with a single positive thing. Sure, the Patriots struggled in Week 1 with CB Christian Gonzalez inactive, but they may not need him against the messy state of Miami's offense.
Kicker Fantasy Streaming Pickups
Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals (4%)
The Cardinals are the perfect team for which a kicker could be successful in fantasy football. Their offense is by no means bad, but they are not getting in the end zone every time down the field.
Ryland kicked 2 PATs and 2 FGs in Week 1, and gets the weak Carolina Panthers defense in Week 2.
Week 2 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watch List
Quarterback waiver pickups to watch
- Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (5%)
- Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (6%)
Daniel Jones was historically good in Week 1; he led a scoring drive every time he touched the ball against the Dolphins. No other QB has done that this century, so we'll have to monitor if this was a one-time thing or not. (He should be universally rostered in superflex/2QB leagues.)
Russell Wilson played poorly against the Commanders. Jaxson Dart talk will be a thing until he starts for the Giants.
Running Back waiver pickups to watch
- Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (39%)
- DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts (3%)
- Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (46%)
All three of these backs are the RB2 on their respective team.
Sampson has the best chance to be the RB1 in Week 2 for his team. But with the Quinshon Judkins return looming, it is unknown what his or any of these guys' roles truly are.
Still, they may deliver frequent flex weeks even if they remain the understudy/handcuff.
Wide Receiver waiver pickups to watch
- Calvin Austin, Pittsburgh Steelers (2%)
- Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (20%)
- Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (1%)
- NEW - Marquez Valdes-Scantling, San Francisco 49ers (0%)
All these receivers had decent games with great volume. They're to be monitored, but if you have space, they provide good depth, with Austin likely helping the most outside of full-PPR leagues.
NEW- Marquez Valdes-Scantling is someone who can have tremendous value depending on the George Kittle MRI and status of Jauan Jennings. He's an interesting player to hold for the meantime because of his potential WR2 role.
Tight End waiver pickups to watch
- Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (0%)
- Harold Fannin, Cleveland Browns (2%)
Both of these guys are the TE.
Brock Bowers got injured in Week 1, and while it's not suspected to be serious, he could still miss time, making Mayer the TE1 for however long he's out.
The Browns run a ton of sets out of 12 personnel (meaning two TEs), and Fannin benefits from this behind David Njoku.