WIRE FIRE | WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS | WEEK 2
FOOTBALL IS BACK, and week 1 did not disappoint. Sunday and Monday night games brought a ton of action complete with 4th comebacks, and a nominee for game of the year between the Bills & Ravens.
But as for fantasy, not all our players performed as anticipated; some underperformed, some surprised, and some were injured. What does all this mean for your Waiver Wire?
(Availability percentages taken from Yahoo)
Here are my favorite additions for Week 2.
Quarterback STREAMER OF THE WEEK
Matthew Stafford @ TEN
Matthew Stafford’s Week 1 line looked pedestrian, but that came against Houston’s stout defense. This week, he heads to Tennessee, where the matchup tilts in his favor. Rookie Bo Nix couldn’t meet expectations against the Titans, but Stafford brings a different aura into Nashville. Tennessee played zone on over 90% of dropbacks in Week 1, the second-highest rate in the league. That’s a recipe for Stafford to dissect the coverage while Nacua and Adams exploit the soft spots.
Running Back
Dylan Sampson | Cleveland Browns | 46% owned | 2-3% FAAB
I am aware Judkins signed his deal and will be implemented into the offense immediately. Sampson’s rushing line was pedestrian, 12 carries for 29 yards, but 90% of that production came after contact, a clear sign the offensive line wasn’t giving him much help. His real upside showed in the passing game, where he caught all 8 targets for 64 yards. Looking ahead, I see him and Judkins handling the bulk of the workload as Ford fades away, with Sampson carving out the premium receiving role.
Trey Benson | Arizona Cardinals | 39% owned | 3-5% FAAB
This is a speculative player to add, but the upside is real. He flashed in Week 1 with a 52-yard run, showing his talent, though he’s not really startable while Conner controls the 2:1 split. If Conner goes down, though, he profiles as a workhorse with RB1 upside. Grab him now while the price is low, before an injury makes him the most fought-over pickup of the week.
Kenneth Gainwell | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1% owned | 1% FAAB
Gainwell led the Steelers in snap share over Jaylen Warren, while Kaleb Johnson barely saw the field. He’s a cheap add if you’ve got the space, trusted by the coaching staff, reliable in pass protection, and involved as a receiver (3 catches on 4 targets). With Rodgers under center, he wants steady players, and Gainwell fits that mold. He’s the kind of depth piece who could bail you out during bye weeks, and if Warren were to miss time, Gainwell would instantly be a hot commodity.
Wide Recievers
Hollywood Brown | Kansas City Chiefs | 25% owned | 5-8% FAAB
This offseason, Hollywood was widely considered the fourth option behind Rice, Worthy, and Kelce when everyone’s healthy. But that won’t be the case in the coming weeks. Rice is suspended until Week 7, Worthy is TBD with a shoulder issue, and Kelce, while still effective, isn’t the same player he once was. That leaves Hollywood in line for a massive workload, and he already commanded a 36% target share in Week 1. With the run game looking abysmal (Hunt and Pacheco don’t inspire much confidence) this offense will have to throw, and Hollywood will feast.
Quinton Johnson | Las Angeles Chargers | 9% owned | 2-4% FAAB
There will be a lot of action on the waiver wire for Quinton Johnson this week. I would make an attempt, but do not go crazy with your FAAB budget. He is still the 4th offensive option behind McConkey, Allen, and Hampton & the run game. Kansas City obviously forgot about him, and he can make plays after the catch, which burned them immensely. This offense looks incredible, and I want as many pieces as I can, but don’t be surprised if that was his best game of the season by quite a bit.
Kayshon Boutte | New England Patriots | 1% owned | 5-8% FAAB
Don’t forget the pedigree Kayshon Boutte carried into college, or that his draft stock slid for reasons other than talent. In the opener, he led the team in routes, targets, catches, and yards, and was the first read on nearly a quarter of attempts. He looked like their best receiver. If his maturity finally matches his talent, Boutte could emerge as one of this season’s biggest surprises.
Tight End:
Juwan Johnson | New Orleans Saints | 2% owned | 3-5% FAAB
The Saints’ offense might be tough to watch this season, but that doesn’t matter for fantasy. Johnson ran the second-most routes (tied with Chris Olave), finished second in targets with 11, and led the team with 76 receiving yards. Opportunity and athleticism are two of the biggest traits for breakout fantasy tight ends, and Juwan checks both boxes. He’s got all the makings of a surprise top-6 TE this year.
Harold Fannin Jr | Cleveland Browns | 2% owned | 1-2% FAAB
Fannin Jr. made an impressive debut, leading the team in targets and all receivers in catches (ironically, only rookie RB Dylan Sampson hauled in more). With Flacco under center, there will be plenty of pass attempts to go around, even with Judkins joining the mix. The challenge will be consistency, given the other weapons in the passing game (Jeudy, Tillman, and fellow TE Njoku). I wouldn’t get overly aggressive chasing future production, but this was a promising start to his career.
