Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire

8 min readSep 12, 2023

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QUARTERBACK

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

*Roster Percentage: 29%

Without Cooper Kupp there was expectations that the Rams would struggle to move the ball. This was not the case as Stafford came out firing completing 24 of his 38 attempts for 334 yards. Stafford’s day could have been even bigger if he had not slightly overthrown Puka Nacua which would have lead to a 35 yard TD. Surprisingly Stafford also looked healthy; even using his legs to keep plays alive. While I like Stafford as the top QB add, I don’t like his match-up this week vs a 49ers defense that just pummeled the Steelers.

Mac Jones, New England Patriots

Roster Percentage: 9%

Another Week 1 surprise in what was expected to be a run first offense was seeing Mac Jones air it out 54 FRICK’n TIMES. After the Patriots feel behind they were forced to start chuck’n it, Jones completed 35 of his 54 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. While the average depth of target (5.8) is something to monitor this was likely due to the rainy conditions. The Pats take on the Dolphins in Week 2 so if you are looking to stream Jones could be in for another big day.

Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

Roster Percentage: 22%

It was not the easiest day for Howell who was sacked SIX times and fumbled once which led to a Cardinals score. He completed just 19-of-31 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. But the reason we look past some of Howell’s possible short comings is his ability to use his legs which paid off in Week 1 where he found the end zone. I prefer Howell as a weekly streaming option but going up against a Broncos defense in Week 2 could prove to be a struggle for the young QB.

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Roster Percentage: 32%

As a Bears fan I did not LOVE seeing the Packers own the Bears… but it happened (AGAIN). Jordan Love threw for 245 yards (15-of-27) and three touchdowns. This without the Packs top wideout Christian Watson. If running back Aaron Jones hamstring issue lingers it could force Green Bay to air it out a bit more. If you are looking to stream in Week 2 you could find some “Love” here as the Packers take on Atlanta.

Others to Consider:
Derek Carr (38% at CAR), Baker Mayfield (10% vs CHI), Jimmy Garoppolo (16% at BUF)

RUNNING BACK

If available: Tyler Allgeier (56%)

Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles

Roster Percentage: 47%

There had been rumblings all pre-season that Kenneth Gainwell had won the lead back roll for the Eagles, but I was a bit skeptical due to his lack of size and the off-season additions of D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. In Week 1 Penny was a healthy scratch and Swift only saw one carry. Gainwell played 62% of the snaps as the lead back rushing the ball 14 times for 54 yards tacking on four catches for 20 yards. This Eagles backfield could fluctuate moving forward but for now Gainwell is an add in all leagues.

(UPDATE: Gainwell suffered a rib injury which could keep him out Week 2. Look for Swift to take on a larger role but Rashaad Penny (53%) could be active and garner a sizable workload.)

Gus Edwards/Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens

Roster Percentage: 21%/4

J.K. Dobbins was having himself a day before he went down with a season-ending Achilles tendon tear. After Dobbins left we saw a fairly even split between Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Hill had the bigger day finding the end-zone twice but only gained 9 yards on eight attempts. Edwards also carried the ball eight times but was able to gain 32 yards on those attempts. To complicate matters more, the Ravens will elevate veteran Melvin Gordon from the practice squad. My preferred add is Edwards although Hill will continue to get work. This backfield could end up being a messy one.

Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Roster Percentage: 7%

Just when we thought Sean McVay had finally accepted Cam Akers as his workhorse running back he yet again crushed our dreams by bringing second year RB Kyren Williams into the mix. While Akers did carry the rock 22 times he only gaining 29 yards thankfully falling into the end-zone to save his day. Williams however took advantage of his opportunity rushing the ball 15 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Coming out of Notre Dame Williams was not the biggest nor the fastest back (4.65 40-yard dash) in the class but a very efficient runner who carried the rock 204 times for 1002 yards and 14 TDs in 2021. While he didn’t catch either of his two targets in Week 1, he does posses a pass-catching skill-set that should continue to keep him on the field. The Rams take on a stout 49ers defense in Week 2, so while Williams should be picked up I would suggest benching him this week.

Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts

Roster Percentage: 12%

Moss was ruled out of Week 1 as he is returning from a broken arm but he could return as early as Week 2. The Indy backfield was a mess in Week 1, Deon Jackson reminded us that he isn’t the answer for any NFL team. Promising rookie Evan Hull went down with knee injury. Next up could be the return of Zack Moss who could walk right into the starting role when healthy. Time will tell if Jonathan Taylor decides to play again for the Colts this season, but for at least the next three weeks Moss could see a substantial workload.

Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers

Roster Percentage: 7%

While the Chargers have long been looking for a complimentary back to starter Austin Ekeler I have to say I wasn’t projecting Joshua Kelley for the type of workload he saw in Week 1 carrying the rock 16 times for a career-high 91 yards and a TUDDY! We later learned that Ekeler was dealing with an ankle injury which likely explains the heavy second half usage for Kelley. While there are other backups in the league with more upside (see below) it looks like Kelley might have some low-end flex appeal right out of the gate.

Others to Consider:
Jaylen Warren (47%), Tank Bigsby (45%), Roschon Johnson (16%), Tyjae Spears(15%), Jerome Ford (9%), Sean Tucker (4%)

WIDE RECEIVER

If available:
Nico Collins (55%), Jakobi Meyers (in concussion protocol, 50%)

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Roster Percentage: 9%

Nacua is someone I’ve been high on since covering the Senior Bowl this year. He immediately flashed in practice and showed he has the size and versatility to make it in the NFL. With Cooper Kupp on IR it opened the door for the fifth-round rookie to strut his stuff in a Sean McVay offense and that he did, catching 10-of-15 balls for 119 yards. While you should temper your expectations going into Week 2 against a stout 49ers defense Puka is my top waiver add of the week.

Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars

Roster Percentage: 31%

While Calvin Ridley was deserving of the majority of the buzz for the Jaguars pass catchers, Jones was no slouch reeling in five-of-seven balls for 55 yards and a touchdown that was possibly the best catch of the week. He surprisingly played ahead of Christan Kirk in Week 1 playing 95% of the snaps. He is a high-end WR3 moving forward.

Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots

Roster Percentage: 4%

The pieces in the Patriots passing game went under the radar coming into the season. But with both Devante Parker and Tyquan Thornton being ruled out Week 1 we saw Kendrick Bourne boom catching six-of-11 targets for 64 yards and two touchdowns. While I think targets could be more evenly distributed once the team gets healthy for now Bourne is an add.

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints

Roster Percentage: 17%

While Shaheed is currently #3 on the depth chart behind Olave and Thomas, he brings an electricity that the Saints are lacking. His burst is obvious every time he gets the ball in his hands and that showed in Week 1 when he caught five balls for 89 yards and a touchdown (plus two rushes for 11 yards).

Others to Consider:
Romeo Doubs (31%), Jayden Reed (12%), Curtis Samuel (10%), Tutu Atwell (4%), Allen Robinson (3%)

TIGHT END

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Roster Percentage: 17%

With an injury riddled wide receiver corp the Patriots looked to Henry in Week 1 where he caught 5 balls for 56 yards and a touchdown. Henry lead all TEs in yards in Week 1 (yes, that says something about the state of the TE market). He should continue to be a redzone threat for the Patriots moving forward and Henry seems to have the eye of quarterback Mac Jones. The Pats take on the high-powered Dolphins in Week 2 so expect New England to continue to chuck that ball.

Luke Musgrave, Green Bay Packers

Roster Percentage: 19%

While Musgrave is a rookie who needs as many reps as he can get to catch up to NFL standards his size and athleticism give him a chance to make an immediate impact in his first season. He caught 3-of-4 targets for 50 yards (2nd in yards among all TEs in Week 1). His day would have been much brighter if he hadn’t stumbled to the ground while having a wide open path to the end-zone. Musgrave has the upside to be a top TE once he gains experience.

Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

Roster Percentage: 5%

Ertz lead ALL tight ends in targets in Week 1 with 10; he caught six of them for 21 yards. While the targets were most certainly coming his way the depth of targets were not, his longest gain was only six yards. Ertz was questionable coming into Week 1 recovering from ACL and MCL injuries that he suffered Week 10 last season. The Cardinals will likely continue a simple game plan which might not provide much upside for fantasy, but you can’t ignore the 10 targets in Week 1.

Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders

Roster Percentage: 2%

Yet another instance of a veteran tight end seeing the volume come his way. Thomas was targeted a team-high eight times and managed to reel in four of those for 43 yards. The 32-year-old was questionable coming into Week 1 (calf strain) so it was surprising to see him garner an 82 percent snap share. His upside might be capped playing alongside Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson but as a full-time player with a quarterback who is looking his way Thomas is worth a look as a waiver add this week.

Hayden Hurst, Carolina Panthers