Each week I’ll provide you with a rundown by position of key
waiver wire adds. We’ll evaluate not just breakouts based
on past performance, but also who could deliver this week based
on a soft matchup. Stats will be provided based on a 12-team PPR
league, with players less than 75% (preferably less than 50%) ownership
being considered.
Note: This column will be updated tomorrow at the conclusion
of Week 2.
Browning came in for an injured Joe Burrow and didn't mind chucking
the ball around, throwing for 241-2-3 in a win over the Jaguars.
Burrow's injury is looking like it will require surgery and sideline
him for several months, so if you lost Burrow, Browning should
be a priority add. He gets a tough matchup against the Vikings,
but with the Bengals defense being as bad as it is, he should
be forced to air it out plenty this season.
Wilson is coming off a monster game against the Cowboys, throwing
for 450 yards and 3:1 TD:INT ratio. He also chipped in another
23 yards rushing in a win on the road. Up next is the Chiefs who
got lit up by Justin Herbert but bottled-up Jalen Hurts in Week
2.
With Brock Purdy out for roughly a month, Jones got the start
against the Saints and delivered a solid 279-3-0 stat line. Jones
should be able to maintain solid efficiency in a divisional matchup
against the Cardinals.
Aaron Rodgers,
PIT vs SEA: Rodgers struggled in a home loss to the Seahawks,
throwing for 203-1-2. Up next should be an easier test against
the Patriots who've allowed 300-yard passing games to Geno Smith
and Tua Tagovailoa.
Daniel Jones,
IND vs DEN: Jones had another great fantasy day, throwing for
316-1-0 and rushing for another TD; he's now rushed for 3 TDs
in the first two games. Up next is a Titans defense that is looking
for its first win.
Michael
Penix Jr. ATL @ MIN: Penix (21 attempts) is at the bottom
of the QB performers for Week 2 after throwing for just 135 yards
and zero TDs. The Falcons ran the ball 39 times. Up next is an
easier matchup against the Panthers.
J.J. McCarthy, MIN vs ATL: Both quarterbacks in the Sunday night
game struggled to produce stats. McCarthy has now thrown for just
301 yards in two games. Up next is an easier matchup against the
Bengals.
Stevenson dominated the backfield touches in a win over the division
rival Dolphins. He managed 11-54-0 on the ground and 5-5-88-0
receiving, while Antonio Gibson and TreVeyon Henderson combined
for 11 touches. There was talk that Henderson may see a higher
workload, but that wasn't the case in Week 2. Stevenson is the
preferred early-down back, and that should make him flex-worthy
in tight games, including the matchup this week against the Steelers.
Tuten saw an increased workload in a heartbreaking loss to the
Bengals, showcasing his speed by going 8-42-0 rushing and 2-2-32-1
receiving. Travis Etienne is still the RB1, but Tuten is making
the case for increased playing time. Up next is a divisional matchup
against the Texans.
Skattebo also saw an increased workload in Week 2, more than
doubling Tyrone Tracy's carries in route to a 11-45-1 line
on the ground and 3-2-14-0 line through the air. Skattebo had
a nice 24-yard TD run and brings a strong running style that should
make him the preferred early-down back. Up next is a matchup against
the Chiefs that have been stingy against RBs.
Sampson had another solid day in a tough loss to the Ravens,
going 4-6-0 rushing and 3-3-13-1 receiving. Judkins also made
his NFL debut and led the team in rushes (10-61-0), and also caught
all 3 targets for 10 yards. With Joe Flacco having back-to-back
games with 45 attempts (12 of them to RBs in Week 2), there appears
to be plenty of targets to go around. Given his lack of practice
time, it was surprising to see Judkins get as much work as he
did in Week 2. Expect him to ramp up and dominate work going forward.
Up next is a stifling Packers defense.
McNichols hasn't seen a lot of touches this year, but with Austin
Ekeler out for the year with an Achilles injury, McNichols will
likely get most of the passing down work. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
will dominate early touches - or share them with Chris Rodriguez
Jr.
Trey Benson,
ARI vs CAR: Benson saw more targets than James Conner in Week
2, going 6-4-30-0 through the air and 3-14-0 on the ground. Benson
should be added as a top-tier handcuff, who also has some standalone
value. Up next is a tilt against the division-rival 49ers.
Kenneth
Gainwell, PIT vs SEA: It looks like a two-headed monster in
Pittsburgh, with Gainwell and Jaylen Warren sharing snaps, although
Gainwell was out-touched 18-8 this week. He managed 5-3-16-0 receiving
and only 5 carries for 20 scoreless yards. Up next are the Patriots.
Kareem Hunt,
KC vs PHI: Hunt was close to Isiah Pacheco again, only being out-touched
11-9 in a loss to the Eagles. However, Hunt was more efficient
on the ground, so should continue to see a near-even split of
the workload. Up next is a road matchup against the spry Giants.
Tillman was second on the team in targets (7) in a loss to the
Ravens, and managed an inefficient 7-2-22-1 line but was saved
by his receiving touchdown. With Flacco throwing 45 passes in
each of the first two games, there should be targets for Tillman
to produce. Up next is a tough Packers defense.
Robinson had a monster game in the overtime shootout loss to
the Cowboys, going for 10-8-142-1. That's now 18 targets and 14
receptions in the first two games opposite Malik Nabers. Up next
is a juicy matchup against the Chiefs who struggled against the
Chargers' wideouts in Week 1.
Franklin had a big game in a tough loss to the Colts, going 9-8-89-1
receiving while adding an 11-yard rush. That's after seeing 6
targets in Week 1 against the Titans, so he has clearly established
himself as the WR2 behind Courtland Sutton. Up next is a tough
Chargers defense.
Brown was second on the team in targets behind Brian Thomas Jr.
in a tough road loss to the Bengals. Travis Hunter is the WR2
but Trevor Lawrence is spreading the ball around, and Brown now
has at least 50 yards in both games this year. He'll look to keep
it going against the Texans in Week 3.
Thornton seemed to take the WR2 role behind Marquise Brown with
Xavier Worthy sidelined with a shoulder injury. He produced a
5-2-59-1 receiving line in a loss to the Eagles, but should find
more room against the Giants.
TE Harold
Fannin Jr., CLE vs GB: Fannin out-produced David
Njoku for the second straight week, going 5-5-48-0 in a loss to
the Ravens. Fannin is basically operating as the Browns No.3 wideout
and should have a good role moving forward. Up next is a game
the Browns will most likely be trailing again versus the stout
Packers defense.
Johnson had another great day in a tight loss to the 49ers, going
9-5-49-1. That's back-to-back weeks of finishing second
on the team in targets, and he's seen 20 in two games. Up
next is another great matchup against the Seahawks, and it appears
Johnson is one of Spencer Rattler's best options.
Ertz appears to be picking up where he left off last year, as
one of Jayden Daniels' most trusted targets. He posted a
nice 8-6-64-1 stat line in a loss to the Packers, and also scored
a TD in Week 1. Up next should be an easier matchup versus the
Raiders.
Keon Coleman, BUF @ NYJ: Coleman had a quiet outing (3-3-26-0)
in a blowout win over the Jets. Targets for WRs were tough to
come by when Josh Allen only had 25 attempts and nearly half of
those (12) went to TEs. He'll look to rebound against a
weak Dolphins defense.
Marquise Brown,
KC vs PHI: Brown tied for the team lead in receiver targets and
went 5-5-30-0 against the Eagles, a week after seeing 16 targets.
With Xavier Worthy out, Brown should be the WR1 until Worthy returns.
Up next is a road matchup against the Giants.
Calvin Austin, PIT vs SEA: Austin came back down to earth in
a loss to the Seahawks, posting a 4-1-22-0 line. With six different
receivers seeing at least 4 targets, it may be tough for anyone
to stand out in the Steelers passing offense. However, Aaron Rodgers
has kept two wide receivers fed in the past, so he should have
better games in the future. It should start this week against
a Patriots team that has given up the 5th most fantasy points
to WRs through two games.
Kayshon Boutte, NE @ MIA: Boutte scored on his only target, a
16-yard touchdown reception. The Patriots put up 33 points but
Drake Maye only had 23 attempts, making it a tough day for the
receivers. Boutte will look to bounce back in a home matchup against
the Steelers.
TE Jonnu Smith, PIT vs SEA: Jonnu tied for the team lead in receptions,
but it only resulted in a 4-4-27-0 receiving line in a tough home
loss to the Seahawks. He should be involved on a weekly basis,
but may be tough to trust in an Arthur Smith offense that likes
to run the ball. Up next is a road game against the Patriots.
Defense/ Special Teams
Seahawks vs NO
The Seahawks-D gets a home matchup against the Spencer Rattler-led
Saints. The ‘Hawks have forced 4 turnovers and scored a
touchdown in their first two games, while averaging 17 points
allowed.
Colts @ TEN
The Colts have forced 4 turnovers in their first two games, and
now get the error-prone Titans. They look to continue their hot
start to the season to go 3-0.
Falcons @ CAR
The Falcons’ defense was swarming in a big win against
the Vikings, getting 6 sacks and 4 turnovers while allowing only
6 points. Up next they get a Panthers team that has also been
forgiving, allowing 5 turnovers in the first two games.
Other DST to consider: Bills vs MIA
Last week’s waiver adds:
Patriots @ MIA: The Patriots had another solid
day in a win over the Dolphins, getting 5 sacks and a turnover.
Up next is a conference game against the Steelers.
Rams @ TEN: The Rams had another solid defensive
day, getting 5 sacks and a turnover against the Titans. Up next
is a much tougher test against the Eagles.
49ers @ NO: San Francisco managed 3 sacks and
a turnover in a win over the Saints. Up next is a division rivalry
game against the Cardinals.
