Week 2 Waiver Wire: Must-Add Players

Bryce Young scored 30 fantasy points in Week 2 and faces three weak defenses in his next three games: the Falcons (Week 3), Cleveland (Week 3), and Detroit (Week 4), making him a solid waiver wire quarterback option if streaming is needed.

Third-round rookie starting for the Dolphins with 7 targets, 5 catches, 94 yards in week 1; source identifies him as the probable number one receiver on the Dolphins and recommends him as a waiver add. The Dolphins offense is positioned to either be competitive or chunk the ball downfield in the fourth quarter, giving Douglas volume upside. Source notes Douglas 'looked pretty competent' and 'strong and fast' on film.

The source notes Caleb Douglas looks competent in his performance, suggesting he's a viable waiver wire option worth considering for Week 2 pickups.

The source identifies Carson Wentz as a turnover-prone backup quarterback facing the Bears defense in Week 3, noting high odds of 'catastrophic turnovers' and pick-six or fumble-six opportunities, making the Bears defense a worthwhile waiver add despite giving up 37 points to Carolina in Week 2.

The source reports that Christian McCaffrey had cramps during week one, which may have contributed to Kaelan Black's elevated snap share (43%). However, the source expects a bigger split this year as Kyle Shanahan aims to give McCaffrey a break and avoid the 400 touches he led the NFL with last season.

Kmet played only 33% of snaps and ran a route on 45% of team dropbacks in Week 2, making his five-catch performance an outlier; the source notes he has a history of producing big games but is matchup and game-dependent, requiring a 'Whack-A-Mole' approach to catching him on good days.

Colston Loveland had zero catches despite his team (the Lions) scoring 59 points in Week 2, exemplifying the worst fantasy outcome: a player on a high-scoring team who fails to participate in the offensive production.

The source reconsiders David Njoku after initially thinking he was washed, noting he ran 30 routes and caught five passes in Week 2; despite expectations that Orlando Gadsden or Charlie Kohler would be better, Njoku appears to have a legitimate role in the offense with veteran savvy, making him worth picking up in deeper leagues if seeking a big week.

DeMarcus Robinson is flagged as a consistent waiver wire pickup option for the 49ers, with the source noting he's been a reliable play-maker on waivers year after year despite being a third receiver.

Source expresses uncertainty about whether DeMario Douglas will be the Patriots receiver to step up and take over A.J. Brown's targets, indicating lack of clarity on his role in the Patriots' receiving hierarchy.

Denzel Boston ran 97% of routes for the Browns in their drop-back plays, putting him on the field for almost every offensive snap; he had two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in Week 2; the source recommends stashing him as a longer-term play, betting on his strong preseason rapport with Deshaun Watson when Watson takes over as starter in Week 3, rather than maximizing for Week 2 alone.

Denzel Boston is positioned as a potential long-term waiver wire addition that could start for fantasy teams for the next three months, representing the type of permanent roster upgrade rather than a bye-week fill-in that waiver pickups should target early in the season.

The source mentions Derrick Henry as a player whose handcuff, Justice Hill, could be worth rostering in 12-14 team leagues as injury insurance.

Deshaun Watson is slated to start Week 2 for the Browns; the source speculates that Todd Monken's comment about 'really good things on film' may be driven by owner Jimmy Haslam's decision to start Watson (who is receiving $46 million) for the first two road games before potentially benching him in Week 3 when the team returns home, allowing Shador to come in as a replacement.

The source identifies Deshaun Watson as a weak matchup target for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense in Week 3, noting that Ruben Vane and the Bucs' defense will 'cook' Watson, making Tampa Bay an excellent defense to add off waivers.

The source suggests Devin Singletary for the Giants as a stash play if roster space allows. Tyron Tracy had another fumble in week one after a horrific preseason, raising the possibility he may lose playing time. The Giants run a Greg Roman offense with Jackson Dart, and the source believes the Giants run game could be better than expected, making Singletary a reasonable stash in case Tracy loses the job.

One of three players Aaron Rodgers has repeatedly named as someone he trusts most; Rodgers has a 15-year track record of getting the ball to players he trusts regardless of other situation factors. Metcalf is positioned to benefit from the Steelers' increased passing volume under Mike McCarthy.

The source considers Drew Locke a backup quarterback with a history of making 'bonehead' mistakes and aggressive decision-making, making him a potential turnover source for the Cardinals defense in Week 3, though the recommendation is described as 'galaxy brain' and speculative.

May need to be benched in Week 2 depending on snap count; the source suggests finding a replacement at tight end for this week if you have Kittle.

Should be benched in Week 2 as long as Deshaun Watson is playing; the source advises not playing Fannin given the quarterback situation.

The source considers Hunter Henry as a potential beneficiary of A.J. Brown's target dispersal with the Patriots, wondering if he could be the answer to the tight end question, though expressing uncertainty about whether to gamble on him versus other Patriots receivers.

In the 10-12 range of tight ends in 12-team leagues, Ferguson did nothing in Week 1; the source suggests potentially bailing on Ferguson and replacing him with Pat Friermuth or similar options.

AJ Brown went out during the game, creating a void in the Eagles offense that other receivers had to fill.

Jalen Waddle was concussed during the Broncos' 70-0 game in Week 2, sidelining him from what would have been a high-volume opportunity in a dominant offensive performance.

The source mentions Jonathan Taylor as the Colts' lead running back and suggests that Seth McGowan is a reasonable handcuff in deeper leagues if Taylor gets injured, as McGowan would likely get the majority of the touches.

The source mentions Jordan Tyson as a Saints receiver who is currently out, noting that until Tyson returns, Devon Valey will continue to see elevated usage in the Saints offense.

The source recommends Justice Hill as a handcuff for Derrick Henry in 12-14 team leagues, suggesting he is a reasonable insurance policy if Henry gets injured.

Played 43% of snaps with 14 carries for 65 yards in week one; the source notes a much more dramatic split between Black and Christian McCaffrey than expected, with Kyle Shanahan likely giving McCaffrey a break to avoid 400 touches. Black looked competent, can run uphill, and knows how to set up blocks in Shanahan's system. The source calls him the number one pickup on waivers this week and the only running back worth dropping someone for.

Had a big week 1 performance for the Bears, but the source explicitly declines to bet on him again despite the Bears' offensive potential, suggesting the breakout is not sustainable.

The source considers Keenan Allen on waivers for the Colts but explicitly rejects him, saying 'I just don't want to go through that slog,' indicating concern about the Colts' offensive situation or Allen's role.

Kendrick Bourne for the Cardinals is mentioned as a recurring waiver wire pickup option the source has discussed for multiple years; he continues to make plays as a consistent waiver wire target.

Kendrick Bourne emerged as the Cardinals' de facto number two receiver in Week 2, recording eight catches on 27 team completions while Marvin Harrison Jr. had only one catch; Jacoby Brissett completed 277 yards in a game where the Cardinals offense looked great, positioning Bourne as a high-volume waiver wire target.

Should be benched in Week 2 as long as Cooper Rush is playing for Dallas; the source also notes uncertainty about playing Pitts even if Tua returns, citing the Falcons offense change.

Dolphins backup/starter threw the ball competently in week 1 against the Raiders; source notes 'I don't think Malik Willis threw the ball terribly' and observed that 'his arm looked OK' with 'nice deep throws, some sideline throws,' suggesting the Dolphins passing game may be more functional than expected.

The source suggests keeping Malik Willis in mind as he develops his decision-making on when to run versus staying in the pocket; as the season progresses, Willis may increasingly rely on his legs to make plays, similar to how Miami's offense evolves.

Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded only one catch in Week 2 despite the Cardinals offense performing well with 27 completions and 277 yards from Jacoby Brissett, suggesting limited early-season role or target share relative to expectations.

Identified as the top waiver wire tight end pick for Week 2; much more involved in the offense after being lost in the shuffle last year under Arthur Smith. Friermuth is one of a handful of tight ends to start his career with three straight seasons of 50-plus catches. With Mike McCarthy's arrival, the Steelers are throwing the ball significantly more (40 passes in Week 1), and Friermuth had 50 yards and a touchdown on 31 routes (sixth most among all tight ends). Aaron Rodgers has repeatedly named Friermuth as one of three players he trusts most, alongside DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson. The source projects Friermuth to have a Bob Tonian-like season with high catch volume and touchdown upside.

One of three players Aaron Rodgers has repeatedly named as someone he trusts most; Rodgers has a 15-year track record of getting the ball to players he trusts regardless of other situation factors. Wilson is positioned to benefit from the Steelers' increased passing volume under Mike McCarthy.

The source uses Saquon Barkley as an example of a player worth handcuffing with Tank Bigsby, noting that Bigsby would get approximately 80% of Barkley's workload if injured. The source suggests this is a reasonable strategy in 12-14 team leagues.

The source highlights Seth McGowan as the backup running back for the Colts, noting the Colts only had two running backs active in week one, suggesting high confidence in McGowan. The source characterizes McGowan as a three-down backup similar to Tank Bigsby, making him a valuable handcuff if Jonathan Taylor gets injured. The source also notes the Colts are running the ball better than the Eagles.

The source prefers T.J. Hockenson over Hunter Henry and Cole Kmet for Week 2 waiver adds because the Vikings play the Bears, who will likely put up many points, forcing Carson Wentz to throw frequently; Hockenson is positioned to benefit from positive game script and has the best chance of scoring a touchdown this week.

The source recommends Tank Bigsby as a handcuff for Saquon Barkley, noting that Bigsby would likely get 80% of the work Barkley does if injured. The source also mentions Bigsby as a three-down backup comparable to Seth McGowan, making him a valuable insurance policy in deeper leagues.

Source considers Trey Harris for the Chargers as a waiver option, noting 'I kind of just think Trey Harris is good.' However, the source hesitates to recommend him because Lad McConkie's injury status is unclear—McConkie has a chest injury and it's uncertain if he'll miss the coming week, which would determine Harris's role clarity.

Trey McBride had a good game in Week 2 for the Cardinals in a high-volume passing offense where Jacoby Brissett completed 27 passes for 277 yards, establishing him as a consistent target in the Cardinals' passing attack.

The source mentions Tyler Allgeier for the Cardinals as a secondary running back option after Kaelan Black, noting he had 17 carries in week one. However, the source characterizes him as a low-ceiling play compared to other available options.

Tyron Tracy had another fumble in week one after a horrific preseason, raising concerns about his role with the Giants. The source suggests there is a chance Tracy may no longer play for the Giants, indicating potential loss of playing time.