Waiver Wire: Week 2

13th September 202213th September 2022 Jeremy Galtman

The waiver wire article is set up to help give you the best possible players that may still be available on your league’s waivers. The following players are all rostered in under 50% based on ESPN’s leagues. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JGalt93.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints (44.2% Rostered)

Winston isn’t a top-tier running QB, but he does offer the same attributes that you look for in a starting QB as he can utilize his arms and legs. This past week’s matchup was not pretty but Winston ended up giving fantasy managers a good enough point total to start him going forward. The Saints have plenty of offensive weapons surrounding Winston, so he should have a good amount of opportunities to score on a weekly basis. If you lost Dak or are just not happy with your current QB, Winston is my top option to add at the QB position. He is a mid-tier QB2 with an upside going forward.

Carson Wentz, QB, Washington Commanders (16.6% Rostered)

Wentz had his usual interceptions in Week 1 but looked great in his first week with the Commanders. He looked sharp and was able to utilize all of his main offensive weapons. If Winston were not available, I would be happy to add Wentz to my roster. He has a great matchup against the Detroit Lions this week and should once again be a good streaming option. Wentz is a mid-tier QB2 with upside, especially this week against the Lions.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Atlanta Falcons (0.6% Rostered)

Mariota surprised everyone this week when he and the Falcons kept up with the New Orleans Saints all the way up until the end. Mariota doesn’t kill it through the air but he does have an efficient running game, which should give him a solid floor on a weekly basis. If you are QB needy, you could do worse than Mariota. I believe he is more of a streaming option on good matchups. If he continues to produce in difficult matchups, then he may be a viable option on a weekly basis. Mariota is a low-end QB2 to keep your eye on.

**If Kirk Cousins is available, I would add him over all of the QBs listed.**

Honorable Mention(s):

Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans
Matt Ryan, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Baker Mayfield, QB, Carolina Panthers

Running Back

Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers (4.2% Rostered)

Wilson is now the next man up due to the injury to Elijah Mitchell. Now we all know how volatile the running backs can be in San Francisco, but I believe that Wilson has the trust and pedigree to be a solid starter for your fantasy roster. At least until Mitchell comes back. Wilson is my top add at the RB position this week. He should be a low-end RB2 with an upside for as long as he retains the starting job.

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (17.7% Rostered)

Pacheco put up a solid stat line in Week 1. Now, most would say that his production came in garbage time, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive to me. The Chiefs are an elite offense and should be in similar situations often throughout the season. Pacheco is clearly the RB2 behind Clyde Edwards- Helaire, so you will need to temper expectations until we see his production from week to week. Pacheco is a decent low-end flex with an upside going forward.

Jamaal Williams, RB, Detroit Lions (35.2% Rostered)

Everyone loves Williams, he is a great guy in the locker room and on the field. He is a leader, and we all have seen that throughout Hard Knocks or just in general. He had a great Week 1, and there is a good chance that he will continue being a viable option in fantasy. For now, I would recommend adding him to your bench, unless you are very needy at the running back position. It looks like he could be very touchdown dependent, which is why I am hesitant to start him until we see his production throughout a couple of games. Williams is a high-end backup, with low-end flex value going forward.

** Adding top-tier running backs back-ups is never a bad decision if you have the space to do so.**

Honorable Mention(s):

Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dontrell Hilliard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Rex Burkhead, RB, Houston Texans
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Bolden, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Ty Montgomery, RB, New England Patriots

Wide Receiver

Julio Jones, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (43.5% Rostered)

Julio is back! With the unfortunate news that Chris Godwin injured his hamstring, Julio is now cemented in as the WR2 for the Bucs. He should offer a safe floor on a weekly basis with a massive ceiling on any given week. Do not overthink adding him, just do it. As long as he is healthy, he will be a viable starter for your team. Jone is a high-end flex with an upside going forward.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders (8.4%Rostered)

If there was one player that I was surprised about on Sunday, it was Samuel. He looked great and was utilized heavily by Wentz throughout the game. Anyone who receives 11 targets has to be looked at, but he also caught 8 for 55 yards and a touchdown and was utilized in the run game too. We know Samuel has had injury issues in the past, but I think that as long as he is healthy he should be a solid option on a weekly basis. Samuel is a flex option with upside, especially this week against the Lions.

Devin Duvernay, WR, Baltimore Ravens (2.4% Rostered)

Usually, Baltimore only produces one solid wide receiver, but that was not the case this past week against the Jets. Now I am not saying to blow a ton of faab/ #1 priority on Duvernay. But he is worth adding to your roster as he has shown that he has earned Lamar Jackson’s trust. Duvernay should be added to all rosters. He is a low-end WR3/Flex with an upside.

Honorable Mention(s):

Robbie Anderson, WR, Carolina Panthers
Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants
Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
DeAndre Carter, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

**If Tyler Boyd or Jarvis Landry is available in your leagues, I would take them over all of the WRs listed above.**

Tight Ends

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (13.5% Rostered)

What I like for my fantasy tight ends is that they are on a good offense and have plenty of chances to catch touchdowns. Everett checks both of those boxes. The Chargers will be without Keenan Allen for a couple of weeks, so there will be plenty of targets to be had. Everett offers a safe floor due to his target share and high upside due to the upside on the Chargers offense. He is a mid-tier TE2 with an upside.

O.J. Howard, TE, Houston Texans (0.6% Rostered)

Touchdowns. That is what I care about when it comes to tight ends, and Howard got two this past week. Now it could’ve been an anomaly, but I would take my chances. Especially when so many tight ends underperformed in week 1. Howard has the skill to be a TE1, he has just never reached that ceiling on a consistent basis due. If he can become one of the top targets for the Texans, he could very well turn into a weekly starter. For now, Howard is a low-end TE2 with an upside.

Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints (3.8% Rostered)

I know what you’re thinking, is Taysom Hill even a TE? The answer is yes and no. His designation is TE, but he is still a gadget player who will be utilized in the run-and-pass game. Now I can not say that you should add Hill to be your starting tight end in week 2. What I am saying is that you should add him to see what he continues to do. He could very well be a massive value at a position with no consistency outside of the top 2 guys. Hill is a low-end TE2 in week 2.

Honorable Mention(s):

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
Hayden Hurst, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Denver Broncos