10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 2

8mo

The 2023 NFL season is officially underway!

Week 1 isn't completely in the books yet, but we're already looking ahead to Week 2. Things move fast around here.

In season-long fantasy football, you don't want to overreact to Week 1, but you don't want to underreact, either. Early-season waiver wire pickups have the advantage of being on your roster for almost the entire fantasy season, giving them the potential to be among the most impactful transactions you'll make this year.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 2.

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Quarterbacks

Mac Jones, Patriots

Mac Jones and the New England Patriots host the red-hot Miami Dolphins in Week 2, pushing Jones into the streamer conversation.

The Dolphins conceded 34 points to the Los Angeles Chargers in their Week 1 shootout victory and could force the Patriots to play from behind again in Week 2.

After a disastrous sophomore season, Jones rebounded nicely in Week 1 in his first appearance under new/old offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. He completed 35 of 54 attempts (64.8%) for 316 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception, finishing with a 91.3 passer rating against a talented Philadelphia defense. The 54 attempts are unlikely to be repeated again this season, but the Dolphins could force New England into a similar game script.

Entering this season, the question in New England was -- is Jones closer to the production he showed as a rookie or as a sophomore? It's only one game, but early signs point toward the former over the latter.

There is the potential for the Patriots' defense -- which did a great job of limiting the Philadelphia Eagles -- to keep this game close. If they do, Jones' pass volume could drop. Jones' ceiling in Week 2 is dependent on the Dolphins' offense forcing New England's O to play from behind.

Jordan Love, Packers

The Jordan Love era in Green Bay began on Sunday in the best possible way, with a dominant win over the Chicago Bears. In his first start as the Packers' franchise QB, Love completed 15 of 27 pass attempts (55.6%) for 245 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.

His 123.2 passer rating led all signal callers, and his 9.1 yards per attempt ranked third, behind only Derek Carr (9.2) and Tua Tagovailoa (10.4). Love accomplished this despite the absence of second-year receiver Christian Watson. Working with an extremely inexperienced pass-catching group, Love spread the ball around, with six different Packers catching at least two passes.

In Week 2, Love will face an Atlanta Falcons defense that should provide a tougher challenge than Chicago's D did. The Falcons' run-heavy offense may also limit Love's volume. In Week 1, the Falcons ran 48 plays, the second-fewest in the league. If Aaron Jones (hamstring) and Watson are both active, Love can still be impactful in this situation.

Adding Love is more than just a bet on Week 2. He is just starting his career as a starter, and so far, so good. If you are streaming quarterbacks, Love is worth picking for this week and to see how he continues to develop in the weeks to come.

Others to Consider:

Brock Purdy (at Rams), Derek Carr (at Panthers), Baker Mayfield (vs. Bears)

Running Backs

Kyren Williams, Rams

Kyren Williams significant involvement in the Rams' backfield was one of the biggest and most surprising developments of Week 1. Entering the season, he was expected to be the passing-down back, but against the Seahawks, he handled 40.5% of Los Angeles running-back carries and was the only LA back to see a target.

Until the Rams used Cam Akers to put away the game in the fourth quarter, Williams was ahead of Akers on carries. Williams finished the game with more yards (52 to 29) and touchdowns (2 to 1) than Akers despite having seven fewer carries.

The Rams' backfield has proven in the past to be difficult to predict, but as it stands, Williams appears to be the preferred option. The Rams won at Seattle in Week 1, but they are expected to be in plenty of negative game scripts this season, which would likely provide more opportunities for Williams and fewer for Akers.

A clash with an extremely stingy San Francisco 49ers defense will make Williams a difficult start in Week 2, but he is an excellent add for his potential the rest of the way.

Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles

One of the biggest question marks entering the season was how the touches in the Eagles' backfield would be distributed. Based on Week 1, the answer is Kenneth Gainwell.

Gainwell operated as Philadelphia's feature back against New England, handling 14 carries and 4 targets. All other Eagles running backs combined saw a total of 2 carries and 3 targets. D'Andre Swift produced 3 rushing yards on 1 carry and caught 1 of his 2 targets for 0 receiving yards. Boston Scott totaled 3 rushing yards on 1 carry and caught his only target for 7 receiving yards. Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch.

There were rumors of this outcome during the preseason, and now we have a data point that supports it. The next question is does this usage stick?

Gainwell wasn't impactful with his touches as he finished with 54 rushing yards (3.9 per carry) and 20 receiving yards (4.0 per catch). It's possible Swift will become more involved as the season progresses, but for now, Gainwell appears to be the guy.

As it stands, he is the primary running back on one of the best offenses in the NFL, with involvement in both the running and passing game. If he is available in your league, he should be a top priority this week. It's possible Gainwell's usage changes, but the reward far outweighs the risk here.

Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, Ravens

Before tearing his Achilles, J.K. Dobbins was in complete control of the Ravens' backfield with 8 carries and 3 targets. After Dobbins' season-ending injury, Baltimore turned to Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.

Edwards finished the game with 8 carries for 32 yards. Hill recorded nine yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. The Ravens are planning to promote Melvin Gordon to their active roster, further complicating the situation.

There is plenty of uncertainty here, but Edwards is a decent bet to lead this backfield in carries moving forward with Hill significantly involved, as well. If Hill's role as the primary goal-line back continues, it will limit Edwards' ceiling. Both are worth adding, but this could be a difficult situation to project on a weekly basis -- especially if Gordon also gets involved.

Roschon Johnson, Bears

On the ground, Chicago's backfield was a four-headed committee against the Packers in Week 1. Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert each handled nine carries with Roschon Johnson and D'Onta Foreman getting five apiece. Among the running backs, Johnson was the most efficient on a per-touch basis, generating 4.0 yards per carry compared to 3.0 for Herbert and 3.2 for Foreman. Johnson also scored the Bears' only rushing touchdown.

What makes Johnson an excellent addition this week is his involvement in the passing game. Johnson's seven targets (19.4% target share) tied for the most on the team. He caught 6 passes for 35 yards, finishing with the most receptions and fourth-most receiving yards on Chicago. In total, the Bears' running backs saw 15 of Chicago's 36 targets (41.6%).

Moving forward, it is unlikely that three Bears' running backs out-target D.J. Moore every week, but there should be plenty of pass-catching opportunities for Johnson.

As he gains experience in his rookie season, Johnson could start to handle more carries, and he already has the inside track to significant involvement in the passing game. That's a perfect storm for fantasy potential.

Others to Consider:

Tyler Allgeier (vs. Packers), Tyjae Spears (vs. Chargers), Joshua Kelley (at Titans), Jaylen Warren (vs. Browns), Jerome Ford (at Steelers)

Wide Receivers

Puka Nacua, Rams

With Cooper Kupp on injured reserve, the expectation entering Week 1 was that Tyler Higbee would see significant involvement in a Rams passing game that might struggle to move the ball without their All-Pro wide receiver. Instead, the Rams' passing game ran through rookie Puka Nacua and third-year wide receiver Tutu Atwell, and LA decimated Seattle's defense.

Nacua, a fifth-round pick in April's draft, caught 10 of 15 targets for 119 yards (11.9 yards per reception). Atwell caught 6 of 8 targets for 119 yards (19.8 per reception). Higbee caught all 3 of his targets for 49 yards (16.3 yards per reception).

Now, is this repeatable for Nacua?

In the past, with Kupp, Stafford has shown zero hesitation in funneling targets to a receiver who can consistently convert them into receptions. The Rams' running game struggled in Week 1, turning 37 carries into just 81 rushing yards (2.1 yards per carry). That is unlikely to change against the 49ers next week, and unless it does, the way forward for the Rams' offense will be through the passing game.

Nacua's season-long upside is limited by the eventual return of Kupp, which could be as soon as Week 5, but between now and then, if you need a wide receiver, he is the answer. Week 2 against the 49ers is a difficult task, but Nacua is still worth adding for his potential beyond that.

Atwell is also well worth picking up.

Romeo Doubs, Packers

Romeo Doubs entered Week 1 listed as questionable with a hamstring injury. He was upgraded to available but had his snaps limited, finishing with 29 snaps (48.3%), tied for third-most among Packers receivers.

Doubs made the most of those snaps, hauling in 4 of 5 targets for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns. Just as importantly, he appeared to make it through the game without suffering a setback. If his snaps aren't limited in Week 2, he could be in line for a much larger role, especially if Watson -- who is considered week-to-week -- remains out.

This preseason, Watson received a lot of attention in fantasy drafts and was taken well ahead of Doubs, but it's important to remember Doubs flashed as a rookie, as well, before injuries derailed his season.

Jordan Love was excellent in Week 1, and while it is, of course, too early to say he could support both Watson and Doubs all season long, it can't be written off either. Don't shy away from Doubs because of Watson's eventual return.

As it stands, Doubs is healthy and will likely be a focal point of the Packers' passing game moving forward. If you need help at wide receiver, he is an excellent add heading into Week 2.

Others to Consider:

Jakobi Meyers (at Bills but suffered a head injury in Week 1), Rashid Shaheed (at Panthers), Kendrick Bourne (vs. Dolphins), Nico Collins (vs. Colts), Calvin Austin III (vs. Browns), Allen Robinson (vs. Browns)

Tight Ends

Sam LaPorta, Lions

If LaPorta is available in your league and you need help at tight end after an injury-riddled start to the season for the position, he is one of the top adds this week.

Entering this season, a common narrative surrounding LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid was "tight ends don't produce in their rookie seasons." While that has been true in the past, this duo was expected to put that narrative to the test. With one game in the books, LaPorta is off to a solid start.

In his NFL debut, LaPorta saw a 15.6% target share, catching all 5 of his targets for 39 yards while playing on 58 of 70 snaps (82.8%). As far as starting points go, that is a really good debut.

With little target competition outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown, LaPorta has the opportunity to earn a larger role as the season progresses.

As it stands, he should provide a useable floor at the position with the upside to be a difference-maker in the second half of the season.

Others to Consider:

Hunter Henry (vs. Dolphins), Luke Musgrave (vs. Falcons), Hayden Hurst (vs. Saints)

Defenses

New York Giants D/ST

After their crushing 40-0 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the Giants' season is off to a rough start. The good news is the Arizona Cardinals are up next and provide the New York Giants D/ST with the perfect bounce-back opportunity.

The Cardinals' offense failed to score a touchdown against Washington in Week 1, with their 16 points coming from a defensive score and three field goals. Joshua Dobbs completed 21 of 30 pass attempts (70.0%), but that's where the good news stops for Arizona.

Those 21 completions resulted in just 132 yards, and Dobbs ranked 27th in yards per attempt (4.4) while surrendering three sacks and three fumbles.

Facing an inefficient, lowly Cardinals offense, the Giants D/ST has an excellent chance to rebound in Week 2.

Others to Consider:

Denver D/ST (vs. Commanders), Los Angeles Chargers D/ST (at Titans)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.