When it comes to fantasy football, injuries can be detrimental to the season-long success of your fantasy squad and can leave you scrambling for plug-in starters, especially after an action-packed, injury-riddled Week 1. This is why you will need to work the fantasy football waiver wire to grab high-upside players to help fill these empty spots and reduce that Sunday morning pre-kickoff panic.
If you’re looking to do just that, here are the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 2 that could help push your fantasy team in the right direction.
All players must be owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups weekly column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Tuesday morning.
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Jared Goff, Lions (48.6%)
Although Jared Goff didn’t necessarily produce the top shootout numbers all fantasy managers were likely expecting after having to face the Chiefs, he still got the job done and played a clean game. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 9 of last season and commands a high-powered Detroit Lions offense filled with some very talented weapons. He is well worth the roster spot on fantasy teams, especially in deeper formats as a full-time starter.
Jordan Love, Packers (15.8%)
Let’s temper our expectations a bit with Jordan Love, of course, but it’s hard not to like what he did in his first week of action as the Green Bay Packers’ new franchise quarterback. I say temper your expectations because he faced a god-awful Bears defense that doesn’t look that much improved from last year, but he continued the Packers’ sheer ownage of the Bears and found a pass-catcher in the end zone three separate times with zero turnovers.
Jordan Love fantasy owners should have some favorable matchups in the next few weeks against some rather poor defensive units. He also should hopefully be getting his WR1, Christian Watson, back in the lineup soon.
MORE: NFL Power Rankings Week 2 – Aaron Rodgers Injury Shakes Up the AFC
After an action-packed Week 1, we update our NFL Power Rankings. Click through to see where your team is ranked heading into Week 2!
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (43.8%)
We all know the Falcons love to run the football. The Bijan Robinson fantasy football hype has been real and rightfully so after his impressive first career game finishing with 16 touches for 83 yards and a touchdown. However, Tyler Allgeier should absolutely be on fantasy football managers’ radars. Robinson is clearly the more dynamic back and offers way more upside in the passing game, but Allgeier still caught three passes for 19 yards and figures to be a big part of Atlanta’s rushing attack and overall offensive gameplan.
It’s worth noting that the Panthers’ run defense did rank bottom-five in 2022 against opposing running backs, but this is just the beginning of the Robinson-Allgeier duo.
Kyren Williams, Rams (10.3%)
Although Cam Akers registered more carries, Kyren Williams was by far the more effective Rams’ running back on Sunday against the Seahawks — finishing with 15 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns. He’s more of a “wait and see” situation for now because we’ve seen how Rams head coach Sean Mcvay has handled the running back room in the past, but he’s well worth the fantasy football waiver wire addition now if you can afford the roster spot. The Rams’ offense is a big question mark, in my opinion, but seeing Williams be much more productive on fewer carries is enough for me to stash him.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Romeo Doubs, Packers (19.2%)
I’m a big Romeo Doubs truther this season, especially with Christian Watson sidelined. Our Green Bay Packers podcast, Lombardi Sweep, discussed in the preseason how Doubs may actually be the WR1 in this offense when fully healthy.
Regardless, Doubs is operating as the WR1 right now in an offense led by a young quarterback who will likely latch onto one target early in the season as his security blanket. He didn’t produce many yards, but he hauled in two touchdowns on five targets from Love on Sunday and figures to carve out an even bigger role as he becomes fully healthy. Even once Watson comes back into the lineup, Doubs should still produce given the overall lack of receiving targets in Green Bay, and the fact that he’ll have a headstart on forming the chemistry with Love is crucial.
Click here for more Romeo Doubs fantasy football pickup information.
Puka Nacua, Rams (2.8%)
I normally wouldn’t endorse scooping up a fifth-round rookie receiver, but given the situation in Los Angeles surrounding Cooper Kupp’s injury and the Puka Nacua fantasy football performance in his first career NFL game, he should catch the eyes of many fantasy managers this week. His 2.8% ownership is going to skyrocket after his monster 10 reception, 119-yard performance against the Seahawks.
The wide receiver room is still filled with viable options, like Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell, but Nacua’s 15 targets suggest that Matthew Stafford could be looking his way regularly as long as Kupp is sidelined. Puka Nacua logged the fewest snaps out of the three, but the target share is way too intriguing to pass up.
Click here for more Puka Nacua fantasy football pickup information.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Sam LaPorta, Lions (34.3%)
I know his five-catch, 39-yard performance for a total of just 8.9 fantasy points in PPR formats isn’t exactly eye-opening, but Sam LaPorta is very clearly the TE1 in Detroit. His role will only grow the more the season progresses. LaPorta logged 83% of snaps on Thursday against the Chiefs and finished fourth on the team in targets, so there’s a willingness to get him involved early and often. The Sam LaPorta fantasy football value could be quite touchdown-dependent (like most tight ends in fantasy) given how many mouths there are to feed in the Lions’ offense, but grabbing a high-upside tight end in a good offense seems like a good move to me.
Hunter Henry, Patriots (4.2%)
As I just said above with LaPorta, fantasy football waiver wire tight ends are going to be touchdown-dependent, and that is exactly Hunter Henry’s situation in New England. I’m not sure if I’m necessarily buying the Patriots’ offense being able to move the ball as they did against the Eagles’ defense on Sunday, but Mac Jones looked capable under center and that boosts all Patriots’ pass-catchers in the process. Henry hauled in 5-of-6 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown and while Mac Jones was very busy attempting 54 passes. I think Henry is going to be a key part of their red zone success this season.
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