Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Before Week 2

The post-Week 1 waiver wire can be a bit overwhelming, and I am here to make everything as easy as possible. Let's talk about a few different guys that could be available at each position going into Week 2, depending on what you need on your team.

Quarterback

If you have a starting QB that you don't think could be a top-five QB by the end of the year, I would be trying to stash Justin Fields or Trey Lance in that order. This will depend on your roster size and your league, but if Kirk Cousins is your QB1, go get some upside.

If you need a streamer for this week, look for guys like Baker Mayfield or Teddy Bridgewater, who have good matchups and solid receiving options/offensive talent.

Running Back

If Elijah Mitchell is available in your league at this point, pick him up and consider offering your league mates a proposal that 10x's the buy-in. He shouldn't be available in your league, and that is okay.

If you need a starter for this week, look for someone like James White or Kenneth Gainwell. Those players are not popular adds, and they probably don't have as much juice as other guys on the board, but both have a clear role in their offense right now while also having some contingent value if there were to be injuries or other issues on the roster. Tony Pollard is another good add if he is available in a similar role.

If you need a true punt, Cordarrelle Patterson saw way more snaps than I expected, and this could be a game where they use him more as a pass-catcher against a Bucs team that is the most pass-funnel team in the league. Patterson is a gross start, but one with real upside for eight carries and five targets.

Wide Receiver

This again definitely depends on what kind of player you are looking for and who is available in your leagues. Let's throw out some qualifiers and then give the best name given each situation.

One week starter

I would look at someone like Emmanuel Sanders here because we saw him as the clear WR3 in this Bills offense that wants to pass all game long. I think that Sanders could eventually lose his job to Gabriel Davis, but that won't happen this week.

Multi-week starter

KJ Hamler. Hamler is a guy that I prefer over other Broncos option Tim Patrick simply due to his profile and upside in any given game while proving that he can also be a target hog in the offense last season. Hamler isn't super efficient with targets, but he can make a big play with just one touch, and he could break out with the injury to Jerry Jeudy.

Flier on talent

Rondale Moore is an electric receiver who performed very well in a limited role last week. I expect this role to increase as the season goes along, but I don't think he should start on many teams this week, as 15 snaps and three touches is very, very much in the cards at this point. That being said, Moore is a beast and one that I would want on any team if I had the room.

Tight End

Jared Cook and Cole Kmet are the clear adds for me this week at tight end if they are available in your league. Both showed a clear role in the offense and have the requisite talent to succeed in any offense if given the role. With Kmet, he is likely better with Justin Fields at the helm, so he is not as much of a fill-in as Cook would be.

If you are desperate in a deeper league, James O'Shaughnessy ran a lot of routes on a bad Jacksonville team and saw eight targets. I think this will be his role until he screws it up on this roster, and this could legitimately be a top 12 TE if he keeps this usage all season.