Week 1 is in the books, and if you learned anything from the opening Sunday, it is that the waiver wire is where seasons are quietly won and lost. Drafts get all the hype, but the managers who work the wire every single week are the ones lifting trophies in December. This is where the real grind begins.
Before you fire off your claims, a quick refresher on how the process works. Most leagues use one of two systems. The first is a Free Agent Acquisition Budget, better known as FAAB, where you bid a portion of a set budget (usually 100 dollars) on the players you want. The second is rolling waiver priority, where claims are awarded in the inverse order of the standings. Either way, the goal is the same: spend smart, target upside, and do not empty your budget in the first week of the season.
Below are the top Week 2 waiver wire pickups by position, with suggested priority, rostered percentages, and the reasoning behind each add. Player availability is based on rostered rates across ESPN leagues, so adjust for your own league size. Deeper leagues will need to reach further down each list.
Key Injuries to Monitor
The waiver wire always heats up in response to injuries, so start here. These are the Week 1 injuries most likely to shift value heading into Week 2:
- A.J. Brown (ankle), expected to miss multiple weeks
- Zay Flowers (hamstring)
- Ladd McConkey (chest)
- Chris Olave (back)
- Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder)
- Brock Bowers (knee)
- Kyler Murray (concussion)
- Sam Darnold (glute)
- Jordan Mason (thumb)
Every one of these situations creates opportunity for someone else. When a starter goes down, the backup or the next receiver in line can turn into an instant flex play. Keep this list in mind as you read through the targets below.
Week 2 Waiver Wire Priority Rankings
If you can only make one or two moves, here is the order we would prioritize the top overall adds regardless of position:
- Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
- Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
- Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints
- Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins
- Tyler Allgeier, RB, Arizona Cardinals
- Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns
- Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
- Kenyon Sadiq, TE, New York Jets
Now let us break it down position by position.
Quarterbacks
Quarterback is a stream-friendly position, so you rarely need to spend big here. Find the right matchup and ride it.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Young delivered one of the most surprising performances of Week 1, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score. That added up to 31.4 fantasy points, one of the best outings of his career. Just as important, he did it with a genuinely improving group of pass catchers around him. He faces Atlanta next, a matchup he has torched in the past, followed by soft spots against Cleveland and Detroit. Do not expect 30 points every week, but Young is startable in the right matchups and is rostered in only around 11 to 14 percent of leagues.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Shough came alive in the second half of the Saints opener against Detroit, piling up 325 passing yards and three touchdowns after the break. The Saints play at one of the fastest offensive paces in the league, which means volume, and volume is exactly what you want from a streaming quarterback. He is a strong bye-week or bridge option if you are in a pinch under center.
Streaming Options
If you need a one-week fill-in, Baker Mayfield is the highest-upside streamer available in many leagues after a clean, efficient Week 1 that was only dragged down by three lost fumbles. He draws a beatable Cleveland defense in Week 2. In deeper formats, keep an eye on any quarterback stepping in for an injured starter, since a favorable matchup can make even a low-rostered arm worth a single-week gamble.
Running Backs
Running back is the position where a single injury can turn a bench stash into a weekly starter. Prioritize opportunity above all else.
Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
Black is our top running back add of the week, and it is not particularly close. The rookie out-touched Christian McCaffrey in the Melbourne opener against the Rams, taking 14 carries to McCaffrey’s 10 and finishing with roughly 70 yards. Kyle Shanahan runs one of the most productive rushing schemes in football, so Black carries real flex value right now and league-winning upside if McCaffrey misses any time. Rostered in only about 15 percent of leagues, he should be added just about everywhere. A FAAB bid in the mid-single digits is reasonable.
Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals
It is surprising Allgeier is still this widely available given Jeremiyah Love’s less-than-full-health ankle. Allgeier out-carried Love 17 to 11 in Week 1 and led the Cardinals with 61 rushing yards. If he is the early-down back while Love works back to full strength, he is a weekly flex option, and he becomes a must-start if Love misses any time. Grab him in the 40 percent of leagues where he is still floating around.
Deep Stashes and Handcuffs
The best time to add a valuable handcuff is before the starter gets hurt, not after. Prioritize backups attached to heavy-workload starters and productive offenses. In deeper leagues, look for change-of-pace backs who already have a defined role, since those are the players most likely to smash if the depth chart shifts. This is also where red-zone usage matters most. A back who handles goal-line carries has weekly touchdown equity even in a committee, and if you want a refresher on why that matters so much, our guide on what red zone stats mean in fantasy football breaks it down.
Wide Receivers
Receiver is the deepest pool on the wire most weeks, so this is where you can find the most value without overspending.
Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers
Coker is our number one overall add. He did not just play well against the Bears, he led Carolina in every receiving category with eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. This was not a fluke either, as he closed last season with four touchdowns over his final six games. While Tetairoa McMillan remains the clear WR1 in Carolina, Coker has locked in a genuine role as Young’s second option and is rostered in only about half of leagues. Add him now.
Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints
With Chris Olave banged up, Vele led the Saints receivers with a 91 percent snap share in Week 1 and turned nine targets into seven catches for 69 yards and a goal-line touchdown. The Saints play fast and throw often, so the volume should keep coming. He is a sneaky flex option rostered in only 7 to 13 percent of leagues, and he is well worth a modest FAAB bid if you need receiver help.
Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
Even with the Dolphins offense sputtering in the opener, Douglas stood out. The third-round rookie played 91 percent of the snaps and caught five of seven targets for 94 yards. Miami’s receiver room was wide open entering the season, and Douglas made the loudest early case to be the guy. Rostered in roughly 12 to 16 percent of leagues, he is exactly the kind of ascending rookie you want to add aggressively before the rest of your league catches on.
Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns
Boston led all Browns wideouts in snaps in Week 1 and turned four targets into 59 yards and a touchdown. The Cleveland passing game is a work in progress, so temper expectations, but Boston has the target share and the snap share to matter as the season develops. He is a hold-and-see add in the 28 percent of leagues where he is available, especially in deeper formats.
Tight Ends
Tight end is shallow, so if you are streaming or chasing a breakout, this is the week to be aggressive.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Mayer should be one of the most contested pickups of the week. With Brock Bowers recovering from a knee procedure, Mayer stepped up for six catches on a team-high seven targets in Week 1. He was targeted on a healthy share of his routes and could hold fringe TE1 value even after Bowers returns, given the state of the Raiders receiving corps. Rostered in only about 30 percent of leagues, he is a priority add at a thin position.
Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
If you would rather swing for a season-long breakout than stream, Sadiq is your target. The first-round rookie was active in Week 1 despite offseason surgery, caught all three of his targets for 21 yards, and punched in his first career touchdown on a goal-line carry. The Jets coaching staff clearly want the ball in his hands, and his role should only grow. Rostered in around 14 percent of leagues, he is a strong stash with real upside.
Defenses (D/ST)
Do not overthink defense. Stream based on matchup and you will do fine.
The San Francisco 49ers defense is our top streaming add. The unit looked dominant against the Rams, with Fred Warner and Nick Bosa healthy and disruptive, and it draws a favorable Week 2 matchup against a Miami offense working with backup-level quarterback play. Rostered in roughly 7 to 10 percent of leagues, the 49ers are a plug-and-play option unless you already own an elite defense. In deeper leagues, target any defense facing a struggling or backup quarterback, since that is the single best predictor of a big fantasy day from a D/ST.
How to Set Your Waiver Claims (FAAB Strategy)
A few simple rules will keep your budget healthy all season:
- Do not blow your budget in Week 1. There will be waiver targets every single week, and injuries will create bigger opportunities later in the year.
- Bid based on need, not hype. If you are set at running back but thin at receiver, prioritize the receiver even if the running back is the flashier name.
- Use small bids to block rivals. If a player would help a direct competitor more than you, a modest bid can be worth it just to deny them the add.
- Know your league. In shallow leagues, the top adds get bid up fast. In deeper leagues, you can often land useful pieces for a dollar or two.
As a rough benchmark, a strong flex option like Devaughn Vele is worth a bid in the neighborhood of 10 percent of your budget if you have a real need. Elite adds like Jalen Coker or Kaelon Black can justify more, while deeper stashes should cost you very little.
Drop Candidates
To make room for this week’s adds, here are some players you can consider cutting loose:
- Kenny Gainwell, RB
- Rachaad White, RB
- Rashid Shaheed, WR
Running backs are always tough to drop because their value can spike with a single injury, but if the role is not there after Week 1, do not let a dead roster spot cost you a league-winner. Shaheed, in particular, loses appeal with Sam Darnold banged up, so he can be moved to the wire in most formats.
Conclusion
The waiver wire is a weekly commitment, not a one-time move. The managers who win are the ones who read the box scores, track the snap counts, and stay ahead of injuries. Prioritize opportunity, bid with discipline, and keep working the wire every week from now until the fantasy playoffs.
For more expert analysis and weekly rostered percentages, the NFL.com fantasy waiver wire column and ESPN’s weekly free agent pickups are both excellent resources to cross-reference before you lock in your claims. Now go win your week.
FAQs
What is the waiver wire in fantasy football?
The waiver wire is the pool of unrostered players any manager can claim to add to their team each week.
How much FAAB should I spend on a waiver wire pickup?
Spend based on need, roughly 10 percent of your budget on a strong flex option and more only for a potential league-winner.
When do waiver wire claims process each week?
Most leagues run waivers on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, so submit your claims before your league’s set deadline.
