Hot Off The Wire – Week 2 Waiver Pickups

Your team laid an egg in week 1 of fantasy football.  Your top players got hurt or didn’t perform like you should.  Not to worry because that’s what week 2 is for.  Here’s some guys you should be targeting on the waiver wire to help your team in week 2 of the fantasy season and beyond.   Keep in mind that it is only the first week and guys that might have gone off this week, may not do so the following week, as well as guys on your team may end up having a great game the next time out.  Don’t just drop a guy because he has one bad week, but rather that you see a better value or more production coming from a player on the wire versus your team.  If that’s the case, then go for it, but be sure the player your dropping doesn’t have some trade value first.

Week 2 Hot Off The Wire

Running Backs

Chris Johnson – With the Cardinals lead back out in week 2, the primary ball carrying will fall on C2k.  He may not be the explosive player he once was, but if he gets enough carries, he can do damage and help your fantasy team.  He should be working into the 15 carry plus range for week 2, which could put him around 70-80 yards, and hopefully a red zone carry will boost that up even more.  I’d expect him to finish with at least 70 yards and 1 touchdown for week 2, making him a good fantasy option in most formats.  He will start, but backup David Johnson will also figure to get into the mix and could steal around 5-10 carries from Chris.  Both Johnsons will be used heavily over the next couple of weeks while Andre is out, but don’t expect much from either because they are not the focal point of the offense.

Danny Woodhead – The little might mouse is up to his old fantasy superhero tricks.  He was the primary red zone back for the Chargers, scoring twice on Sunday, and that is not expected to change over the next couple of weeks.  With Woodhead getting on the field as much as he did, and getting the red zone touches, he becomes a decent backup option to use in the flex or RB3.  There might be better choices out there and most likely you shouldn’t need him at this point in the season, but he will get a lot of catches and could score so in PPR leagues he is worth a consideration.  He can easily have around 5 catches and 8 carries for 80 total yards plus 1 score in the next game.

DeAngelo Williams – This will be the last week for him to get the bulk of the carries, but if you need a guy this week then it’s okay to lean on him.  He will be the primary ball carrier for the Steelers this weekend and should get around 20 touches again.  With that many touches, he can easily push near 100 yards.  He may not score this week as the Niner defense seemed to be pretty solid versus AP and held them without a rushing touchdown.  I’d expect Williams to get his touches, but the yards and touchdowns might not be there this week.  Safe bet for him is around 20 touches for 80 yards without a score.

Darren Sproles – He is currently one of the top added running backs for week 2 on the waiver wire.  Sproles saw extensive work in the Eagles backfield, despite a crowded committee that features two strong lead backs.  Sproles was the second most targeted receiver on the team with 9 targets.  Chip said he wanted to expand his role and now we have a better picture of how the role will play out.  It will be hard to recommend him ever week, but in that offense there could be enough to go around and Sproles is clearly a guy that will get around 10 opportunities per game, which could be enough for him to do something.  He’s not going to put up the same numbers as week 1 every week, but he’s good for around 6 catches for 50 yards and another 4 carries for about 20 yards.  If you really need a flex option or just want to take a chance on a guy with high ceiling, then he could fill that role.

Bishop Sankey – Here’s a guy that should have been drafted in most leagues, but fell sharply as drafts went on.  The Titans acquired Terrance West, which many thought would drop Sankey’s value even more, but the rusher turned in a great performance and is clearly the lead back for the Titans, at this point. He is the guy you want to own and he’s still out there in around 49% of the Yahoo leagues.  He’s a guy you can count on for carries and if available would be a good option for week 2 and beyond.

Lance Dunbar – There are a lot of mouth to feed in Dallas, but with one less there might be enough to help make a case for Dunbar.  He lead the team in catches, despite not getting any carries, and still managed to put up pretty good fantasy numbers.  He will continue to be used in the passing game now that Dez is out for 4-6 weeks.  I would certainly feel comfortable playing Dunbar as a flex in PPR leagues because he is going to have a lot of upside and get opportunities to make plays.

Dion Lewis – Yeah right. Go ahead and take a chance on this guy if you really believe Bill can be trusted to stick with one back each week.  It could be Dion this week and next week it might be some guy off the street.  Bill has never played favorites and will go with the hot hand.  If that is Dion for another week, then great, but with Blunt coming back after week 2, then there isn’t much to hang a hat on here. Don’t fall into this trap and stay away from Satan’s wrath.

Wide Receivers

Donte Moncrief – Things couldn’t have started better for Donte.  He is in a great position with a team that likes to throw the ball.  Luck is going to have a great year so there will be plenty to go around and it looks like Donte will be heavily in the mix.  His 11 targets were the second highest on the team and now with news that Andre Johnson might be hurt, Moncrief’s stock just goes up higher.  He will be the starter if Andre is unable to give it a go, and even if he does, I’d feel very comfortable playing Donte over him in most formats.

James Jones – Well that didn’t take long for him to reconnect with his old pal Rodgers.   The duo combined for 2 touchdowns on Sunday, which is going to put James at the top of the waiver wire for week 2.  He will not duplicate that same performance each week, and may not get that kind of game again this season, but he will be heavily in the mix on an offense that can easily move the ball down the field.  Any time you’ve got a red zone threat on a team that can score and with a quarterback that can throw the ball, good things will come for fantasy.  He is a solid pickup for most leagues and could be a good WR3 or flex start.

Tavon Austin – It’s hard to recommend this guy, but he can make plays and get down the field.  Having just 2 catches for -2 yards is not a very productive day, but it’s the other things he can do that makes him dangerous.  The problem here is that you can predict or count on it so it’s a gamble to pick him up and play him in your lineup. Do so at your own risk.

Terrance Williams – This is a guy that should be owned in all leagues right now.  He is going to be the primary guy while Dez is out, but they will mix in others like Lance and Jason when they can.  Williams had some big games the last time Dez was out and should be inline for much of the same this time around.  He is very capable of putting up huge numbers and could see his targets go up by a few in the next couple of games.  Granted, when Dez comes back he will be the starter, which will drop William’s value.  He may be a few week play, but during that span he can be counted on confidently.

Nate Washington – Many will be going out to try to grab this guy since he had 11 targets in the first week.  He is the #3 guy in Houston, but it’s hard to imagine him getting this kind of production each week.  He would be a consideration only in really deep leagues and only if you have to start 3 WRs.

Rashad Greene – Well where did this guy come from?  He wasn’t picked up in any Yahoo leagues and wasn’t on anyone’s radar until he turned in a 13 target performance on Sunday.  There is no telling if he can keep this up, but he is certainly a guy I’ll be watching over the next week or two to see if this can continue or not.  I for one don’t think that will be the case, but you never know so keep an eye out for this guy and if he continues to make plays, then pick him up.

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