After what seemed to be a low-scoring opening week for fantasy football, Week 2 offered some extremely explosive performances.
As roles begin to get settled, the waiver wire may not be as chaotic moving forward. But between injuries and poor performances, scouring the waiver wire for the top additions is still the best path to maintaining a championship-caliber team.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% mark (25% availability) as the threshold. We also will be giving FAAB suggestions based on a $1,000 budget. Take it for what it is: a suggestion. You can go higher or lower at your own discretion.
If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions, comments, and roasts are always welcome!
Here are 12 waiver wire targets entering Week 3 of fantasy football:
12
PK Graham Gano, New York Giants
Roster Availability: 60.7%
FAAB: 0-1%
Gano is likely going to be my top streaming kicker of the week. The Giants offense has its share of issues, but sometimes that leads to more opportunities for kickers. Gano converted all four of his field-goal attempts in Week 2, a pair of which were from over 50 yards. If you need a kicker, Gano is a strong option.
11
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST
Roster Availability: 96.7%
FAAB: 1-2%
I’d prefer not to spent any FAAB on a streaming defense, but the Chiefs will be one of the top streaming options for Week 3. They had an impressive showing against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers and now get to take on an Indianapolis Colts offense that is spiraling out of control. Between the high pressure rate allowed by the offensive line and the lack of supporting weapons, the Colts are the type of offense we want our streamers playing against right now.
10
WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Roster Availability: 65.2%
FAAB: 2-3%
This is a move that some managers might not be able to do if they don’t have a slot for injured players. However, Gallup is much cheaper right now than he will be once he’s officially ready to return. Getting in on Gallup a week or two before he returns could prove to be a prudent move in an offense that is desperate for help in the passing attack. This is more of a long-term play, but Gallup is returning soon, and he should be added on the cheap where available.
9
TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Availability: 36.9%
FAAB: 2-3%
Trusting Higbee as a reliable starter is never an easy task for a fantasy manager given his history of inconsistency. But with the tight end landscape continuously being barren, we have to follow the usage. After seeing a 26.8% target share in Week 1, Higbee followed that up with nine targets and a 25.7% target share in Week 2. Entering Monday night, his 12 receptions through the first two games are the third-most among tight ends.
8
RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Roster Availability: 47.5%
FAAB: 3-4%
The Miami backfield is turning into a mess in terms of choosing a starter for fantasy football. After Chase Edmonds appeared to be the clear lead back in Week 1, we saw Mostert take over the touches in Week 2. Mostert had 11 carries to Edmonds’ five while both players saw three targets in the passing game. It was nearly a perfect split in snaps between Mostert (55%) and Edmonds (51%) as well. If either one of these backs goes down, the other will see a massive rise in value. Given his recent usage, Mostert should probably be on the majority of rosters even if he shouldn’t necessarily be started right away.
7
TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Availability: 69.7%
FAAB: 5%
This is probably the final chance to get Everett on a roster off the waiver wire. After a solid outing in Week 1, Everett continued to show he will be a part of the offense. Though Keenan Allen was out in Week 2, Everett was tied for the team lead with 10 targets and a 21.7% target share. Finding tight ends is difficult, and even if Everett’s consistency wanes a bit, the upside he has in this offense is worth starting every week.
6
RB Tyrion Davis-Price, San Francisco 49ers
Roster Availability: 95.5%
FAAB: 10%
The season-ending injury to quarterback Trey Lance is truly devastating, and it will have an impact on fantasy football. Without Lance there to garner a massive rush share, the carries will be split more in the backfield. Davis-Price, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, saw 14 carries and a 41.2% running back rush share. He wasn’t overly efficient with the work so we shouldn’t go all in, but getting that kind of run in a Kyle Shanahan offense is notable and worthy of a stash to see how the split continues.
5
RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Availability: 96.1%
FAAB: 20-25%
Cardinals starting running back James Conner suffered an ankle injury early on during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Benjamin split time with Darrel Williams in the backfield as both players saw eight carries. Benjamin wasn’t as efficient with his work as Williams, and the latter saw more goal-line and short-yardage work. But Benjamin is still an intriguing addition off the waiver wire if Conner’s ankle injury forces him to miss time.
4
WR Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Roster Availability: 70.3%
FAAB: 20-25%
Rookie wide receivers can be difficult to trust given the inconsistency they show throughout the first half of the season, but Wilson is settling into a nice role. He exploded for eight receptions on 14 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. He still saw the third-most snaps behind Elijah Moore and Corey Davis, but this performance shows he’s ready to take the reins as the 1b to Moore’s 1a. The only significant concern is how Zach Wilson fancies the rookie upon the QB’s return from injury in a few weeks.
3
RB Darrel Williams, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Availability: 96.3%
FAAB: 25-30%
I prefer Williams to Benjamin in a vacuum, though both players are likely going to see touches if Conner misses time due to the ankle injury. Williams was far more efficient with his eight carries, going for 51 rushing yards and scoring on a goal-line opportunity. Benjamin did see one more target than Williams, but the latter seems to be the one getting early-down and goal-line work even if Conner does come back quickly, Williams would serve as the type of high-end handcuff that would come in handy should Conner miss time later in the season.
2
WR Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
Roster Availability: 44%
FAAB: 30%
Through two games, Samuel leads the Commanders in targets (20), receptions (15) and receiving yards (133). He also is second on the team with two touchdowns. He’s still the third wide receiver in snaps behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but even then he was still on the field 88% of the time in Week 2. Samuel shouldn’t be available in leagues, and it’s time to scoop him up considering his weekly upside.
1
RB Jeff Wilson, San Francisco 49ers
Roster Availability: 39.4%
FAAB: 40-45%
We touched on it earlier, but with Trey Lance out for the remainder of the season, the 49ers are likely to use more of a traditional split in the backfield. Though Wilson’s 18 carries were only four more than Tyrion Davis-Price, he was the best back in the backfield. Wilson took 18 carries for 84 rushing yards and caught both of his targets for 19 receiving yards. We shouldn’t expect Wilson to be a bell cow, and there will be times when Kyle Juszczyk vultures a touchdown. But Wilson should be the top priority given the fact that he has RB2 upside every week as the leader in the backfield until Elijah Mitchell returns.
