Just like that, the first week of fantasy football has come and gone.
It was a pretty wild opening weekend for fantasy managers. There were some explosive performances from the studs across the league while we also encountered some surprises along the way.
With rosters and roles settling, the waiver wire will be a much less chaotic place. However, that doesn’t make it any less valuable. In fact, working the waiver wire is from where league champions emerge. Drafting is great for setting a team’s foundation, but the real work comes through the waiver wire.
It’s best not to overreact to all of the Week 1 hoopla. However, we do need to take note of certain storylines, especially when it pertains to usage. Volume drives fantasy points, so that’s one of the aspects we should be looking for on the waiver wire.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% mark as the threshold. 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!
Regardless of whether you won or lost, here are 13 players to target on the waiver wire for fantasy football in Week 2:
13
PK Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings
Roster availability: 55.6%
We’ll start with a potential streaming option at the kicker position. Joseph was solid in the opener for the Vikings, converting all three of his field-goal attempts (one from 56 yards) and both of his extra-point attempts in the win against the Green Bay Packers. Joseph and the Vikings will be on the road in Week 2 taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in what could turn out to be a shootout.
12
Cleveland Browns D/ST
Roster availability: 54.4%
The Browns came out strong with a last-minute win over the Carolina Panthers, and we saw some flashes from what could be a solid streaming defense. They racked up four sacks, six quarterback hits and an interception against Baker Mayfield while limiting Christian McCaffrey to just 33 rushing yards. In Week 2, they get to take on a New York Jets offense led by Joe Flacco. That’s enough to make them the top streamer of the upcoming week.
11
RB Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Roster availability: 74.8%
This is more of a stash scenario for those looking for potential upside later. Herbert isn’t a player we can have confidence starting in the lineup Week 2, but he should be monitored. While David Montgomery held a 65% running back rush share in Week 1, that was his lowest single-game mark since Week 1 of the 2020 season, per J.J. Zachariason. It also was Herbert’s role at the goal line, leading the Bears backfield with two goal-line carries. Montgomery didn’t have any. The backfield still belongs to Montgomery for now, but Herbert is worth a stash for those who can afford it in case his role grows.
10
WR Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Roster availability: 98.9%
While it’s best to not overreact to Week 1, we should take notes. Jones was second on the offense in targets with nine, behind only Christian Kirk, in the opener against the Washington Commanders. He added six receptions for 65 yards on the day. Jones is a risky flex play until we see how stable his role actually is, but there is some upside as a depth piece for fantasy managers if he takes hold of the WR2 role in Duval.
9
WR Kyle Philips, Tennessee Titans
Roster availability: 99.5%
Though the Titans opened with a loss to the New York Giants, this was an encouraging outing for Philips. Despite being a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the rookie led the Titans with six receptions on nine targets for 66 yards. That was good for a 29% target share, which was the highest Week 1 mark among rookie wide receivers. The Titans’ passing attack may be limited, but Philips clearly has a role that presents upside.
8
RB Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans
Roster availability: 82.6%
It’s an ugly thing, looking at the Texans backfield. While there was plenty of hype surrounding rookie Dameon Pierce, it was Burkhead leading the rotation. The Texans employed a two-man backfield, and Burkhead led the way in every facet. These were the splits for the two running backs in Week 1:
| Player | Carries | Targets | Snaps (share) |
| Rex Burkhead | 14 | 8 | 50 (71%) |
| Dameon Pierce | 11 | 1 | 20 (29%) |
Pierce still has the season-long upside, and Burkhead is a difficult start even as a flex play. Sometimes we simply have to follow the volume, and it seems pretty clear Burkhead will remain involved, especially as a receiver.
7
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
Roster availability: 98.3%
I’m not too keen on the idea of rostering players connected to Jacoby Brissett. The upside is inherently limited. However, it’s clear Peoples-Jones has a chance to compete for the team lead in targets even with Amari Cooper there. His 11 targets were by far the most on the offense in Week 1, while he was one of just six receivers to reach a 35% target share. That’s not sustainable with Brissett under center, but it shows that Peoples-Jones has an intriguing ceiling. He’s certainly worth rostering enough to see if he will turn into anything.
6
TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster availability: 86.9%
It’s always a good feeling when the player tabbed as both a sleeper and the stream of the week pops off. As Justin Herbert spread the ball around extensively, Everett was tied for the team lead with four targets. That’s not exactly an encouraging number, but he produced three receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. As Keenan Allen deals with a hamstring injury, it could lead to more targets over the middle for Everett, making him a low-end TE1 with touchdown upside each week.
5
WR Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
Roster availability: 91.5%
It wasn’t exactly clear how much usage Samuel would get in the Commanders offense. Then, Samuel posted a team-high 11 targets, 26% target share and eight receptions. He also added 55 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown and four carries for 17 rushing yards. He did all this while playing 71% of the snaps, a signal that the Commanders are going to lean heavily on their three wide receivers.
4
WR Julio Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Roster availability: 57.2%
The Buccaneers were in control of the Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys, so the offense didn’t feature the pass as much. Still, Jones was Tom Brady’s second-favorite option, posting five targets and an 18% target share. Chris Godwin is dealing with a hamstring injury, so there is certainly upside with Jones working as Brady’s second target behind Mike Evans.
3
RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster availability: 98.6%
This is a situation to monitor because it all revolves around the health of Najee Harris, who suffered a foot injury during the Week 1 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals after already entering the season dealing with one. Should Harris miss time, Warren would be the next player in line for a solid workload. He was the only running back to touch the ball after Harris exited the game and even though the efficiency may not be there on a struggling offense, volume drives fantasy points. If Harris misses time, Warren will have mid-RB2 upside.
2
RB Jeff Wilson, San Francisco 49ers
Roster availability: 96.5%
Elijah Mitchell is dealing with a knee injury that knocked him out of the Week 1 opener. The next man up in the rotation is Wilson. The term “rotation” is key here, because Wilson won’t see a featured role. He would be the leader of the backfield while splitting some of his caries with Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price. On top of that, quarterback Trey Lance led the team with 13 rush attempts in Week 1. But Wilson has had success in fantasy before as a spot start option. If Mitchell misses time, Wilson immediately becomes a potential flex play with upside.
1
RB Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams
Roster availability: 53.9%
One of the shocking developments that took place in the first game of the season was the dominance Henderson showed in terms of workload over Cam Akers. Henderson out-carried Akers 13-3 and saw five targets in the game. He also out-snapped Akers 55-12. That’s pretty wild for two running backs who were being drafted nearly 10 rounds apart. But we cannot rely on drafts now. We must use the information at hand, and that info tells us Henderson is leading the backfield until further notice. He must be rostered in all formats and should be considered for a spot in the starting lineup for Week 2.
