Daily Dose: Week 2 Waiver Targets

Fantasy Football Waiver Additions To Consider

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One Week Season
September 10, 2024

Daily Dose: Week 2 Waiver Targets

By: Tony Kneepkens (@tonytk44)

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening).

QB – Streaming Special

Baker Mayfield, TB, Week 2 at DET

  • Why: Mayfield is coming off of a great opening game throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns and he gets to sling it to a pair of stud WRs in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin every week.

  • Priority: Low to medium priority add for streamers in single-QB leagues, potentially higher for managers looking to fill in for Jordan Love for a month

  • Duration: Baker’s next five games all appear to be reasonable fantasy matchups and are either at home or indoors: at DET, DEN, PHI, at ATL, at NO

  • FAAB recommendation: 5% or less in most situations, potentially 10% or more if you’ve just lost your starter and the QB waiver wire is already pretty thin.

RB - Pickup of the Week

J.K. Dobbins, LAC, Week 2 at CAR

  • Why: Dobbins is available in about half of Yahoo leagues. If available, he looks like the top waiver target of the week after turning his 10 carries and three targets into 139 scrimmage yards and a TD in the Chargers’ Week 1 victory.

  • Priority: High-priority add. Dobbins can be plugged into lineups immediately this week on the road against the lowly Panthers. Longer-term, he has the potential to continue to increase his share of the RB workload (Gus Edwards handled 12 touches for 28 yards last week).

  • Duration: Dobbins looks like a long-term hold as long as he’s healthy and contributing to the new-look Chargers offense.

  • FAAB recommendation: 40 - 60%

Other RB pickups

Zach Charbonnet, SEA, Week 2 at NE

  • Why: Seattle starter Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s win in the fourth quarter with an abdominal injury. Charbonnet, a Day 2 draft pick last season, handled 18+ touches in each of his three spot starts for the Seahawks last season when Walker missed time and showed a three-down skill set.

  • Priority: Medium-to-High-priority add. Charbonnet is the type of player I like to have stashed on my benches, he’s a solid addition even if Walker is expected to play this week. He becomes a higher priority as a plug-and-play starter if Walker is expected to miss time. Monitor reports out of Seattle this week.

  • Duration: Charbonnet is a great long-term bench stash and potential plug-and-play starter.

  • FAAB recommendation: Walker deemed “fine”: 15 - 25%, Walker ruled out multiple games 50%+

Jordan Mason, SF, Week 2 at MIN

  • Why: Surprise! Christian McCaffrey was ruled out of his MNF matchup with the Jets. Mason is the presumed next man up in the 49ers backfield as he seemed to have “won” the primary backup RB job in camp.

  • Priority: Medium-to-High-priority add. Mason, as the presumed handcuff RB on one of the best teams in the NFL and should be on fantasy rosters in most formats, especially after compiling 147 rushing yards and a TD on 28 carries in McCaffrey’s stead versus the Jets.

  • Duration: Potential plug-and-play starter, long-term bench stash at worst.

  • FAAB recommendation: 10 - 20%. This is a situation to monitor, both Mason’s MNF usage, and reports of CMC’s health. Based on the fact that CMC has (so far) avoided short-term IR, my best guess is that he is close to a return.

Tank Bigsby, JAX, Week 2 vs CLE

  • Why: Bigsby, another Day 2 draft pick last year, seems to have a designed early-down role in the Jaguars’ offense. He handled 12 carries for 73 yards in the loss to the Dolphins, with multiple carries in each quarter.

  • Priority: Low-to-Medium-priority add. While Bigsby is not likely to have an even share of carries with Travis Etienne each week, he is again the type of player I like to have stashed on benches, preferably before he becomes a true empty-the-budget, high-priority add. 

  • Duration: Long-term bench stash, Bigsby has talent, an existing (if unexciting) role, and tons of contingent upside as the primary backup RB on a solid offense.

  • FAAB recommendation: 5% or less. More players worth considering in this FAAB range: Alexander Mattison (nine touches and a TD for the Raiders in Week 1), Ty Chandler (11 touches for the Vikings in Week 1), Tyler Allgeier (some early-down touches for Falcons, high contingent upside), Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor (the two other RBs on the 49ers roster).

WR Pickups

Brandin Cooks, DAL, Week 2 vs NO

  • Why: Cooks, as anticipated, played the No. 2 WR role for the Cowboys behind CeeDee Lamb and turned seven targets into a 4-40-1 stat line in their comfortable victory over the Browns.

  • Priority: Medium. Cooks should probably be on fantasy rosters in all leagues other than those with the shallowest of benches, but this is probably more about who you’d be cutting from your specific roster to add him.

  • Duration: Worthy of a bench spot in most cases, eventual bye-week spot starter on a good offense.

  • FAAB recommendation: 5% or less.

Demarcus Robinson, LAR, Week 2 vs NO

  • Why: Rams superstar WR Puka Nacua has been placed on short-term I.R., meaning he will miss at least the next four games. Robinson is in his second season with the Rams and has mainly operated as a field-stretching third WR, but he should see more targets in the short term.

  • Priority: Low to Medium. Robinson is worth a roster spot as a potential No. 2 target in a solid Rams offense while Puka is out.

  • Duration: Short-term flex option.

  • FAAB recommendation: 5% or less.

Gabriel Davis, JAX, Week 2 vs CLE

  • Why: Davis, an offseason free-agent acquisition, started his Jaguars career by leading the team in WR snaps, routes run, and receiving yards in their Week 1 loss to the Dolphins.

  • Priority: Low. While we need to be paying attention to any WR leading his team in opportunities, the Jaguars have made significant investments in other pass catchers as well, including rookie WR Brian Thomas, who caught all four of his targets, including a TD, in Week 1.

  • Duration: Worth a flier to see if he continues to lead the Jags’ WR room.

  • FAAB recommendation: 5% or less. More players worth consideration in this FAAB range: Devaughn Vele and Josh Reynolds (each received eight targets Week 1 for the Broncos), Jerry Jeudy (eight targets and a TD in the Browns’ Week 1 loss).

Tight End Pickups

Isaiah Likely, BAL, Week 2 vs LV

  • Why:  Likely led the Ravens in targets, catches, and receiving yards in Week 1, caught a TD pass, and nearly came down with a second one. Likely now has 70+ receiving yards in five of his 34 career regular-season games. Even more pertinent is the fact the man plays TE, a position where we are constantly searching for options with a pulse.

  • Priority: High-priority add. Likely might be a favorite to remain a top-three passing game weapon for the Ravens. Mark Andrews won’t be bracketed by multiple defenders all game every week and I’d anticipate Zay Flowers to remain a focal point himself, but the Ravens’ other passing options appear uninspiring.

  • Duration: Long-term hold, potential starter at TE

  • FAAB recommendation: 30 - 50% in most cases. If you lost your starting TE Week 1 or don’t feel you have a long-term answer at the position, spending all or most of your FAAB on Likely is not a terrible plan to address TE.

Defense (Top pickups for Week 2)

  1. Chargers (at CAR, then at PIT in Week 3)

  2. Broncos (vs. PIT)

  3. Jaguars (vs. CLE)