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Deeper Sleepers for Standard Leagues (Week 2)

Well, this week happened, didn't it? There were some really bad performances by some NFL teams--hi Cincinnati! hi Houston!--and some disappointing performances by players you were counting on in fantasy. There were also surprises. Also, you lost David Johnson. You were likely getting ready to stand up and holler about how good the catch he'd made but then you stopped because it was taking him a second to get up and then you felt really bad. David Johnson's injury is bad for fantasy teams, but it's also bad for people who want to watch the best players play the best football every week. For these reasons, as fantasy owners we sometimes need to dig deep on the waiver wire to somehow find a way to replace these losses.

This week I'll be looking at deeper waiver wire targets and sleepers for Week 2, players whose ownership is currently under 20% and are likely available in many of your leagues. Sometimes I'll be highlighting these players because they have long-term value. Other times I'll be pointing out players who can get you through key injures.

Note: All ownership percentages are for Yahoo leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Deeper Waiver Wire Targets for Week 2

DeShone Kizer (QB, Cleveland Browns) - 10%

Kizer is a work-in-progress right now - a talented player who is going to have some bad outings on a bad team. But in his debut, he flashed a competence that the Cleveland Browns haven't known in a long, long while. Kizer completed 66% of his passes with a touchdown and a pick, plus added 17 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Kizer won't set the world on fire with his arm this year, but the rushing threat he adds gives him solid value. Kizer is worth picking up if you need help at quarterback.

Jared Goff (QB, Los Angeles Rams) - 6%

Jared Goff actually looked like a competent NFL quarterback on Sunday, going 21-of-29 for 306 yards and a touchdown. It needs to be said that this came against the Colts and that you really need to take it with a grain of salt, but it's also worth noting that a lot of quarterbacks looked very bad in Week 1 and Goff didn't. I'd rather own Goff as my back up quarterback right now than own Andy Dalton, Blake Bortles, or Joe Flacco. The Rams have two good receivers in Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp, and the running game seems to be working again this year. Goff isn't worth starting until we see if he can sustain the level of play we saw Sunday, but he's worth grabbing and stashing.

Chris Carson (RB, Seattle Seahawks) - 15%

Wow, the Seahawks offense struggled on Sunday. With Thomas Rawls out, the Seattle rushing game consisted of Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise, and Carson. Lacy's five carries for three yards don't inspire much confidence. Prosise had 11 yards! Carson was the best back against Green Bay, taking six carries for 39 yards, though 30 of that came on one play. You probably don't want to own any shares of this backfield at the moment, but Carson has the best chance of emerging from it if Thomas Rawls doesn't return soon.

Tarik Cohen (RB, Chicago Bears) -  13%

Cohen was used as a change-of-pace back and a pass catcher out of the backfield on Sunday and it worked--he had five carries for 66 yards and eight catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Cohen is in an interesting position with the Bears--it's very unlikely he unseats starter Jordan Howard because he doesn't have the build of an every down back, but with the Bears receiving unit just filled with injuries, Cohen could end up seeing plenty of targets from quarterback Mike Glennon. Except to see Howard and Cohen sharing the backfield at times, and to Cohen split-out wide at times. He's much more valuable in PPR than in Standard, but he could get enough usage to make him an interesting FLEX play.

Marlon Mack (RB, Indianapolis Colts) - 9%

Mack had ten carries against the Rams, which was the same amount as starting running back Frank Gore. They aren't in a timeshare--Mack touched the ball so much because the Colts were getting embarrassed and were trying whatever they could--but Mack could start to see the ball more and more going forward. Gore looked strong, though, so any hope that Mack would surpass him based on Gore declining seem to be out the window for now. There are better backs to own from this list right away, but Mack is an intriguing lottery ticket depending on how things develop with the Colts offense.

Kerwynn Williams (RB, Arizona Cardinals) - 5%

Williams is on this list for one reason: David Johnson is going to be out 2-3 months. Williams and Andre Ellington should be the backs for Arizona with Johnson out. Arizona has already seen what Ellington can do as a starter, so expect them to turn to Williams the majority of the time. He isn't a great back, but he'll get enough opportunities that you can plug him into your team as a Johnson replacement and...still feel really bad, but maybe a tiny bit less bad?

Javorius Allen (RB, Baltimore Ravens) - 3%

This is one of those that came out of nowhere. "Buck" Allen was a big part of the Ravens offense as a rookie in 2015, but it seemed like those days were over--if Kenneth Dixon wasn't missing this entire season, I'd be willing to bet Allen wouldn't be a Raven. But with Woodhead hurt and Joe Flacco not throwing the ball at all, Allen received 21 carries against the Bengals. I'm honestly shocked by that usage, but also--if you give a player 21 carries and it works for you, you have to keep doing that, right? I expect him to see the ball less going forward, but it is very tempting to pick him up and hope he gets the ball fifteen or so times until Woodhead returns. Allen has also shown an ability to catch the ball in the past, though we didn't see that on display Sunday.

Kenny Golladay (WR, Detroit Lions) - 17%

Golladay was hyped up during the preseason, but as the regular season dawned it looked like he'd struggle to find playing time on the Lions. Oops. Golladay hauled in two touchdowns against Arizona and looked explosive. There's risk here--scoring on half your receptions is a very unsustainable number--but if Golladay can continue to grow in the Lions offense he could be a productive player. A bonus: the Lions offense was outstanding, but Eric Ebron was mostly invisible. If that trend continues, Golladay could find himself getting targets down in the red zone.

Nelson Agholor (WR, Philadelphia Eagles) - 13%

Agholor had six catches against Washington, ending with 86 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles passing game looked strong, Agholor looked better than Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, and...is it repeatable? Agholor has flashed his skill at times in his career, but we haven't seen him put it all together yet. If Carson Wentz continues to play well and the Eagles run game continues to struggle, Agholor could see his share of the ball. Worth a speculative add if you need receiver help, but not the top option.

Jermaine Kearse (WR, New York Jets) - 2%

If you need volume, just know that Kearse was targeted nine times on Sunday. He caught seven of those for 59 yards. The Jets will be playing from behind a lot this season and there's going to be plenty of chances for Kearse to put up games like this and add in the occasional touchdown.

Jesse James (TE, Pittsburgh Steelers)- 6%

Jesse James is on this list more by necessity than anything else. James hauled in six catches for 41 yards and a couple touchdowns against the Browns, but it was an unusual showing for Pittsburgh--Le'Veon Bell only touched the ball 13 times and Martavis Bryant only had two catches. I don't expect that James will have another game this season in which he gets into the end zone twice, but tight end isn't the deepest position and James could be worth a speculative add just in case the Steelers decide to keep him involved in the offense.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jerry Jeudy1 hour ago

Sets Browns Record In Week 18 Loss
Bogdan Bogdanovic1 hour ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Jalen Johnson2 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Trae Young2 hours ago

To Play On Saturday
Kawhi Leonard2 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Saturday
Gabe Vincent2 hours ago

Tagged As Doubtful For Sunday
Alex Caruso2 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Sunday
Jeremy Sochan3 hours ago

Will Suit Up Saturday
Jalen Brunson3 hours ago

Will Play Saturday
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Listed As Probable For Sunday
LeBron James3 hours ago

Probable For Sunday
Khris Middleton4 hours ago

Will Face The Blazers
Giannis Antetokounmpo4 hours ago

Cleared For Action On Saturday
Bradley Beal4 hours ago

Will Play Saturday
Cade Cunningham4 hours ago

Available for Saturday
Chase Brown4 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18
Dejounte Murray4 hours ago

Questionable for Sunday
Zay Flowers4 hours ago

Won't Return In Week 18
Noah Clowney5 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Saturday
Joel Embiid5 hours ago

Active For Saturday Night Matchup Against Nets
Brandon Miller5 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Sunday Against Cavaliers
LaMelo Ball5 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday's Game Against Cleveland
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Resumes On Court Workouts, Will Be Re-Evaluated In One Week
Kelly Oubre Jr.6 hours ago

Officially Ruled Out For Saturday's Game Against Nets
Dallas Goedert7 hours ago

Eagles Activate Dallas Goedert From Injured Reserve
Austin Ekeler7 hours ago

Activated From IR Ahead Of Week 18
Chris Olave7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 18
Green Bay Packers7 hours ago

Jaire Alexander Placed On Injured Reserve
Jameis Winston8 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18, Serving As Emergency Quarterback
Nelson Agholor8 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18
Tee Higgins8 hours ago

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Hope To Play Together For "Years To Come"
Amari Cooper9 hours ago

Downgraded To Out For Week 18
Thatcher Demko10 hours ago

Joining Team For Five-Game Road Trip
Pyotr Kochetkov10 hours ago

Starts Against Wild On Saturday
Joseph Woll10 hours ago

In Maple Leafs Net On Saturday
Scott Wedgewood10 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jack Drury11 hours ago

Back For Hurricanes Saturday
Auston Matthews11 hours ago

Returns To Action On Saturday
Jordan Binnington14 hours ago

Shuts Out Senators
Brandon Saad14 hours ago

Ends Goal Drought With A Hat Trick
Mike Matheson14 hours ago

Records Two Assists Friday
Nick Foligno14 hours ago

Pots Two Goals In Friday's Win
Juuse Saros14 hours ago

Logs Fourth Shutout Of The Season
Leon Draisaitl14 hours ago

Nets Game-Winner On Friday
Chase Brown1 day ago

Needs To Improve To Have A Shot At Playing On Saturday
Tee Higgins1 day ago

Expected To Play Against Steelers
Charlie Morton1 day ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Chris Olave1 day ago

Saints List Chris Olave As Questionable For Week 18
Jaylen Waddle1 day ago

Dolphins Optimistic About Jaylen Waddle Despite Questionable Tag
Tyreek Hill1 day ago

Questionable To Face The Jets
Jared Spurgeon1 day ago

To Miss 2-3 Weeks
A.J. Brown1 day ago

DeVonta Smith Doubtful For Week 18
Oskar Sundqvist1 day ago

Unavailable Friday
Justin Faulk1 day ago

Iffy For Friday's Action
Colton Dach1 day ago

Set For NHL Debut On Friday
Tua Tagovailoa1 day ago

Doubtful For Week 18
Jalen Hurts1 day ago

Officially Ruled Out
Connor Murphy1 day ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Deebo Samuel Sr.1 day ago

Won't Play Against Cardinals
David Savard1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Brock Purdy1 day ago

Officially Ruled Out In Week 18
Jack Eichel2 days ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Thursday
Alex DeBrincat2 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Thursday
Jonathan Quick2 days ago

Leads The Way On Thursday
Pete Alonso2 days ago

Angels "Looking At" Pete Alonso
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Hoping To Find Success Again At Majors In 2025
Chris Kirk3 days ago

Starts 2025 Defending The Sentry Title
Max Homa3 days ago

Hopes To Rebound After Disappointing 2024 Season
Nick Dunlap3 days ago

Looks To Build On Impressive Rookie Season
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Heads To The Sentry After Excellent 2024 Season
PGA3 days ago

Sungjae Im Hoping To Start 2025 Season Strongly At The Sentry
Russell Henley3 days ago

Closes Out 2024 Season Strong
Jason Day3 days ago

Looks Ahead To 2025 Season At The Sentry
Akshay Bhatia3 days ago

To Repeat Last Year’s Sentry Performance?
Ludvig Aberg3 days ago

Returns To The Sentry
Jesús Luzardo3 days ago

Jesus Luzardo Feeling 100 Percent
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Making First Career Start At Kapalua
Corey Conners3 days ago

Making Third Consecutive Start At Kapalua
Viktor Hovland3 days ago

A Gametime Decision For Year's First Event
Tony Finau3 days ago

Making Sixth Start At Kapalua After Rumor-Filled Offseason
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looks To Get Off To Fast Start In 2025 At Kapalua
Patrick Cantlay4 days ago

Looks For Hot Start In 2025
Sam Burns4 days ago

In Top Form Ahead of Kapalua
Cameron Young5 days ago

Needs To Avoid Bad Rounds In Hawaii
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Looking For Big 2025 Start In Hawaii
Hideki Matsuyama5 days ago

Always A Threat In Hawaii
Billy Horschel5 days ago

Seeks To Build Off Great 2024 Campaign
Jack Flaherty5 days ago

Orioles Interested In Reunion With Jack Flaherty
Alex Bregman6 days ago

Tigers "All-In" On Alex Bregman
Trevor Williams6 days ago

Returning To Washington On Two-Year Deal

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