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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire pickups and fantasy football sleepers for Week 2. His top free agent options for 14-team fantasy leagues or deeper.
Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season is in the books, and the waiver wire is as plentiful as it will be all season. There were surprise breakouts and unexpected busts in the opening week of the regular season, meaning a ton of players entered the fantasy radar, while others fell off of it.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 2 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk pickups like Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua in this article.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 2, including Joshua Kelley, Roschon Johnson, Tyjae Spears, Allen Robinson, Jake Ferguson, and Josh Downs.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets for Week 2
Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Elijah Mitchell might be dropped by a chunk of teams after handling just five carries for 10 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. If that happens, be sure and pick him up as one of the most valuable handcuff running backs in all of fantasy football.
Joshua Kelley remains the backup running back to Austin Ekeler in Los Angeles, and he flashed in the Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Kelley rushed 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown in the season debut. While he likely won't have as much standalone value every week, his upside would be sky-high if Ekeler has to miss any time this year. Even if Ekeler (ankle) is fine for Week 2, Kelley is a must-have.
Roschon Johnson rushed five times for 20 yards and a touchdown and caught six of his seven targets for 35 yards in his NFL debut. The team's backfield split might be different when they aren't being blown out like in Week 1, but Johnson has already earned the trust of his coaches and could see his role increase as the season moves on.
Chuba Hubbard rushed nine times for 60 yards and caught both of his targets for nine yards in the Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Miles Sanders out-touched him 22 to 11, but Hubbard could continue to see double-digit touches moving forward.
Tyjae Spears played 34 snaps in his NFL debut, while Derrick Henry played only 30 snaps. The rookie running back only rushed three times for 27 yards and caught one of his four targets for one yard, but his snap share is notable and he should be rostered in deep leagues. He was a poorly thrown pass away from a huge potential receiving touchdown against the Saints.
Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams combined for just five touches in the 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, but both are on the fantasy radar in what should be a top-five NFL offense in 2023. If Joe Mixon goes down at some point this year, Evans and/or Williams will instantly become must-add waiver wire options, even in shallow leagues.
Note: Any backup running back in a good offense should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Darnell Mooney caught four of his seven targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Fantasy managers often stayed away from Mooney after the arrival of DJ Moore, but Moore only saw two targets in his Chicago debut. Mooney has splash-play potential and can produce boom weeks, but there are sure to be down weeks in what looks like a shaky Bears offense once again.
Josh Reynolds was seen as a candidate to be the Lions' No. 2 wide receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown during the six-game absence of Jameson Williams (suspension). In Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he looked the part. Reynolds led the team in receiving with 80 yards on four catches and seven targets. At least for the next five weeks, he could have plenty of flex-appeal in deeper formats.
Allen Robinson II caught five of his eight targets for 64 yards and Calvin Austin III caught all six of his targets for 37 yards in the blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. If Diontae Johnson (hamstring) has to miss action after leaving the Week 1 game early, Robinson and Austin will become interesting deep-league flex options. Both are worth monitoring moving forward.
Robert Woods might be beyond his prime, but the 31-year-old saw 10 targets from rookie quarterback CJ Stroud and caught six of them for 57 yards in Week 1. He'll likely continue to be a trusted option for Stroud during his debut campaign, making him a deep PPR league consideration.
Josh Downs finished second in targets (seven) for the Colts in his NFL debut, only behind Michael Pittman Jr. (nine). While he only caught three of them for 30 yards, fellow rookie Anthony Richardson clearly views him as a top target, so the rookie from North Carolina could see a value spike at some point this season.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Hayden Hurst led the Panthers with seven targets in Bryce Young's first NFL game which spells good news moving forward for the journeyman tight end. Carolina's offense will likely continue to struggle under the direction of a rookie signal-caller, but Hurst looks to be Young's safety blanket on third downs and has PPR value.
Jake Ferguson finished Week 1 with just two catches for 11 yards but he led the team with seven targets on 24 Dak Prescott passing attempts. A 28% target share is not a bad way to start the 2023 campaign, and the Cowboys will be in closer games that require higher passing volume moving forward.
Irv Smith Jr. was a top sleeper at the position in deep leagues heading into the season and drew five targets in his Bengals debut. The Cincinnati offense led by Joe Burrow was a disaster in Week 1, but there should be a decent level of confidence that it will turn around over the next few weeks. Smith Jr. has plenty of upside thanks to his offensive environment.
Hunter Henry has been an inconsistent fantasy tight end since joining the New England Patriots, but Mac Jones and the passing offense put up 316 yards on 54 attempts, and Henry caught five of his six targets for 56 yards and a touchdown. It's tough to trust any New England pass-catcher in fantasy lineups just yet, but the team might have a more pass-happy offensive identity.
Zach Ertz has limited upside in the Arizona Cardinals offense led by Joshua Dobbs. However, the veteran drew 10 targets in his season debut, catching six of them for 21 yards. Hopefully, he can see an uptick in his yardage production, but the targets are tough to ignore ahead of waiver wire pickups.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues/2-QB Leagues
Derek Carr was far from perfect in his New Orleans Saints debut. However, he did put up 305 yards and a touchdown, despite being under pressure all game against the Tennessee Titans. Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed all looked good in Week 1, and the New Orleans passing offense is likely to get better as the season moves forward.
Jordan Love threw for 245 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his first game as the established Packers' franchise quarterback. While the performance was against the suspect Chicago Bears defense, it was notable, and he's worth stashing in deep leagues in case his run of good play continues.
Baker Mayfield played turnover-free football and threw for two touchdowns in the upset with over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former No. 1 overall pick has a reliable duo of veteran wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, so don't count out the possibility he becomes a solid QB2 in fantasy football.
Mac Jones posted the third-highest passing yards (316) in a single game of his career against the talented Philadelphia Eagles defense in Week 1. Did offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien change the Patriots' offense for the better, or was this just an outlier performance? Jones is worth picking up until we know.
Ryan Tannehill was nothing short of atrocious in the Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints, completing 50% of his passes for 198 yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, Tennessee is clearly a more pass-happy offense under new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, meaning the days of limited passing volume for Tennessee could be in the past. After a horrible performance, the 35-year-old quarterback will essentially be free on your waiver wire. He's worth stashing to see if he bounces back.
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