Welcome back! As many seasoned vets know, these next few weeks will
be key in identifying who is a one-hit wonder and who could provide
lasting value for the rest of your season.
Each week I’ll provide you with a rundown by position of key
waiver wire adds. We’ll evaluate not just breakouts based
on past performance, but also who could deliver this week based
on a soft matchup. Stats will be provided based on a 12-team PPR
league, with players less than 75% (preferably less than 50%) ownership
being considered.
Mayfield had an outstanding day against the Commanders, going
24-of-30 for 289 yards and 4 touchdown passes and currently sits
as the QB2 heading into the NYJ @ SF Monday night game. Losing
Dave Canales doesn’t seem to have affected his game, so if you’re
looking for a Jordan Love replacement, you could do worse than
Mayfield. He gets a tougher matchup against the Lions, but has
the weapons to produce. He’ll be the top free agent QB added in
most leagues this week.
Carr looked impressive against the lowly Panthers, throwing 3
TDs and missing only 4 passes as the rout was on in New Orleans.
He’ll have a much tougher test this week on the road in Dallas
who had no problem stopping Deshaun Watson and the Browns, but
he could be worth a spot start if you’re needy at the position.
Herbert is 66% owned on Yahoo!, so he might not be available
in your league. With Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh taking over,
LA will have a run-heavy attack, limiting Herbert’s upside.
But this week, he gets a cupcake matchup against the Panthers
that gave up 3 touchdown passes to Derek Carr. Don’t be
surprised if Herbert has a multi-touchdown game in Week 2.
Fields got the start in Week 1 with Russell Wilson dealing with
a calf strain. He didn’t have a big day throwing, but he was efficient,
going 17-of-23 for 156 yards. We know he adds value with his legs,
producing 57 yards on 14 carries. Up next is a weakened Broncos
defense that gave up a 34-yard rushing touchdown to Geno Smith.
If Wilson is good to go, he should have some success, and if not,
Fields looks poised to carve up the Broncos on the ground and
through the air.
Dobbins looked quick and agile in rushing 10 times for 135 yards
and a touchdown (10-135-1), adding 3 receptions on 3 targets for
4 yards (3-3-4-0). He’s stuck in a timeshare at the moment with
Gus Edwards, but seems to be more explosive. In a run-heavy attack,
he will be getting carries, and could take over the lead-back
duties before long. Up next is a great matchup against the lowly
Panthers, so look for the Chargers to pound the rock if they get
out to an early lead.
Hill wasn’t involved much on the ground (1-3-0), but was
the clear passing-down back for the Ravens against the Chiefs
in the Thursday night game. His 8-6-52-0 through the air demonstrates
he can have clear value as a flex, especially in games where the
Ravens are competitive or playing from behind. He probably won’t
see as much work against the Raiders, but his long-term prospects
are solid.
Mattison went 5-19-0 rushing but added 6-4-43-1 receiving as
the complement to Zamir White. White figures to get most of the
early-down work, but Mattison’s receiving chops could be put on
display when LV faces a tough Ravens defense in Week 2.
The 49ers have yet to play on Monday Night Football, but if you
had a top pick in your draft and got CMC, you need to handcuff
him with Mason. Elijah Mitchell is already on IR, and we know
how deadly the 49ers rushing attack can be. You might be able
to pick him up now for free without waiting for waivers this week.
Bigsby drew 12 carries for 73 yards against the Dolphins, outgaining
Travis Etienne in a surprising workload split. The Jaguars said
this pre-season they wanted to lighten Etienne’s load, so we’ll
have to see if this is the start of a true timeshare or just a
Week 1 anomaly.
McLaughlin out-touched Javonte Williams, going 10-27-0 on the
ground and 5-5-1-0 through the air. We know Sean Payton’s offenses
can funnel targets to running backs, and although McLaughlin didn’t
have a stellar stat line (mostly due to a rough first game from
rookie Bo Nix), the usage was there. There should be more targets
and yards against a tough Steelers defense next week.
Pierce was the clear deep threat for the Colts, going 3-3-125-1
against the division rival Texans. The Eagles secondary gave up
plenty of big plays in Week 1 against the Packers, so don’t
be surprised if we see more deep shots from the Colts in Week
2.
Cooks just doesn’t quit. With CeeDee Lamb drawing coverage, Cooks
looks like a fine WR2, going 7-4-40-1 against the Browns. Up next
is a Saints defense that wasn’t tested against the Panthers, but
he could see more looks especially now that TE Jake Ferguson may
miss a few weeks with a sprained knee.
Puka Nacua exited the Lions game early with a knee injury, and
we’re still waiting to hear how long he’ll be out. In stepped
Johnson, who delivered 5 catches for 79 yards on 7 targets, and
looked lively in doing so. If Nacua is forced to miss time, Johnson
could battle Demarcus Robinson to be the No.2 pass catcher behind
Cooper Kupp. Fire him up against a Cardinals defense that got
shredded by the Bills in Week 1.
Both pass catchers had 8 targets against the Seahawks (2nd behind
Courtland Sutton’s 12), with Vele securing all 8 for 39 yards
and Reynolds grabbing 5 for 45. With Bo Nix throwing 42 passes,
both receivers could be heavily targeted, making both potential
options in PPR leagues. Up next is a tough Steelers defense that
could force Nix to take to the air again.
Robinson saw a whopping 12 targets against the Vikings, as Daniel
Jones was constantly checking down to his hot read. He only managed
6 receptions for 44 yards, but against the Commanders, he should
find more YAC. If the Giants offensive line is as poor as it looks,
Robinson could be a solid beneficiary.
UPDATE:Allen
Lazard, NYJ @ TEN: Lazard has a
solid history as a wide receiver that Aaron Rodgers trusts, and
he showed out on Monday Night Football going 9-6-89-2, even catching
a TD pass from Tyrod Taylor after the game was out of reach. Mike
Willaims (knee) is not ready for a full workload so Lazard is
the WR2 for now. Up next is a road matchup against the Titans
who were one of the worst teams against WRs in 2023.
Nailor caught his lone target for a touchdown against the Giants.
However, Jordan Addison appeared injure his ankle and likely will
miss Week 2. If so, Nailor appears to be the primary beneficiary.
With the Vikings likely playing from behind and Justin Jefferson
drawing heavy coverage, Nailor should see increased targets.
Likely dominated looks in the kickoff game against the Chiefs,
going 12-9-111-1 to be the overall TE1 for the week. He could
have had another TD as time expired but was ruled out of bounds
by less than an inch. Mark Andrews (5% tgt share) didn’t appear
to be hurt, but Likely had a whopping 30.0% target share and seemed
to be the go-to option when the Ravens needed a play. We’ll see
if this continues against the Raiders, but if there’s a changing
of the guard in Baltimore, you’ll want to get it now.
Parkinson went 5-4-47-0 against the Lions, and appears to have
the TE1 role for the Rams as he was the highest-paid free agent
TE this year. Up next is a matchup against the Cardinals who have
struggled to cover the position over the last several years.
Ertz led had the most receiving yards of any Commanders TE or
WR against the Buccaneers, catching 3 of 4 targets for 38 yards.
Sad but true. Up next is a matchup against the struggling Giants.
Coach Dan Quinn indicated in the offseason the Commanders are
still looking for their WR2 behind Terry McLaurin - it may be
Ertz.
Akins filled in for David Njoku after the latter left early with
an ankle injury. He ended up going 4-3-27-0 and could be in line
for a lot more work against the Jaguars if Njoku is forced to
miss time.
Other WRs/TEs to consider: Greg
Dortch ARI (vs LAR)
Defense/ Special Teams
Chargers @ CAR
The Chargers were ferocious in their opening game against the
Raiders, getting 4 sacks and 3 turnovers and holding them to 10
points. Up next is a matchup against the Panthers, who struggled
mightily against the Saints and look like they could be in for
another long season.
Seahawks @ NE
The Seahawks frustrated rookie Bo Nix in his debut and created
3 turnovers and 2 sacks while allowing only 16 points. Up next
is a test against journeyman Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots
who slogged through a win against the Bengals, only managing 16
points.
Texans vs CHI
The Texans looked capable against the division rival Colts, getting
a turnover and 2 sacks on the road against the dangerous Anthony
Richardson. Up next is a home matchup against the Bears and rookie
QB Caleb Williams, who struggled to move the ball (14-29 passing
for 93 yards, 5 rushes for 15 yards) against a Titans defense
that is not expected to be very good this year.
