Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 2: Top Pickups, FAAB Bids and Streamers After Week 1

The first waiver wire run of the fantasy football season is always dangerous.

Week 1 makes everyone feel smart, terrified or both. One big game can create a bidding war. One ugly opener can make managers cut players they should probably hold. The trick is knowing the difference between noise and opportunity.

This week, the waiver wire has both.

We have a rookie running back in San Francisco who immediately carved out work. We have a Carolina wide receiver coming off a monster game. We have multiple tight ends who suddenly matter. We have injury-driven plays at running back and quarterback. And we have a few deep-league stashes who could become much more expensive by next Tuesday.

This column is built for PPR redraft leagues, with FAAB recommendations based on a standard $100 budget. Roster percentages vary by platform, so treat the FAAB range as a guide, not a command.

Note: This version is written after the Sunday Week 1 slate and before the Monday night Broncos-Chiefs game.

FPC Fantasy Football

Week 2 Waiver Wire Priority List

PPR redraft leagues · FAAB based on $100 budget · After Week 1

Rank	Player	Pos	Team	FAAB	Add Type
1	Kaelon Black Top RB claim of the week	RB	SF	15–25%	Priority RB add
2	Jalen Coker Top PPR receiver pickup	WR	CAR	15–25%	Priority WR add
3	Isaiah Likely Immediate weekly TE option	TE	NYG	12–20%	Immediate TE1 add
4	Michael Mayer Short-term starter while Bowers is out	TE	LV	8–14%	Injury-based starter
5	Devaughn Vele Useful target-volume play	WR	NO	8–12%	PPR receiver add
6	Antonio Williams Rookie upside stash	WR	WAS	6–10%	Rookie upside add
7	Tyler Allgeier Touch-based RB depth	RB	ARI	6–10%	Flex/handcuff add
8	Mike Gesicki TE streaming option	TE	CIN	5–8%	TE streamer/add
9	George Holani Passing-down stash	RB	SEA	5–8%	Deep RB stash
10	Kendre Miller Touchdown/depth stash	RB	NO	3–6%	Touchdown/depth stash
11	Raheim Sanders Injury-based RB stash	RB	CLE	3–6%	Injury replacement stash
12	Denzel Boston Rookie WR stash	WR	CLE	2–5%	Rookie WR stash
13	Caleb Douglas Deep PPR target	WR	MIA	2–5%	Deep PPR add
14	Carson Wentz Superflex emergency option	QB	MIN	2–5%	Superflex/injury streamer
15	Drew Lock Deep superflex add	QB	SEA	2–5%	Superflex emergency add

Top Adds: Black, Coker, Likely

Waiver board by FPC Fantasy Football · FAAB based on $100 budget

1. Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Black is the first player I am checking for in every league.

The rookie did not just get garbage-time work. He was involved enough to make the San Francisco backfield more interesting than expected, finishing Week 1 with 14 carries for 65 yards and adding a reception. The Game Haus noted that Black had work early in the game, while FPTrack’s breakdown also highlighted that Black had more rushing attempts than Christian McCaffrey, 14 to 10.

That does not mean Black is replacing McCaffrey. That is not the argument.

The argument is better: Black may have standalone bench value while also carrying major contingency value if McCaffrey misses time. That is the exact profile we chase in September. Add him aggressively now before the usage becomes obvious to everyone.

FAAB: 15–25%
Priority: No. 1 RB add
Best fit: Any team thin at running back

2. Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

Coker is the kind of Week 1 receiver who forces fantasy managers to react.

Carolina lost a wild, record-setting game to Chicago, but Coker was one of the biggest fantasy stories of the entire Sunday slate. Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Coker, who finished with eight catches for 138 yards.

This is where we need to be careful. A shootout box score can inflate everything, and chasing last week’s touchdowns is usually a losing game. But eight catches is not a fluke stat. That is involvement. That is trust. That is enough to make Coker a serious PPR add if he is still available.

He should not immediately be locked into your WR2 spot, but he belongs on rosters.

FAAB: 15–25%
Priority: Top WR add
Best fit: WR-needy PPR teams

3. Isaiah Likely, TE, New York Giants

Likely may already be rostered in sharper leagues. If he is not, he should be added immediately.

In the Giants’ Sunday night win over Dallas, Likely caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Reuters had him as one of the central pieces of New York’s 28-20 win, and the New York Post described him as one of Jaxson Dart’s favorite targets in the offense.

There is some weekly risk here. Malik Nabers is back, and the Giants will not feed Likely two touchdowns every week. But tight end is a position where usage matters more than name value. Eight targets in Week 1 is enough to treat him like a potential weekly starter.

FAAB: 12–20%
Priority: Top TE add
Best fit: Any team streaming tight end

4. Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Mayer was already on the radar before Sunday because of Brock Bowers’ knee situation.

Bowers underwent a knee procedure and was expected to miss one or two games, while Reuters reported that Mayer opened the season as the Raiders’ No. 1 tight end with Bowers recovering.

Then Mayer went out and gave managers usable volume, catching six passes for 32 yards while starting for the injured Bowers. The Game Haus also had him at seven targets, which is the important part for fantasy.

This is probably not a season-long breakout if Bowers returns quickly. But for Bowers managers, tight end streamers, and anyone who lost patience with a low-volume TE, Mayer is one of the cleanest short-term pickups of the week.

FAAB: 8–14%
Priority: Short-term TE starter
Best fit: Bowers managers or TE streamers

5. Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints

Vele is the deeper wide receiver add I like most.

He was not the headliner in New Orleans’ overtime loss to Detroit, but he was clearly involved. FPTrack credited Vele with nine targets, seven catches, 69 yards and a touchdown, good for a 17.3% target share.

The Saints still have Chris Olave, and we should not pretend Vele is suddenly the top option. But target volume behind Olave matters, especially in PPR leagues. If Tyler Shough keeps this offense aggressive and Vele continues earning looks in key spots, he can become more than a one-week story.

FAAB: 8–12%
Priority: PPR WR add
Best fit: 12-team leagues and deeper

6. Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders

Williams is a rookie stash with immediate signs of life.

He caught a late touchdown from Jayden Daniels in Washington’s narrow loss to Philadelphia, and FPTrack’s chart credited him with four catches, 64 yards and a touchdown on four targets.

The caution is obvious. Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs are still in the offense. Williams did not lead the team in targets. But rookie receivers who show efficiency early with a quarterback like Daniels are worth adding before the role fully forms.

In dynasty, he is a must-add if somehow available. In redraft, he is a bench stash with upside.

FAAB: 6–10%
Priority: Rookie upside add
Best fit: Deeper PPR and dynasty leagues

7. Tyler Allgeier, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Allgeier may not be exciting, but volume is volume.

Arizona used both Jeremiyah Love and Allgeier in Week 1, and Allgeier handled 17 carries for 61 yards with two catches. The Game Haus noted that he had six more carries than Love, suggesting this backfield could be closer to a split than some managers expected.

The ceiling is capped if Love keeps the explosive and receiving work, but Allgeier has real value as a touchdown-dependent flex and one of the better contingency backs available.

FAAB: 6–10%
Priority: RB depth add
Best fit: Managers who need stable touches

8. Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Gesicki is not a player I want to overpay for, but he is absolutely back on the streaming radar.

FPTrack had Gesicki with seven targets, five catches, 78 yards and a touchdown, including a 20.5% target share. That same breakdown noted he saw more targets than Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Week 1.

That will not be the normal target order in Cincinnati. Chase and Higgins are still the offense. But if Gesicki has a real underneath and red-zone role with Joe Burrow, he can help fantasy teams that punted tight end.

FAAB: 5–8%
Priority: TE streamer
Best fit: Teams without a locked-in TE

9. George Holani, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Holani is more of a process add than a box-score add.

Dynasty Nerds noted that Holani played 46% of Seattle’s snaps and served as the primary back on third and fourth downs while Zach Charbonnet remains out. That role matters, especially in PPR leagues.

He is not a must-start yet. But passing-down backs who are one injury or one game-script shift away from flex value belong on benches.

FAAB: 5–8%
Priority: Deep RB stash
Best fit: 12-team PPR, dynasty, deeper benches

10. Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints

Miller is another running back who needs context.

He is not taking over the Saints backfield, but he did see usable work behind Travis Etienne, finishing with nine carries for 30 yards and a touchdown, according to Dynasty Nerds.

If Alvin Kamara remains limited or the Saints continue mixing backs, Miller can have matchup-based value. He is not a priority over Black or Allgeier, but he is worth stashing.

FAAB: 3–6%
Priority: RB stash
Best fit: Deeper leagues

11. Raheim Sanders, RB, Cleveland Browns

This one depends on Dylan Sampson.

Reuters reported that Sampson suffered a knee injury in Cleveland’s Week 1 loss to Jacksonville, and Dynasty Nerds noted that Sanders entered after Sampson was ruled out, catching three passes for 25 yards.

Sanders is a speculative add, but the Browns’ running back room could shift quickly if Sampson misses time. In deeper PPR leagues, that is enough.

FAAB: 3–6%
Priority: Injury-based stash
Best fit: Deep benches and RB-needy teams

12. Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns

Boston is a stash, not an instant starter.

He caught a 46-yard touchdown against Jacksonville and finished with two catches for 59 yards and a score. The Game Haus noted he started as a rookie and saw four targets.

The Browns offense still has questions, but rookie receivers who flash downfield ability early are worth monitoring. Add him in deeper leagues before the target count rises.

FAAB: 2–5%
Priority: Rookie WR stash
Best fit: 14-team leagues, dynasty, deep benches

13. Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins

Douglas is the name for deep PPR managers.

FPTrack listed him with seven targets, five catches and 94 receiving yards, along with a 41.2% target share. That is enough to notice, especially if Miami is going to be playing from behind.

The Dolphins offense was not great in Week 1, so this is not a comfortable add. But volume matters, and Douglas looks like a player who earned more attention than expected.

FAAB: 2–5%
Priority: Deep PPR add
Best fit: 14-team leagues

Quarterback Streamers and Superflex Adds

Carson Wentz is the most relevant immediate quarterback pickup if Kyler Murray misses time. Murray left the Vikings’ win over Green Bay with a concussion, and Wentz came off the bench to throw for 133 yards and three touchdowns.

Drew Lock is a superflex add if Sam Darnold misses time in Seattle. Dynasty Nerds noted Lock entered after Darnold left the opener and would start while Darnold is out.

Tyler Shough is also worth checking for in deeper leagues. FPTrack credited him with 410 passing yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, and that type of volume makes him more than a desperation streamer.

Watch List After Week 1 Injuries

A few situations need injury-report follow-up before waivers finalize.

The Chargers lost Ladd McConkey to a chest injury and KeAndre Lambert-Smith to a hamstring injury during their loss to Arizona, which could make Quentin Johnston and other Chargers pass-catchers more relevant depending on practice reports.

Baltimore also saw Zay Flowers leave with a hamstring injury after a huge game, which makes the Ravens’ wide receiver depth chart worth monitoring this week.

Do not spend big FAAB on injury guesses unless the role is already clear. But be ready to move quickly if those players miss practice.

Players I Would Not Overreact To

Do not drop proven starters after one bad week. Do not cut high-upside bench players for a touchdown-only tight end. And do not blow 40% of your budget on a player whose role was built entirely by garbage time.

The waiver wire is about improving your roster without damaging your long-term flexibility.

This week, my preferred order is simple:

Aggressive adds: Kaelon Black, Jalen Coker, Isaiah Likely
Useful starters: Michael Mayer, Devaughn Vele, Tyler Allgeier, Mike Gesicki
Upside stashes: Antonio Williams, George Holani, Kendre Miller, Raheim Sanders
Deep-league darts: Denzel Boston, Caleb Douglas, Drew Lock, Carson Wentz

If you have the No. 1 waiver claim, Black is my favorite combination of role, offense and upside. If you are desperate at tight end, Likely is the cleanest answer. If you need a wide receiver, Coker has the best Week 1 case, while Vele and Williams are the cheaper ways to chase usable PPR volume.

Week 1 told us a lot.

The mistake is thinking it told us everything.

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