Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups: Marquise Brown's Volume Reigns Supreme

The opening week of the season brought plenty of chaos. Injuries and slow starts impacted countless fantasy rosters. 

Fortunately, it’s early, and there’s plenty of time to reset and retool. Now is also a great time to reinforce your roster for the long haul. 

Here are several players -- plus a Week 2 streaming defense -- to consider adding now.

These guys are generally available in at least 70% of ESPN leagues and ranked in order of priority, by position.

Your bid should vary by format and situation. Need help at RB? Prioritize that position. All set there? Then you probably don’t need to chase the top guys.

 

Quarterback

Daniel Jones, Colts

Blind Bid Recommendation: 4-6%

Two rushing scores from the 1-yard line boosted Jones’ big Week 1 fantasy line. We can’t count on those going forward. 

But he also looked good as a passer, completing 22 of 29 throws for 272 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. He tacked on 26 yards and the two scores on seven carries. 

Jones has plenty of weapons at his disposal and will continue to add fantasy value with his legs. He’s worth adding if you’re playing matchups at QB. Just don't plan on using him in Week 2 vs. the Broncos.

 

Running Back

Dylan Sampson, Browns

Blind Bid Recommendation: 15-20%

The rookie led Browns RBs in carries and targets in the loss to the Bengals. Sampson managed just 29 yards on his 12 carries but caught all eight of his targets for 64 yards. 

Cleveland is expected to get RB Quinshon Judkins back as early as this week. But it’s tough to imagine he’ll be ready for a big role right away after missing all of training camp. And Judkins could still face a suspension. 

Sampson is worth a stash (where available) in leagues of 10+ teams as we continue to see how this backfield shakes out.

Also, check your waiver wire to see if Judkins happens to be available. 

 

Wide Receiver 

Marquise Brown, Chiefs

Blind Bid Recommendation: 15-20%

Brown quickly found himself as Kansas City’s No. 1 WR in Friday night’s opener after a shoulder injury knocked Xavier Worthy out on the third play. Brown wound up drawing 16 targets (41%) share, catching 10 of them for 99 yards. 

Brown ran 52% of his routes from the slot, tops among Chiefs WRs for the game. That’s nearly identical to Rashee Rice’s slot rate through his two K.C. seasons so far, and Rice is set to miss another five games. Expect Brown’s opportunity to continue -- with the ceiling even higher as long as Worthy’s out.

Brown is the top WR to target on waiver wires this week. His volume makes him a priority add everywhere. 

Update: Worthy will dodge IR, putting him on track to return before Week 6. That shortens Brown's expected time as a locked-in fantasy starter. We lowered the blind bid recommendation on him from 20-25% to 15-20%.

Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston, Chargers

Blind Bid Recommendation: Allen 12-15%, Johnston 8-10%

QB Justin Herbert was awesome, and the Chargers went pass-heavy in Friday night’s win over the Chiefs. That’s good news for Allen and Johnston, who joined Ladd McConkey as the clear top three WRs. Johnston ran more routes (88% to 78%), but Allen drew more targets (29% to 21%). Both guys topped 19 PPR points. 

Herbert won’t throw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs every week. But if the Chargers remain a pass-centric offense, there’s room for Allen and Johnston to both be fantasy assets.

Cedric Tillman, Browns

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-12%

Cleveland ranked second in neutral pass rate in Week 1, and Tillman played a key role in the game plan. 

He tied Jerry Jeudy with eight targets. Tillman caught five of them for 52 yards, including Joe Flacco’s lone TD. In his last five full games, Tillman has averaged a healthy 9.6 targets per contest. 

Tillman’s role as the Browns’ No. 2 WR looks secure. If Cleveland continues to pass at this rate, Tillman will warrant weekly WR3/flex consideration. 

Kayshon Boutte, Patriots

Blind Bid Recommendation: 8-10%

Boutte led New England’s Week 1 receiving corps in snaps (58), targets (8), receptions (6), yards per catch (17.3), and yards (103). 

He’s a clear-cut starter for now. And he'll have a shot to continue his hot start against a Miami secondary that just surrendered 272 yards and a 76% completion rate to Daniel Jones.

 

Tight End

Harold Fannin, Browns

Blind Bid Recommendation: 5-7%

The rookie led Cleveland with nine targets (20% share) in his NFL debut, catching seven for 63 yards. He also took a direct snap for a 3-yard gain in the first quarter. 

The Browns game-planned for Fannin to play a significant role in this one. We’ll see if that continues, but he’s worth rostering in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams.

Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints

Blind Bid Recommendation: 4-6%

Johnson led New Orleans with 8 catches and 76 yards in the Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. Johnson’s 11 targets ranked second behind only WR Chris Olave’s 13. And he registered an elite 96% route rate. For perspective, Trey McBride led all TEs last year with a 91% route rate.

It’s tough to get excited about Johnson’s upside in the current Saints offense. But he could be a steady floor play in deeper PPR leagues.

If you lost George Kittle, Johnson can fill in at a modest cost. 

 

Deep League Options

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers 

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%

Few expected a vintage Rodgers four-score outing against the Jets. He compiled a 136.7 QB rating in the win, the highest by a Pittsburgh QB in seven seasons. 

Maybe it was extra motivation to prove the Jets wrong. Whatever it was, Rodgers warrants consideration as a weekly QB2. But don’t go overboard. 

Pittsburgh’s next three games (vs. Seattle, at New England, vs. Minnesota) look challenging before a Week 5 bye. 

Jaxson Dart, QB, Giants

Blind Bid Recommendation: 2-3%

This is for 2-QB and superflex leagues -- maybe the deepest of 1-QB leagues. QB Russell Wilson played poorly in the Week 1 loss to the Commanders, completing 17 of 37 passes (46%) for 168 scoreless yards (4.5 YPA). 

Although Wilson will start in Week 2, he’s going to be on a very short leash. It won’t be long before we see Dart. 

The rookie was excellent this preseason, completing 32 of his 47 attempts (68%) for 3 TDs and 0 INTs.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Steelers

Blind Bid Recommendation: 2-4%

We can’t count on the Steelers playing a ton of shootouts, but Gainwell’s Week 1 usage was encouraging.

Pittsburgh’s RB snap rates in Week 1: 

• Gainwell: 54%
• Jaylen Warren: 45%
• Kaleb Johnson: 4%

Gainwell is clearly at least the team’s No. 2 RB for now, and Mike Tomlin has never given Jaylen Warren a high-usage role. 

There’s room for Gainwell to maintain a meaningful weekly role and post a few quality fantasy outings. He adds contingent upside in case of a Warren injury.

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Titans

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%

Elic Ayomanor had a quiet opener, catching just two of seven targets for 13 yards, but his usage was encouraging. 

Ayomanor led all rookie WRs with a 28% target share and ranked fifth with an 82.4% route rate. Per Fantasy Points, he was also ninth in first-read target share against a formidable Denver secondary. 

Ayomanor’s locked into the No. 2 WR role in a shallow Tennessee pass offense. 

Calvin Austin III, WR, Steelers

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%

You might have caught a whiff of Roman Wilson hype over the summer. But Austin overshadowed him Sunday, tallying four grabs (on six targets), 70 yards, and a score. Austin finished tied for second on the team in targets and ranked a clear second among Steelers WRs in route rate (85%).

Notably, his 21% targets per route run matched D.K. Metcalf’s rate.

We’ll see how long Aaron Rodgers can sustain a 73% completion rate and 8.1 yards per attempt. But we certainly came away encouraged by the QB's 2025 debut. 

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs

Blind Bid Recommendation 3-5%

Smith-Schuster posted 5 catches for 55 yards in the Week 1 loss to the Chargers. His route rate? A solid 81%.

Looking ahead, there’s room in the offense for similar usage to continue.

Rashee Rice remains suspended, while Xavier Worthy appears likely to miss games with a shoulder injury. That makes Smith-Schuster a short-term option for PPR managers in deep leagues.

Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%

Look beyond Franklin’s 4-catch, 44-yard line, and you'll see the promise in Franklin's Week 1 outing.

The second-year pro tied for second on the team in targets (six). He also finished second among Denver WRs in snap share (59%) and route rate (65%).

Bo Nix struggled in the opener, but he’ll throw for more than 176 yards in most weeks. Franklin will further creep up our rest of season rankings if Nix can build off a promising rookie year. 

 

Top Streaming Defense For Week 2

Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans

The Rams spoiled former TEs coach Nick Caley’s debut in Houston, keeping the Texans out of the end zone in a 14-9 Week 1 victory. 

L.A. forced a pair of turnovers, racked up 3 sacks, and held Houston to 265 total yards. 

This week, Chris Shula’s defense gets a superb matchup, facing QB Cam Ward in his second NFL start. The Titans' O-line allowed Ward to be sacked six times on Sunday, which bodes well for a Rams’ defense that posted PFF’s second-highest pass rush grade in Week 1. 

Drop Candidates

Jerome Ford, Browns: The Browns could get Quinshon Judkins back as soon as Week 2. We'd expect them to lean on Judkins and Dylan Sampson going forward, especially as a rebuilding team. That leaves Ford as a low-upside hold.

Will Shipley, Eagles: Shipley reportedly suffered a rib fracture in Thursday's win over Dallas. Philly also added backfield talent, trading fifth and sixth-round picks for Tank Bigsby.

Tyler Lockett, Titans: Lockett finished third among Titans WR in snaps in the Week 1 loss to Denver. That type of role isn't a fantasy-friendly one, particularly as QB Cam Ward adjusts to the pro game.