WAIVER WIRE FOR WEEK 2: GOTTA ADD’EM ALL

Aidan Weingartner
Waiver Wire for Week 2: GOTTA ADD'EM ALL | Fantasy In Frames

Welcome to the WAIVER WIRE FOR WEEK 2: GOTTA ADD’EM ALL

The waiver wire is calling, trainers.

Every NFL week brings a new batch of injuries, breakout performances, changing depth charts, and unexpected opportunities. Some players are fool’s gold. Others might be exactly the spark your fantasy roster needs.

That’s where we come in.

Each week, we’ll search through the available player pool to identify the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends worth adding to your roster. We’ll look beyond the box score and examine usage, opportunity, and underlying metrics to determine whether a breakout has staying power—or if you should leave that player in the tall grass.

All fantasy-point totals referenced throughout this article are based on Half-PPR scoring, unless otherwise noted.

You don’t need a Pokédex to find this week’s best additions. We’ve already done the scouting for you.

So grab your Poké Balls, check those FAAB budgets, and get those waiver claims ready.

It’s Week 2. Gotta add ’em all! ⚡

Quarterbacks

Tyler Shough — New Orleans Saints

Oh, Tyler Shough.

During the first half of Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, the second-year signal-caller looked pretty rough, to say the least. Once the second half rolled around, however, the script flipped—and Shough caught fire in a big way.

Is he going to find himself in this favorable of a game script every single week? Of course not. But if the running game with Travis Etienne keeps struggling and Kellen Moore keeps this offense moving at such a rapid pace, Shough needs to be rostered in far more leagues. He could even become someone fantasy managers start with confidence sooner rather than later.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

If you lost your matchup in Week 1 and need to swing for some upside at quarterback in Week 2 and beyond, I’d take a long, hard look at Tyler Shough.

You might view him as nothing more than a high-end streaming option right now, but don’t get it twisted—there could be legitimate long-term appeal here.

I touched on the pace above, but the New Orleans Saints ran the most plays in the NFL in Week 1. That kind of volume creates opportunities, and Shough wasn’t afraid to attack defenses vertically either. His 12.5% Deep Throw Rate ranked 11th at the position.

If the pace and passing volume remain anywhere close to what we saw in Week 1, Shough’s ceiling becomes very difficult to ignore.

C.J. Stroud — Houston Texans

Yes, C.J. Stroud gives you virtually zero rushing upside at quarterback, but he still produced a strong passing performance against a complex Buffalo Bills defense in Week 1.

Losing Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL right before the season was a significant blow, but Stroud still has an alpha WR1 in Nico Collins, a reliable veteran tight end in Dalton Schultz, and a potential breakout slot receiver in Jaylin Noel.

As long as Houston’s rebuilt offensive line holds up and the defense continues to play at an elite level, Stroud should be able to stay on schedule without putting fantasy managers in bad situations with costly turnovers.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

I’ll admit it: there isn’t an enormous fantasy ceiling here with C.J. Stroud. What he does provide, however, is a reliable floor.

Stroud isn’t a quarterback who consistently hunts downfield shots, but he also does an excellent job of keeping the football out of harm’s way. That showed up clearly in his Week 1 efficiency metrics: an 81% Adjusted Completion Rate (10th), 76% Highly Accurate Throw Rate (1st), and 0% Turnover-Worthy Throw Rate (4th-best).

You may not be catching a legendary Pokémon here, but sometimes you just need something reliable in your lineup.

Running Backs

Kaelon Black — San Francisco 49ers

Well, this is interesting.

Historically, Kyle Shanahan has been VERY stubborn about giving meaningful work to anything remotely resembling a second running back. When Christian McCaffrey is healthy, it’s usually CMC—and CMC only.

That’s why rookie Kaelon Black’s Week 1 usage immediately caught my attention.

Black didn’t merely mix into the rotation. He actually out-touched McCaffrey. Shanahan said after the game that the veteran running back was dealing with cramps, so we shouldn’t immediately assume San Francisco has suddenly transformed into a committee backfield.

Still, this is exactly the type of unexpected usage change fantasy managers should be paying attention to on the waiver wire. It might have been a one-week circumstance—or it could be the beginning of a slight tendency breaker in San Francisco.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

Not only is Kaelon Black arguably one of the best handcuffs in fantasy football right now, but he could have standalone value if Shanahan continues to deploy two running backs with any regularity.

Black posted the 14th-highest Success Rate and 17th-lowest Stuff Rate among running backs in Week 1. There wasn’t a ton of explosiveness, but there was efficiency and consistency—and that matters when you’re trying to earn additional touches in a Kyle Shanahan offense.

Even if Black’s Week 1 workload was partially the result of McCaffrey’s cramps, we now know San Francisco is comfortable putting the rookie on the field and giving him meaningful work.

That makes him exactly the kind of player worth stashing before everyone else realizes what could be developing.

Not every Pokémon evolves overnight, and neither does every fantasy running back. Sometimes we’re adding a player because the usage suggests the evolution is coming.

Wide Receivers

AD Mitchell — New York Jets

After Week 1, it’s becoming pretty clear that the circumstances in Las Vegas last season may have been the bigger problem rather than Geno Smith suddenly becoming a terrible quarterback.

I’m not saying this New York Jets offense will operate this smoothly every week, but Smith was at least serviceable enough to support multiple fantasy assets.

Omar Cooper entered the season as the hyped first-round pick in this offense, and it appears he avoided a major injury. Regardless, reports throughout training camp and the preseason suggested that AD Mitchell was simply outplaying Cooper.

Then Week 1 gave us another reason to pay attention.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

Call me crazy, but I’d be excited to invest in the potential WR2 of the New York Jets.

Right now, Mitchell is more of a stash-and-see candidate than an automatic FLEX play. But the ingredients are here for that to change quickly.

Drops have followed Mitchell throughout his career, but his route-running efficiency and separation ability have always been easy to see. In Week 1, he posted 3.00 Yards Per Route Run while ranking 26th in Average Separation Score.

Combine that efficiency with a 19.0-yard Average Depth of Target and 38% Air-Yard Share, and you have exactly the kind of profile capable of producing spike weeks.

Catch him now before the rest of your league sees the evolution.

Caleb Douglas — Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins didn’t give us many positives to take away from Week 1, but rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas was one of the few legitimate bright spots.

Malik Willis could be an inconsistent passer throughout the season, but you can’t deny how naturally his skill set pairs with Douglas. Willis wants to push the ball downfield, and Douglas is an explosive receiver who can win vertically.

Meanwhile, the most “experienced” player in this receiving room is Malik Washington, who has primarily operated as a gadget player during his career.

That leaves the door wide open for Douglas to contribute early—and potentially often—in Miami.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

Of Miami’s three rookie wide receivers—Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman Jr.—Douglas appears to be the player who simply isn’t going to leave the field, regardless of formation or personnel package.

A 90% Snap Share combined with an 81% Route Participation Rate, 22% Target Share, and 32% Air-Yard Share is exactly the type of usage we should be chasing on the waiver wire.

I expect Douglas to establish himself as Miami’s WR1 pretty comfortably this season. Take advantage of the opportunity now while everyone else is focused on the “horrible offensive situation.”

Sometimes the best Pokémon are hiding in the places nobody else wants to search.

Dontayvion Wicks — Philadelphia Eagles

Makai Lemon was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, but a hamstring injury cost him essentially all of training camp and the preseason.

That opened the door for Dontayvion Wicks.

And so far, Wicks has taken advantage of it.

Jalen Hurts obviously isn’t afraid to attack defenses vertically, while Wicks excels in contested-catch situations and gives Philadelphia another legitimate outside weapon. After moving on from A.J. Brown, the Eagles needed someone other than DeVonta Smith to step up in this receiving corps.

Through one week, Wicks looks more than willing to fill that void.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

The easy assumption is that Makai Lemon will eventually become a major part of this offense and Wicks will slowly fade into the background.

I wouldn’t be so sure.

A 91% Snap Share and 82% Route Participation Rate tell us Wicks isn’t merely operating as a temporary rotational receiver. Philadelphia trusted him to stay on the field.

Then look at how he was being used: a 38% Air-Yard Share and a massive 21.5-yard Average Depth of Target.

That’s a volatile profile, but it’s also one capable of producing week-winning fantasy performances. If the deep-ball connection between Hurts and Wicks continues while Wicks maintains this level of playing time, there could be legitimate long-term FLEX appeal here.

Tight Ends

Dalton Schultz — Houston Texans

I talked about C.J. Stroud earlier, so why not take a look at one of his most trusted targets?

When Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL before the season, everyone immediately started wondering which wide receiver would emerge behind Nico Collins.

But maybe we were looking at the wrong position.

Houston continues to rotate Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, and Xavier Hutchinson through its secondary wide receiver roles. Instead of waiting for one of them to emerge, Stroud could simply lean more heavily on the player he already knows and trusts: Dalton Schultz.

Week 1 certainly gave us reason to believe that could happen.

THE SPARK ⚡ | Key Metrics

WHY HE’S A WAIVER TARGET

Even at this stage of his career, Dalton Schultz remains an extremely versatile tight end.

In Week 1, Houston deployed him from virtually everywhere: 48% of his snaps came from the slot, 29% inline, 19% out wide, and 3% from the backfield.

More importantly for fantasy managers, Schultz earned eight targets and a 21% Target Share while running a route on 74% of Houston’s passing plays.

The 35 receiving yards aren’t going to jump off the page, but that’s exactly why he remains available in some leagues. We’re chasing the role before the fantasy production fully catches up.

If Schultz continues operating as one of Stroud’s primary weapons, he could quietly develop into one of the more dependable tight end options available outside the obvious weekly starters.

Final Thoughts

That’s another trip through the tall grass complete.

Some waiver-wire targets will provide an immediate spark. Others may need a little time before they’re ready to evolve into dependable fantasy starters. The key is spotting opportunity before the rest of your league does.

So check your roster, count your FAAB, set those waiver priorities, and remember:

You can’t catch ’em all—but you can make sure your league mates don’t. ⚡

Thanks again for reading the Waiver Wire for Week 2: GOTTA ADD’EM ALL!

For more waiver-wire targets and everything else you need to build a championship roster, keep it locked into FantasyInFrames.com. Click the Redraft Fantasy Football tab at the top of the site and visit our Redraft Hub for weekly rankings, Plays & Fades, waiver-wire analysis, matchup breakdowns, and more fantasy football content from the Fantasy In Frames team.

We’ll be back next week searching for another group of players capable of giving your lineup a little extra jolt.

Until then, get those claims in.

Gotta claim ’em all. ⚡

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