Waiver Wire Rankings (Week 2)

Well, it didn’t take long for regular season action to have its impact felt across the fantasy landscape. By far, the saddest news of the weekend was Keenan Allen going down with yet another season-ending injury (torn ACL). Considering he’s a WR1 for many fantasy teams out there, that’s a huge loss to absorb so early in the season. Now we’re not expecting a player off the waiver wire to play at the same level, but it certainly has happened before.

There are a few names out there that are looking like easy decisions right about now (e.g. Tajae Sharpe, Will Fuller or Michael Thomas), especially if you need to fill a receiver hole, but there’s also a good chance they’re already taken in your league. For that reason, we’re going to help narrow down the list of readily available players you’ll want to put a claim on. We’ve asked our featured experts to rank the top options that have under 50% ownership across Yahoo leagues. See their rankings along with additional commentary on their top picks as well as D/ST streaming options for next weekend.

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Featured Pros:

Justin Boone (theScore)
Sablich Brothers (The NY Times)
Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball)
Matthew Hill (DataForceFF)
Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)

Waiver Wire Rankings (STD Scoring)

Q1. Give us your thoughts on a waiver wire target (or two) you especially like as a pickup.

“The Falcons did what they said they would do: Get Tevin Coleman more involved — at the expense of Devonta Freeman. Freeman (36 snaps and 15 touches) got a little more work than Coleman (32 snaps and 13 touches), but it was a fairly even split as Coleman outgained Freeman by 77 total yards (117 to 40). Coleman showed his big-play ability with four of his five receptions going for 16-plus yards including a 47-yard reception. Based on his effectiveness in Week 1, Coleman should continue to get (roughly) as much work as Freeman and deserves to be owned in all leagues.”
– Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball)

“Mohamed Sanu became an intriguing late-round flier in this year’s drafts after he signed with the Falcons, becoming their clear-cut #2 wide receiver opposite Julio Jones. Sanu was drafted as a “wide receiver handcuff,” someone available late having WR2 upside if anything were to happen to Atlanta’s star wide receiver. Sunday’s shootout with Tampa Bay showed that Sanu has value even with Jones in the lineup, as he was able to turn his eight targets into five catches for eighty yards and a score. With a defense lacking playmakers, expect Atlanta to be in many high-scoring contests throughout the season, keeping Sanu firmly in flex consideration. With Julio Jones struggling to stay healthy since injuring his ankle in the third preseason game, the Sanu as go-to receiver narrative is very much alive as well.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForceFF)

“Patriots receiver Chris Hogan stood out in the opener, hauling in three receptions for 60 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown. He definitely benefited from the absence of Rob Gronkowski, but Hogan appeared to be running as New England’s No. 2 receiver, a role that has been productive in the past – especially when Tom Brady is under center. Hogan is also playing in a receiving corps with Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, who tend to find themselves on the injury report more often than not. Tyrell Williams only caught two passes in Week 1, but racked up 71 yards in the process, leading the team in receiving. His snap count will almost certainly rise after Keenan Allen suffered a torn ACL on Sunday. Philip Rivers is capable of making almost any receiver fantasy-relevant and Williams might be the latest name on that list.”
– Justin Boone (theScore)

“While we should take Detroit’s offensive outburst against Indianapolis’ depleted secondary with a grain of salt, I do think that we saw a glimpse into the post-Calvin world for the Lions this week, and I think we should like what we see. Particularly as it relates to the backfield. The PPR crowd has been long in on Theo Riddick, but it’s time for standard gamers to take note as well. He worked as a change of pace to Ameer Abdullah (notching seven carries to the starters’ 12) and caught five passes on five targets. The two scores won’t come every week, but I’d expect a 10-12 touch workload to be a fair projection on a weekly basis – for a player with a career 9.0 YPR, those numbers can add up fast. Riddick should have every week flex appeal in 12-team leagues and is readily available on the wire.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)

“We were higher than most on Mike Wallace going into the season, so we’re not too surprised by his good Week 1 performance. But we’re also realistic and don’t expect him be a stud again either, as the Ravens’ WR usage is going to be tough to call week-to-week. But he’s a nice guy to have for depth, a pinch-hitter who, given the right matchup, can hit a homer.”
– Sablich Brothers (The NY Times)

Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 2, what readily available option should they target and why?

“One week after limiting the Bills to only seven points, the Baltimore Ravens face the Browns, who managed only 10 points in Week 1 against the Eagles. The Browns had a couple of big pass plays in Week 1, but RG3 completed only 12 (and less than 50-percent) of his 26 pass attempts while getting sacked three times. The Ravens are nearly a TD favorite in Week 2 and should get plenty of sack opportunities.”
– Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball)

“The Baltimore Ravens are coming off a solid 7 points allowed performance against the Bills in the opener and they draw a Cleveland offense that looked altogether underwhelming in the opener for Week 2. Robert Griffin wound up with a shoulder injury that landed him on the IR (designated to return) and managed to complete under 50% of his passes in his first start as a Brown. Expect a similarly low-scoring game this week, giving the Ravens a high floor with the opportunity to force a few turnovers and put up a big number for the streaming crowd.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)

“Expect this weekend’s game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills to be a low-scoring, hard-hitting contest, making either defense one to target for streamers. Buffalo is coming off of a week one where they held what was expected to be a quality Baltimore passing attack to 13 points, sacking Joe Flacco four times. A.J. Green stole the headlines with his monster game, going off on Revis Island, but New York’s pass rush deserved recognition as well, as the Jets were able to get to Andy Dalton seven times on Sunday. They will be going against a Buffalo offense that was underwhelming on opening day. Both defenses have an ownership rate of just under 50%, making it possible that at least one will be available on your league’s waiver wire.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForceFF)

“It’s baffling that ownership of the New York Jets defense is so low. They have one of the best run-stopping fronts in football and came away with seven sacks in the opener against a solid Bengals offensive line. New York also has an excellent schedule to start the year, with the Bills and Chiefs up next. Don’t let the decline of Darrelle Revis fool you – the Jets are going to be a top-10 fantasy unit each week.”
– Justin Boone (theScore)

“The New York Giants defense is still a work in progress, but the run defense was impressive in shutting down Ezekiel Elliott, who was running behind the league’s top offensive line. It’s a solid unit overall that hasn’t received enough credit for its offseason overhaul. Expect to see more sacks in the coming weeks as Oliver Vernon gels more with J.P.P. and co.”
– Sablich Brothers (The NY Times)

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Thank you to the experts for ranking their top readily available waiver candidates. For more advice, check out our latest podcast below.

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