9 Fantasy Football Players to Drop or Hold (Week 2 Waiver Wire)

Let’s take a look at players our analysts consider on the fringe as you weigh your fantasy football waiver wire additions for the week. And also be sure to check out our full fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice: Drop or Hold?

DROP RECOMMENDATIONS

Droppable:

• Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)
• Luke Musgrave (TE – GB)
• Cole Kmet (TE – CHI)

Go ahead and drop Deshaun Watson in 1QB leagues. The former Texans star hasn’t been able to get his career back on track in Cleveland. He completed 24-of-45 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys on Sunday, with two interceptions and six sacks. In fairness, the Browns were without starting offensive tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin, and Watson was under duress all day from a relentless Dallas pass rush. But Watson was also woefully inaccurate on a lot of his throws and has nowhere near the same field presence he had in his first few seasons in Houston. Even with a manageable stretch of schedule ahead for Watson, it’s hard to imagine feeling good about having him in your lineup.

Luke Musgrave is no longer the Packers’ top tight end. That honor belongs to Tucker Kraft, who outsnapped Musgrave 64-17 in Week 1 and ran 30 routes to Musgrave’s eight. Even if Musgrave had a meatier role, his short-term outlook would be bleak thanks to the Jordan Love injury.

In the Bears’ season opener, Cole Kmet played seven fewer snaps and ran nine fewer routes than fellow Bears TE Gerald Everett. Even if he weren’t sharing snaps with Everett, Kmet’s value would be diminished by the added firepower in the Bears’ WR corps, with veteran Keenan Alen and rookie Rome Odunze now among the pass catchers clamoring for those Caleb Williams targets.

Droppable with a chance of regret:

• Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)
• Jaylen Wright (RB – MIA)

We knew going into the season that Dontayvion Wicks was likely to be the Packers’ No. 4 receiver, but a lot of people thought he was worth a flyer anyway, since Wicks is talented and the Green Bay passing game figured to be prolific. Jordan Love‘s sprained MCL changes that in the near term. It’s possible none of the Packers’ receivers will provide much fantasy value while Love is away — and it’s estimated that he’ll miss at least three weeks. Wicks won’t be on the fantasy radar until Love is back, and even then, Wicks might need an injury to one of the other Green Bay receivers to become a viable fantasy option.

Jaylen Wright generated a lot of interest during fantasy draft season, the thinking being that the rookie RB from the University of Tennessee could have serious upside in the event of an injury to De’Von Achane and/or Raheem Mostert. The Wright enthusiasts ignored the inconvenient fact that Wright never officially passed veteran Jeff Wilson on the Dolphins’ depth chart. That reality was underscored in Week 1, when Wilson got five carries and Wright was a healthy scratch. It might take a while for Wright to get a chance, so you might have to move on in order to address other holes in your roster.

Don’t drop yet:

• Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA)
• Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR)
• DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN)
• Adonai Mitchell (WR – IND)

Raheem Mostert‘s Week 1 usage was no doubt disappointing to his investors. He had 6-9-0 rushing and 2-10-0 receiving, and the Dolphins let De’Von Achane punch in a 1-yard TD run — normally Mostert’s domain. But Mostert did play 43% of the offensive snaps and was somewhat involved as a pass catcher and route runner. Don’t drop him out of spite.

With the Panthers falling hopelessly behind the Saints in Week 1, they had to abandon the running game, so starting RB Chuba Hubbard finished with a measly 6-14-0 rushing. He was also shut out in the passing game. But until rookie RB Jonathon Brooks is ready to come off the PUP list, Hubbard will continue to serve as Carolina’s lead RB. That might not be a valuable role in an offense as dismal as Carolina’s, but it should at least mean flex-worthiness.

Clearly limited by a knee injury that nagged him throughout August, DeAndre Hopkins played only 17 snaps and drew one target in Week 1. He’s still worth keeping on your bench in deeper and medium-sized leagues.

Rookie WR Adonai Mitchell could have had not one but two walk-in touchdowns for the Colts on Sunday, but he and QB Anthony Mitchell couldn’t quite make the connection on either throw. Mitchell played fewer snaps than Alec Pierce in Week 1, and Josh Downs‘ eventual return from an ankle injury will further complicate Mitchell’s outlook for playing time. But with his combination of size (6-2, 205) and speed (4.34), Mitchell could come on quickly. Try to hold him a little longer.