The first week of the NFL season is in the books. We now have infinitely more data with which to make fantasy football decisions than we did just a few days ago. With that in mind, here are some players to stash off the waiver wire for the long haul at the wide receiver and tight end positions.
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Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Stashes: Week 2
Adonai Mitchell (WR – IND): 33.3% Rostered
There are a lot of parallel universes very close to this one in which Adonai Mitchell is the hottest waiver wire pickup of the week. The rookie was open not once but twice for what could have been big touchdown receptions, but Anthony Richardson just missed him. However, we also saw in Week 1 that Richardson, for all his accuracy issues, is more than capable of hitting a deep bomb to a speedy receiver. Eventually, this connection will come good in a big way.
It may not happen right away, as Mitchell was just third on the Colts in routes on Sunday. Especially with reports indicating he will fall to fourth on the depth chart once Josh Downs returns. Mitchell is not someone to plug into your lineup right away, but he should eventually pass Alec Pierce, who has been unspectacular in his NFL career, as the team’s starting deep threat. When he does, Mitchell’s ceiling is sky-high.
Demarcus Robinson (WR – LAR): 10.0% Rostered
Demarcus Robinson could have made this list regardless, but Monday’s news that Puka Nacua is headed to injured reserve (IR) makes him a must-add fantasy football waiver wire pickup. Some managers might target Tyler Johnson, who made a few plays and finished with 79 yards on Sunday night, but Robinson is the player to add.
Last year, with both players on the Rams, Robinson ran 259 routes; Johnson ran 13.
Even last night, although his stats weren’t as impressive (four catches for 42 yards), Robinson ran 47 routes to Johnson’s 33. Cooper Kupp can see a 50% target share every week, but Matthew Stafford will have to throw the ball to someone else occasionally. Robinson could be that guy, and he’s worth holding to find out.
Xavier Legette (WR – CAR): 24.1% Rostered
Xavier Legette’s situation is very similar to Mitchell’s. For now, the last pick of the first round of this year’s NFL Draft seems to be buried on the Panthers’ depth chart. He posted just a 59% route participation rate in his NFL debut, and even that was inflated because he stayed on in garbage time while some of the team’s starting receivers rested.
But, on the 23 routes he did run, Legette’s results were very promising. He saw seven targets, good for an elite 30% target per route run rate. As a prospect, Legette’s strength was in yards after the catch, not route running, so seeing him earn targets already is encouraging. He has a long way to go in terms of the depth chart, and the Panthers’ offense has a long way to go in terms of not being terrible, but Legette could emerge as a fantasy weapon down the stretch.
Ja’Lynn Polk (WR – NE): 26.8% Rostered
Ja’Lynn Polk, the third rookie on this list, also flashed some talent in his NFL debut, although we have to dig a bit deeper to find it. He finished with just one catch on one target for six yards, but he also had a few impressive routes that didn’t result in targets. Given that nobody else in the Patriots’ receiving room emerged as a top option in Week 1, the 37th overall pick is worth holding.
Fantasy Football Tight End Stashes: Week 2
Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL): 18.3% Rostered
After Week 1, Isaiah Likely hardly even counts as a player to stash. He scored the most points of any tight end, racking up nine catches, 111 yards and a touchdown. With that said, I wouldn’t plug Likely into your lineup just right away. He will find it tough to repeat that performance if his 61% route participation rate doesn’t improve. But he is a talented weapon the Ravens are making an effort to get involved and is arguably the best pickup available on waivers this week.
Hunter Henry (TE – NE): 18.1% Rostered
If Polk’s six receiving yards aren’t moving the needle but you still want to take a shot at the Patriots’ ambiguous receiving room, consider Hunter Henry. The veteran tight end led the team in routes on Sunday, with an 82.8% participation rate. That’s a huge step up from 2023, in which he averaged a 61.6% mark while splitting time with Mike Gesicki. As long as that keeps up, Henry should be able to provide borderline TE1 numbers.
Colby Parkinson (TE – LAR): 3.8% Rostered
Another player who could benefit from Puka Nacua’s absence is Colby Parkinson. He saw five targets in his Rams debut, catching four for 47 yards. He also finished with an 88% snap share and 86.0% route participation rate. This same role saw Tyler Higbee flirt with TE1 numbers at times, and Parkinson certainly has a chance to do the same.
Tucker Kraft (TE – GB): 3.0% Rostered
Tucker Kraft was expected to play second fiddle to fellow sophomore tight end Luke Musgrave, but that was not the case in Green Bay’s Friday night matchup. Kraft ran 30 routes to Musgrave’s eight and played 96% of the Packers’ offensive snaps. While established as the Packers’ full-time tight end, Kraft will still have to compete for targets with a crowded receiver room.
He saw three targets this week, catching two for 37 yards. With that and the fact Jordan Love is set to miss time, Kraft is by no means a player to add and start right away. But an every-down role in what should be an efficient offense once Love returns is enough reason to stash him in deep leagues.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.