Week 2 always creates some of the most aggressive waiver-wire decisions of the fantasy football season. One big performance can send a player’s roster status skyrocketing, but I’m much more interested in what happened underneath the box score. Snap shares, routes, touches, and changes to the depth chart can tell us considerably more about which Week 2 performances are actually sustainable.
These are my top waiver-wire targets entering Week 3.
Jonah Coleman, RB (DEN)
Rostered: 32%
Jonah Coleman is my No. 1 waiver priority this week because Denver’s backfield could be completely different by Week 3. RJ Harvey missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury before J.K. Dobbins suffered a hamstring injury of his own against Jacksonville. Coleman took advantage, finishing with 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. Once Dobbins went down, Coleman became Denver’s primary early-down option while Tyler Badie handled more of the situational passing work.
We obviously need to monitor both Harvey and Dobbins throughout the week, but I don’t want to wait for the injury reports before adding Coleman. If either veteran misses Week 3, the rookie has a legitimate path to double-digit touches, and if both are unavailable he would carry immediate RB2/flex upside depending on how Denver divides the work with Badie. Even if the injuries aren’t serious, Coleman showed enough to potentially earn more opportunities going forward. Running backs with a realistic path toward this type of workload don’t sit on waivers for long, making Coleman my top add of Week 3.
Tyler Shough, QB (NO)
Rostered: 45%
At this point, Tyler Shough needs to be rostered in considerably more leagues. He followed his huge Week 1 with another strong fantasy performance against Baltimore, completing 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 rushing yards and another score. Through two games, Shough is 62-of-90 for 662 yards, meaning only two quarterbacks have attempted more passes while he’s averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. His 13 rushing attempts through two games give him another way to produce when the passing touchdowns aren’t there.
Shough has now scored more than 22 fantasy points in each of his first two starts, and New Orleans’ willingness to put the ball in his hands gives him a much more interesting fantasy profile than a typical waiver-wire quarterback. I don’t view him as just a one-week streamer anymore. If you lost Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels, waited on quarterback in your draft or simply don’t love your current starter, Shough could provide legitimate season-long value and becomes an even bigger priority in superflex leagues.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR (PHI)
Rostered: 22%
Dontayvion Wicks has given us two straight weeks of production and is starting to establish himself as Philadelphia’s No. 2 receiver behind DeVonta Smith. After turning two catches into 73 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, Wicks followed it with five receptions for 74 yards against Tennessee. He now has seven receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown through his first two games.
The important part is that the role is supporting the production. Wicks appears to have moved clearly ahead of Makai Lemon, and Philadelphia has enough offensive firepower for its second receiver to carry weekly fantasy value. I’m not expecting Wicks to continue averaging 21 yards per reception, but we now have consecutive productive performances combined with an encouraging role. He’s moving into the WR3/flex conversation and should be rostered in most 12-team leagues.
Tank Bigsby, RB (PHI)
Rostered: 27%
Tank Bigsby became one of the most important handcuffs in fantasy football Sunday. Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger against Tennessee and was able to return, but his workload was significantly reduced afterward. Bigsby stepped in and finished with 13 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown while adding two catches for five yards, giving us our first real look at how Philadelphia would divide the backfield if Barkley were unavailable.
Bigsby appears to be the back who would inherit the majority of Philadelphia’s early-down and short-yardage opportunities, while Will Shipley is more likely to remain involved in passing situations. Barkley’s injury doesn’t mean Bigsby is guaranteed to start Week 3, so I wouldn’t spend like we’re getting an immediate RB1. The value comes from knowing exactly who stands to benefit if Barkley misses time. Bigsby should be rostered anywhere Barkley is rostered and is one of the highest-upside bench stashes available this week.
Denzel Boston, WR (CLE)
Rostered: 35%
If Denzel Boston is still available in your league after what he’s done through two games, this is probably your last chance to get him. Boston caught five of seven targets for 95 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay after going for 59 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, giving him seven receptions for 154 yards and two scores through two games. More importantly, this isn’t simply a rookie scoring touchdowns on limited snaps. Boston continues operating as Cleveland’s primary receiver across its major personnel groupings.
The way Cleveland targeted Boston in Week 2 was just as encouraging as the production. Provider charting had his average depth of target falling from 29.0 yards in Week 1 to 9.4 yards in Week 2, with six of his seven targets coming in the short area of the field. That’s a much more sustainable path toward weekly fantasy production than relying entirely on deep shots. Boston has now shown big-play ability, consistent playing time and an ability to earn easier targets underneath, and he needs to be rostered in competitive 12-team leagues.
Emanuel Wilson, RB (SEA)
Rostered: 1%
Emanuel Wilson is another running back whose value changed dramatically Sunday. Jadarian Price suffered a chest injury against Arizona and was unable to finish the game, opening the door for Wilson to take over a much larger rushing workload. Wilson finished with 21 carries for 92 yards in Seattle’s 31-7 win, showing that the Seahawks are comfortable leaning on him if injuries force him into a larger role.
There are limitations here because Wilson isn’t necessarily stepping into a three-down role. George Holani took some of the higher-value situational work, while Zach Charbonnet could eventually return and further complicate the backfield. Wilson’s fantasy value is primarily tied to early-down rushing volume, but 21 carries are impossible to ignore. If Price misses Week 3, Wilson becomes a viable flex option, making him one of the better speculative running back additions available this week.
Pat Freiermuth, TE (PIT)
Rostered: 18%
Pat Freiermuth isn’t the flashiest waiver addition this week, but tight end is ugly enough that consistent routes and targets still carry value. He caught five passes for 46 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 before following it with four catches for 32 yards on five targets against New England. That gives Freiermuth 10 targets, nine receptions and 78 yards through his first two games.
Darnell Washington will continue playing plenty of snaps because of his blocking ability, and Freiermuth’s five Week 2 targets ranked only fourth on Pittsburgh, so I’m not treating him as a locked-in weekly TE1. The appeal is that he has maintained a receiving role and already shown red-zone value in an offense that doesn’t have a ton of established receiving options beyond its top weapons. If you’re struggling at tight end, Freiermuth is a reasonable streaming option rather than someone I’d aggressively spend FAAB to acquire.
Bryce Young, QB (CAR)
Rostered: 30%
We probably need to stop treating Bryce Young’s start like a fluke. After an encouraging Week 1, Young went into Atlanta and threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in Carolina’s 34-3 win. Tetairoa McMillan added five receptions for 101 yards while Darren Waller caught two touchdowns, giving Young a legitimate collection of weapons to work with as this offense continues developing.
The biggest change is that Carolina appears willing to put the offense in Young’s hands, and he’s rewarded that approach through two games. I’m still not putting him into the elite quarterback tier based on such a small sample, but we’re past the point where he should be ignored on waivers. Young is a strong streaming option with the potential to develop into something more, particularly for managers who lost their starting quarterback or waited until late in drafts to address the position.
Oronde Gadsden II, TE (LAC)
Rostered: 14%
Oronde Gadsden II is probably my favorite deeper tight end stash this week because his opportunity is already starting to change. Gadsden caught both of his targets for 18 yards and a touchdown against Las Vegas, but the more important number is his route involvement. His route rate jumped from just 14% in Week 1 to 48% in Week 2 after the Chargers lost David Njoku and later Charlie Kolar.
That gives us more than an injury-based argument for adding him. Gadsden was already starting to earn a larger receiving role, and additional missed time for Njoku or Kolar could push that number even higher in an offense quarterbacked by Justin Herbert. I’m not starting Gadsden everywhere yet because we still need a clearer picture of the injury situation and snap distribution, but this is exactly the type of tight end I’d rather stash one week early than fight the rest of my league for after another productive game.
Carolina Panthers DEF
Rostered: 7%
I don’t particularly care that Carolina allowed 59 points in Week 1 after what we saw Sunday. The Panthers completely dismantled Atlanta, allowing only three points while forcing five turnovers in a 34-3 win. Devin Lloyd finished with nine tackles, a sack and two interceptions, including a pick-six, while Atlanta has now gone through the first two weeks without reaching the red zone.
I’m still treating Carolina primarily as a streaming defense rather than suddenly declaring this an elite unit. Week 1 showed us how low the floor can be against a strong offense, but fantasy defenses are heavily driven by matchup, pressure and turnover opportunities. Carolina just showed that it can capitalize when facing an offense with quarterback problems, which is enough to put the Panthers firmly on the streaming radar heading into Week 3.
Honorable Waiver Wire Mentions
- Malik Willis QB (MIA) – 30% rostered
- Emmett Johnson RB (KC) – 23% rostered
- Mike Washington Jr. RB (LV) – 45% rosrered
- Alvin Kamara RB (NO) – 38% rostered
- Rashod Bateman WR (BAL) – 22% rostered
- Adonai Mitchell WR (NYJ) – 15% rostered
- Tre Tucker WR (LV) – 28% rostered
- TJ Hockenson TE (MIN) – 47% rostered
- New Orleans Saints DEF – 17% rostered
- Kansas City Chiefs DEF – 36% rostered
- Green Bay Packers DEF – 35% rostered
- Harrison Butker K (KC) – 36% rostered
