Injuries were a major problem following Week 1. We had several players hurt prior to the games even starting, and then plenty of guys went down on the field. It's going to make the waiver wire extremely active heading into Week 2. And we're here to help.
The two biggest injuries were to Marlon Mack (Achilles) and Blake Jarwin (ACL), who were lost for the season. But we also had other prominent players go down in their games with James Conner (ankle), Le'Veon Bell (hamstring), Phillip Lindsay (foot), Michael Thomas (ankle) and DeVante Parker (hamstring).
Along with that, Miles Sanders (hamstring), Kenny Golladay (hamstring) and Courtland Sutton (shoulder) were inactive for Week 1 due to lingering injuries. For those of you with multiple players on your Fantasy roster who were hurt, it was frustrating. But now it's time to make adjustments.
The top players to add this week will likely be running backs, and the best options, in order for PPR leagues, are Benny Snell, Nyheim Hines, Malcolm Brown and Joshua Kelley. Snell, Hines and Brown have the chance to be starters in all leagues for Week 2 and beyond, and Kelley has long-term appeal -- as well as flex potential in deeper leagues right away.
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We'll break down all of these guys and more, and we'll let you know the amount of your FAB budget to spend on each player. You should look to add several of these players even if you're not dealing with an injury because reshaping your Fantasy roster is the key to building a championship team.
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Week 2 Waivers
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Kicker
DST
WAIVER WIRE
Quarterbacks
- Priority list: Ryan Tannehill - 49% rostered; Gardner Minshew - 49% rostered; Mitchell Trubisky - 9% rostered; Kirk Cousins - 48% rostered; Jimmy Garoppolo - 56% rostered; Teddy Bridgewater - 49% rostered
- Drop candidates: Carson Wentz (98% rostered), Matthew Stafford (92%) and Baker Mayfield (74%). Wentz will benefit if Lane Johnson (ankle) is healthy, but Wentz was awful in Week 1 at Washington. Stafford will improve if Golladay is healthy, and hopefully he's back for Week 2 at Green Bay. And Mayfield should play well Thursday night against the Bengals, but he really needs a good game to prove his Fantasy worth right now. None of these guys are must drops, but all are candidates depending on your roster.
Week 2 Priority List
Tannehill scored 22 Fantasy points on Monday night at Denver, and he now has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in five games in a row dating back to last year's regular season and 10 of his past 11 outings. He should stay hot again since he has a great matchup against Jacksonville in Week 2. Last year, Tannehill scored 36 Fantasy points against the Jaguars in Week 12, and I'm not sold on Jacksonville's defense, even though it played well against the Colts last week. Tannehill is a good streaming option in deeper leagues, and he's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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Minshew helped the Jaguars pull off an upset of the Colts in Week 1 with 25 Fantasy points, and he did it with just 20 pass attempts. But he passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 19 rushing yards. He has a tough matchup at Tennessee in Week 2, but Minshew could be a streaming option during the year, including Week 3 against Miami, Week 4 at Cincinnati, Week 5 at Houston and Week 6 against Detroit. He's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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He likely saved his job with his comeback effort against the Lions in Week 1. He passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns, along with 26 rushing yards, and now he gets to face a Giants defense on a short week after they gave up 27 Fantasy points to Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1. Trubisky is a good streaming option in deeper leagues, and he's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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We saw the downside of Minnesota's defense in Week 1 against Green Bay in a 43-34 loss, and Cousins might have to do more heavy lifting this year. He finished with 259 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the Packers, as well as 34 rushing yards. And now he faces a Colts defense that just allowed 25 Fantasy points to Minshew. Cousins is worth 1 percent of your FAB if you need a quarterback in deeper leagues, and then he gets Houston in Week 4.
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Garoppolo is in a similar spot with Cousins, and Garoppolo just scored 22 Fantasy points against the Cardinals in Week 1. He has a great matchup in Week 2 at the Jets, who just allowed 31 Fantasy points against Josh Allen. We know the 49ers want to run the ball, but that could be tough against the Jets. Garoppolo could have a nice stretch of games coming up with the Jets, Giants, Eagles and Dolphins in his next four outings. He's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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Bridgewater's debut with the Panthers was good based on his Fantasy value, and he scored 20 points with 270 passing yards and a touchdown, as well as 26 rushing yards. He doesn't have a great matchup in Week 2 at Tampa Bay, but expect Bridgewater to attempt 30-plus passes on a regular basis (he had 34 in Week 1). He's worth 1 percent of your FAB in deeper leagues if you need a streaming quarterback.
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WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- Injuries of note: James Conner (ankle), Miles Sanders (hamstring), Le'Veon Bell (hamstring), Marlon Mack (Achilles), Phillip Lindsay (foot), Duke Johnson (ankle) and Justin Jackson (quad)
- Priority list: Benny Snell - 23% rostered; Nyheim Hines - 39% rostered; Malcolm Brown - 40% rostered; Joshua Kelley - 42% rostered; Jerick McKinnon - 57% rostered; Darrel Williams - 53% rostered; Adrian Peterson - 30% rostered; Frank Gore - 10% rostered; Myles Gaskin - 0% rostered; Peyton Barber - 4% rostered; Corey Clement - 2% rostered; Carlos Hyde - 23% rostered; Rex Burkhead - 5% rostered;
- Check to see if available: James Robinson (69%), Alexander Mattison (68%) and Chase Edmonds (66%)
- Drop candidates: Jordan Howard (94% rostered), Kerryon Johnson (87%) and Tevin Coleman (80%). Even though Howard scored in Week 1 at New England, it appears like the Dolphins are using a three-headed backfield. Johnson is part of a three-headed backfield in Detroit, but he's likely the odd-man out based on Week 1. And I'm hoping Coleman was limited to just six snaps in Week 1 against Arizona because of the air quality due to the wildfires because he has the sickle cell trait, but the presence of McKinnon could be a problem for Coleman, as well as Mostert. You don't have to drop these guys, but you might consider it.starters in front of them.
Week 2 Priority List
The initial report on Conner's ankle injury Monday night is positive, but he's headed for more tests Tuesday. We'll find out if he can play in Week 2 against the Broncos, but I'm adding Snell everywhere possible in case Conner can't go. If Snell starts for the Steelers in Week 2 then he has top-10 upside, and he just had 19 carries for 113 yards against the Giants on Monday night. We also know Conner's track record with injuries, so stashing Snell as a lottery ticket makes plenty of sense. Snell is worth at least 20 percent of your FAB.
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If you don't want to deal with the Steelers situation then make Hines your No. 1 priority, especially with Mack out for the season. While Jonathan Taylor benefits the most, Hines should have a prominent role, especially in the passing game. In Week 1 against Jacksonville, Hines had seven carries for 28 yards and a touchdown, and he added eight catches for 45 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. Philip Rivers loves throwing to his running backs, and Hines is on pace for 128 receptions this year. That clearly won't happen, but 70 catches is well within reach. He's better in PPR than non-PPR leagues, but Hines is worth at least 20 percent of your FAB.
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In Week 1 against Dallas, Brown was the best running back for the Rams with 25 PPR points. He had 18 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns, and he added three catches for 31 yards on four targets. We'll see how long he plays more than Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, who combined for 17 carries for 45 yards and one catch for 4 yards against the Cowboys, but right now it's clear Brown is the man for the Rams. He should lead the way again in Week 2 at Philadelphia, and Brown is worth at least 20 percent of your FAB. If we were guaranteed that Brown would be the No. 1 running back for the Rams for the rest of the season then I would rank him first on this list, but Akers should take over at some point, which is why Brown comes in third. In non-PPR or 0.5-PPR leagues, I would take Brown over Hines.
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Kelley's been one of my favorite players to draft this season, and I expect him to be the No. 2 running back for the Chargers behind Austin Ekeler. Jackson's injury in Week 1 at Cincinnati might be the opening he needs, and he played well against the Bengals with 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown. He wasn't involved in the passing game, and Ekeler will lead the team in touches while he's healthy. But Kelley should see his role expand, and he does have the potential to be a flex option in deeper leagues, even in tandem with Ekeler. Should Ekeler get hurt, Kelley could be a star. He's worth at least 15 percent of your FAB.
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There's a dropoff after the first four running backs to McKinnon, but I like what I saw from him in Week 1 against the Cardinals. Just seeing him play was fantastic after being out the past two years with knee injuries, but he finished the game with three carries for 24 yards, as well as three catches for 20 yards and a touchdown on five targets. He played ahead of Tevin Coleman as the second running back behind Raheem Mostert, and that could be a permanent thing. McKinnon could end up as a potential flex option in PPR, and he's worth 5 percent of your FAB.
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Don't judge Williams based on what he did against the Texans in Week 1 with seven carries for 23 yards, as well as two catches for 7 yards on two targets. Judge him based on what Clyde Edwards-Helaire did with 25 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. If Edwards-Helaire gets hurt, Williams would be the lead rusher for the Chiefs. He likely would have help, but there's still plenty of lottery-ticket appeal for Williams. I'd rather stash him then chase some of the other running backs on this list below, and he's worth 5 percent of your FAB.
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Peterson was surprisingly the lead running back for the Lions in Week 1 against Chicago despite signing with the team Sept. 6. But he played ahead of Kerryon Johnson and had more touches than D'Andre Swift with 14 carries for 93 yards, as well as three catches for 21 yards on three targets. That was great, but I'm not expecting much from Peterson moving forward. Swift will continue to take on a bigger role, and you're never going to feel comfortable starting Peterson when everyone is healthy. At best, he's worth 5 percent of your FAB heading into Week 2 at Green Bay.
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Bell could miss several weeks with his hamstring injury, meaning the Jets are now going with Gore and Josh Adams (0% rostered) to lead their backfield. I really want no part of these guys since the Jets are going to be a bad team, but at least there's a direct path to playing time. Gore should get more touches than Adams, but both are worth adding in deeper leagues for about 3 percent of your FAB at best.
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Despite the Dolphins adding Jordan Howard and Matt Breida this offseason, the team used Gaskin the most in the backfield in Week 1 against New England. He had nine carries for 40 yards, as well as four catches for 26 yards, and Howard and Breida combined for 13 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown and no catches. We'll see what happens moving forward, but you have to expect Howard and Breida to get more work, especially Breida. Still, if Gaskin is going to be the lead running back in Miami, he's worth adding in deeper leagues for about 3 percent of your FAB.
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The only running back I really want on my Fantasy roster from the Washington Football Team is Antonio Gibson, especially with Bryce Love not playing in Week 1 against Philadelphia. So while Peyton Barber led the team in carries with 17 and scored two touchdowns, he was uninspiring since he had no catches and averaged 1.7 yards per carry. Gibson's role will continue to increase, and Barber will play more in a reserve capacity. Ignore the two touchdowns, and Barber is only worth up to 3 percent of your FAB.
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Clement is only in this spot if it turns out that Boston Scott got hurt in Week 1 at Washington and Sanders isn't ready to return in Week 2 against the Rams. If Clement were the starting running back for the Eagles, he would be worth about 10 percent of your FAB. But hopefully Sanders is back this week, and Scott should be ready to go. Just keep an eye on both, and Clement could be worth adding for 1 percent your FAB in deeper leagues.
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Chris Carson's Fantasy day in Week 1 at Atlanta was made with his receiving production with six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns on six targets, but he only had six carries for 21 yards. Hyde actually led Seattle in carries with seven, although he had just 23 yards. Hyde could be a problem for Carson's Fantasy outlook moving forward, and Hyde is a lottery ticket if something happened to Carson. He's worth stashing on your bench in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your FAB.
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While Damien Harris (hand) is on IR, Burkhead is in play as the No. 3 running back for the Patriots behind Sony Michel and James White. In Week 1 against Miami, Burkhead had seven carries for 32 yards, and we'll see if he gets more touches in Week 2 at Seattle. I'd spend 1% of my FAB on Burkhead in deeper leagues in case the Patriots start to give him more work instead of Michel.
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WAIVER WIRE
Wide Receivers
- Injuries of note: Michael Thomas (ankle), Kenny Golladay (hamstring), Courtland Sutton (shoulder), DeVante Parker (hamstring), Brandin Cooks (quad), Golden Tate (hamstring) and Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring)
- Priority list: Anthony Miller - 61% rostered; Laviska Shenault - 33% rostered; Parris Campbell - 20% rostered; Allen Lazard - 62% rostered; Russell Gage - 2% rostered; Robby Anderson - 45% rostered; Mike Williams - 38% rostered; Marquez Valdes-Scantling - 5% rostered; N'Keal Harry - 46% rostered; Corey Davis - 10% rostered; Scott Miller - 6% rostered; Danny Amendola - 17% rostered
- Check to see if available: Jamison Crowder (81%), Sterling Shepard (80%), Preston Williams (80%), John Brown (79%), Darius Slayton (79%) and Sammy Watkins (77%)
- Drop candidates: Christian Kirk (83% rostered), Deebo Samuel (82%) and Mecole Hardman (64%). Kirk had one catch and no yards, and he watched DeAndre Hopkins do a lot of work in Week 1 at San Francisco with 16 targets compared to five for Kirk. Samuel is on injured reserve for at least three weeks, and you might need the roster spot if you don't have an IR spot on your Fantasy roster. And even though Hardman has huge upside, he's currently the No. 4 receiver in Kansas City behind Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and even Demarcus Robinson. I don't want to drop these guys, but you might have to in some leagues.
Week 2 Priority List
Miller was one of my favorite sleepers this year, and his season-opener at Detroit was a solid performance with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He was third on the team in targets behind Allen Robinson (nine) and Jimmy Graham (seven), and hopefully this is the start of a strong campaign for Miller in his third year. He faces the Giants in Week 2, and New York's secondary should give Miller the chance for another quality stat line. He's worth up to 10 percent of your FAB, and he's a useful No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Shenault was another of my favorite sleepers, and he played well in his NFL debut against the Colts with three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, as well as two carries for 10 yards. Shenault should emerge as the No. 2 receiver for the Jaguars behind D.J. Chark, and I'm excited for his rookie campaign. He's worth up to 10 percent of your FAB, and he could be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 2 at Tennessee. In deeper leagues, you can add Keelan Cole (1% rostered) for 1 percent of your FAB after he had five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Week 1.
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Campbell's first game with Rivers in Week 1 at Jacksonville was great after Campbell tied T.Y. Hilton for the team lead in targets with nine. Campbell finished with six catches for 71 yards, and he added one carry for 9 yards. He should continue to be a primary playmaker in his second season, and hopefully he can stay healthy after battling injuries as a rookie in 2019. He's worth up to 10 percent of your FAB heading into Week 2 against Minnesota.
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Aaron Rodgers put on a show in Week 1 at Minnesota, and his top three receivers benefited with Davante Adams, Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who we'll address below. For Lazard, he had four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown on four targets, and he also added one carry for 19 yards. He should continue to be the No. 2 receiver behind Adams, and he has plenty of upside if Rodgers plays like he did against the Vikings. Lazard is worth up to 10 percent of your FAB heading into Week 2 against Detroit.
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We're not going to see Gage have 12 targets every week like he did in Week 1 against Seattle, but this does validate why Atlanta didn't add another receiver after moving on from Mohamed Sanu last year. Gage tied Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in targets, and Gage finished with nine catches for 114 yards. Hayden Hurst was a non-factor with three catches for 38 yards on five targets, so Gage could be impacted there. But the third-year receiver is worth adding in all leagues based on his Week 1 performance for up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Anderson is a boom or bust Fantasy receiver, and he went boom in Week 1 against the Raiders with six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, as well as a two-point conversion. Now, he scored on a 75-yard touchdown where the cornerback fell down, and Anderson sprinted to the end zone, so take that into account. But his eight targets were on par with D.J. Moore (nine) and Curtis Samuel (eight), which is encouraging. Anderson is worth adding in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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It was a surprise to see Williams play in Week 1 at Cincinnati after dealing with a shoulder injury in training camp, and I thought he looked good with four catches for 69 yards on nine targets, which led the team. He was reportedly having a good training camp with Tyrod Taylor, and hopefully that rapport continues to grow. He could be chasing points in Week 2 against Kansas City, and he's worth adding in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB. Williams could be a useful No. 3 Fantasy receiver as the season goes on.
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Valdes-Scantling was a bust in 2019, but he started 2020 on a positive note with four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown on six targets in Week 1 at Minnesota. He could have had another touchdown on a bad drop, but he flashed his upside against the Vikings. As stated above with Lazard, Rodgers looked awesome in this game, so hopefully this passing attack stays at this level. Valdes-Scantling can be a third-year breakout, and he's worth adding in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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It's hard to gauge the Patriots passing game since Cam Newton attempted only 19 passes in Week 1 against Miami, but Harry tied Julian Edelman for the team lead with five catches. Harry was second behind Edelman in targets with six, but he had just 39 yards. Newton should throw more in Week 2 at Seattle, and we'll see how Harry does. But he's worth adding to the end of your bench in deeper leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Davis looked great in Week 1 at Denver with seven catches for 101 yards on eight targets, and he was actually the best receiver on the field. Maybe the motivation of a new deal and being labeled as a bust for his entire career will help Davis thrive this season, and this was a quality start. I wouldn't get too crazy over this game since A.J. Brown struggled with five catches for 39 yards on eight targets and dropped a touchdown in the fourth quarter. But Davis should absolutely be added in deeper leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB after the way he played against the Broncos.
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Miller was reportedly a star for the Buccaneers in training camp, and he looked good in Week 1 at New Orleans with five catches for 73 yards on six targets. We'll see how he does when Mike Evans is 100 percent since Evans was playing through a hamstring injury, but it's not a bad idea to speculate on Miller in deeper leagues with 1 percent of your FAB. The Buccaneers struggled in Week 1 at New Orleans on offense but should go off in Week 2 against Carolina.
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Amendola could be a No. 3 receiver in PPR this week at Green Bay if Golladay remains out, and he played a primary role in Week 1 against Chicago with five catches for 81 yards on seven targets. It will be hard to trust Amendola when Golladay is back because of Marvin Jones and T.J. Hockenson also soaking up targets, but Amendola should be locked into the slot role for the Lions. Amendola is worth 1 percent of your FAB. In deeper leagues, keep an eye on Quintez Cephus, who had three catches for 43 yards on 10 targets with Golladay absent.
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WAIVER WIRE
Tight End
- Injuries of note: George Kittle (knee), Blake Jarwin (ACL), David Njoku (knee)
- Priority list: Dallas Goedert - 46% rostered; Logan Thomas - 4% rostered; Chris Herndon - 57%; Jimmy Graham - 10% rostered; Greg Olsen - 23% rostered
- Check to see if available: Noah Fant (84%), Jonnu Smith (74%), T.J. Hockenson (67%), Mike Gesicki (65%)
- Drop candidates: Austin Hooper (82% rostered) and Eric Ebron (44%)
I'm hopeful that Hooper plays better in Week 2 than he did in Week 1 at Baltimore in his first game with Cleveland when he finished with two catches for 15 yards on two targets, and maybe Njoku's absence will help. Ebron's debut with Pittsburgh also was quiet with one catch for 18 yards on two targets at the Giants. Again, you don't have to drop these guys, but they are on the chopping block.
Week 2 Priority List
Goedert was the Eagles best player in Week 1 at Washington with eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. With Philadelphia's receiving corps missing Alshon Jeffery (foot) and working in young guys like Jalen Reagor, Carson Wentz again was leaning on Goedert and Zach Ertz, who had three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Goedert was a top 10 PPR tight end in 2019 and could finish there again based on his performance against the Washington Football Team. He's worth at least 15 percent of your FAB.
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Thomas played well in Week 1 against the Eagles with four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on a team-high eight targets. He should continue to be a primary weapon for Dwayne Haskins, and he might be Washington's second-best receiving option behind Terry McLaurin. I'm planning to add Thomas in all leagues if I can't find Goedert, and he should be considered as a low-end starter in Week 2 at Arizona. Thomas is worth up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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I expected Herndon to struggle in Week 1 at Buffalo, and he did with only 37 receiving yards and no touchdowns. But he moved around the field, saw seven targets and finished with six receptions, and those two stats were second on the team behind Crowder. Herndon might not play well in Week 2 against the 49ers, but he's clearly the No. 2 option in the passing game for Sam Darnold. Big days are coming for Herndon, and he's worth up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Reports out of Chicago suggested Graham was going to be a big factor for the Bears, and he was second on the team in targets in Week 1 at Detroit with seven. He finished with only three catches for 25 yards, but he scored a touchdown and nearly had another. He has a good matchup in Week 2 against the Giants, and Graham could be a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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Olsen had a positive debut in his first game with Seattle in Week 1 at Atlanta, catching four passes for 24 yards and a touchdown on four targets. He was fourth on the team in targets behind Tyler Lockett (eight), DK Metcalf (eight) and Chris Carson (six), which is a good sign, but Will Dissly's role could grow as he rounds into shape from last year's Achilles' injury. Olsen has a tough matchup in Week 2 at New England, but he could be a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He's worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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In his first game with Tom Brady, and despite sharing the field with Rob Gronkowski, Howard stood out at New Orleans. He had four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, and his six targets were tied for second on the team with Miller, behind only Chris Godwin's seven. Now, a few things happened here. The Buccaneers were trailing against the Saints, and Evans was playing at less than 100 percent with a hamstring injury. We'll see what Howard does in Week 2 against Carolina, as well as Gronkowski, but he's worth a speculative add if you can carry two tight ends on your Fantasy roster. Howard is worth 1 percent of your FAB.
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I've read nothing but positive things about Akins this offseason, so it was good to see him score in Week 1 at Kansas City. Now, it came in garbage time, and he only had two catches for 39 yards on two targets. Darren Fells also had two targets, but Akins is the better receiving option of Houston's tight ends. The Texans are still trying to figure out their passing game with DeAndre Hopkins gone, and Akins is worth keeping an eye on. In deeper leagues, he's worth a speculative add with 1 percent of your FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
DST
Titans (64%) vs. JAC
Packers (26%) vs. DET
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Cardinals (7%) vs. WAS
WAIVER WIRE
KICKERS
Chris Boswell (52%) vs. DEN
Mason Crosby (28%) vs. DET
Ryan Succop (62%) vs. CAR