I mean … Did you really think we were going to get out of Week 1 unscathed by injuries? OF COURSE NOT! But that's why we love fantasy football. There were some key players who exited games, and there were others that felt like they just didn't even play (I mean, seriously, some of the numbers are awful).

Nonetheless, we've got names to go through for the Week 2 waiver wire. This is a really important week since we got a few answers to some running back and wide receiver rooms that we were questioning during the preseason, so stay focused and good luck!

Don't forget to check out our Waiver Wire Tool, which will have even more targets on a weekly basis.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Ahead of Week 2

Note that some of these players listed below are more suited for deeper leagues, and all rostership percentages are from Yahoo.

Week 1 Injuries to monitor:

• George Kittle (hamstring)
• Brock Bowers (knee)
• Drake London (shoulder)
• Xavier Worthy (shoulder)
• Colby Parkinson (shoulder)
• Evan Engram (calf)
• Jauan Jennings (shoulder)

Daniel Jones, QB, Giants (5% rostered)

DANIEL JONES TRUTHERS, PLEASE COME FORWARD! What a performance from the QB1 for Indianapolis—Jones not only led the Colts to a win against the Dolphins, but he is now the first quarterback this century to lead a scoring drive in every possession, according to NFL Network.

Jones was 22-of-29 passing for 272 yards and one touchdown for the Colts and also notched seven carries for 26 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Will we get this kind of stellar performance every week? Probably not, after all the Dolphins vibes coming into the season were bad, and it was very evident on Sunday that it could be a long season. Miami was outgained 255-43 at halftime. Jones was connecting with Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce and he is definitely going to be on the cover of most waiver wire articles.

You will probably have a better option to start in Week 2 since the Colts are facing the Broncos at home, but he is definitely worth a waiver wire stash.

Hollywood Brown, WR, Chiefs (25% rostered)

Because we can't have nice things, Xavier Worthy went down in the Chiefs first game of the season against the Chargers. An MRI confirmed that Worthy has a dislocated shoulder, so we should expect him to miss a few weeks. The result? Hollywood Brown being one of the highest scoring fantasy receivers on the week. Brown finished Friday's game coming down with 10 of his 16 targets for 99 yards. 

With Worthy hurt and Rashee Rice sidelined for another five games because of his suspension, we should expect Brown to continue being a focal point in this offense.

Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (9% rostered)

Quentin Johnston caught the football on Friday and we need to talk about it. Johnston had five receptions off seven targets and found the endzone twice in Brazil. I know this is like the boy who cried wolf, but just in case Johnston has put everything together, we need to be ready. Pick him up if you can.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns (2% rostered)

Last week I highlighted Harold Fannin Jr. and I am going to do it again and again until you pick him up (bench permitting). The Week 1 utilization is telling us a story that Kevin Stefanski has a plan for this rookie tight end. Fanning Jr. had 13.6 PPR fantasy points, 67% route participation, 29% targets per route run, and even more that you need to see.

When the Browns released Diontae Johnson, it was a sign that Fannin could be relevant. David Njoku is also in the final season of his current contract, and Fannin played almost as many snaps as Njoku in most situations on Sunday. When you pick up Fannin, just realize (depending on your roster) he isn't someone you should start right away, but he has been one of my favorite waiver wire stashes. 

Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders (0% rostered)

Brock Bowers left Sunday's game and was quickly ruled out with a knee injury, which is really a vibe killer for Week 1. It's interesting, though, because the usage from Raiders tight ends during the preseason was somewhat concerning, but not enough for me to stop drafting Bowers. I asked our own Dwain McFarland on Sunday night if he saw anything in the splits between Bowers and Mayer that would make the latter fantasy relevant, and he said yes! This is really for deeper leagues, but before Bowers was injured, here were the splits for Mayer: 49% snaps, 32% route participation. After Bowers was injured, Mayer had 70% route participation, 30% targets and 7.8 total PPR fantasy points. 

Again, this is more of a deeper league stash in case Bowers misses any time.

Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns (46% rostered)

I know in deeper leagues that Dylan Sampson won't be available, but this waiver wire article is for all leagues of shapes and sizes! Quinshon Judkins was signed by the Browns over the weekend to a fully guaranteed four-year, $11.4 million deal. He was drafted 36th overall in this year's NFL Draft, so we know that the Browns will want to utilize him sooner rather than later when they can. Judkins is scheduled to meet with the NFL this week about its investigation into his misdemeanor domestic violence and battery charge, according to Adam Schefter.

Schefter also reported that there is "a real possibility" that Judkins will make his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. He wasn't with the team during training camp and didn't participate in preseason games, so you should still be comfortable picking up Sampson.

He was the primary early-down back on Sunday, while Jerome Ford was the third-down back. If Judkins does get suspended, then it is likely that Sampson will be the primary back again. 

Brenton Strange, TE, Jaguars (22% rostered)

For some, Brenton Strange will not be on the waiver wire because he was among the top sleeper tight ends for some fantasy managers heading into the season. However, if he is available, I would take a look! Strange led the Jaguars in receiving yards against the Panthers and caught four passes for 59 yards. Yes, backup tight end Johnny Mundt scored a touchdown, but we are not worried about that. The Jaguars are on the road against a bad Bengals defense for Week 2.

Calvin Austin III, WR, Steelers (2% rostered)

Is Aaron Rodgers all the way back? Who really knows, but one thing is obvious: Calvin Austin deserves to be on your radar for waivers this week. I'm not going to say you need to fully lean in, we are dealing with an Arthur Smith-led offense (and he always hates our fantasy teams), but he is someone to consider because he could fully take over that WR2 role in Pittsburgh.

Austin caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Jets and if Rodgers continues to build chemistry and trust with the receiver, then he could be FLEX worthy in some matchups. If some of the receiver injuries impacted your fantasy team, then you'll want to spend some money on Austin.

Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions (9% Rostered)

Remember when we talked last week about Isaac TeSlaa? Detroit traded Tim Patrick to the Jaguars in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, which bumped TeSlaa up the depth chart just a little bit more. And on Sunday? He had a highlight reel catch.

He only locked down one reception for 13 yards and a touchdown, but he is still worth picking up in deeper leagues in case any other Lions receivers go down with an injury.

The Other Guys (still important)

• Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Steelers
• Mason Taylor, TE, Jets
• Tre Tucker, WR, Raiders
• Kayshon Boutte, WR, Patriots
• Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints
• Aaron Rodgers, QB, Steelers (I can't believe it either)

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