As we get ready for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL Season, we enter our first critical period of the fantasy football season. Many fantasy managers will face their first serious roster decisions of the season. For managers who lost players to injury in Week 1, this may be their only chance to stay afloat. So let’s take a look at my Fantasy Football 2023: Week 2 Waiver Wire Targets. To check out our full expert rankings, head over to our rankings page.
* I will be using Yahoo Fantasy Rostership & for this article. I will also attempt to give several options at each position, for varying levels of league size. The dollar value next to the player’s name is the desired amount of FAAB to bid on them with a $100 budget.
Quarterbacks
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts ($25)
Week 2 Opponent: Texans, Rostership: 83%
Anthony Richardson has been a player I liked far better in dynasty leagues. The odds of him being a stud as a rookie were slim. After Week 1 it certainly appears I was wrong. As I sit here during Monday Night Football, he currently sits as QB4 on the week. This finish didn’t come on his legs as many anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, he did have a solid rushing total; but rather it was his arm that got him there. In his first NFL start, Richardson showed a poise and accuracy that we have never seen from him before. It’s too early to tell if it’s all just a mirage, but the time to add him is now. He has a fantasy-breaking upside this season.
Shallow League Options (More than 70% Rostership): Jared Goff, DET (71% rostered)
Medium League Options (50 to 70% Rostership): Brock Purdy, SF (56% rostered)
Deeper League Options (25 to 50% Rostership): Derek Carr, NO (38% rostered), Matthew Stafford, LAR (29% rostered), Jordan Love, GB (31% rostered)
Dart Throw Options (Less than 25% Rostership): Sam Howell, WSH (22% rostered), Baker Mayfield, TB (10% rostered), Mac Jones, NE (8% rostered), Zach Wilson, NYJ (0% rostered) if Rodgers is out.
Running Backs
Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders ($12)
Week 2 Opponent: Broncos, Rostership: 86%
All offseason the Commanders coaching staff hyped up Antonio Gibson as the bell cow in this offense. So, naturally, it was all Robinson in Week 1. Robinson does not have the ceiling that Gibson has. He does however have the lead back job in his pocket currently. The Washington offense struggled to move the ball against a bad Cardinal defense. So, it remains to be seen if the lead-back role will be one of actual fantasy value. For now, Robinson is a sneaky value for those in need of a solid flex play.
Shallow League Options (More than 70% Rostership): Raheem Mostert, MIA (79% rostered)
Medium League Options (50 to 70% Rostership): Ezekiel Elliott, NE (65% rostered), Tyler Allgeier, ATL (56% rostered)
Deeper League Options (25 to 50% Rostership): Kenneth Gainwell, PHI (47% rostered), Jaylen Warren, PIT (47% rostered)
Dart Throw Options (Less than 25% Rostership): Roschon Johnson, CHI (16% rostered), Gus Edwards, BAL (20% rostered), Kareem Hunt, UFA (11% rostered), Sean Tucker, TB (4% rostered)
Wide Receivers
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens ($30)
Week 2 Opponent: Bengals, Rostership: 71%
Zay Flowers is easily my favorite target of the first-round rookie receivers. While I don’t expect him to be available on many waiver wires, he is available in 30% of Yahoo leagues.
The above paragraph was copied and pasted from my Preseason waiver article. Somehow, this budding superstar is still available in 29% of leagues. If he is on your waiver wire, break the bank. He has a league-winning upside and is only going to get better once the season moves on. This is a future WR1 for fantasy football. For now, add him off waivers and use him to beef up your roster.
Shallow League Options (More than 70% Rostership): Elijah Moore, CLE (74% rostered)
Medium League Options (50 to 70% Rostership): Jakobi Meyers, NE (50% rostered), Quentin Johnston, LAC (58% rostered), Nico Collins, HOU (55% rostered)
Deeper League Options (25 to 50% Rostership): Rashee Rice, KC (36% rostered), Zay Jones, LV (30% rostered), Romeo Doubs, GB (31% rostered)
Dart Throw Options (Less than 25% Rostership): Rashid Shaheed, NO (16% rostered), Puka Nacua, LAR (6% rostered), KJ Osborn, MIN (10% rostered), Jayden Reed, GB (8% rostered), Kendrick Bourne, NE (2% rostered), Curtis Samuel, WSH (10% rostered), Robert Woods, HOU (4% rostered)
Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst, Panthers ($3)
Week 2 Opponent: Saints, Rostership: 11%
The Panthers wide receiver room looks scary bad. Adam Thielen is past his prime and nursing an ankle injury. Jonathan Mingo is inexperienced and DJ Chark was out in Week 1. The targets have to go somewhere and were better than a big check-down target in Hayden Hurst. We always knew with a rookie quarterback that a check-down option was going to be valuable, so scoop up Hurst now if you missed at tight end.
Adding dart throw tight ends off waivers is always a risky play, especially in bad offences. So, don’t spend a fortune to acquire Hurst. A small bid of a couple of bucks should suffice.
Shallow League Options (More than 70% Rostership): Cole Kmet, CHI (71% rostered)
Medium League Options (50 to 70% Rostership): Sam LaPorta, DET (65% rostered), Juwan Johnson, NO (52% rostered)
Deeper League Options (25 to 50% Rostership): Greg Dulcich, DEN (36% rostered), Jake Ferguson, DAL (38% rostered)
Dart Throw Options (Less than 25% Rostership): Luke Musgrave, GB (19% rostered), Trey McBride, ARI (3% rostered), Hunter Henry, NE (16% rostered), Zach Ertz, ARI (5% rostered), Logan Thomas, WSH (2% rostered)
If you like Fantasy Football 2023: Week 2 Waiver Wire Targets, head over to our rankings page for a full breakdown.
