It was a fun Week 1 in the 2020 NFL season, and fantasy football players are looking ahead for the top waiver wire pickups for Week 2.
As always, there's no reason to overreact to every little thing that took place in the opening week of the season. The first week of the waiver wire is all about patience. Someone is gonna drop a proven starter who had one bad game for a player who's the fifth option in the offense. Someone is gonna drop the San Francisco 49ers' defense just because they only scored one fantasy point against a dynamic Arizona Cardinals offense.
You can take advantage of these overreactions by sitting back and picking up players who are inexplicably dropped. So, unless you can get the top two or three options on the Week 2 waiver wire, it may make more sense to focus on seeing who gets ousted from other fantasy rosters.
Here are the top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 2 in fantasy football.
10. Joshua Kelley (RB, Los Angeles Chargers, 11.3 percent owned)
Austin Ekeler is still the main man in the Chargers' backfield, but Kelley quickly proved that he could be a bigger piece of the puzzle than most expected. The Chargers rookie had 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is a nice performance in your first NFL game. Figuring out what role a rookie will play throughout the entire season is a challenge, but Kelley is worth a look if you need more options at running back.
9. Gardner Minshew (QB, Jacksonville Jaguars, 14.9 percent owned)
Minshew mania is back, baby. There was no NFL quarterback in Week 1 as efficient as the second-year gunslinger out of Washington State, with Minshew going 19 of 20 for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Are you gonna start him every week in one-quarterback leagues? Probably not. But here's his upcoming schedule the next five games: at Titans, vs. Dolphins, at Bengals, at Texans, and vs. Lions. The matchup against the Titans isn't the best, but the other four opponents could offer some nice production for the Jaguars quarterback.
8. Adrian Peterson (RB, Detroit Lions, 21.3 percent owned)
Most know that Peterson isn't the future of the Lions' offense, and he probably won't be getting the bulk of the workload later in the season. However, that didn't stop him from posting 14 carries for 93 yards while adding three receptions for 21 yards in Detroit's brutal loss to the Chicago Bears. D'Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson are still going to be involved, but after Swift's late-game drop, perhaps the Lions will continue to make Peterson the main back for now. There's more risk with this one than some of the other waiver wire pickups, but there's also upside if Peterson keeps playing like he did in Week 1.
7. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR, Green Bay Packers, 1.9 percent owned)
It's very interesting that Valdes-Scantling has such low ownership, but that probably won't be the case at the start of Week 2. In an offseason where all anyone talked about was the lack of receiving help for Aaron Rodgers, the Packers saw Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard step up and provide production, along with the usual greatness from Davante Adams. Valdes-Scantling turned six targets into four catches for 96 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. We've seen what Valdes-Scantling is capable of, and now it's a matter of him doing that consistently. He probably won't be an every-week starter on your fantasy team, but he's worth an add.
6. Allen Lazard (WR, Green Bay Packers, 24.8 percent owned)
We're bunching these two together since it's impossible to know which one will be the breakout star after just one game. But we know Rodgers loves Lazard, and he's going to be a huge part of the Packers' passing game. Plus, with so many teams keying in on Adams every game, there are going to be games where the other two receivers put up huge numbers. The problem is we don't know which it'll be each week, but with Rodgers under center, they're both fine additions as waiver wire pickups if you need them.
5. Mike Williams (WR, Los Angeles Chargers, 48.4 percent owned)
While the Chargers' didn't look great on offense in the win against the Bengals, there's still appeal with Williams. He caught four of nine targets for 69 yards, and while the yardage isn't gonna wow anyone, it's the targets that spark interest. Williams has already proven to be a playmaker in his fourth season in the NFL, and even if there's an eventual quarterback change from Tyrod Taylor to Justin Herbert, the former Clemson wide receiver is gonna be a top target in the passing game.
4. Parris Campbell (WR, Indianapolis Colts, 29.8 percent owned)
The first of two Colts' players on the waiver wire pickups list for this week, Campbell had six catches for 71 yards in the Colts' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. More importantly, he had nine targets, which tied TY Hilton for a team-high. Indianapolis is still going to run the ball, but if the defense looks like it did in Jacksonville, Philip Rivers is going to be throwing the ball a lot. That makes Campbell an intriguing option, especially in Week 2 against a Minnesota Vikings team that gave up 43 points to the Packers.
3. Benny Snell Jr. (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers, 14.6 percent owned)
James Conner left the Steelers' game against the New York Giants with an ankle injury, with Snell coming and reeling off 19 carries for 113 yards. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers are “optimistic for a timely return” for Conner, but Snell's performance in the season opener could provide him with plenty of opportunities moving forward even when Conner does return. That makes Snell an easy choice for the Week 2 waiver wire pickups.
2. Malcolm Brown (RB, Los Angeles Rams, 7.9 percent owned)
The Rams' started the season with a big win against the Dallas Cowboys, and Brown was a big reason for LA's success. The backfield has a lot of talent with rookie Cam Akers and second-year back Darrell Henderson in the mix, but Brown led the way with 18 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. He was also tied for third on the team with four targets. Most expect Akers to eventually become the starter, but for now, Brown has obvious value.
1. Nyheim Hines (RB, Indianapolis Colts, 34.2 percent owned)
Marlon Mack is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and while rookie Jonathan Taylor has been named the new starter, Hines is clearly going to be a factor in the Colts' plans on offense. He scored two touchdowns in the Week 1 loss to the Jaguars, and his eight receptions for 45 yards make him a must-add for fantasy players in PPR leagues.
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