Waiver Wire Targets 2016 Week 2

By Armando Marsal

As the season progresses and injuries occur, the waiver wire will be your best friend. The injury bug started early this season as we have already several players for the season. Keenan Allen tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season and Robert Griffin III was put on IR with a shoulder injury. For those who lost Allen, that is a tough blow, and while replacing him is not easy, finding a player to at least someone fill that void is key. That being said, let’s take a look at some of this week’s players to target off of waivers.

Quarterback

Carson Wentz – Eagles: Wentz started his first NFL regular season game on Sunday and did just fine. He threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns on 37 pass attempts and did not turn the ball over. Granted, he played against the Browns defense who is not that good, but next week he faces the Bears who are vulnerable against the pass. For those who have Russell Wilson, Wentz can be a solid stream play this week if Wilson happens to miss the next game.

Joe Flacco – Ravens: Flacco was not all that great in Week 1, but he was not awful either. He threw for 258 yards and a touchdown. Flacco will play against the Browns next week who struggled against Carson Wentz. Flacco, a much better quarterback, could be a useful stream play this week for fantasy owners. He tossed the ball 34 times in the season opener.

Running Back

Spencer Ware- Chiefs: It is unlikely Ware is still out there on your waiver wire, but if he is, stop reading this article for a second and go get him. He had a huge performance in Week 1 against the Chargers. He rushed for 70 yards, caught seven passes for 129 yards, and scored a touchdown. He will have a role in this offense even when Jamaal Charles returns. Ware should be the top priority on everyone’s waiver wire this week.

James White – Patriots: Running backs in New England can be frustrating due to Coach Bill Belichick’s tactics of randomly reducing a backs role any given week. However, the pass catching role on this backfield has always produced solid numbers. White will play the Dion Lewis role until he returns from injury. In the season opener, White was targeted seven times and caught five passes for 40 yards. He does not offer a ton of touchdown upside, but can be a solid flex option in PPR formats. He definitely deserves a roster spot on your fantasy teams.

Tevin Coleman – Falcons: Coleman and Devonta Freeman split the workload in Week 1 and Coleman looked a tad better. It is uncertain how this duo will split the workload in the future, but Coleman did enough to warrant a roster spot in just about all fantasy teams. He was drafted in most leagues, but if he lying around in your free agent player pool, make sure to add him.

Theo Riddick – Lions: Riddick is someone I targeted in my drafts this season and in some leagues he may not be a free agent, but if he is, specifically in PPR formats, go get him. This is a Lions offense that passes a ton and Riddick will benefit from that. He caught all five of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 45 yards on seven carries and scored a rushing touchdown. While I’m not projecting him to be a high touchdown back, I do anticipate his role in the passing game to be significant.

Others to consider: Jalen Richard – Oakland Raiders

Wide Receiver

Will Fuller – Texans: The rookie had a nice preseason and carried that over into the regular season. In Week 1, Fuller caught five passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. He was peppered with 11 targets. With all the defenses placing their entire attention on DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller, Fuller could see a lot of single coverage and put himself in a good position to produce. He is definitely someone that shouldn’t be a free agent in any fantasy league.

Tajae Sharpe – Titans: Here is another rookie who had a strong preseason and continued to play well in the season opener. Sharpe caught seven of his 11 targets for 76 yards. He received the most targets of all Titans receivers and even got more looks than Delanie Walker. Sharpe should continue to see this type of volume all season long and could end the season as the highest targeted player on this Titans offense. He is a must add, assuming he is a free agent in your league. If you lost Allen, Sharpe could be very helpful.

Chris Hogan – Patriots: Hogan caught three of his four targets for 60 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. What stood out to me most is the amount of snaps he played, 55 of the 71 snaps. He should be a solid contributor on a weekly basis in this potent offense, especially when Tom Brady returns. He received positive buzz during the preseason, so this performance was not surprising.

Mohamed Sanu – Falcons: Sanu had a really strong regular season debut with the Falcons. He caught five of his eight targets for 80 yards and a touchdown. He also accounted for a two point conversion. The No. 2 wide receiver on the Falcons might be a busy man this year with all the attention from opposing defenses going towards Julio Jones. It is worth noting he was seen limping heavily after the game, but there is no official word on his Week 2 status. With that said, he is still someone worth adding.

Others to consider: Cole Beasley – Cowboys, Tyrell Williams – Chargers, Jeremy Kerley - Niners

Tight End

Eric Ebron – Lions: Ebron may have been overlooked in drafts due to his injury in the preseason. If that is the case in your league, go now and add him. As we saw in Week 1, Ebron is one of the main beneficiaries of Calvin Johnson’ departure from Detroit. Ebron caught all five of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown. He should continue to have a significant role in the pass happy offense.

Others to consider: Jesse James – Steelers, Jacob Tamme – Falcons, Vance McDonald – Niners

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on the Twitter machine: @Armando_Marsal