Waiver Wire Watch: Week 2 Targets

Sep 14, 2020

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

I’m not sure I have ever needed a Week 1 more than I needed this one, and boy did it deliver. Many expected sloppy football, but by and large the teams looked ready and put together some great games in real life and fantasy. Now that the season is here it’s time to get into the routine, which means the waiver wire will be hot this week. Week 1 tells us a lot we didn’t know, but it can also be filled with mirages. Just last year the Bengals almost beat the Seahawks in Week 1, while Washington was within one score of beating the Eagles. Those two teams, you may remember, picked first and second in the NFL draft this spring. I try to read the tea leaves below and give you the best recommendations for players to target heading into Week 2.

Before we get into the meat of the article, there are a few house-keeping items to clear up. Recommendations are based on a PPR-scoring, four-point passing touchdown, 12-team league, with ownership percentages coming from Yahoo. I try to mention when a player is a better streaming play (short-term/one-week starter) versus a long-term addition. Free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestions are based on a $100 season-long budget. Lastly, the great John Paulsen will edit this article every week and adjust rankings and prices if necessary. Essentially, you’re getting two minds collaborating on this piece instead of one, so lucky you.

Chat w/ Alex Gelhar! We have an exciting new opportunity for 4for4 subscribers. Every Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET I'll be hosting an hour-long AMA (ask me anything) in our Discord server, answering your waiver-wire and general fantasy football questions. Hit this link to join the server and get direct access to me and other actual perks. Learn more about Discord here.

Now, with that out of the way, here are some players to target heading into Week 2.

Quarterbacks

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers, 52% rostered ($5)

Garoppolo put together a decent Week 1 stat line (259 yards, two touchdowns, nine rushing yards) in a solid matchup against the Cardinals, but he could build upon those totals in Week 2 when the 49ers play the Jets. Josh Allen just amassed the first 300-yard game of his career against the Jets, whose secondary is very much a work in process. Like Cousins, Garoppolo is a solid streaming option in Week 2.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans, 45% rostered ($5)

The Titans hadn't played their Week 1 game at press time, but looking ahead to Week 2, Tannehill has a pretty favorable matchup with the Jaguars. He was the No. 3 fantasy quarterback after taking over as the starter in Week 7, so there's definitely upside here.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, 34% rostered ($4)

Cousins was a garbage-time hero this week in fantasy, putting up solid numbers (259 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 34 rushing yards) despite getting crushed by the Packers at home. Next up for Cousins is a date with a Colts secondary that just gave up three touchdowns to Gardner Minshew and the Jaguars. Cousins is an attractive streaming option this week for those relying on that strategy.

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears, 3% rostered ($3)

A bad game script (being down double-digits late) and a good matchup (a bad/injured Lions secondary) allowed Trubisky to scrape together a (as of right now) top-10 fantasy performance (242 yards, three touchdowns, 26 rushing yards). The matchups stay favorable for Trubisky as the Bears play a Giants team next week without much talent in the secondary (or in the defense as a whole). Those looking for an under-the-radar streaming pick or cheap option in DFS could look Trubisky’s way.

Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars, 25% rostered ($3)

Minshew didn’t rack up a ton of passing yards, but the Mustache threw three touchdowns in an upset win over the Colts. Minshew adds a bit of rushing appeal as well (five runs, 19 yards), and could have more usable weeks down the line. He plays the Titans this week, and we (at press time on Monday) have yet to see what that defense will look like. Minshew is a less-appealing streamer, but could be a good quarterback to stash with the Dolphins, Bengals, Texans and Lions looming on the schedule.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins, 9% rostered ($1)

To say the Dolphins offense struggled in Week 1 is an understatement that would make politicians blush. The team invested a high pick in Tua, and his number could be called sooner rather than later. If you’re in a two-QB league or fear you may need quarterback help in the not too distant future, Tua is worth a speculative stash for now.