Most fantasy managers spend Sunday afternoon [over]reacting. The sharp ones spend Saturday and Sunday morning preparing not only for the upcoming week but also for future weeks.
Before a lovely QuadBox pops up on your television, now is your best chance to scoop up potential breakout players before they become the hottest Week 2 Waiver Wire adds of the week. Once the touchdowns start piling up and the highlight clips go viral, you’ll be competing against your entire league and likely spending valuable FAAB to get the same players you could have added for free today.
That’s why these Week 2 waiver wire stashes matter. Whether it’s a backup running back one injury away from a featured role, a dual-threat quarterback with sneaky fantasy upside, or a rookie receiver ready to emerge, getting ahead of the crowd can be the difference between winning the waiver wire and chasing it all season.
Here are the best fantasy football stashes to add before Week 1 kicks off.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 2 WAIVER WIRE STASHES
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins (40% Rostered)
With fantasy managers loaded up at quarterback, Malik Willis remains available in many leagues. That won’t last if he gets an opportunity to showcase his Konami skill set in a Week 1 matchup against the Raiders.
Willis has already flashed massive upside in limited action, finishing as a Top-7 fantasy quarterback in two of his three relief appearances over the last two seasons. The reason? Rushing production. He piled up 41, 60, and 73 rushing yards in those outings, giving him the type of weekly floor fantasy managers crave.
There’s also growing optimism surrounding Miami’s young receiving corps. Third-round rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell have generated buzz throughout the summer, potentially giving Willis more support than many expected.
Even if you don’t need him immediately, Willis is the perfect stash. If he develops into a weekly starter, you could suddenly find yourself with enough quarterback depth to trade from strength and upgrade elsewhere.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (40%)
Shough quietly finished last season on an absolute heater.
From Weeks 12-18, he ranked as the QB6 in fantasy points per game while averaging 25 rushing yards per contest. That rushing element is what makes Shough such an intriguing waiver wire target. The Saints signal caller offers sneaky Konami Code upside and could quickly become one of the most popular fantasy football streamers of the season.
Don’t be surprised if he’s a weekly waiver wire darling before long.
Other QB stashes: CJ Stroud (29%), Daniel Jones (25%), Bryce Young (13%)
Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers (41%)
Fantasy managers have been waiting patiently for Keaton Mitchell’s return to full health, and the wait finally appears to be over.
After battling a lingering hamstring issue throughout camp, Mitchell is expected to be fully available for the Chargers’ season opener. While Omarion Hampton remains the lead back, Mitchell possesses the kind of explosive, game-breaking speed that offensive guru Mike McDaniel loves to unleash.
The Wolf’s nickname for him says it all: “De’Von Achane Lite.”
You probably won’t be starting Mitchell immediately, but few backups on waivers possess his combination of speed, big-play ability, and league-winning upside if injuries strike ahead of him.
Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos (31%)
Raise your hand if you’ve been burned by a JK Dobbins injury before! Exactly.
As talented as Dobbins is, durability concerns have followed him throughout his NFL career. That’s why Jonah Coleman belongs near the top of your stash list.
While RJ Harvey currently sits ahead of him as a third-down back, Coleman profiles as the player most likely to inherit early-down and goal-line work if Dobbins misses time. Sean Payton has already praised the rookie repeatedly, even drawing comparisons to Dobbins.
At 5-foot-8 and roughly 220 pounds, Coleman is built like a bowling ball with cleats. He combines tackle-breaking power with enough receiving ability to stay on the field.
If Dobbins stays healthy, Coleman remains a premium bench stash. If Dobbins misses time, Coleman could become one of the most valuable waiver wire pickups of the season overnight.
Get ahead of the crowd before the inevitable FAAB frenzy.
Emari Demercado, Dallas Cowboys (1%)
If you’re digging deep, Emari Demercado deserves a look.
With Malik Davis sidelined by a significant hip injury that he suffered at practice on Friday, Demercado appears next in line behind Javonte Williams. Dallas doesn’t have much proven running back depth behind Williams, creating an opportunity for Demercado to carve out a meaningful role if injuries strike.
At just 1% rostered, he’s flying severely under the radar, but that’s exactly the type of player we’re looking to target in this article.
Other RB stashes: Woody Marks (50%), Tank Bigsby (35%), Emmett Johnson (19%), Ray Davis (17%)
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (48%)
How is Deebo Samuel still available in over half of fantasy leagues? Unfortunately, unlike the other stashes in this article, fantasy managers will have to spend some FAAB, with him locked on the waiver wire until the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Samuel wasted no time making an impact in his return to San Francisco, catching six passes for 48 yards and a touchdown while adding 12 rushing yards and 74 kick-return yards in Week 1.
More importantly, his usage looked very familiar under Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan once again deployed Samuel all over the formation, creating touches in multiple ways and putting the ball in the hands of one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers. That’s exactly the role that made him a fantasy star in previous seasons.
As long as that versatile workload continues, Samuel belongs on fantasy rosters everywhere.
Ja’Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens (18%)
Few rookie receivers generated more offseason buzz than Ja’Kobi Lane.
The talented rookie impressed throughout training camp and preseason, earning praise from coaches, teammates, and beat writers. Now fantasy managers wait to see whether that momentum carries into meaningful regular-season snaps.
Lane’s path to fantasy relevance is straightforward. If Baltimore’s offense throws more frequently under new coordinator Declan Doyle, Lane could eventually challenge Rashod Bateman for the WR2 role behind Zay Flowers.
With Lamar Jackson under center, that’s a ceiling worth chasing.
Caleb Douglas (11%) & Chris Bell (8%), Miami Dolphins
Fantasy managers searching for deep sleepers with untapped upside should keep an eye on Miami’s rookie receivers — who were both named Week 1 starters.
Caleb Douglas earned a starting role on the Dolphins’ initial depth chart and has spent most of the summer working with the first-team offense. Chris Bell has also generated plenty of excitement, giving Miami’s offense a much-needed bigger target on the perimeter.
The Dolphins’ offense still carries questions, but opportunity matters. Both rookies are one strong performance away from becoming hot waiver wire adds.
Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints (5%)
With Jordyn Tyson expected to miss at least the first month of the season, Devaughn Vele suddenly finds himself with a path to meaningful targets.
Before suffering a shoulder injury late last year, Vele was beginning to emerge as a trusted option for Tyler Shough. Now healthy again, he could quickly step back into that role and provide sneaky fantasy value.
In deeper formats, Vele is exactly the type of low-rostered receiver worth stashing before he’s targeted as the team’s WR2 behind Chris Olave.
Other WR targets: AD Mitchell (16%), Jauan Jennings (9%), Cyrus Allen (7%), Zachariah Branch (3%), Antonio Williams (2%)
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (19%)
Michael Mayer might be the most obvious streamer of the week.
With Brock Bowers sidelined after a surprise meniscus procedure that could keep him sidelined for a few weeks, Mayer is in line for a massive workload. The former second-round pick has already shown he can produce when given opportunities, and the Raiders have every reason to feature him heavily in the passing game.
Klint Kubiak’s offense has historically utilized tight ends, and Kirk Cousins has never been shy about peppering the position with targets.
Fantasy managers searching for a Week 2 starter (and beyond) should view Mayer as a legitimate Top-10 tight end option with legitimate Top-5 upside if the volume materializes.
Other TE targets: Dalton Schultz (49%), Chig Okonkwo (35%), T.J. Hockenson (22%), Greg Dulcich (11%), Charlie Kolar (1%)
Defense Waiver Wire Targets (DST)
49ers DST (9%)
A healthy 49ers defense shut down MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams on Thursday night. But, just like the Deebo pick above, you’ll have to fight your teammates to get them on your roster. After returning from Australia, the Niners have juicy matchups with the Dolphins and Cardinals up next.
Other defenses to target: Cowboys DST (29%), Buccaneers DST (3%), Panthers (1%)
