Fantasy Football 2022 Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Quarterbacks

Marcus Mariota, Falcons (9% Rostered): Mariota turned some heads in Week 1, spearheading a near-upset of the Saints and putting up legit numbers in his first game under center. Mariota completed 20 of 33 passes, and while he didn’t throw a TD pass, he also did not turn the ball over. Mariota also rushed 12 times for 72 yards and a TD. If Mariota is going to run the ball with regularity, there’s no reason he isn’t in the conversation with players like Justin Fields and Trey Lance, who are both rostered in way more leagues. If you’re suffering with the Dak Prescott injury news Mariota seems like a capable replacement.

Matt Ryan, Colts (43% Rostered): The narrative will be that the Colts are an embarrassment, that they tied one of the NFL’s worst teams, and that Ryan is another retread old man who will hold back this offense from it’s full potential. That narrative ignores that Ryan threw the ball 50 times, a callback to his prime with the Falcons. He amassed 352 yards through the air, and although he only threw one TD pass, that’s an unusual outcome with so many attempts. Ryan won’t be an elite guy ever again, but he does have a juicy slate that includes Jacksonville, Kansas City and Tennessee in his next three games.

Running Backs

Jeff Wilson, 49ers (16% Rostered): Wilson wasn’t very impressive in relief of Eli Mitchell in Week 1, rushing nine times for just 22 yards in monsoon conditions in Chicago. I won’t sit here and tell you that Wilson is a league-winning kind of talent either. What Wilson is, though, is a capable running back who is trusted to run in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He’s got very little competition currently for carries, and QB Trey Lance looked rough to say the least as a passer. The 49ers’ lead back is a valuable fantasy asset; the issue usually is figuring out who the lead back is. Until Mitchell is back, we have our answer.

Khalil Herbert, Bears (41% Rostered): Herbert was very impressive in 2021 when filling in for an injured David Montgomery, and while Montgomery’s return last year spelled doom for Herbert’s usage, the new regime seems more inclined to fire him up. Herbert is still a distant No. 2 for now, but he did earn nine carries, and turned them into 45 yards and a score. Herbert is a threat to Montgomery’s vaunted volume, and it can be argued that he’s a better RB. At this point, I’d view Herbert as a tad more than a pure handcuff, and just a speculative add if you have the roster space.

Kenyan Drake, Ravens (12% Rostered): Drake doesn’t have value if J.K. Dobbins is back in Week 2, so pay attention to the reports. If Dobbins does sit again, however, Drake is worth an add and figures to be a decent play as Baltimore’s lead back. Mike Davis was a non-factor, and Drake also offers the possibility of some receptions out of the backfield. He’s uninspiring, but potentially useful if you’re scrambling for RB help early.

Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (48% Rostered): Gainwell ran well on his five carries, gaining 20 yards and also scoring a touchdown, but he only was on the field for 30% of Philadelphia’s snaps. Gainwell has the type of talent that belongs on fantasy rosters, and he could see a massive usage spike if Miles Sanders gets hurt, but for now he’s a hold on your bench if you can spare the spot.

Jaylen Warren, Steelers (4% Rostered): There is optimism that Najee Harris will be able to go in Week 2, which would knock my enthusiasm for Warren to about zero. But if Harris can’t go, Warren is a viable FLEX option due to the volume we can expect from Pittsburgh’s top back.

Wide Receivers

D.J. Chark, Lions (40% Rostered): Chark reminded us what he’s capable of last week, hitting the Eagles up for 52 yards and a touchdown. It’s clear that Amon-Ra St. Brown is the lead dog in Detroit and he will dominate targets, but Chark has never been that player. Chark is a big bodied burner who does his damage down the field. Now healthy, that role seems to be his in this offense, making him a dangerous FLEX, albeit risky on a week-to-week basis.

Jahan Dotson, Commanders (23% Rostered): Dotson was an overlooked player all offseason, lost in the hype about other rookie WRs. That ended on Sunday. Dotson caught three passes for 40 yards and found the end zone twice, including one spectacular grab. I’m not calling Dotson a superstar breakout here, but he is clearly going to be an important part of the Commanders’ passing game, which is about to be much improved with Carson Wentz at the helm. Laugh if you want, but Wentz, while far from an elite real life QB, is an entirely competent one. Wentz threw 41 times vs. Jacksonville, piling up 313 yards and four TDs. Don’t cling to narratives, follow the data. Wentz can support more pass-catchers than just Terry McLaurin, and Dotson is the best bet to be Washington’s second banana.

Garrett Wilson, Jets (21% Rostered): Speaking of rookies, Wilson’s usage was odd. He was only on the field for 49% of the snaps, and it would’ve been lower if the Ravens hadn’t broken the game open and forced the Jets to throw for most of the second half. When he played, Wilson looked electric. He finished with a respectable four catches and 52 yards, and needs to be featured more moving forward at the expense of Corey Davis. For the time being, Wilson can’t be trusted as a FLEX option, but as time moves forward his role should grow, especially when Zach Wilson gets back under center. I love him as a stash if your roster isn’t injury-racked.

Jarvis Landry, Saints (42% Rostered): Landry’s seven-catch, 114-yard performance in Week 1 was a throwback to his prime years with the Dolphins. While it’s certainly nice to see, I wouldn’t expect it to become the norm. The 72% snap rate was highly encouraging, but lets’ not forget that Michael Thomas was also on a restricted snap count. Landry is a fine depth piece to add, but at this point he needs to string a few of these performances together before he has gained trust back.

Robbie Anderson, Panthers (10% Rostered): Are we falling for Anderson again? It’s clear Baker Mayfield is an upgrade on any QB Anderson has had before, and Mayfield looked his way eight times in Week 1, resulting in a 105-yard, one-TD effort. Anderson has a tendency to disappear, and he’s a pretty one-dimensional player, so I don’t think he is a great add. However, if the targets are going to be there – and his biggest issue were the disappearing targets in 2021 – then he is worthy of a roster spot.

Tight Ends

Hayden Hurst, Bengals (10% Rostered): Hurst is a more talented player than C.J. Uzomah, who made noise at times last year in this high-powered passing game. Joe Burrow targeted Hurst eight times in Week 1, so if that’s the kind of target share we’re looking at, Hurst can be a Dalton Schultz-esque presence on fantasy rosters. There isn’t likely to be any rush to add him, so you can wait and see how Week 2 goes, but if he blows up expect competition on the Week 3 waiver day.

Robert Tonyan, Packers (23% Rostered): Tonyan only caught three passes for 36 yards in Week 1, but this is a different team than last year when he was a disappointment based on his ADP. Now, there’s no Davante Adams soaking up all Aaron Rodgers’ passes, and the WR corps proved incredibly unreliable in Week 1. That may or may not lead to increased looks for Tonyan, who has succeeded with Rodgers before, but he is probably worth a look if you’re hunting for a George Kittle replacement.