Fantasy football 2019: Week 2 waiver wire pickups

Here are the players that broke out last week that you should be adding to your fantasy football team for Week 2.

What an interesting first week of football that was. Some players put themselves on the map while others seemed almost absent from play. If you have a player that fell into the latter category, it’s important not to overreact. There’s plenty of fantasy football left. But if you want to make a move to improve your team, there are some players worth adding.

Not every player that had a big Week 1 is going to be able to do it again this week. Whether it’s due to injury, opposing defense or game flow, we will likely not see repeat performances like the ones we saw last week.

There are some players that will be able to repeat what they did in Week 1 and, because of that, are worth picking up. There are a few other players that will be getting playing time due to their teammates getting hurt. I know it’s never okay to wish injury on someone, but it’s a “next man up” sport. And fantasy football owners want to have that next man before their opponents get him.

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So, I will list a handful of players with low ownership percentages based on ESPN leagues that you need to add to your team for Week 2 and beyond.

John Ross, WR

Ross took advantage of the absence of AJ Green. He caught seven passes on 12 targets for 158 yards and two touchdowns. It was a welcome sight because we’ve been waiting for this from Ross since he was drafted.

Ross had just 210 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He almost matched his 2018 yardage in one game. With the running back a question mark due to Joe Mixon getting banged up, Andy Dalton will be forced to throw the ball a bit more.

Ross and the Bengals face the San Francisco 49ers this week. They held Mike Evans to little production, but that may be due to the Tampa Bay offense than the San Fran defense.

Danny Amendola, WR

Amendola may have made a mistake towards the end of the game, but that doesn’t take away from what he did in the first 59 minutes. The veteran saw 13 targets, caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.

The Lions running game was stifled by the Cardinals, so Matthew Stafford had to do it with his arm. With Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay on the outside, Amendola will tear up the middle. He and the Lions take on the Chargers next week.

Malcolm Brown, RB

With all of the talk about Todd Gurley and a potential snap count, he was on the field a lot. However, Brown saw a few carries of his own. While his yards per carry was good, 4.8, the two touchdowns were even better.

Brown scored both of his touchdowns within five yards of the goal line. I expect that to be the case for Brown and Gurley going forward. Brown will be more of a red zone back, getting a lot of scoring opportunities.

If you’re a Gurley owner, I’d pick up Brown just in case. Brown is still worth an add in deeper leagues for the scoring possibilities.

Chris Thompson, RB

With Adrian Peterson being a healthy scratch, all eyes were on Derrius Guice in Week 1. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as we thought. He missed some snaps with a knee issue and it was reported that he has a meniscus injury. Surgery isn’t expected but he will likely miss some time.

Many owners will likely go after Peterson but I think Thompson is the better add here. With the team falling behind, he was more involved in the passing game. Thompson caught seven of 10 targets for 68 yards.

The Redskins take on the Cowboys next week. With how their offense looked, Washington will likely be behind again, making way for Thompson to rack up the receptions.

Vernon Davis, TE

Sticking with the Redskins, Davis had a solid first game of the 2019 season. He had an amazing hurdle after a catch which led to a touchdown. Davis finished with four catches, 59 yards and a score.

Jordan Reed is already dealing with injuries, this time it’s a concussion. As I mentioned just before, the Redskins will be playing catch up in most games. Davis can still ball at 35 years old. With the tight end position being a bit scarce with consistent talent, Davis is a solid low-end TE1.

T.J. Hockenson, TE

Along with Amendola, the rookie tight end had a great first game. Hockenson had six receptions, 131 yards and a touchdown. Many didn’t draft Hockenson due to the stigma that rookie tight ends aren’t as productive, so he’s available in a lot of leagues.

The Lions offense has a lot of weapons; Jones, Golladay, Kerryon Johnson and now Hockenson. As long as Matthew Stafford can stay upright and injury-free, Hockenson will have a good rookie season.

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The waiver wire is going to be full of talented players at this point in the season. Just make sure not to blow up your whole team as you chase for the next Marquise Brown. You don’t get what those players did previously for your team. Look ahead to the schedule and pay attention to usage when adding from the waiver wire. Thanks for stopping by FanSided Fantasy!

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Fantasy football 2019: Week 2 waiver wire adds

By Bill Pivetz | Sep 10, 2019