Week 2 Waivers

Every week the TSF crew gets together to discuss the priority adds for the upcoming week to help you with your in season management. Waivers are a crucial part of fantasy football and identifying players to pick up early or players who seem to have an increased opportunity due to injury or high performance will help in chasing down a championship. We here at TSF use a FAAB system for our waivers, essentially a silent auction where each manager is given $100 to bid on players. In doing this we help you understand how much we would spend on these players, at a minimum (just a bench stash or not much of a need) or at a maximum (if you’re a thin at RB or WR what you should spend to secure the add). For those in classic waiver systems, we rank from our highest priority add to our lowest, so make sure your claims are assigned to the first name in our list and so on and so forth.

Eli Mitchell, RB
San Francisco 49ers

Elijah Mitchell took over after Raheem Mostert went down in Week 1, and to say he played well would be a heck of an understatement. 19 for 104 and a TD is a VERY solid line for anyone, never mind a guy filling in on an emergency basis. Now before I send the hype to the stratosphere… we need to remember that Trey Sermon is very much still a threat to future carries for both Mitchell and Hasty, who although they were features in Week 1, probably factor in less to SF’s future than does Sermon, who was something of a surprise healthy scratch. Most people will likely agree with that sentiment despite the healthy Week 1 scratch, as evidenced by his 91% ownership in Yahoo leagues. But, as we’ve seen for years now, SF does not tend to use just one guy, and a true committee could be forming with Mitchell, Sermon, and Hasty all factoring into the box score week to week.

UPDATE: Raheem Mostert ruled out for the season

19 carries 104 total yards 1 TD = 16.4 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $10 – $17

Tim Patrick, WR
Denver Broncos

Jeudy is out, and Patrick slots right back in to the role he filled last year as the #2 WR on the Bronocs. I would expect more of what we saw a season ago out of him, and that was a legitimate WR who could more than hold his own out there. Jeudy figures to miss anywhere from 4-6 (or more) weeks, so spending money on a guy who should play valuable minutes in at least a third of the games this season should be a solid move with huge upside.

4 catches 49 total yards 1 TD = 11.9 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $7 – $12

Mark Ingram, RB
Houston Texans

I’m eating a lot of humble pie putting Ingram on this list. I’ve been ripping the Texans, their hodgepodge of a backfield, and the RBs independently for the better part of 3 months now. And here comes big ol Mark Ingram with 26 carries for 85 yards and a TD. It’s legitimately a shock to me that he played that well, especially against a JAX defense that we thought would at least be middle of the road. So here we are, I’m telling you to pick up Mark Ingram and I’m not happy about it, but it feels like the smart play after huge usage in the opening day game of Houston’s 2021 season.

4 catches 49 total yards 1 TD = 11.9 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $7 – $12

Kenneth Gainwell, RB
Philadelphia Eagles

8% ownership is low for a guy I’ve been telling you to stash since your draft, but look I’m not taking it personally. Sometimes coaches love to blow smoke, so the promise of Gainwell having “earned a role” fell on many deaf ears. Well this time it appears the hype was real. Gainwell absolutely erased Boston Scott from relevance, and it should be the Sanders-Gainwell show going forward. He ended with 9 totes for 37 yards and a TD, while also seeing 2 catches on 3 targets for 6 yards. Important to note, he also had a TD called back due to an ineligible man downfield, so the 11.30 (half ppr) points he posted could have been even higher. If you’re the Sanders owner he is now a must-cuff, and even if you’re not you should be seeing the value in this back in a run heavy attack.

9 carries 2 catches 43 total yards 1 TD = 11.3 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $4 – $8

Christian Kirk, WR
Arizona Cardinals

2 for 6 for 25 yards? Oh wait that was AJ Green’s stat line not Christain Kirk’s! Kirk was impressive in the 2021 season opener for Arizona, as he found the endzone twice and posted 5/5 for 70 yards. Now he didn’t put up Hopkins type production, but he was the clear second target in the passing attack, and no their big name WR acquisition in AJ Green. It’s certainly an interesting situation to monitor, and Kirk is worth an add in deeper leagues or leagues that play 3+ WRs and additional W/R/T flex spots. He also has a series of favorable matchups in the coming weeks, definitely a guy to keep your eye on, but let’s not forget… Kirk has done this to us before. Consistency will be the key to his success going forward.

5 catches 70 total yards 2 TDs = 21.5 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $3 – $8

James White, RB
New England Patriots

Stevenson and Harris fumbled, while White caught 6 of his 7 targets for 49 yards and added 12 yards on the ground on 4 carries. Mac Jones targeted the RBs a total of 11 times on his 39 attempts. Mac Jones clearly doesn’t mind checking it down, and when the Pats provide him a check down it’s James White. Being in the Bill Belichick doghouse is not a place Harris or Stevenson want to find themselves, but this opens the door for White to be on the field more and more. Playing time leads to more targets, which leads to more fantasy points, and let’s not forget James White is 3 years removed from a Top 10 RB season and 2 years removed from a Top 30 RB season. I’m not saying he is going to replicate his 2018 Top 10 finish, but I am saying he is going to outperform his 2020 season.

4 carries 6 catches 61 total yards = 9.1 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $4 – $7

Zach Pascal, WR
Indianapolis Colts

Zac FREAKIN Pascal!!! If you listened to our podcast last week, we told you very clearly, with TY Hilton out and Pascal activated, he was in line for another big game. Pascal has always seemed to seize the opportunities he’s given and capitalize, and he didn’t disappoint. He has a sure role in the offense, and Carson Wentz looked competent in his first game with Indy. Now he was anchored by 2 TDs, which will be hard to replicate, but if defenses are drawn to the red zone threat that Michael Pittman presents, Pascal should be able to continue making a contribution down inside the 20 yard line.

4 catches 43 total yards 2 TDs = 18.3 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $3 – $6

Jameis Winston, QB
New Orleans Saints

Say what you will, but 5 TDs on 14-20 throwing is not the Jameis Winston of old. No interceptions is the main thing that sticks out, as does how on earth he managed to score 5 TDs while only passing for 148 yards. Nonetheless, he and the Saints put on a show, routing the Green Bay defense who just a season ago were considered by many to be a top half of the league unit. I’m excited by this production in the early going, and simultaneously I’m encouraged by the lack of Taysom Hill vultures we saw in Week 1. If this is truly the Jameis Winston led Saints for 17 games… and he’s going to play QB with a new found sense of risk mitigation, I am all the way here for it! Howzabout we go 30 TDs no picks this year Jameis? How’s that sound? If you were the FitzMagic owner and now can’t ride that gravy train to FFB victory, Jameis should be a target of yours this week.

148 passing yards 5 TDs 6 carries 37 yards = 29.62 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $3 – $5

Carlos Hyde, RB
Jacksonville Jaguars

Those who immediately elevated James Robinson to a top 12 back after the Etienne injury might be in for a long season. Carlos Hyde received 11 touches on Sunday which led James Robinson by 3 touches. If you are in dire need of a RB I’ll give you the green light to make this pickup, but it should be a situation to monitor moving forward, you don’t want to be the guy who is behind the curve in Weeks 3-4 as we watch Hyde out-carry and out-snap James Robinson.

9 carries 2 catches58 total yards = 6.8 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $2 – $5

Deonte Harris, WR
New Orleans Saints

2 catches 72 total yards 1 TD = 14.2 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $2 – $5

Jared Cook, TE
Los Angeles Chargers

DAL, KC, LVR are on tap for the veteran TE who just hauled in 5 of 8 targets for 56 yards. It doesn’t feel exciting, but 8 targets is more than enough for the veteran to make an impact on offense. If you are streaming TEs, Cook should be a solid play for the next three weeks.

5 catches 58 total yards = 8.1 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $2 – $4

David Njoku, TE
Cleveland Browns

If there is a TE I would consider targeting, it is not Juwan Johnson, even given his 2 TDs this past week, but instead it’s David Njoku. He may not have had the flashy production of Juwan Johnson, but he was on the field quite a bit and he saw a team high 5 targets from QB Baker Mayfield, and that target share to me is more enticing than fluky TE TD production. (In this one case, until it makes my point stronger another time, then I’ll switch and say buy the TD production). Njoku has long been an absolute specimen, who hasn’t been able to get that to translate into on field production. If he can start finding a rhythm with Mayfield and start to get some goal line or redzone looks, I like his long term upside, even with Hooper there stealing looks.

3 catches 76 total yards = 9.1 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $2 – $3

Jared Goff, QB
Detroit Lions

Another guy who has taken a ton of TSF heat over the years, Jared Goff went out and put up a stellar (fantasy) performace in a thrilling Week 1 loss to the 49ers. The Lions battled back late to make a push for a comeback that just fell short, and this is theoretically what we should see more often than not with one of the league’s most inept defenses. If you watched SNF, you saw that during Matt Stafford’s time in Detroit they allowed almost 30 PPG, and if this is just more of the same out of that unit, Jared Goff should consistently throw the ball 50+ times per game. 38-57 for 338 and 3 TDs is likely to be a common line for Goff, and if that’s the case he is a viable starting QB every week.

338 passing yards 3 TDs 1 INT 3 carries 14 yards = 29.92 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $1 – $2

JaMycal Hasty, RB
San Francisco 49ers

Another year, another Mostert injury. Projected to miss 8 weeks with a knee cartilage injury, Hasty and Eli Mitchell were the two backs who filled the void after his early exit in Week 1. Mitchell was the one who really popped, but the Niners have shown a propensity to use multiple backs in every given week, and infrequently sticking with one guy in consecutive weeks. Sermon is the other unknown threat to Hasty’s continued usage, but given the long 17 game schedule, San Fran’s desire to run the ball, and the likelihood of more injury’s to the backfield, I’d stash Hasty now for a couple bones.

1 carry 1 catch 18 total yards 1 TD = 8.3 FNTSY PTS

FAAB BID: $1 – $2

J.J. Taylor, RB
New England Patriots

There is some talk that Old Man Bill is not happy with Harris or Stevenson, so much so that Mike Reiss of ESPN is reporting that Stevenson might be replaced by J.J Taylor who was a healthy scratch in Week 1. Reiss also reports that the Patriots may “reduce” Harris’ workload after he fumbled away the game. I’m not overly confident in J.J Taylor playing a role on the team, but he showed good pop in the preseaon and if what Reiss is reporting is true, there is an oppotunity for a player in this RB landscape that once again finds itself thinner and thinner. I like J.J as a stash to see how Week 2 shakes out.

INACTIVE FOR WEEK 1

FAAB BID: $0 – $1