Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 2 adds, stashes and streamers

We live in an era in which humanity has automated nearly every facet of existence.

We have self-driving cars, generative AI and quantum computing, but forget your reusable bag at the supermarket and society punishes you by handing over $100 worth of groceries in one of modern civilization’s great structural failures: the handleless paper bag.

Now you’re cradling a brown paper cube like an armful of loose puppies, praying the bottom doesn’t blow out before you reach the front door.

You didn’t ask for a core-strength challenge. You just wanted eggs.

If humanity only has a few years left before AI takes over, I’d at least like to spend them comfortably carrying my groceries.

Which brings us, naturally, to your fantasy football roster.

It’s Week 2, and the bottom is already threatening to fall out. A.J. Brown, Brock Bowers, De’Zhaun Stribling, Sam Darnold, Ladd McConkey and Zay Flowers are forcing fantasy managers to reconsider plans that seemed reasonable eight days ago.

Like carrying three handleless paper bags from the trunk in one trip, your roster is suddenly a fragile, tearing mess.

This is why we have the waiver wire.

The goal this early isn’t merely to replace what broke. It’s to add handles before you need them — players whose roles, usage or talent can help when the next surprise arrives.

Every week, I’ll identify widely available players worth adding, stashing or streaming. “Widely available” generally means rostered in roughly half of ESPN or Yahoo leagues.

Follow me on X @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here are the best Week 2 waiver-wire targets before the bottom completely falls out.

Priority targets

— WR Deebo Samuel, 49ers (ESPN: 68%; Yahoo: 49%): Samuel ran about half of San Francisco’s routes in the opener but still caught six of seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown, adding 12 yards on his only carry. More opportunity is coming after De’Zhaun Stribling’s ankle injury, and Samuel could help preserve Christian McCaffrey.

— TE Kenyon Sadiq, Jets (ESPN: 35%; Yahoo: 14%): Sadiq caught all three targets in his debut and scored on a three-yard end-around. Manufactured touches for the athletic first-round pick are encouraging at fantasy’s thinnest position.

— QB Jordan Love, Packers (ESPN: 42%; Yahoo: 68%): I said all preseason Green Bay would throw more without Josh Jacobs, and Week 1 certainly looked that way. Love threw for 387 yards and two TDs against Minnesota. If the pass-heavy approach sticks, he’s a weekly starter.

— D/ST 49ers (ESPN: 7%; Yahoo: 10%): San Francisco was lightly rostered because of a daunting opener, then held the high-powered — if jet-lagged — Rams to seven points. New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris seemed a step ahead of former boss Sean McVay for much of the afternoon. Now come three straight home games, beginning with inexperienced Miami.

— RB Kaelon Black, 49ers (ESPN: 15%; Yahoo: 27%): Black out-carried McCaffrey 14-10 for 65 yards, although CMC dealt with cramps. The rookie owns the No. 2 job and offers standalone touches plus premium handcuff value behind a 30-year-old starter.

Other top targets

— QB Geno Smith, Jets (ESPN: 4%; Yahoo: 5%): Smith’s appeal is the upcoming schedule: Packers, Lions and Bears. Green Bay remains without Micah Parsons, while Detroit and Chicago surrendered big passing numbers in Week 1. He’s an intriguing three-week streaming option.

— QB Tyler Shough, Saints (ESPN: 47%; Yahoo: 41%): Shough was QB12 in fantasy points per game from Week 9 on last season and topped 17.1 points in his final six starts, according to FantasyPros. Baltimore is difficult, but home dates with the Raiders and Falcons follow.

— QB Bryce Young, Panthers (ESPN: 11%; Yahoo: 14%): Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Chicago and added another score on the ground, producing one of the best fantasy performances of Week 1. I wouldn’t chase another 30-point week, but the Falcons are a reasonable matchup and Young deserves to be back on the streaming radar.

— WR Jalen Coker, Panthers (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 61%): Eight receptions, 138 yards and two TDs on nine targets demands attention. Coker has earned weekly flex consideration alongside Tetairoa McMillan.

— WR Devaughn Vele, Saints (ESPN: 13%; Yahoo: 8%): Vele played 82 of New Orleans’ 90 snaps and stayed on the field with Chris Olave in two-receiver sets. The volume should remain until Jordyn Tyson returns.

— WR Tre’ Harris, Chargers (ESPN: 4%; Yahoo: 4%): Harris is worth a small FAAB bid if McConkey’s rib injury costs him time. The Chargers’ No. 3 receiver would immediately inherit more opportunity.

— WR Caleb Douglas, Dolphins (ESPN: 16%; Yahoo: 12%): The third-round rookie followed a terrific camp with five receptions for 94 yards. Douglas might already be Miami’s No. 1 receiver, albeit in a limited passing attack.

— WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens (ESPN: 9%; Yahoo: 2%): Bateman’s 27 routes led Baltimore’s receivers, while Zay Flowers aggravated a hamstring injury and rookie Ja’Kobi Lane fractured his wrist. If Flowers misses Week 2, Bateman could stumble into meaningful volume against New Orleans simply by being the last established receiver standing.

— WR Kyle Williams, Patriots (ESPN:

— RB Jonah Coleman, Broncos (ESPN: 29%; Yahoo: 33%): I expect RJ Harvey to see more passing-down work while Coleman eventually competes with J.K. Dobbins for early-down carries and goal-line opportunities. That role is worth stashing before the hierarchy becomes obvious.

— RB Emmett Johnson, Chiefs (ESPN: 7%; Yahoo: 20%): Johnson reinforced his status as Kenneth Walker III’s clear handcuff, producing 68 total yards on eight carries and two receptions. Most of his rushing work came after Kansas City had pulled away, but a 25-yard catch earlier in the fourth quarter flashed his playmaking ability. Walker dominated the workload, so Johnson lacks standalone value for now, but he belongs near the top of the handcuff rankings.

— TE Michael Mayer, Raiders (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 26%): Mayer led Las Vegas with seven targets, but reports Bowers could return as early as Week 2 should limit FAAB bids. Still, the Chargers just allowed Trey McBride nine receptions for 95 yards and a TD.

— D/ST Buccaneers (ESPN: 13%; Yahoo: 4%): We’re going to target Cleveland with streaming defenses all season. Tampa Bay gets the Browns at home in Week 2. Don’t overthink it.

Drop candidates

— QB Sam Darnold, Seahawks: Darnold lasted one drive before suffering a muscular hip/glute injury against New England and has already been ruled out for Week 2. One report indicated he could miss four to six weeks, while Drew Lock played well enough in relief to keep Seattle from rushing him back. Use an IR spot if your league provides one, but in shallow single-QB formats there’s no reason to burn an active roster spot waiting.

— RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants: Tracy lost a fumble on one of his two carries and played only two snaps, while Cam Skattebo handled 18 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown and Devin Singletary took over as the primary backup with 25 snaps. Tracy has gone from possible committee member to third wheel, and running backs without either volume or high-value touches shouldn’t be clogging your bench.

— WR Ja’Kobi Lane, Ravens: Lane actually looked promising before getting hurt, catching one of three targets for 11 yards and having a touchdown erased by penalty while playing the second-most first-half snaps among Baltimore receivers. Unfortunately, he fractured his wrist and is now facing an absence just as an opportunity was opening because of Flowers’ hamstring injury. Unless you have an IR spot or play in a deep dynasty format, the rookie can go back to the wire.

— WR De’Zhaun Stribling, 49ers: Stribling won a starting job after an impressive summer but left the opener with a non-contact ankle injury after 21 snaps and is expected to miss at least a month. Surgery remains possible, which makes the timetable even murkier. There’s upside here long term, but standard redraft benches are too valuable in September to reserve one for a rookie receiver who may not return until well into October.

More online

Need help setting your lineup? Look for Eddie Brown’s weekly Fantasy Football Start/Sit Guide at sandiegouniontribune.com before the first NFL game each week, typically on Thursdays, with matchup-by-matchup advice on who to start, sit and stream.