By Winsto (09/16/2025)
Before we get to the Waiver Wire edition, here are a few observations from Week 02
- So…, I sometimes forget how maddening it can be trying to figure things out in fantasy football. For example, as I mentioned over the weekend, all signs pointed to Kenneth Charbonnet (RB-Sea) becoming a larger threat to Kenneth Walker IIII (RB-Sea). So of course, Walker III told us… “not so fast my friend!” Walker III averaged 8.1 YPC on 13 carries for 105 yards (compared to Charbonnet’s 15 carries for 10 yards) and even had 1 reception for 13 yards (compared to Charbonnet’s 0 receptions). The takeaway is this: Walker very much outplayed Charbonnet this game, BUT Charbonnet still played 55% of the snaps compared to Walker III’s 35%. I still have concerns with Walker here, and it might not be a bad idea to explore trading him high after this game.
- If you have Patrick Mahomes (QB-KC), the fact that he is missing THREE of his WRs (Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Jalen Royals), with Rice and Worthy being his top two, and has still finished QB6 in Week 01 and currently sits at QB7 for Week 02 going into Monday night should have you very pleased. Those guys are going to come back. Be patient, and you will be rewarded.
- Just in case you missed it, Green Bay’s defense is good, as demonstrated by Detroit’s offensive explosion in Week 02 after being bottled up by said defense in Week 01. We are going to need to consider fading fantasy players playing Green Bay from here on out, especially considering that defense leads the league against the pass at 5.2 YPA (yards per attempt), and that was against two pretty good QBs (Jared Goff and Jayden Daniels). Oh, they are also 2nd best against the rush, allowing 2.4 yard per carry.
- With news of the injury to Joe Burrow (QB-Cin), which will likely cause him to miss the next three months, it looks like it is Jake Browning (QB-Cin) time. Browning started 7 games in 2023, throwing 11 TDs and 7 INTs during that span. He also had a solid YPA of 8.0 for that season. Look, he is not going to be as good as Burrow, and we should probably lower our expectations a bit for Ja’Marr Chase (WR) and Tee Higgins (WR), We should also expect more turnovers from this offense as well. BUT, he has proven himself capable. I do not foresee Chase and Higgins falling off completely. He also has shown a tendency to throwing more to the TEs and RBS—Chase Brown (RB) should see an uptick in targets.
We now have a 2 week sample size. We still don’t want to overreact, but we want to be a bit more open to action. Thus, here are some players that can help your fantasy line-up:
NOTE: These are players rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
QUARTERBACK
Daniel Jones (Ind)???–I did not think I would be typing this, but here we are. Jones has 5 total TDS (2 passing, 3 rushing) through two weeks of the season. On the year, his YPA is 9.3–he has never had a YPA in a season higher than 6.8. He averaging 294 passing yards per game—he has never had a season averaging more than 232.8 (rookie season). There are so many warning signs here; however, what IF he did, in fact, turn a corner. Just proceed with caution.
Deeper League Adds:
Jake Browning (Cin)--As mentioned above, he is capable, and he has weapons.
Jaxson Dart (NYG)–I believe Dart is inevitable. Yes, Russel Wilson (QB) had a solid game in Week 2, but if the team, currently 0-2, continues to lose, they will eventually go with the rookie.
Dillon Gabriel (Cle)–There are weapons on this offense. For the same reasons as to why New York will eventually go to Dart, Cleveland will turn to Gabriel.
RUNNING BACK
Quinshon Jenkins (Cle)–the 36th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, is rostered in 62%. He would be the first add here, as in his first action of the season, he had 10 carries for 62 yards and 3 receptions for 10 yards. His 13 touches paced the backfield, and that was his first game.
Trey Benson (Ari)–He saw 9 touches in Week 1, with 69 yards rushing and 6 yards receiving. He saw 7 touches in Week 2, with 14 yards rushing and 30 yards receiving. He played 33% of the snaps in Week 1 and 44% of the snaps in Week 2. James Conner is still the lead back, but Benson has some flex appeal in the right match-up and is a top tier handcuff.
Blake Corum (LAR)–He is already a higher end hand-cuff, but he saw more run in Week 2, seeing 30% of the snaps. He also was an option in short-yardage situations, saw 3 Red Zone targets/touches compared to Kyren Williams’s 4, and he scored his 1st TD of his career in Week 2. I am not saying Kyren Williams’s (RB) job is in jeopardy, but Corum is one of those lottery tickets that could pay off.
Kareem Hunt (KC)-Hunt is not the same player as he once was, but while he has lost burst, he has not lost his vision. He does look like the preferred short-yardage option for KC. In TD heavy leagues, there is value here. He has played 38% and 40% of the snaps in the first two games.
Deeper League Add—Brashard Smith (KC)–I mentioned this last week, but I will continue to do so. The theme here is that while Isiah Pacheco is a solid RB, his vision and potential for explosive plays seem to have limitations. The 7th round rookie may also have vision limitations, but he is also more explosive and better at catching the ball. I believe he is going to get a crack at more touches, sooner rather than later. For PPR leagues, he is worth a look if you have space. He is someone who may work his way into significant playing time here, though his ceiling may be limited with little use in short-yardage situations.
WIDE RECEIVER
Troy Franklin (Den)–He is my priority add for the week. When a WR earns a 30% target share (9) in game, he has my attention. When he catches 8 of the 9 targets for 89 yards and a TD, he has my interest. When he leads the WRs, a group that includes Courtland Sutton, in snaps in game, he has me submitting a waiver claim. He had the 2nd most targets and played the 2nd most snaps for WRs in Week 1 already. Through two games—yes, I know it is still a small sample size, Franklin is leading the team in targets (15), receptions (12), and receiving yards (133). And again, this is a group that includes Courtland Sutton. Could this be the beginning of a Year 2 breakout? Maybe? I would rather get ahead of it than miss it.
Cedric Tillman (Cle)–I mentioned him in this column last week. Through 2 weeks, he has played more snaps than Jerry Jeudy (136 v 131), has seen more Red Zone looks (2 v 0), has seen 1 less target than Jeudy (15 v 16), and has scored a TD in each game.
Alec Ayomanor (Ten)–The 4th round rookie is seeing the 2nd most snaps in the WR room (79% in Week 01 and 73% in Week 02). He is 2nd on the team in targets (13), which is 1 behind Calvin Ridley (14). Until this passing offense shows progression, however, there is a limited ceiling here.
Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG)–First off, I am going to stress that his Week 02 game (8-142-1 on 10 targets) was a career high for him. I am hesitant include him, as he is still the 3rd receiver on this team, as his snap count (76% in Week 01 and 70% in Week 02) fall behind Malik Nabors (WR) and Darius Slayton (WR). Still, he does seem to have some rapport with Russel Wilson (QB). Just be aware. It seems like this is an example of chasing points.
Deeper League Add–Isaac TeSlaa (Det)–I also mentioned TeSlaa last week. Yes, there are many mouths to feed in this offense. The logic suggests he simply is not going to get enough looks to be fantasy relevant. Still, I think there is something there.
TIGHT END
Harold Fannin Jr. (Cle)–I mentioned Fannin Jr. last week; he is still below 50%. The rookie BGSU product is a bit of a unicorn, and Cleveland has recognized it. He currently sits 5th amongst TEs in targets (14), 4th in receptions (12), and 5th in receiving yards (111). He played 72% of the snaps in Week 01 and 63% in Week 02 (compared with his fellow TE, David Njoku, who played 84% and 82% respectively). Amongst all players on team, he is also 1st in receptions and 2nd in receiving yards. I love the potential here and envision a top 8 finish among TEs for the season. If you are in the TE dead zone—players who get 3-4 receptions for 30-40 yards and the occasional TD, I would take the upside here.
Juwan Johnson (NO)– I mentioned Johnson last week; he is still below 50%. I am not going to lie. I have fallen for the Juwan Johnson hype in the past, and it did not turn out well. That said, for TEs, he is currently 1st in targets (20), 2nd in receptions (13), and 4th in receiving yards (125) How long this lasts, considering a switch at QB may impact this trend, I do not know. Until then, he at least needs to be on your team.
Deeper League Adds–Isaiah Likely (Bal)–Through two games, Baltimore has scored 81 points. Lamar Jackson (QB) has thrown 33-48 for 434 yards and 6 TDs. Of that, Mark Andrews (TE) has 4 targets, 2 receptions, and 7 receiving yards. It this Jackson just relying more on other pass catchers, or is this a Jackson relying more on other pass catchers because Andrews is not what he use to be? We won’t really know that answer until Likely returns from injury, but if you have the space, he is worth a stash.