Week 2 Waiver Wire: Breakout Fantasy Football Pickups After Opening Sunday

Every year, we think we know what the NFL landscape will look like ahead of Week 1. And every September, we spend most of opening kickoff Sunday shrieking, mouths agog, as chaos erupts throughout the league.

Sunday was no different. With Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football still to go, one game (Colts at Texans) had ended in a tie, three would-be game-winning field goals in overtime were missed (two in one game, Steelers at Bengals), and of the 10 home teams that were listed as underdogs, almost all of them lost (or tied).

Oh, and the Chicago Bears beat the San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Giants beat the Tennessee Titans. As expected.

There were also plenty of unexpected performances within fantasy that will keep managers working the waiver wire this week. With the exception of the Sunday and Monday night games, we'll break down three players from Thursday or Sunday's early games who made headlines—and may earn a spot in your lineup moving forward.

In order for players to be considered "breakouts," for our purposes, they must be rostered in less than 40 percent of leagues before Monday.

Devin Duvernay, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 11: Devin Duvernay #13 of the Baltimore Ravens fields a punt return in the first quarter at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Rostered: 30 percent

Week 1 stats: 4 rec, 54 yds, 2 TDs

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Jets handily in Week 1, 24-9—and third-year wideout Devin Duvernay's two receiving touchdowns were a big reason why.

After Baltimore traded Marquise Brown to Arizona during the NFL draft, Duvernay was one of the team's young pass-catchers tabbed with stepping up to fill the void. On Sunday, he showed quarterback Lamar Jackson and the coaching staff he can be counted on to do that.

His first touchdown, which got the Ravens on the board and jump-started their offense, was a 25-yard reception on which he beat Bryce Hall one-on-one.

The second score was a 17-yard reception caught in stride as Jackson worked to keep the play alive.

Duvernay was targeted four times on Sunday and brought in all four of those receptions. Though he's competing for targets with Rashod Bateman, who also looked great in the season debut, he looks to be a big part of the Ravens offense moving forward and is worth a priority pickup this week.

Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants

AP Photo/Mark Zaleski

New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) celebrates after his touchdown reception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Nashville. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

Rostered: 1 percent

Week 1 stats: 2 rec, 71 yds, 1 TD

There are legitimate reasons why fantasy managers may have elected not even to stash Giants wideout Sterling Shepard on their bench heading into Week 1 this season. Though the veteran has had at least 50 yards in every game he's played for the last five seasons, excluding just his rookie year, he's also had a worrisome injury history.

And this year, Shepard was returning less than nine months out from a torn Achilles.

But from Shepard's performance in Week 1, it's clear fantasy managers may have been a bit too cautious. He connected with Daniel Jones on a beautiful deep ball, broke a tackle and brought in a 66-yard touchdown. He was an integral part of the Giants' 21-20 win.

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Shepard's goal is to "play 17 games." And The Athletic's Dan Duggan mentioned him in the same breath as Comeback Player of the Year award.

Even if fantasy managers aren't willing to go that far, at the least, Shepard deserves a spot on your bench while you feel out his role this season.

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Matt York

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, right, celebrates after running back Isiah Pacheco (10) scored a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Rostered: 31 percent

Week 1 stats: 62 rushing yds, 1 TD

Fantasy managers can't be blamed for taking a "wait and see" approach with rookies, especially in redraft leagues. But if you're in a keeper league, it can pay to stash a rookie skill player on your bench and see what they turn into. Maybe they'll be a role player who can sub in on bye weeks...or maybe they'll be Rookie of the Year.

It's too soon to tell what the sum of Chiefs rookie Isiah Pacheco's season will look like, but after one week, he's off to a great start. Pacheco notched 62 rushing yards and his first NFL touchdown (and teammate Patrick Mahomes rushed into the end zone to make sure the rookie got to keep the ball after Pacheco threw it in excitement).

The seventh-rounder out of Rutgers may not have had big billing when he arrived in the NFL, but he made his mark in Week 1 anyway after a headline-filled training camp. Pacheco could be in store for a significant role in the Chiefs' backfield this season.