Fantasy Football Week 2 Cheat Sheet: Identifying Sleepers for Deep Leagues

Week 1 of the NFL season was...well, exactly that: one week.

Overreacting to single-game outcomes can crush a fantasy football manager. This is not the time to dramatically rework your rankings and rethink your strategy.

However, this could be time for some minor reshuffling, either to plug some holes or simply to chase an early hot streak.

To help deep-leaguers navigate the waiver wire, we're spotlighting our favorite Week 2 deep sleeper—available in 50-plus percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros—at the three marquee positions.

QB: Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (44 Percent Rostered)

Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz (11) on the field in the third quarter during the game between the Washington Commanders and the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11, 2022. (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Carson Wentz had some ugly moments in his Commanders debut, none worse than throwing interceptions on consecutive throws in the fourth quarter.

Guess how much they hurt his fantasy output? Well, here's the list of players who produced more fantasy points in Week 1, per FantasyPros: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Justin Jefferson. That's it.

That's because when Wentz wasn't frustrating the Washington faithful, he was thrilling it with an otherwise massive performance. He finished his outing by going 27-of-41 for 313 yards and four touchdown passes.

Expecting a repeat is probably asking too much, but he took advantage of a good matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars and he'll get another favorable draw in Week 2. That's when the Commanders lock horns with the Detroit Lions, who allowed 243 passing yards to Jalen Hurts and 38 points in their opener.

RB: Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (47 Percent)

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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 11: Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs with the football during a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears on September 11, 2022 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Khalil Herbert wasn't the most involved member of Chicago's backfield in Week 1, but he certainly seemed like the most dynamic.

His nine carries yielded 45 yards and a touchdown. David Montgomery, meanwhile, managed just 50 total yards on 20 touches and never found the end zone.

If Chicago green-lights more usage for Herbert, he could become a fantasy asset.

Up next, Herbert and the Bears face a Green Bay Packers defense that just allowed Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison to rush for 126 yards on 28 carries.

WR: Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers (26 Percent)

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INGLEWOOD, CA - AUGUST 20: Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer (5) runs during the NFL preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Chargers on August 20, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Chargers will be without top target Keenan Allen on Thursday night (hamstring), which could free Joshua Palmer for his first statistical outburst of the season.

Now, as you may have inferred, that means Palmer had a mostly sleepy debut. His three receptions yielded all of five yards, and he handled a single rush for four more. Obviously, you'd like a big-play specialist to turn four touches into more than nine yards.

Having said that, four touches isn't a bad level of involvement for someone who's a scoring threat anytime he touches the ball. Plus, the Chargers had Allen for part of that contest and still tried to draw up five opportunities for Palmer—he was targeted four times—which bodes well for his chances to be further involved assuming he lines up as L.A.'s No. 2 wideout.

Last season, Palmer averaged better than 10 yards per touch and scored four times on just 33 receptions. He'll have chances to put on a show during what should be a shootout against the Kansas City Chiefs.