Waiver Wire Week 2: Top Pickups and Drops
The Achilles injuries suffered by Aaron Rodgers and J.K. Dobbins significantly altered the fantasy football landscape after Week 1.
A mad dash to claim quarterbacks and running backs off the waiver wire occurred once both players were confirmed to be out for the season.
One of Rodgers' fantasy replacements could be an old foe from his NFC North days. Matthew Stafford played surprisingly well without Cooper Kupp on Sunday, which could be a sign of things to come in 2023.
Stafford, Jared Goff and other quarterbacks with low roster percentages will receive plenty of attention as fantasy players retool their rosters ahead of Week 2.
The running back waiver-wire situation is not as straightforward since there are still question marks about a handful of available players.
Tyjae Spears and Tyler Allgeier had surprising level of production in Week 1, but we are not sure if that will keep up in Week 2 and beyond.
Pickups: Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford
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Detroit Lions quarterbacks of the past and present should receive a ton of fantasy football attention over the next few days.
Goff is rostered in 72 percent of Yahoo leagues and just 49 percent of ESPN leagues, per Fantasy Pros, while Stafford is on 30 percent of rosters on both sites.
Goff threw for 253 yards and a touchdown in Detroit's Week 1 road win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
He faces the Seattle Seahawks secondary that Stafford tore up for 334 passing yards on Sunday.
Goff has the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers as two of his next three opponents after Week 2, so picking him up seems like a long-term play right now.
Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams have two tough matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals ahead in Weeks 2 and 3, but they do have the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4 and Arizona Cardinals in Week 6.
Goff seems like the better pickup of the two right now, but Stafford continues to thrive without Kupp, he will be a viable fantasy quarterback as well.
Pickups: Surprise Week 1 Running Backs
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Allgeier, Spears and Joshua Kelley were some of the unlikely fantasy football standouts from Week 1.
Allgeier ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing yards despite Bijan Robinson being introduced into the Atlanta Falcons offense.
Spears played more than expected over Derrick Henry in the Tennessee Titans offense. Kelley outgained both of them with 91 rushing yards for the Los Angeles Chargers.
All three of those running back situations could change in Week 2, which is why fantasy players may be hesitant to land any of those players.
For now, they are the best running back options on the waiver wire. Kyren Williams of the Rams, who scored two touchdowns against Seattle, could be added the list of top pickups, but fantasy players may shy away from his Week 2 matchup with the 49ers.
Drops: Aaron Rodgers and J.K. Dobbins
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Rodgers and Dobbins were expected to be key pieces of fantasy rosters in 2023, but that will not be the case.
The Achilles injuries suffered by the New York Jets quarterback and Baltimore Ravens running back means they will spend the rest of the season sidelined.
The two players leave questionable fantasy football outlooks on their respective teams.
Zach Wilson probably will not be trusted in fantasy circles for a few weeks, especially with better options elsewhere on the waiver wire.
Lamar Jackson may end up as the biggest beneficiary of Dobbins' injury. He could see an increase in rushing touchdowns in certain weeks.
Justice Hill and Gus Edwards will be targeted on the waiver wire because of their elevated roles, but it may take a week or two for us to get an idea how the carries will be split between the two running backs and Jackson.
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