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

Savvy early-season investments on the waiver wire can continue paying off throughout the 2023 NFL campaign.

So, regardless of how things went for your team in Week 1, you should be considering potential pickups. That's triply true for those who play in deep leagues, where the waiver wire is almost always tricky to navigate.

Consider this your handy navigation guide, then, as we're spotlighting a deep-league target—available in 50-plus percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros—at each of the three marquee positions.

Quarterback: Mac Jones, New England Patriots (20 Percent Rostered)

Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 10: New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) drops back during a game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles on September 10, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

While you shouldn't pencil Jones in for 54 pass attempts and 316 yards every week, you shouldn't automatically dismiss that production, either.

The Patriots fell into an early hole that forced them to throw early and often, but Jones still had to make the throws. And he unleashed plenty of good ones, completing 35 passes and three touchdown strikes. Even his lone interception hit off a receiver's hands first.

It's possible New England's aerial offense could have more zip than expected with Bill O'Brien calling the shots now. The Pats showed some good creativity in the opener.

And while the Week 1 game script surely helped drive up Jones' stats in Week 1, why couldn't the same thing happen in Week 2? New England is about to square off against a Miami Dolphins team that popped for 36 points and 466 passing yards in the opener.

Running Back: Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (15 Percent Rostered)

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 25: Tyjae Spears #32 of the Tennessee Titans rushes with the ball against the New England Patriots during the preseason game at Nissan Stadium on August 25, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)

The Titans have long proved they're totally fine leaning on their running game early and often. The new twist put on things in Week 1 was the team's willingness to task someone other than Derrick Henry with the backfield assignments.

Spears, a rookie third-rounder out of Tulane, saw more snaps (34 to 30) and more targets (four to three) than Henry in the opener. While Henry made more of his opportunities (119 scrimmage yards on 17 touches) than Spears (28 on four), that doesn't necessarily mean the usage will be any different going forward.

Henry will be a free agent after this season, and if Tennessee doesn't plan on paying him—the Titans were shopping him in March, per Michael Silver for Bally Sports—then it makes sense to try developing his replacement.

If Spears stays involved in this offense, he could have a big game in Week 2 against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs last seasons, per Yahoo.

Wide Receiver: Tutu Awell, Los Angeles Rams (17 Percent Rostered)

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: Tutu Atwell #15 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

The fantasy football world has smartly reacted to Puka Nacua and his eye-popping performance in Week 1, pushing his rostership north of 70 percent after he snagged 10 of 15 targets for 119 yards.

For some reason, though, they're still sleeping on Atwell, even though he matched Nacua's yardage total.

Granted, Atwell wasn't targeted as often (eight times), but that also means he was more efficient with his opportunities. Eight passes were sent his direction, and he came down with six of them.

Atwell gets a stingy San Francisco 49ers defense next, so maybe he won't repeat the magic, but he'll get his chances. And if he keeps making the most of them, he has a chance to stay fantasy-relevant even once Cooper Kupp returns.