Week 2 Waiver Wire: Breakout Fantasy Football Pickups from Sunday's Box Scores
Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season featured extraordinary performances from recognizable superstars, including Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown, Josh Allen, Tyreek Hill and Lamar Jackson.
It also gave fans and fantasy managers a look at breakout stars (and one veteran wideout) available on the waiver wire in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues, ready to benefit those who take a chance on them.
Who are the names ready to build on their season debuts and potentially become staples of fantasy lineups for the rest of the year?
Find out with this preview of Week 2 in the fantasy season.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
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New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak wasted little time introducing the rest of the NFL to the new-look New Orleans Saints offense, which obliterated division rivals Carolina by 37 points.
One of the highlights of the offensive explosion was wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who has repeatedly shown flashes of being one of the league's premier deep threats.
Sunday, against an outmatched Panthers defense that lost key contributors in the offseason, the 26-year-old feasted with three receptions, 73 yards and a touchdown.
His 59-yard touchdown on a post route in which he beat the safety kicked off the scoring for the home team and the Saints never looked back.
Should fantasy managers expect that production out of Shaheed every week? Probably not. Was the Saints' offensive onslaught the result of a bad Panthers team that already looks like a shoo-in for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft? Possibly.
A lightning-quick wide receiver who possesses the ability to outrun defenders, Shaheed has the potential to have a career year with this revamped Saints offense.
Fantasy managers should take the initiative to grab the Weber State product off the waiver wire ahead of a Week 2 matchup against a Dallas Cowboys secondary that can be a bit too aggressive at times and give up big plays down the field.
Shaheed is available in 45 percent of Yahoo and 55 percent of ESPN leagues.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
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No player came out of nowhere to steal headlines like Alec Pierce did for the Indianapolis Colts.
The third-year receiver caught three passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 41.7 yards per reception and outran star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to net that score.
The 24-year-old proved himself a speedster who could go long, get behind his defender and find paydirt when the ball came his way.
On a Colts team that does not have much in the way of established threats in the receiving room outside of Michael Pittman Jr., Pierce went a long way in establishing trust and chemistry with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Don't be surprised to see the dynamic signal-caller look Pierce's way again this weekend against a Packers team that gave up 84 and 119 yards to DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown, respectively, in their Week 1 loss to Philadelphia.
If he can get open, a similarly explosive game with big-time numbers should be expected.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
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Brandin Cooks is far from a breakout star, but he is available in over 65 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, despite being the No. 2 receiver on an explosive Cowboys offense.
The 30-year-old showed what he could be for the Super Bowl hopefuls Sunday in Cleveland where he capitalized on the coverage shifted to CeeDee Lamb and caught four balls for 40 yards and the first touchdown of the Cowboys' season.
The 11-year receiver will have a chance to build on his season debut in Week 2 against his former team, the New Orleans Saints.
Like the team he currently suits up for, the Saints tend to play aggressively on the back end of the defense, leaving themselves open for big plays.
Cooks is not the speedster he once was, but he can still get open and turn games with a big play. With Marshon Lattimore likely to cover Lamb, Cook will square off with Paulson Adebo, a matchup he can exploit for a big game.
Adebo allowed 13.2 yards per reception in 2023.
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Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Rookie running back Bucky Irving made his presence felt Sunday in the season opener against Washington, benefiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both the passing and running game.
The Oregon product tallied 62 yards on the ground and 14 through the air. He averaged 6.9 yards per attempt and gave the Bucs' rushing attack a much-needed spark.
Rachaad White is still the team's starter, and a better receiver than his rookie counterpart, but it would not be surprising to see Irving take the bulk of the rushing duties by midseason if he can continue the form he showed against the Commanders.
As long as he can bring consistency to his pass-blocking, he will have opportunities to be on the field and make an impact for the defending NFC South champions and for fantasy managers looking for depth on their bench at the position.
Irving is available in 80-plus percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues and will get looks against a Detroit Lions team that gave up the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs a season ago.
All stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise noted.
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