Week 2 Waiver Wire: Examining Top Fantasy Football Targets

Successfully navigating the waiver wire is essential in fantasy football. Even those fantasy owners who enjoyed outstanding drafts will need to tweak their roster on almost a weekly basis in order to keep their team on the path to a championship.

The task is particularly tricky after Week 1.

That's because the opening group of games also provided plenty of surprises and a decision must be made about whether or not that production was a fluke. In many cases, there isn't a ton of information to go off besides the raw score.

With the in mind, let's check out the most intriguing players that fantasy owners should be aiming to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 2.

Week 2 Targets

Position	Player	Team	Week 1 Score
QB	Carson Palmer	ARZ	20
RB	Justin Forsett	BAL	14
WR	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	15
TE	Zach Ertz	PHI	13

Any quarterback with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd at their disposal is worth watching. Carson Palmer showed what he's capable of late Monday night, as he threw for over 300 yards and registered two touchdowns in a comeback win over the San Diego Chargers.

The veteran signal-caller was noticeably more locked in as the leader of the Arizona Cardinals offense than last year, which points toward a more consistent fantasy season.

He talked about that following the game, as noted by Alex Marvez of Fox Sports.

"There's no comparison," Palmer said. "Everybody is just comfortable. It's Year 2 and we should be. Guys are just confident in what they're doing and everybody is playing fast.

"When you're not 100 percent feeling great about what you're doing, you play at about 92 percent. That's not good enough in this league."

There are still questions about the team's running game—his 29 yards on the ground were just 24 off the team lead. In turn, he should take to the air early and often. His track record suggests that will lead to some turnovers, but not nearly enough to destroy his fantasy value.

As the Baltimore Ravens' running game begins to sort itself out, it was Justin Forsett who put together the most impressive display of Week 1.

He averaged more than six yards per carry and found the end zone while Bernard Pierce struggled.

It should earn him more looks moving forward. That's especially true since the Ravens can't expect to win many games if Joe Flacco is forced to throw the ball 62 times, as was the case in their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Forsett also added five catches. Pierce didn't see a single target despite that inordinately high number of passing plays. Therefore, the longtime backup has emerged as Baltimore's most well-rounded backfield option, and that certainly makes him worth picking up.

Derek Anderson filled in for the more dynamic Cam Newton in Week 1. That didn't stop Kelvin Benjamin from having a big game in his debut. He caught six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown on which he simply outworked the defensive back for the ball in the end zone.

It was exactly what the Carolina Panthers were hoping for when they took him in Round 1 of the 2014 draft. He definitely had the look of a top target, which the offense was missing last season.

Alex Flanagan of NBC Sports was impressed with the rookie's first outing:

Benjamin immediately established himself as the best receiver on the roster and the clear favorite for most of the red-zone targets. Carolina is still going to lean heavily on its running game and defense, but he should see more than enough looks to shine bright as a rookie.

Zach Ertz scored 13 fantasy points in Week 1. While that might not seem like much, it's important to remember the lack of depth at tight end this season.

According to ESPN.com, that score was good enough to rank him in a tie for fourth at the position in standard formats.

He had three catches for 77 yards, which is nearly 26 yards per grab, and a touchdown. He put up those numbers despite continuing to split time with Brent Celek. The number of snaps should continue to trend more in his direction as the season wears on.

Being able to stretch the field while still being able to use size and athleticism to post up in the red zone is a terrific combination for a tight end.

It makes Ertz a must-own commodity at a position where fantasy owners will be seeking upgrades all season long.