Hollywood Brown and the Best Week 2 Fantasy Football 2025 Waiver-Wire Pickups

The 2025 fantasy football season's first waiver-wire rush is about to begin following the conclusion of Week 1.

Regardless of whether they won or lost their initial matchup, every manager should spend at least a few minutes evaluating their roster and making free-agent claims now there is some meaningful data available.

While it's important not to overreact to a single game worth of stats and usage trends, it would be equally imprudent to completely write off these insights.

Avoid holding on to deep sleepers who had zero impact or barely played in Week 1. Instead, prioritize adding players who exceeded expectations.

With that in mind, here's a look at some of the best free-agent additions—available in approximately half or more of all Yahoo! Sports fantasy leagues—you can make ahead of Week 2.

Fantasy points and rankings courtesy of FantasyPros' PPR data taken prior to the weeks' Monday Night Football matchup. Suggested free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bids are based on a $100 dollar starting budget.

Quarterback

AP Photo

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (5 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-4

The Daniel Jones comeback arc officially kicked off on Sunday.

The veteran dazzled in a blowout victory over the Dolphins, putting up top-five fantasy numbers and making onlookers wonder if another Saquon Barkley-type situation could be at hand after the quarterback escaped New York.

Jones completed 22 of his 29 throws for 272 yards and a score, and he added another 26 yards and two touchdowns on his seven totes. He avoided turnovers and was sacked just once in the 33-8 victory, a 29.5-fantasy point performance that should cement his status as Indy's QB1 for the 2025 campaign.

Jones may not be a must-add yet, but if he follows this up with another big outing against a much-tougher Denver defense in Week 2, you'll be glad you picked him up on the cheap.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (14 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-2

Jones wasn't the only veteran quarterback who spent his Sunday defying expectations and proving he still has something left in the tank.

Rodgers' sterling display against his former team could even mark the return of the future Hall of Famer as an elite fantasy weapon.

The 41-year-old was well off the fantasy radar during his final Jets season—he finished as 2024's QB19—but he may have reemerged with a 25.7-point game against a Gang Green defense that has consistently rated amongst the league's best for the past half-decade.

If Rodgers can remain as dialed in as he was during a 22-of-30, 244-yard, four-touchdown passing outing, he'll be a sure-fire QB1 in 2025.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (32 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

Penix's sophomore season may have begun in typical Falcons fashion with a heartbreaking defeat, but his fantasy outlook is still quite promising.

The signal-caller vastly outperformed his preseason QB24 status by hanging 24 fantasy points on the Bucs and rating inside the top 10 at the position in Week 1.

A more ferocious Vikings defense awaits the 25-year-old in Week 2, though, making this more of a wait-and-see add than a plug-and-play pickup.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (6 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

Consider claiming Dash this week if you want to make a speculative stash that has a high probability of paying off within the next month.

The G-Men looked completely out of sync with Russell Wilson running the offense and it's unlikely head coach Brian Daboll will continue with the veteran under center much longer if the team fails against the Cowboys in Week 2.

Dart had a fantastic preseason and could give this club a much-needed shot in the arm if he takes over as the starter.

Running Back

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Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (46 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $6-10

The Browns backfield situation looked murky going into the 2025 campaign, but Week 1 brought plenty of clarity to it—at least for now.

Sampson is the clear-cut best option in the team's platoon following his 17.3-point display on Sunday while incumbent starter Jerome Ford mustered a meager eight yards on six carries and had his lone reception go for minus-three yards.

Despite only rushing for 29 yards, Sampson's eight catches for 64 yards boosted his value. While his workload may decrease if Quinshon Judkins emerges, Sampson is a strong short-term add.

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (39 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $4-6

After the Cardinals spent the offseason telling anyone who would listen that Benson would be more involved in the offense this year, the back still went undrafted in a large majority of fantasy leagues.

Considering Benson saw plenty of action (nine touches on 22 snaps, including nearly all of the Cardinals' third-down work), the second-year talent won't remain available for long.

Snap him up after an underwhelming albeit promising 8.5-point outing if you need backfield depth.

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: 0-2

The Steelers may have dissected the Jets with their Aaron Rodgers-led aerial attack on Sunday, but expect the ground game to get more involved as the weeks go on.

Gainwell will clearly be one of the main beneficiaries of this shift after he logged a backfield-high 29 offensive snaps in Week 1.

While Gainwell (23 yards on 10 touches) was vastly outproduced by Jaylen Warren (59 yards on 13 touches) in the opener, this disparity has strong potential to shrink based on game scripting and matchups.

The veteran is at least worth a speculative add due to his playing time and volume in a week when few unheralded RBs broke out as obvious waiver-wire targets.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, Kansas City Chiefs (25 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $8-12

Brown is the Kansas City offense's best hope of staying afloat over the next few weeks. After Xavier Worthy went down in the opener, Brown stepped up and finished the contest with 19.9 points on a whopping 16 targets.

That kind of volume may be unsustainable long-term, but Brown is a must-add for his potential to rate among the league-leaders in targets until Rashee Rice returns from suspension in Week 7.

If news breaks that Worthy will be sidelined for an extended stretch—there's no timeline for his return from a dislocated shoulder yet—Brown becomes an even bigger priority addition.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (9 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $6-10

Johnston opened 2025 with a bang, tallying 79 yards and a pair of scores on five catches in a win over the rival Chiefs.

That hefty 24.9-point performance could be fluky, though, as the third-year receiver has previously put up some massive fantasy numbers that were ultimately soured by no-shows in the weeks that followed.

While Johnston deserves to be rostered in deeper leagues and should still be cautiously added in standard formats, it's far too early to tell if he'll be able to achieve a level of consistency that makes him a startable asset.

Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (28 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-5

Tillman was one of the hottest receivers in the league between Weeks 7-9 last year, putting up three consecutive top-12 performances before injuries cut his campaign short. He appears to be ready to get back to that level after putting up a 5/52/1 line on eight targets in Week 1.

While Tillman benefitted from a pass-heavy game script, he's already a worthy fantasy pickup as a depth WR and flex option.

He may have some down weeks due to the erratic nature of Cleveland's offense and potential quarterback carousel, but overall this is a player worth rostering in most formats right now.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (1 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

The Pats have long had a void at their No. 1 WR spot, a hole that Boutte just made a strong case to fill following his breakout Week 1 performance. He reeled in six of his eight targets for 103 yards on Sunday, a promising start for the second-year wideout.

Boutte picked right back up where he left off late in his rookie campaign. He posted a pair of top-12 finishes over the final three weeks of 2024, including 7/117/1 WR5 outing in the finale.

New England's offense might be up-and-down this season, but Boutte could still end up being one of the club's few consistent fantasy bright spots.

Tight End

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (2 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

Someone is going to end up catching most of the passes that aren't sent Chris Olave's way in this New Orleans offense.

Johnson stated his case to be that guy by recording eight receptions on 11 targets for 76 yards in Week 1, serving as the safety net for embattled quarterback Spencer Rattler.

With New Orleans likely to trail early and often this year, Johnson's second-fiddle role to Olave could be quite lucrative for fantasy purposes.

Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers (31 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

Despite finishing as the TE4 in 2024, Smith was largely written off this offseason following a trade to Pittsburgh. That may have been shortsighted after the veteran scored in his Steelers debut and put up a respectable 12.5 fantasy points.

It's at least clear Smith isn't going to be a non-factor in this Arthur Smith system. His six targets ranked second on the team and were just one off the tally superstar wideout DK Metcalf garnered from Aaron Rodgers in the opener.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (51 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

Staring down a possible regression due to his age and potentially reduced role in a Commanders offense that added wideouts Deebo Samuel and rookie Jaylin Lane to contend for looks with, Ertz went out and had another workmanlike performance.

While the 34-year-old didn't pop off with his three-catch, five-target, 26-yard, one-touchdown day, it was the type of stable fantasy performance managers came to expect during his initial season in Washington.

Ertz's 11.6-point outing should be relatively standard for the reliable veteran, one who clearly remains Jayden Daniels' preferred red-area target.

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (2 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-2

The Browns may have lost their season opener, but there should still be plenty of optimism surrounding the future of their young tight end.

Fannin showed out in the contest, putting up 63 yards on seven catches while leading the team in targets with nine.

That type of production isn't out of the ordinary for the 21-year-old, who had an eye-popping 117/1,555/10 receiving line in his final Bowling Green season.

If Fannin can continue to produce at that level in the pros, he may usurp David Njoku as Cleveland's top pass-catching tight end far sooner than expected.

D/ST

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Jared Verse

Los Angeles Rams (27 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The Rams put the clamps on the Texans on Sunday, limiting them to a meager nine points and racking up 11 points—good for a top-five finish in Week 1—for the handful of fantasy managers who believed in this unit.

On the heels of that three-sack, one-interception, one-fumble recovery game, L.A. is clearly one of the best D/ST adds for Week 2.

With a dream matchup against the Tennessee Titans—a team that mustered just 12 points in its opener—on tap, the Rams are a lock to rate among the NFL's highest scoring D/ST units for the second consecutive week.

Consider this strictly a one-week streaming option, though, as dates with the Eagles, 49ers and Ravens loom in the month that follows.

San Francisco 49ers (34 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The 49ers defense did its job on Sunday, helping the team scrape its way to a 17-13 victory over the rival Seahawks.

The unit didn't put up heaps of points—a singular sack and two fumble recoveries were the only notable scoring events—but did well locking down Sam Darnold and Co. in a gritty contest.

Things will get even easier in Week 2 when the Niners head to the Big Easy. New Orleans' offense struggled against the Cardinals in Week 1, scoring a meager 13 points and completing just 27 of 46 passing attempts.

The Saints aren't likely to improve upon those middling marks, so scoop up San Fran with confidence.

Indianapolis Colts (1 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

Are the Colts for real or are the Dolphins just that bad? We'll know much more after the teams finish their impending Week 2 contests, but for now, it's looking like a mix of both factors.

Indy boasted the second-highest scoring D/ST unit of the weekend, putting up an impressive 13 points behind a three-sack, two-interception, one-fumble recovery performance while limiting Miami's offense to just eight points.

This group will try to continue its dominance against the Broncos on Sunday, a team that allowed the Titans defense to put up a rather surprising 10 points in the opener.