Week 2 Waiver Wire: Examining Top Fantasy Football Targets

Running backs taking advantage of unexpected opportunities was one of the primary fantasy football storylines from Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.

Benny Snell Jr. headlined the list of No. 2 running backs who thrived with more snaps than usual due to an injury to his team's top player at the position.

If James Conner misses a bit of time, Snell could eclipse the Indianapolis running backs as the most coveted waiver-wire pickup for Week 2. 

A handful of other intriguing pickups created opportunities for themselves within full strength offenses and could produce at a higher clip with more in-game reps as the season progresses. 

Top Waiver-Wire Targets

Benny Snell Jr., RB, Pittsburgh

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The Steelers received good news on two fronts Monday night.

Snell thrived in place of the injured Conner by recording 113 rushing yards on 19 carries in the win over the New York Giants. 

The team also received word that Conner's injury does not appear to be too serious. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers are "optimistic for a timely return" from Conner's sprained ankle. 

While Conner is sidelined, Snell should receive the bulk of the carries to complement Ben Roethlisberger. 

On Monday, Pittsburgh ran the ball on 30 occasions and its quarterback threw the ball 32 times. If the Steelers continue to show a balanced look, Snell could be in for a heavy workload.

Mike Tomlin's team appears to be in a favorable spot for Week 2, as it hosts a Denver team that has to travel across the country on short rest. 

Zack Moss, RB, Buffalo

Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press

Buffalo could be in the process of developing a tenacious one-two punch out of the backfield. 

Zack Moss, a rookie out of Utah, was active in both aspects of the offense and caught a touchdown against the New York Jets. 

Moss earned nine carries, the same number as No. 1 running back Devin Singletary. Both players finished behind Josh Allen in attempts and rushing yards. 

Singletary and Moss combined for eight receptions on 11 targets, with Moss accounting for three receptions for 16 yards. 

Moss' numbers may not be as high as Snell's or Indianapolis' Nyheim Hines', but the production split with Singletary is encouraging. 

With most of the waiver-wire attention going to Hines and Snell because of the injuries on their respective teams, Moss could fly under the radar and still be available later in the week. 

Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

It is understandable if most of the attention you pay to the Colts offense goes to the running backs, but while you are evaluating their roster, take a close look at Parris Campbell.

The Ohio State product caught six of his nine targets from Philip Rivers in Week 1 and finished with 71 yards. 

All of those totals were career highs for the second-year player, who appeared in seven games in 2019. 

Campbell tied T.Y. Hilton for the most targets of any Colts wideout, and if opposing secondaries key in more on the veteran, the second-rounder out of Ohio State could benefit with more balls thrown in his direction.

Indianapolis' favorable schedule in the coming weeks could also be an intriguing reason to pick up Campbell.

The Colts' Week 2 opponent is Minnesota, which allowed 43 points to Green Bay in Week 1. After that, they take on the New York Jets, Chicago, Cleveland and Cincinnati before the Week 7 bye. 

Four of those five teams ranked in the top 10 in passing yards conceded from Sunday's 13-game slate.

Logan Thomas, TE, Washington

Susan Walsh/Associated Press

Logan Thomas may develop into a reliable short-range target for Dwayne Haskins in the Washington offense. 

The former Virginia Tech quarterback posted the second-highest yardage total of his NFL career Sunday by hauling in four catches for 37 yards. 

A year ago, Haskins lacked a sturdy tight end target, as Jeremy Sprinkle recorded 241 receiving yards and Vernon Davis only earned 123 yards through the air. 

Haskins already has a deep threat in Terry McLaurin, but he needs to discover an option across the middle to open up defenses. 

The early returns suggest Thomas can fill that role over Sprinkle and other targets out of the backfield, like Antonio Gibson.

At the moment, Thomas is a low-risk, high-reward player to add as depth, and he could be a plug-and-play option if your primary tight end fails to live up to expectations.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.