Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Streaming Options Likely on the Waiver Wire

This is when the real fun begins. The NFL season is a long one, and the most capable fantasy managers are the ones who anticipate bumps in the road and adjust accordingly. Throw the offseason GPS out of the window and capitalize on Week 1 game film and box scores to overcome disappointments and start carving out an edge over less flexible managers.

Sometimes you're not afforded the benefit of comfortable starters past Week 1 and you need to call up some streamers from the waiver wire for Week 2. That's what we'll be tackling here: waiver targets who can provide streaming upside in Week 2 and beyond.

For maximum benefit, the following streamers are rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues and are considered through the lens of standard (non-point-per-reception) leagues. 

Quarterback: Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears, 3 Percent Rostered

Quarterback streaming options are relatively scarce in Week 2, as most of the interesting candidates are rostered in above 30 percent of leagues or face with intimidating defenses. Mitchell Trubisky, on the other hand, gets a great matchup after somehow popping off in Week 1.

Trubisky did not have it in the first half, but he put in work in the second. He finished Week 1 as the QB7 with 242 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 26 rushing yards. 

Up next: the New York Giants, who gave up 229 yards and three touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday evening. Trubisky feels like a gamble, but the payout could be massive for a streamer who is available in most leagues. 

Running Back: Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams, 27 Percent Rostered

No player's rostered percentage will increase as much as Malcolm Brown's this week. For 27 percent of fantasy owners, Brown is excellent trade bait or late-round value. For the rest, he's as intriguing a streaming candidate as possible.

While his long-term upside is capped by Darrell Henderson's return to health and Cam Akers' progression, Brown had a great Week 1 and should continue providing tremendous short-term value. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he received 22 looks (18 carries and four targets) and turned those into 110 yards and two touchdowns, good to be the RB4.

In Week 2, he faces the Philadelphia Eagles. None of the Washington Football Team's running backs averaged over four yards per carry against Philadelphia's defense in Week 1, but Peyton Barber did score two rushing touchdowns. Brown could maintain his production for another week.

Wide Receiver: Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts, 22 Percent Rostered

It wasn't the start that Indianapolis Colts fans hoped for from the Philip Rivers revamp, but Parris Campbell made it work. While the team struggled against an unalarming Jacksonville Jaguars defense, he received a team-high nine targets and came up with six receptions for 71 yards. He also received one carry, which amounted to zero yards, but confirmed the team believes in his playmaking ability.  

It's nothing crazy, but certainly intriguing for a player rostered in just 22 percent of leagues.

In Week 2, Campbell and the Colts face the Minnesota Vikings, who just gave up four receiving touchdowns to the Green Bay Packers. While Campbell may not hit Davante Adams' 14 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns, streaming managers would likely be content if he did as well as the Packers' Nos. 2 and 3 options, who each posted four catches for 60-plus yards and a touchdown.

In deeper leagues, keep an eye out for Breshad Perriman and Laviska Shenault Jr. They have exciting tools and could soon earn expanded roles. 

Tight End: Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team, 2 Percent Rostered

Tight end continues to be a mess. If you really need someone rostered in under 30 percent of leagues, then all that's left is to throw the dart. Logan Thomas led Washington in Week 1 targets with eight, catching four of them for 37 yards and a touchdown—making him the TE8. In Week 2, he'll face a team he used to play quarterback for, Arizona, and may look to get some revenge.

The Cardinals look much better defensively than they did in 2019, when they were the league's worst team at defending tight ends. Thomas is a streamer you can take a shot on, but don't go in with the highest expectations. 

Kicker: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers, 23 Percent Rostered

The Packers seem to be scoring and, should that continue, Mason Crosby could prove to be an excellent waiver kicker for this week and beyond. 

In Week 1, he wasn't asked to do much, but he knocked in both of his attempts and all five of his extra points. That efficiency and his offense's ceiling make him deserving of starting for more than 23 percent of teams, especially in a Week 2 matchup against a Detroit Lions team that could get Kenny Golladay back and make things competitive.

Defense: Arizona Cardinals: 3 Percent Rostered

The Cardinals defense was as impressive as Jimmy Garoppolo was not in Week 1. Patrick Peterson is available to Arizona from day one this season. Budda Baker and Byron Murphy are each one year more experienced. Veterans like Devon Kennard and Dre Kirkpatrick looked comfortable out there.

Most importantly, the team has Chandler Jones and he is, as always, on a mission to rip through the pocket. That will make life much more difficult for Dwayne Haskins, who could struggle heavily a week removed from his team's quality performance against an injury-riddled Philadelphia.