Fantasy Football Week Two's Waiver-Wire Picks

Garth Gregor, Fantasy Director at Fantasy Football Maniaxs

The wire picks are players who are or were still available in most leagues this week.  Depending on how your waiver wire/free agents’ pool works, players may not clear waivers until later this week.

Most players should not be trusted to start in Week Two unless your draft really went poorly. Instead, these players should be monitored or stashed away on your bench for bye weeks’ use or a future starting-spot consideration.

QUARTERBACKS

Chad Pennington - He found some receivers to throw to in Miami, bless his heart.  Seriously, 251 yards passing, two touchdowns, and only one interception is a solid day.  He will not always have Brett Favre to compete against but he is worth monitoring.

Matt Cassel - This is tough. He was 13-for-18 for 152 yards and a touchdown, but it was against the Chiefs. There is really no telling how he will perform in upcoming weeks or how Randy Moss will respond. Pick him up if you can, but try to hold off a week to see what he can do.

Kerry Collins and Matt Ryan - It will also be interesting to monitor these two over the upcoming weeks. Neither has much to work with, but if Michael Turner can continue to keep defenses honest, it should free up Matt Ryan to make some progress this season.

RUNNING BACKS.

Pierre Thomas - If you are a happy Week One Reggie Bush's owner, now is the time to handcuff him to Pierre Thomas. The second-year man out of Illinois is a legitimate running back that moves ahead of Deuce McCallister on the depth charts.

It was Thomas, not Deuce, that split time with Bush on Sunday, also catching out of the backfield. He averaged over five yards per touch and would make a great play when Bush is injured or is finally moved to starting wide receiver.

Tim Hightower - This guy just seems to have a nose for the end zone. He found it in three of four preseason games and now in Week One. It is early to start him on a fantasy roster; but if he catches out of the backfield and continues to punch the ball in at this rate, I don't see what else he needs to do to earn a fantasy bench spot.

He had three receptions for 21 yards and the rushing touchdown. Plus, Edgerrin James is the only one keeping him from being a feature back.

Steve Slaton - He looked decent on Sunday against a tough Steelers defense. He had the majority of touches and should take over for Ahman Green before I finish writing this sentence.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Eddie Royal - Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall could be in heaven if this second round rookie out of Virginia Tech continues to develop. He should be available in most leagues, but not for long, after showcasing his skills on Monday Night Football.

DeSean Jackson – The Eagles' rookie may have fallen through the cracks in some leagues and still is only owned in 48 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues. He looks like the real deal and even returns punts (probably not for long). Look for talent over flash in the pan receivers like Hank Basket and Greg Lewis.

Ike Hilliard – Had six catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. Jeff Garcia knows how to get him the ball, and he might be worth a bench spot if you are thin on wide receivers.

Matt Jones - Could this finally be Matt Jones' year? He had six receptions for 80 yards, but Jacksonville was off their game. He’s taking advantage of his fellow receivers missing games to injuries.

TIGHT ENDS

Bo Scaife – Alge Crumpler only caught one ball for four yards. Bo Scaife hauled six receptions for 105 yards, including a 44-yard gain from Todd Collins. Not every week will be like this, but at least he is involved in the offense.

L.J. Smith - Back from the dead, Smith caught a touchdown from McNabb and was targeted several other times in the red zone. If he and McNabb stay healthy, Smith makes a smart play with what looks like a strong offense.

DEFENSES

Arizona DEF – Looked strong against San Francisco in Week One with four sacks, five forced turnovers, and only 13 points allowed. Now they face a subpar Miami offense in Week Two.

Seattle DEF - The San Francisco offense is good for what ails you. Expect the Seahawks defense to bounce back at home in week two even with their own struggles on offense.

KICKERS

John Kasay – Looked great against the San Diego Chargers' defense and went four for four, including a 49 yarder. Throw in two for two for PATs, and he had a terrific day. The Panthers did all this without the help of Steve Smith, so look for their offense to continue to improve and move the ball into Kasay's striking distance.

He is only owned in 12 percent of Yahoo leagues, so dump Josh Brown and the Rams' dreadful offense right away.

Martin Gramatica – He can kick from 50+, and he plays for the Saints. They should get their offense together soon, and I also like the fact that he beat out a rookie for his job.

Please look for regular updates to this column shortly after each weekend’s games for our waiver-wire pickups for the upcoming weeks. Good luck!