Let the overreaction begin.
Busts, injuries and surprises once again welcomed us to the first week of the fantasy football season. Many of those bad performances should be taken with a grain of salt, while some injuries and some other bigger uses among players we didn’t anticipate, should garner a second look.
Here’s the best week 2 fantasy football waiver wire adds.
Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
He was non-existent in a week 1 win against Houston that saw Jacksonville complete only 11 passes. But Lee’s importance goes far beyond week 1. Allen Robinson looks like he may be out for the remainder of the season, meaning somebody has to fill those targets.
Lee should generate more volume than we previously believed. Even with Jacksonville attempting only 21 passes, Lee still attracted four targets. It’s not great, but it’s something to build upon for the future. The Jaguars aren’t going to be the high-volume passing attack we saw a few years ago. This team is all about defense and a better running game. Even with that direction, the Jaguars are going to have to complete some passes at some point.
That means Lee should see more targets, possibly putting him in that seven to eight target range, giving way to enough volume to see action as a WR3 at times.
Kerwyn Williams, RB, Arizona Cardinals
This move is based on speculation, but Williams should get some attention this week.
No. 1 fantasy football pick David Johnson went out of Sunday’s game with an injury, giving way to Williams scoring a touchdown in the week 1 loss. Williams likely won’t be a high producer even if Johnson misses some time due to injury. However, even if he’s part of a committee, he still has some value.
The Cardinals utilize running backs often and with the way the offense looked in week 1, they’ll need a spark. The wide receivers just aren’t getting it done in Arizona, so whoever lines up as a running back in Arizona’s offense has the chance to produce in fantasy football.
Tarik Cohen, RB, Chicago Bears
This is more of an indictment on Jordan Howard. The early second-round fantasy football pick looks to be embroiled in a committee approach on a team that is likely to trail often. That’s a problem for Howard, since Cohen is set to see the most work as a pass-catching option.
One of Howard’s knocks last season was his constant drops in the passing game. Cohen got plenty of third-down work and caught eight of 12 targets in week 1 against the Falcons. That’s a problem for Howard owners, who were hoping for three downs worth of volume.
Cohen’s value is based on the Bears likely trailing and needing to use the running back as a pass-catcher. He won’t be a bell-cow running back, but there’s plenty of value since the Bears will likely be trailing often this season.
Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Carson Wentz appears to be the real deal. My suggestion is to first pick up Wentz if he isn’t owned in your fantasy football league. Then, try to add Agholor, who saw eight targets and caught six balls to go along with a touchdown reception.
Agholor is a big-time talent, who disappointed last year. But as I’ve mentioned often, we give up too early on players. It takes some players more than a few games to adjust to the NFL, and Agholor could be that kind of player. He switched with Torrey Smith as the second wide receiver, giving him enough playing time to warrant WR3 consideration.
Agholor has the talent, and it appears that Wentz is comfortable throwing his way. He’s a must-add this week, especially with Wentz confirming his growth that was being talked about throughout the preseason.
