NFL Waiver Wire: Week 2 Pickups

This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based on both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. This column will run every Tuesday to, hopefully, accommodate the various waiver schedules. I'll update it in the comments section during the week; please keep in mind a lot can change from Tuesday to Sunday.

Hopefully, Week 1 was positive for your fantasy team and you head into Week 2 with a better fantasy record than the Patriots' real record. Players like Cooper Kupp, Kenny Golladay, DeShone Kizer, Danny Amendola (concussion) and Mike Tolbert were discussed a week ago and obviously deserve consideration if they are still on your waiver wire. However, the goal here as always is to stay ahead of the curve, and that's what we'll do again this week.

QUARTERBACK

Secondary Targets

Deshaun Watson, TEX - While Watson hasn't officially been named starter for Thursday night it appears the Tom Savage era is over for Houston. Watson appears to have more upside than Savage despite the 4.4 YPA he posted after replacing Savage at halftime in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville. The Jaguars are actually a very good defensive team (as evidence by last year's stats), so Sunday's numbers might not mean a whole lot. Watson can do some stuff with his legs and has a solid receiving corps lead by DeAndre Hopkins. FAAB: $3-$6

Hail Mary

Jacoby Brissett, IND - Brissett, who is expected to start Week 2, appears to have the most upside of among the Colts' healthy quarterbacks. The Colts haven't said anything definitive nor truthful about Luck, so it's tough to predict when he'll be back. The difference between Watson and Brissett is that Watson has a better chance of holding onto the job all season and has more upside than Brissett. Still, Brissett has value in Super-Flex/two-quarterback leagues merely because he should have a starting job. FAAB: $2-$4

RUNNING BACK

Primary Targets

Kerwynn Williams, ARI - The David Johnson injury is going to likely keep him out for the next 8-12 weeks and if your league has a small bench, cutting him needs to be seriously considered. Bruce Arians has already said Williams will be the No. 1 back and Chris Johnson may be brought back into the fold as well. Williams shouldn't be trusted to handle a full workload and hold up all season (he's 5-foot-8, less than 200 pounds) but will be given the opportunity to handle the lion's share of carries for the Cardinals. FAAB: $8-$12

Tarik Cohen, CHI - Cohen is a primary consideration in PPR formats given he had 12 targets in his pro debut. He finished Sunday with 13 touches for 113 yards and a score and looks like a nice complementary back to Jordan Howard. Howard will remain the main option out of the backfield for the Bears and is the bigger/goal-line back. However, Cohen seems to have the trust of quarterback Mike Glennon and will get plenty of swing passes out of the backfield, putting him in space and creating mismatches. Obviously, bump up Cohen two or three times this value in full-point PPR formats or leagues that count kick returns. FAAB: $8-$10

Javorius Allen, BAL - While most expected Terrance West to carry the bulk of the workload for the Ravens, it was Allen who got the most carries with 21 for 71 yards Sunday. This was probably an anomaly of a situation with the Ravens leading by a lot all game (42 runs, 17 passes) and there will be more pass attempts and fewer rushes in the future for Baltimore. A nice home matchup against the Browns awaits Allen and the Ravens this week. FAAB: $6-$10

Secondary Targets

Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, Thomas Rawls, SEA - It seems pretty clear Eddie Lacy's time in Seattle and perhaps in the NFL could end soon, right? Rawls is expected back this week, and the fact that Lacy had five carries for three yards on a mere seven snaps Sunday suggests he's buried on the depth chart. Remember, Pete Carroll had no problem going to Russell Wilson his rookie season and seems to be the type of coach who makes the logical decision to play players who give the team the best chance to win. Bump up Prosise in PPR but don't expect him to get the goal-line work; that'll go to either Rawls or Carson. FAAB: Rawls, $4-$6; Carson, $3-$6; Prosise, $2-$4, adjust in PPR

WIDE RECEIVER

Primary Targets

Corey Davis, TEN - According to Yahoo, he's owned in less than 50 percent of leagues, so he easily makes the cut this week. Davis caught six passes for 69 yards Sunday, but the most telling stat of his first game was 10 targets. While Rishard Matthews is the established veteran and Delanie Walker is the safety blanket in the red zone, look for Davis to be the receiver with the most upside in this up-and-coming offense. FAAB: $8-$12

Allen Hurns, Marquise Lee, JAC - The loss of Allen Robinson stings for the Jaguars, considering AFC South is wide open and they have a better defense than most realize. With more challenging games ahead, look for Blake Bortles to attempt more than the 21 passes he threw Sunday. Hurns is the lean here, but there's also an easy scenario (60/40 Hurns) to see that Lee ends up being the more productive fantasy player the rest of the season. Either way, both get a big bump with the Robinson injury and Marcedes Lewis should see an uptick in red-zone targets. FAAB: Hurns, $6-$10; Lee, $5-$8

Secondary Targets

Nelson Agholor, PHI - It seems like the Eagles have enough confidence in Agholor that they were OK with trading Jordan Matthews to the Bills and allowing him to be the No. 2 wide receiver to Alshon Jeffery. Agholor's 6-81-1 stat line Sunday is nice, but he hasn't shown a ton of upside in his first two seasons with the Eagles. And while Carson Wentz's improvement in his second season could mean better things for Agholor, it wouldn't be wise to blow all your FAAB on him based on one week. As a result, he's in the "Secondary Targets" this week. FAAB: $3-$6

TIGHT END

Secondary Targets

Jesse James, PIT - Insert lame old western joke now but James looked Sunday to be the real deal and has earned the trust of Big Ben. Even though the Steelers traded for Vance McDonald in training camp, it was James who scored twice, targeted eight times to McDonald's one. This could easily be a case of McDonald catching up on a new offense, though James is a third-year player for the Steelers and has a nice pedigree after playing at Penn State. FAAB: $3-$6

DEFENSE

Secondary Targets

Baltimore Ravens - Cleveland's DeShone Kizer looked pretty legit in his first start and his ability to gain extra fantasy points using his legs makes him a interesting option on a weekly basis. However, there will be growing pains in his rookie season, and going on the road to Baltimore in Week 2 is not a good matchup. The Ravens shut out the Bengals on the road Sunday, and the Browns at home is an even better matchup. Here's your streamable defense this week. FAAB: $3-$6