The Week 2 waiver wire has a little bit of everything for fantasy owners in need.

Lose a wideout like Dez Bryant to an injury, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News? Is a hyped quarterback such as Ryan Tannehill or supposed sleeper back such as Frank Gore underperforming?

The waiver wire is the place to be. Few times match the Week 2 waiver wire, which occurs fresh in the aftermath of coaches leaving it all on the field with surprise names and schemes. Below, let’s review the best pickups and zoom in on several every owner should target.

Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickup Targets

Pickups to Know

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (19.1 ownership percentage)

Now would be the time to put the Andy Dalton disrespect to bed, folks.

There’s really no excuse for Dalton to have such a low ownership percentage in the first place. He leads an offense featuring A.J. Green, and defenses have better things to worry about, such as a back by the name of Jeremy Hill.

Dalton backed up this logic this past Sunday by acting as fantasy’s ninth-highest scoring quarterback before the Monday games. He scored 18 points on 269 yards and two touchdowns in large part thanks to the emergence of tight end Tyler Eifert, who caught nine passes for 104 yards and two scores.

Which is the rub—the best weapon selection of his career sits on Cincinnati’s roster, highlighted by Eifert, one of the most gifted players in the league (and who just missed the cut here with a 43.0 ownership percentage).

Even going into weeks with a tough matchup, all Dalton has to do is spread the ball out in a quick-hitting offense and let his players do the work. It’s similar for owners—all they have to do is let Dalton do the work as his week-to-week production should be quite consistent.

David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals (37.3 ownership percentage)

Fantasy owners have two options when it comes to the backfield in Arizona.

David Johnson or Chris Johnson?

It’s best to turn away from CJ?K and look at the rookie out of Northern Iowa, who exploded onto the scene with 11 points in this past weekend’s encounter against the New Orleans Saints.

In fact, Johnson clinched an insurance touchdown for his team with impressive wheels, per the NFL:

Normally one big play wouldn’t be enough to get a mention, but astute fantasy owners have already muttered the question—game on the line, why was Johnson in over Andre Ellington?

Ellington went down with a scary noncontact injury, which Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 classified as a “PCL injury.”

An owner’s job is to play the projection game. Here, one can presume Chris Johnson will see snaps in a committee, but so too will David Johnson after the highlight above. Waiver-wire pickups are about upside, and it’s hard to find more this week than with the explosive rookie.

Brandon Coleman, WR, New Orleans Saints (16.8 ownership percentage)

This is a pickup sleeper articles have tabbed all offseason.

Now there’s proof. New Orleans’ rookie wideout Brandon Coleman took on an Arizona secondary led by Patrick Peterson and came away with four catches for 41 yards and a score. In the process, he tied for the third-most targets on the team.

Call it projections fulfilled. As ESPN’s Field Yates pointed out, Coleman had major support from within the organization this preseason:

The Saints lost Kenny Stills (85 targets in 2014) and Jimmy Graham (124) this past offseason, so the bulk of those lost targets have to go somewhere. It wasn’t hard to see it would be Coleman with just Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston to compete with on the depth chart.

In a pass-happy offense, Coleman might turn out to be as reliable as Stills was last season. Sometimes it’s better to wait and see if a breakout like this wasn’t just a Week 1 fluke, but this isn’t one of those cases.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24.1 ownership percentage)

A second-round pick in the 2014 draft, it’s not hard to see why owners overlooked Austin Seferian-Jenkins of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ASJ saw action in just nine games last year and scored twice. Now he sits in a better quarterback situation with Jameis Winston under center and has matched his touchdown total from last year after just one game.

In fact, ASJ went for 23 points with five catches on seven targets for 110 yards and the two scores, staggering numbers when Joe Kania of Buccaneers.com put it into context:

While Vincent Jackson led the team in targets with 11, ASJ wasn’t far off, and the opportunities don’t figure to cease all season. Tight ends might drive fantasy owners to hair-pulling measures, but they happen to be a rookie quarterback’s best friend.

Before the Monday games, ASJ finished sandwiched between Rob Gronkowski and Eifert—and above Travis Kelce, Jason Witten and more. It’s not bad company for the sophomore, and it’s a position he might be able to keep, so owners will want to have ASJ on the mind when they hit the wire.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of September 14. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Fantasy

The best part about daily fantasy football is that even after a miserable Week 1, you can still come back with a new team in Week 2. Just make sure you don’t make the same mistakes when creating a lineup.

While there is still a lot of time in the week for injuries and other factors to play out, here is an early look at the best and worst options for Week 2.

Quarterback

For the second game in a row, Andrew Luck is facing a quality defensive line from the AFC East. The New York Jets could cause as many problems as the Buffalo Bills for the entire Indianapolis Colts offense. At the same time, Tom Brady could slow down a bit with his Week 2 matchup against Buffalo.

While both these players are elite at their position, this might be a time to stay away from the higher-priced stars.

Instead, fantasy competitors can turn to Ben Roethlisberger, who will continue to throw a lot with Le’Veon Bell on the sideline. He will go against a remade San Francisco 49ers defense and should have plenty of time to move the ball up and down the field.

Carson Palmer is coming off a great showing in Week 1, tossing three touchdowns with no interceptions and 307 passing yards. There is no reason to believe the Chicago Bears can slow him down in Week 2, especially if his offensive line continues to hold up as it did Sunday.

Finally, the young surprise stars of the first week remain quality value picks in Week 2. Both Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota could be drafted for cheap, and while it’s hard to expect huge performances every game, there are few better deals on the board.

Running Back

The San Diego Chargers defense has its openings on the ground, which could lead to another huge game for Jeremy Hill after scoring two touchdowns in Week 1.

Mark Ingram didn’t get into the end zone and couldn’t find much daylight on the ground, but he came through with 98 receiving yards to prove he can rack up points in many ways. It should be much easier to move the football in Week 2, however, with a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Some cheap options also remain, including Chris Ivory after a strong game, but the most interesting sleeper is Dion Lewis, who had one of the more surprising showings in the league’s opening night:

Although LeGarrette Blount is set to return to the Patriots backfield, Lewis should remain a quality third-down back and is still a valuable pick in PPR leagues.

On the other hand, sometimes the matchup simply isn’t there as with Eddie Lacy. Even though the Seahawks struggled at times in Week 1, the defense still doesn’t allow for many rushing lanes. The price just isn’t worth the risk in this one.

Another top player to avoid is LeSean McCoy, who was held to just 41 rushing yards on 2.4 yards per carry in a win. Whether the problem is his hamstring injury or poor offensive line play, it might be best to stay away until he proves himself in the new location.

Receiver

There was bad news for the Dallas Cowboys after Sunday night’s comeback win, via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com:

Terrance Williams becomes an immediate add in regular-season fantasy leagues as well as daily fantasy for a good price. You can also get great value for James Jones, who looked like he never left Green Bay. The former Oakland Raiders and New York Giants receiver returned just last week and caught two touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers in Week 1.

Even a tougher defense like Seattle shouldn’t stop this type of connection.

As far as the top receivers are concerned, you really can’t go wrong with Antonio Brown when you get points per reception. He will be targeted early and often, and should rack up plenty of points. DeAndre Hopkins also appears ready for a huge year regardless of who is at quarterback.

Those looking for a bounce-back performance can possibly find one in Brandin Cooks. He had only four catches in Week 1, but he could star against a Buccaneers defense that allowed 42 points to the Titans.

It might be a bit riskier to bet on Calvin Johnson, who had only four targets for the Lions in a Week 1 loss. Odell Beckham Jr. is also a questionable call until he proves he can handle the extra attention he will now receive from opposing defenses. His five catches for 44 yards weren’t enough to help fantasy teams Sunday.

Injuries also have limited players like T.Y. Hilton and Mike Evans, meaning you should avoid them until more information comes out.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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Football Daily Fantasy

What a day, huh?

We got a whole serving of NFL action on Sunday, with huge runs, big catches and dead-eye throws from the league’s best players.

Oh, and some disappointment, heartbreak and genuinely heavy tears, too.

Monday night’s games between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers still loom, so the fantasy week is not over just yet.

But most owners are either flying high or slumping their shoulders after the 14 games between Thursday and Sunday.

It’s time to reassemble your army. Whether you won, lost or are waiting on Monday’s games, let’s look toward Week 2.

QB

Beast: Eli Manning, New York Giants

Hold on just a minute there, everyone. Put your pitchforks down and listen.

Eli Manning gave owners a dud on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Big D gave huge attention to Odell Beckham Jr., leaving the freshly re-signed Manning to dink and dunk to the likes of Rueben Randle and the particularly slippery-handed Preston Parker.

What’s going to change? Well, the Giants are going to adjust. The Cowboys always had an extra defender over the top against ODB, so the Atlanta Falcons will probably try something similar. But offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will figure out how to get Beckham the ball.

Expect a lot more short passes and trickery against Atlanta, which will force the Falcons’ hand and open up the field for Manning and Beckham to air it out.

Dud: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

Yup, another Manning.

Eli’s older brother had an even worse fantasy day than the Giants’ signal-caller, as Peyton and Joe Flacco just traded interceptions and pick-sixes before the Denver Broncos muscled out an ugly 19-13 win in the afternoon.

Things won’t get any easier for the 39-year-old against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

KC’s defensive line played like hungry dogs against a Houston Texans team wearing meat necklaces. Peyton will (probably) get his fantasy act together soon—think of what Tom Brady did last year—but it won’t be in Week 2.

Sleeper: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Is Andy Dalton great? Nah.

Is Andy Dalton good? Eh.

Does Andy Dalton have an unbelievable amount of weapons at his disposal? You know it.

For that reason alone, the Red Rocket is an interesting play against a San Diego Chargers defense that allowed Matthew Stafford to move the ball through the air in a losing effort.

RB

Beast: LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

Don’t give up on LeSean McCoy just yet.

After a rough start in his Buffalo Bills debut, Shady gets a matchup with a New England Patriots team that let DeAngelo Williams run all over it like a treadmill last Thursday.

McCoy might have lost a half-step, but he’s still shifty as a scared rabbit and could break open some big runs against the Pats.

Dud: Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders

After a respectable showing in the Oakland Raiders’ blowout 33-13 loss to the Bengals, Murray gets a Baltimore Ravens defense that bottled up a talented runner in C.J Anderson.

It’s unknown whether Derek Carr will play, which means that the Raiders could find themselves down big again.

Which also means less carries for Murray.

Sleeper: Jonas Gray, Miami Dolphins

Jonas Gray is a deep sleeper.

Like, I-went-to-bed-at-3 a.m.-and literally-didn’t-hear-my-alarm-at-7 kind of sleeper.

But if you’re desperate, give the former Patriot some consideration. The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t inspire fear in peewee players, and Lamar Miller was a little slow to get moving against the Washington Redskins.

When Gray is fully acclimated to the team, there’s a chance he could get some action against the Jags.

WR

Beast: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

If you read the Eli Manning segment up top, you know why ODB is here.

Against the Cowboys, Beckham totaled 44 yards on five catches. It was his lowest yardage output since Week 7 of last season.

Beckham’s first pro game came against Atlanta last year in Week 4, and he grabbed four of his five targets for 44 yards and a score. This was long before the legend of ODB was written in stone.

He’s due for a bigger and better breakout at home against the Falcons this season.

Dud: Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

Credit Alshon Jeffrey for playing through pain—and playing well through that pain—against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

He caught five balls for 78 yards while fighting through a calf injury, but that was against the Pack. He’ll be facing the Arizona Cardinals’ elite secondary in Week 2.

Jeffrey needs to be at the top of his game against Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson, and he always seems to be banged up. Expect a decent, pedestrian performance, but nothing of star-caliber.

Sleeper: Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys

With Dez Bryant out four to six weeks with a broken foot, Tony Romo is going to need someone to throw to, and all the balls can’t go to Jason Witten and Cole Beasley.

Last season, T-Will scored three touchdowns over the course of Dallas’ two postseason games. He’s a decent-sized 6’2” with the speed to blow by defenders.

Williams is similar to Martavis Bryant of the Steelers in that he has a nose for the end zone. If he’s unowned in your league, scoop him up. He’s an interesting flex play in what will almost certainly be a shootout between the Eagles and ‘Boys next week.

TE

Beast: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Barring injury, the Gronkinator will never not be the top tight end.

He’s Brady’s clear go-to target, and that won’t change regardless of what defenses throw at the Pats. Gronkowski is too strong for smaller defenders and too athletic for the bruising ones, so don’t expect his production to dip.

Dud: Larry Donnell, New York Giants

Daniel Fells looks like the tight end to own on the Giants. But he’s really nowhere to be found on most fantasy rankings.

Manning hooked up with Fells three times for 33 yards against Dallas, with most of that coming early in the game. Donnell got three catches for 21 yards.

We know that Big Larry has touchdown potential, but what he lacks is consistency. There’s really no clear top-dog TE on the G-Men’s roster, which is problematic for fantasy owners of either guy.

Sleeper: Owen Daniels, Denver Broncos

Resist the urge to banish Owen Daniels to the waiver wire. Resist it!

Yes, he had two grabs for a meager five yards against Baltimore. But he’s still playing in what is supposed to be a high-powered offense.

Denver’s matchup with the Chiefs is far from favorable, but perhaps Daniels catches a few safety-blanket balls as Manning tries to avoid getting clobbered.

K

Advice

Giants kicker Josh Brown was owned in 6.1 percent of ESPN leagues heading into Sunday, and that number is going to go boom after he nailed four field goals and a pair of extra points for a 17-point outing.

Just like in real football, nobody cares about the kicker until they need him. If you have someone like Josh Scobee of the Steelers, give Brown a look.

D/ST

Advice

If you have a less-than-elite defense, look no further than the opponents to the ones on the waiver wire. For example, the St. Louis Rams are going to feast against Kirk “Captain Interception” Cousins in Week 2. According to ESPN, Cousins averages the fewest plays per turnover in the league.

The Dolphins are playing the Jaguars, too. When in doubt, try to snag whoever is playing the Jags.

Waiver-Wire Advice

Forget Dion Lewis

Dion Lewis will probably be the guy everybody is clamoring for this week.

Forget him.

Owned in just 17.1 percent of leagues, Lewis rushed for 69 yards against the Steelers to go along with 51 yards through the air. He’s small, shifty and so darn quick.

But the Patriots always seem to favor grizzly bears over water bugs. Expect LeGarrette Blount’s return to spell the end of Lewis’ 100-plus-yard days.

Go Get Super Mariota

Titans rookie Marcus Mariota whacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 13-of-16 passing for 209 yards and four—count ‘em, four!—touchdowns in a 42-14 win.

Is he going to do that every game? No chance. But it didn’t look like a total fluke. Mariota seemed comfortable and composed against Tampa Bay, and here’s the other item of note: He only rushed twice.

Mariota’s legs make him a tantalizing fantasy player, but he didn’t even have to use them in his first game. Once he puts the running together with that golden arm, defenses might be in trouble.

And so could the poor souls who see you on the fantasy gridiron.

Rankings and stats are courtesy of Yahoo and ESPN standard leagues, respectively.

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