Week 2 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2026 Fantasy Football Team
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Week 2 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2026 Fantasy Football Team

By Optimus Staff · September 14, 2026

We're back for another year of helping you win your fantasy football leagues! Everything we thought we knew just a week ago? Updated. The outlook for the rest of the season? Changing. The best way to get ready? Stay ready, and that's what we do here.

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We're taking a new angle with this article for 2026. Our purpose will be to focus on streaming positions like QB, K and DST, looking to the future with others like RB, with a mix between them for WR and TE. In addition, not every position will show up every week, and that's by design. There will come a point in the year where there aren't any QBs to recommend, and we don't pretend that there is. 

So without further ado — your waiver wire options for Week 2!

Week 2 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2026 Fantasy Football Team

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Quarterbacks:

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers | Sleeper 9% | ESPN 11.1% | FAAB 10%

I know, I know! I don't love recommending Bryce Young either, I promise. First, a caveat: they're not gonna play the horrendous Chicago defense every week. And that said, next up they have Atlanta, who I'm not sure even has a defense. Following Week 2, Carolina matches up with Cleveland, Detroit, has a Week 5 bye, Philadelphia, and Tampa Bay through Week 7, with Green Bay in Week 8, which marks their first scary defense thanks to Micah Parsons' return. That's a pretty porous 1st half schedule.

Young will end up more highly ranked than a lot of other QBs in Week 2, so if you got hosed by drafting Drake Maye early, Young makes for a great early-season pivot.

Note: Young's playoff schedule is rough, so even if he turns it around all year, make other plans for the fantasy playoffs.

Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.1% | FAAB 1%

Speaking of Chicago's defense, or lack thereof, I present to you the 2026 unbroken version of Carson Wentz. Now obviously, this all depends on Kyler Murray and his progress through the concussion protocol. If Murray is trending toward playing, Wentz isn't an option, which is why I have a very low free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) recommendation.

But Wentz, with a healthy shoulder, is enough to let Justin Jefferson be Justin Jefferson. And against Chicago in Week 2, that's enough for me to have Wentz in the high-QB2/low-QB1 range.

Running Backs:

OK, full disclosure -- not a ton happened at RB in Week 1, so these are more "if you have the space at the end of your roster" type of guys. These are not "pick them up and start them" guys. Unless you were counting on Marshawn Lloyd, that is.

Devin Singletary, New York Giants | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.3% | FAAB 2%

Tyrone Tracy fumbled yet again and didn't see the field after it in Week 1 against Dallas. With Najee Harris as a healthy scratch, Devin Singletary was tapped. It's clear the Giants want to use a rotation at RB, and Singletary got enough work to qualify as a warm body. The fact that the Giants actually look like a real NFL franchise for the first time in a decade helps, too. And lest we forget, Singletary is a very OK running back. Not great, but very OK. As a Cam Skattebo injury hedge? You could do a lot worse.

He could lose work to Harris as Harris continues to recover and acclimate from his 2025 knee injury, but in a slim pickings week, you could do worse than Singletary.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints | Sleeper 4% | ESPN 0.9% | FAAB 1%

I was shocked—shocked, I say —that Travis Etienne didn't dominate the touches out of the New Orleans backfield in Week 1. Instead, Kendre Miller matched Etienne for carries 1:1 in Week 1. Considering Etienne was healthy all preseason while his backups rotated injuries, I couldn't have been more surprised. 

I fully expect this to evaporate once Alvin Kamara is healthy, but the New Orleans offense looks more functional than, say, Green Bay's. So if you got hoodwinked by Marshawn Lloyd and Kamara remains out? I like Kendre Miller as an option.

Note: I purposely didn't include Kaelon Black (Sleeper 35%, ESPN 15.4%). It was Australia; Christian McCaffrey was dealing with cramping, and it was a blowout. He's a good handcuff to McCaffrey, but you'll have to overpay to get him and will likely be disappointed.

Wide Receivers:

Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints | Sleeper 23% | ESPN 12.9% | FAAB 7-10%

Look, New Orleans and Tyler Shough aren't going to throw the ball 56 times every game. Even 40 would be a stretch. That said, he still earned nine targets in Week 1 for a respectable 16.1% target share. He's only a temporary solution while Jordyn Tyson is out, but Tyson doesn't have a sparkling health history. So you'll get at least three more games of usability out of Vele, and he makes a very rare WR "handcuff."

And it's too early to look toward the fantasy playoffs, but a playoff schedule of Tampa Bay, Arizona and Atlanta is about as juicy as it gets right now.

Dontayvion Wicks, Philadelphia Eagles | Sleeper 16% | ESPN 10.1% | FAAB 5-10%

Wicks looks like one of the more intriguing adds after stepping into Philadelphia's WR2 role in Week 1. He played 52 snaps and ran 33 routes, which were both second among Eagles wide receivers. He turned his five targets into two catches for 73 yards and a TD.

The biggest takeaway isn't the box score; it's the opportunity. With A.J. Brown gone, DeVonta Smith is the clear WR1, but someone has to emerge as the Eagles' perimeter threat, and Wicks appears to have that job. He brings legitimate big-play ability, which fits nicely with a new Eagles' offense under Sean Mannion that showed more willingness to push the ball downfield in Week 1.

The four targets are the obvious concern, so Wicks isn't a must-start yet. But the combination of WR2 usage, Jalen Hurts, and explosive-play upside makes him a very worthwhile waiver-wire stash before he potentially becomes more expensive. Especially as rookie Makai Lemon struggles to catch up after missing most of the preseason due to various leg injuries.

Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.1% | FAAB 1-2%

The 49ers looked sharp against the Rams in week one, but they have already lost rookie De'Zhaun Stribling for at least a month, and backup TE Jake Tonges will also be missing time. With George Kittle still working his way back to full strength, Robinson can be a top-three target in an offense that saw veteran Kendrick Bourne earn 11 and nine targets in consecutive weeks last year when injuries piled up. I wouldn't waste FAAB on a veteran like Robinson, but if the league gives him to you for free, he can definitely turn out to be a useful flex play.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots | Sleeper 3% | ESPN 1.1% | FAAB 1-2%

The Super Bowl runner-ups had an extremely difficult matchup in week one, and also lost their top target in A.J. Brown for at least six weeks. Douglas earned seven targets in week one and will likely be a security blanket for Drake Maye going forward without Brown. Douglas came up big on a few third-down conversions where he was able to run after the catch and wiggle across the first-down marker. This is another receiver I wouldn't go spending any FAAB on, but is a nice end-of-roster piece that gives some flex appeal when injuries and bye weeks pile up. Save your FAAB for that obvious handcuff RB or breakout player later in the season.

Tight Ends: 

Mike Gesicki, Cincinatti Bengals | Sleeper 5% | ESPN 1.5%| FAAB ~5%

The 30-year-old started his ninth season as a pro off with a bang. Gesicki tallied five receptions on seven targets for 78 yards and a score. He led the team in all four statistical categories. Surely, 18.8 PPR points won't be in the cards every week for the former Nittany Lion. But he's proven himself a trustworthy target for quarterback Joe Burrow, especially in the red zone. And Burrow's 35 pass attempts signal that the passing volume isn't going away anytime soon, and the pie is big enough for Gesicki to have a piece. 

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers | Sleeper 9% | ESPN 14.6% | FAAB 2-3%

Our second tight end waiver wire target is another Penn State alumnus. The Muth got "luth" for a score in the Steelers' home opener yesterday. While Aaron Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf struggled to connect (Metcalf caught just four of his team-high ten targets), Freiermuth caught all five of his targets. That level of consistency is nothing new for the former second-round pick. His career catch percentage is 73.3% (per Pro Football Reference). While Rodgers may not attempt 40 passes every week, we can surmise there will be opportunities in this passing game. If you're in a pinch, Pat Freiermuth is as good a "touchdown or bust" option at tight end as anyone. 

Defense/Special Teams (D/STs):

Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sleeper 4% | ESPN 12.8% | FAAB 0-1%

Much like my DS/T waiver wire picks from the 2025 season, you're going to quickly pick up a trend: chasing bad offenses. Week 1 made it clear who those offenses are (at least for now), and the cream of the crop is the Buccaneers Week 2 opponent, the Cleveland Browns. 

Last weekend, Cleveland rolled out Deshaun Watson against Jacksonville, and it was everything we expected: an absolute mess. Watson finished the weekend with a Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 34.2 (24th out of 30 qualifying QBs), and the offense as a whole managed to produce 10 points in junk time when Jacksonville had the game firmly in hand. 

📣📣📣 NEWS 📣📣📣

HC Todd Monken: "I anticipate Deshaun will be our starter" Week 2 for the Browns.

Per @andrewsiciliano.bsky.social

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) September 14, 2026 at 2:01 PM

While Tampa Bay's defense didn't look great against Cincinnati, it doesn't really matter here. Tampa Bay is a one- to two-week rental, with another favorable matchup in Week 3 against a reeling Minnesota squad, followed by games against Green Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh. The Bucs D/ST unit isn't likely on any of your league mates' radar, so they should be a free acquisition ahead of Week 2. 

San Francisco 49ers | Sleeper 10% | ESPN 7.3% | FAAB 0-1%

Staying on brand, the San Francisco 49ers return from a victory Down Under to face off against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. 

I'll go ahead and address your first question: No, I am not worried about travel lag coming back from the Thursday Night Football game in Melbourne. By the time this game is played, it will have been nine days since they returned to San Francisco. In addition, they're playing a Dolphins team that seems to lack an identity on offense behind QB Malik Willis and couldn't get star RB De'Von Achane going against a mediocre-at-best Las Vegas defense.

While the 49ers D/ST unit is better than their rostership percentage would indicate, they're not one you'll want to hold onto past Week 3, with matchups against Denver and Seattle looming in Weeks 3 and 4. Don't spend up, because you don't need to. Bidding 1-2% of your FAAB budget should get the 49ers defense on your roster. 

Kickers:

Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills | Sleeper 6% | ESPN 5% | FAAB 2-3%

Buffalo Bills big-legged veteran kicker Tyler Bass is back after missing the entire 2025 season with a sports hernia. If his first week back is any indication, Bass is picking up where he left off, going three-for-three on both field goals and extra points. He sits as K5 heading into Monday night, having logged 13 fantasy points in that effort. 

This is likely your only chance to get Bass off waivers. While there seemed to be a dip in his value in kicker leagues at the start of the season, likely due to injury rehab concerns, that dip will disappear soon. Bass is an elite kicker on a high-scoring offensive unit, and opportunities will be aplenty. You'll want to spend on Bass if you need a kicker (that's all relative; we're talking about kickers here) and drop 2-3% to get him on your roster. 

Matt Gay, Las Vegas Raiders | Sleeper 14% | ESPN 1.6% | FAAB 1-2%

The Las Vegas Raiders started the 2026 season looking surprisingly competent on offense, including veteran kicker Matt Gay appearing to return to his 2024 form, when he finished as the overall K11. On Sunday against Miami, he logged a clean game, converting all three extra points and both field goal attempts. 

No one believes the Las Vegas Raiders are a contender this season, and this offense will struggle against defenses superior to Miami; there are many. However, that should give Gay plenty of opportunities to score. If he can stay healthy and in shape, he'll be a solid, cheap streaming option all season long. For Week 2, they face the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that allowed Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland to log 15 points in last week's matchup. 

If you think someone in your league is looking in Gay's direction, drop a buck or two of your FAAB to snag him, but more than likely he'll be a free addition to stream in Week 2. 

For more waiver wire advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!