Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire: Deeper League Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE)

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Dan's top fantasy football Week 2 waiver wire pickups, sleepers, stashes for deeper leagues for 2025. His waiver targets include Geno Smith, Kayshon Boutte, Juwan Johnson, more.

Welcome back to our deeper league fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 2. There were plenty of fantasy standouts, disappointments, and learning opportunities in the opening week that we can build upon going forward.

A lot of analysis focuses on leagues that have traditional formats (10 or 12 teams with a standard-sized lineup and bench). However, there are plenty of fantasy managers out there who play in leagues with more teams or deeper benches. This article is more for you.

This article will focus on fantasy football players who are at or below a 40% roster rate on Yahoo -- and can be considered deeper-leagues waiver wire options. We'll cover a few players from QB, RB, WR, and TE. Let's get to it!

Week 1 confirmed a lot of things for us when it comes to Michael Penix Jr. as a viable fantasy quarterback. Penix averaged 33.3 attempts per game during his three games as the starter in 2024. He attempted 42 passes in his Week 1 matchup against the Buccaneers.

Atlanta isn't afraid to air the ball out with Penix under center, and they have a defense that will allow frequent shootout conditions. It was also encouraging that Penix easily surpassed his 2024 rushing total (six carries for 21 yards and a touchdown) in just one game.

There will certainly be ups and downs during his first full season as a starter, but Penix is looking like a potential game-breaking quarterback given his physical tools and the weapons surrounding him in the offense.

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders - 21% rostered

Geno Smith didn't waste any time hitting the ground running in his reunion with head coach Pete Carroll. Smith led all quarterbacks in passing yards (362) through Sunday night and was the QB13 in fantasy heading into Monday night (17.4 points).

Smith showed a willingness to spread the ball to all of his weapons and wasn't afraid to utilize deep threats like Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr. down the field. Smith will consistently have high-end QB2 potential given the Raiders' likely pass volume and the talented pass catchers around him.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants - 6% rostered

The Russell Wilson era didn't get off on the best foot against the Commanders. Wilson threw for just 168 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He did add eight carries for 44 yards and finished with just 11.1 fantasy points.

Head coach Brian Daboll was non-committal when asked about Wilson being the starter in Week 2 after the game, but he has since come out and declared Wilson the Week 2 starter, which is not the most ringing endorsement. The fact that the coaching staff is already at this point suggests they know the kind of talent that Dart possesses and aren't afraid to see what he can do as the starter.

The rookie threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions during the preseason while adding six carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. At this point, it is a matter of when, not if, Dart becomes the starting quarterback. He's worth adding and stashing for when his time officially comes.

There was a lot of talk throughout the offseason about Benson carving out a bigger role in Arizona's backfield after being a minor role player as a rookie. Based on one game, that was true.

Benson had eight carries for 69 yards and added one reception for six yards. He was in a clear rotation with Conner (even though the veteran got more work, especially in the red zone), but he was on the field and earning touches.

He also showed his explosiveness on a 52-yard run, which is something that Conner does not have at this point in his career. Benson's weekly role may not be super consistent for fantasy, but his upside with a Conner injury is through the roof.

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons - 32% rostered

Tyler Allgeier saw a surprising 10 carries in Week 1's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helping spell Bijan Robinson throughout the game. At the very least, Allgeier can have some value if he finds a way to fall into the end zone. However, he is also one of the most valuable handcuffs in football if Robinson ever misses time.

DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts - 3% rostered

Targeting DJ Giddens on the waiver wire isn't going to be an impactful move for your starting lineup, but it is going to secure you one of the best handcuffs in the NFL. Giddens got nearly all of his time on the field in the second half of a 33-8 blowout, racking up 12 carries for 41 yards.

It is unlikely (but not impossible) that Taylor registers nearly 100% of the Colts' offensive snaps going forward. Even if he does, Taylor's injury history is significant enough that Giddens could see time as the lead back this season.

Cleveland's offense with Joe Flacco in 2025 looked eerily similar to the last time the quarterback was under center with the team. Flacco attempted 45 passing attempts in a game where Cleveland was within a touchdown for most of the contest.

That allowed Cedric Tillman to tie for second on the team in targets (8) with Jerry Jeudy and Dylan Sampson. The veteran receiver finished the game with five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. We saw a stretch of high-end play from Tillman in 2024 before a concussion ended his season.

It appears he can get back to that place with Flacco under center.

Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs - 25% rostered

There was talk before Kansas City's first game that the team was hoping Hollywood Brown would step up and fill the void of Rashee Rice during Rice's suspension. We saw what that looked like in the team's Week 1 game against the Chargers.

Brown caught 10 of 16 targets for 99 yards in the Chiefs' loss. Kansas City was focused on using Brown on shorter throws that would allow him to use his speed to generate big YAC plays. That didn't happen often in Week 1, but Brown has the speed to get past defenders if needed.

His prospective workload got even greater thanks to Xavier Worthy's dislocated shoulder. This injury, combined with Rice's suspension, makes Brown the clear focal point in the Chiefs' passing attack for the foreseeable future. As we saw in Week 1, that can be a very lucrative role for fantasy.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots - 1% rostered

All of the attention in New England's passing offense throughout the offseason was focused on Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas. After one game, it appears it is time to start taking Kayshon Boutte seriously.

Boutte had a solid second season in 2024, catching 43 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns. However, he was an afterthought in a revamped pass-catching group for many this offseason. Week 1 should (eight targets, six receptions, 103 receiving yards) shift that belief a little bit.

Boutte led all of New England's wide receivers in snaps (58), routes run (44), and targets (8) in his first game. He made the most of the opportunity, which should solidify his role in an offense that is trying to evaluate its best players as the season progresses.

Adding Boutte to your roster is a gamble that can absolutely fail, but the upside is also immense. Boutte has seemingly entrenched himself in a role that puts him on the field regardless of personnel packages. That will have value, especially if Drake Maye can take the step as a passer that many are hoping for.

Juwan Johnson doesn't have any significant competition at the tight end position with Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill on the PUP list. The result was a game where Johnson was on the field for 98.7% of the Saints' offensive snaps and ran a route in 96% of the team's drop-backs.

The result was a 24% target share and a team-leading eight receptions for 76 yards. That stat line was enough to make Johnson the TE1 in fantasy in Week 1 with 15.6 PPR points per game.

We know that Moreau and Hill will miss at least three more games this season, so Johnson will continue to be on the field at an extremely high clip. He may not get the same target volume every week, competing with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Alvin Kamara. Still, he should continue to be a steady presence in the passing attack for the foreseeable future.

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns - 2% rostered

We got hints throughout the preseason that Harold Fannin Jr. was going to be a part of Cleveland's offense, especially when the team sat him with the starters throughout the preseason. In Week 1, we saw exactly what that looked like for fantasy.

Fannin finished as the TE6 in PPR scoring in Week 1 (13.6 points), catching seven of nine targets for 63 yards. The rookie was used all over the field and finished his debut with a 72% snap share and a 21% target share.

Cleveland is certainly going to remain a 12-personnel (two tight end) team, giving both Fannin and David Njoku plenty of time on the field together. Given the lack of receiving talent in Cleveland, it is very possible that both players can put together strong fantasy weeks, given their usage.

Njoku caps Fannin's ceiling, but Week 1 showed he can still get enough volume to be a solid fantasy tight end. He's worth stashing on your bench and will have streaming appeal in a part-time role going forward.

Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers - 31% rostered

Of course, Arthur Smith found ways to get Jonnu Smith the ball in his first game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith finished Sunday as the TE10 in PPR points (12.5), catching five of six targets for 15 yards and a touchdown.

We know that the offensive coordinator loves Smith's versatility, evidenced by his touchdown on a jet sweep inside the five-yard line. Smith won't get the same volume that made him a top 10 tight end in Miami in 2024, but he's clearly a weapon that Arthur Smith loves deploying in creative ways. That will have volume in fantasy, even if it is a nightmare to project weekly.