NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 2: Hollywood Brown, Trevor Lawrence among top targets

If you are arriving in this space after a rough Week 1 in fantasy football, don't fret. First off, you're not alone. There's plenty of time to get back on track, but it might take some shrewd maneuvering on the waiver wire to kick-start your season. Here are my suggestions heading into Week 2, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position.

The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.

And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:

QUARTERBACKS

Takeaways:

• The Jaguars went conservative in the second half against the Panthers after taking a 20-3 lead into the break, but Trevor Lawrence's first-half showing was encouraging (14 of 19 for 128 yards, TD) relative to the low points we saw from him at times last season. I wouldn't start Lawrence in one-QB leagues, but in two-QB leagues? Giddy up. He has a Week 2 date with a chronically leaky Bengals defense that clearly hasn't solved all of its problems even though it held the Browns to 16 points on Sunday.
• As for Michael Penix Jr., keep an eye on the status of his top target in the days ahead. Drake London is day to day with a shoulder sprain, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
• Well, the four-time MVP is still capable of throwing four TD passes on any given Sunday. I'm not going to get carried away here -- Aaron Rodgers has the fewest air yards per attempt of any quarterback through Week 1 (4.3). But he does have a matchup at home against a Seahawks defense that allowed nearly 17 fantasy points to Brock Purdy on a two-INT day. Rodgers is a QB2 option in deeper leagues.
• Geno Smith just racked up 362 passing yards -- a Raiders debut record -- against a Patriots defense that was supposed to be much-improved this year. That kind of production puts him back on the fantasy radar, but I don't love his matchup against the Chargers defense next Monday night.
• Is the Danny Dimes renaissance underway? How are you celebrating? Look, I'm going to need to see a lot more before I recommend adding Daniel Jones in fantasy, but it doesn't get much better than scoring on every single possession. I'm concerned he could come crashing back down to earth in a much tougher matchup against the Broncos in Week 2.

RUNNING BACKS

Takeaways:

• Zach Charbonnet served as Option 1A to Kenneth Walker III's 1B on Sunday, which means this will be the last week you can get in on Charbonnet if he's available in your league. He's no worse than a Flex option against a Steelers defense that was gashed for 182 yards on the ground in Week 1.
• We don't know when exactly we'll see second-round RB Quinshon Judkins in a game now that he's officially under contract with the Browns, but until he's in the game-day lineup, Dylan Sampson is the Browns back to roster, although fellow rookie Raheim Sanders handled a couple goal-line carries on Sunday (including the one he punched in for a TD) and Jerome Ford led the Cleveland RBs in snaps. Sampson paced the team in carries (12) and catches (8). He's worthy of a roster spot in most leagues.
• Nick Chubb might be a shadow of his former self, but he still handled 62 percent of the RB carries on Sunday. He's the Texans' RB1 with Joe Mixon out. I'd pick him up if you left yourself thin at the position.
• We have a trade, folks! And it has fantasy repercussions. With NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reporting Tank Bigsby is being dealt from the Jaguars to the Eagles, rookie Bhayshul Tuten appears to be one Travis Etienne injury away from seeing a major workload in Jacksonville, and he should see an immediate increase in snaps with Bigsby out of the mix. Tuten led Virginia Tech with 1,159 rushing yards last season and impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash. Those of you rostering Etienne should scoop up Tuten as a handcuff if he's available. In deeper leagues, he's worth a speculative add even if you don't roster Etienne, assuming you could use some depth at running back.
• A 12/8 split in carries between James Conner and Trey Benson was a surprise in Week 1. Perhaps the division of labor in the Cardinals' backfield will be more evenly split than most of us imagined? Now, 75 percent of Benson's yards came on one run against the Saints, but he's worth a look with the Panthers' apparently-still-poor defense awaiting Arizona.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Takeaways:

• No player has more targets (16) or catches (10) than Marquise “Hollywood” Brown so far this season. With Xavier Worthy suffering a dislocated shoulder (timeline to return: TBD), Patrick Mahomes might be looking Brown's way early and often because he doesn't have better options. Brown can be a frustrating player to back because of his own injury history, but pick him up while you still can.
• The Quentin Johnston tease is not a new phenomenon, so proceed with very cautious optimism here. I just can't ignore his two-TD performance against the Chiefs in Week 1 (7 targets, 5 catches, 79 yards). Justin Herbert opened the season with a masterful performance, and if the quarterback is going to trust Johnston while playing at such a high level, it's worth rostering the former first-round pick. Johnston has a chance to keep it going in Week 2 against the Raiders, who just allowed a 100-yard day to the next receiver on my list ...
• After leading the Patriots with 41 routes and 103 yards receiving on Sunday, Kayshon Boutte is averaging 5.5 catches on nine targets for 83.8 yards in his last four games, dating back to last season. This week, he draws a juicy matchup against the Dolphins defense, which had no answer for Daniel Jones in Week 1. The New England offense is no juggernaut, but Boutte is absolutely worth a flier in deeper leagues if you need help at wide receiver, given the connection he's developing with Drake Maye.
• Calvin Austin III looks like he's the clear No. 2 option at receiver for Aaron Rodgers. Is a fourth-year breakout loading? He played 80 percent of the offensive snaps and was second on the team in targets (6), catches (4) and receiving yards (70) in Week 1. He's another potential deep-league lottery ticket.
• Cedric Tillman is tied for the most routes run of any receiver through Week 1 (45) and scored on a 5-yard pass from Joe Flacco on Sunday. Don't forget he had a three-week stretch last season when he averaged seven catches for 85 yards and a TD. Again, in deeper leagues, he's probably worth a spot.

TIGHT ENDS

Takeaways:

• The Harold Fannin Jr. hype train is leaving the station, folks. A third-round pick in this year's draft, the 6-foot-3, 241-pound rookie led the Browns with nine targets on Sunday, reeling in seven grabs for 63 yards. It's true, he's the backup to David Njoku, but while Njoku played 84 percent of the snaps, Fannin still played 72 percent. If Kevin Stefanski is going to utilize both at such a high rate, the newbie's Week 1 production is sustainable. Don't forget Fannin led the FBS in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) at Bowling Green last season. At a position that is short on depth anyway, I would not want to miss out on some shares of Fannin if I can afford them.
• No stranger to these waiver wire corners, Juwan Johnson deserves consideration once again. He led the Saints with eight catches for 76 yards on Sunday. A tight end who can receive 11 targets is worthy of your attention, at least until Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill return from the PUP list.
• Hunter Henry and Brenton Strange might not be the most exhilarating fantasy options out there, but they can provide solid returns at a position that isn't known for its depth. Both had four catches on Sunday, with Henry playing 93 percent of snaps while Strange checked in at 79 percent. With favorable matchups in Week 2 (Patriots at Dolphins; Jaguars at Bengals), these are two enticing options if you're streaming tight end.
• This is the deepest cut of the week (and I know there are safer plays out there like Zach Ertz), but George Kittle's hamstring injury created an opportunity for Jake Tonges and he made the most of it, catching all three of his targets against the Seahawks, including the game's decisive score on a 4-yard TD pass. If Kittle is going to miss time and you feel like making a dart throw, the former undrafted free agent could be your guy. It's a tough move to justify unless you're in an extremely deep league, though. (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Kittle is likely to miss 3-5 weeks, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport).

DEFENSES

Takeaways:

• The Rams are tied for No. 3 among fantasy defenses after keeping the Texans out of the end zone. In Week 2, they visit the Titans, who settled for four field goals and no touchdowns against the Broncos on Sunday. This is the top D to stream this week, with rookie QB Cam Ward coming off a debut in which he took six sacks and was held to 112 passing yards.
• You could argue the Packers should be No. 1 on this list, but I can't strongly endorse any defense that's about to go up against Jayden Daniels. Green Bay does draw the Browns in Week 3, though. For those of you thinking longer-term, the time to act is now. The Micah Factor appears to be real.
• The Cowboys' defense undoubtedly misses Micah Parsons, but a matchup with the Giants might be just what the unit needs right now. The G-Men could only manage a couple of field goals against the Commanders on Sunday, as Russell Wilson did not discover the fountain of youth.
• Houston's offense might be in trouble, and the Bucs could be the beneficiaries in Week 2. C.J. Stroud and Co. couldn't muster a TD against the Rams.
• The Chargers -- who had the league's No. 1 scoring defense last season -- become even more appealing if Raiders All-Pro TE Brock Bowers is not 100 percent after suffering a knee injury on Sunday. He did tell reporters he'll be fine, though.