NFL Week 2 Waiver Wire 2026: 10 Players to Add After Week 1

League Format, Roster Availability and FAAB

The baseline is a 12-team, season-long redraft league with full-PPR scoring and one starting quarterback. PPR awards a point per reception. These are waiver priorities, not Week 2 starting-lineup rankings, and they are not daily fantasy sports picks.

Availability differs by platform, roster size and league activity. Yahoo roster figures reported by Fantasy Life on September 14, 2026 placed Coker in 61% of leagues, Vele in 7% and Tyler Shough in 40%. Coker is not a widely available sleeper, so prioritize him only where he remains a free agent. These percentages reflect that date and are not specific to Superflex leagues. Check your league’s current player pool before planning a claim.

FAAB means free-agent acquisition budget. Every bid below is a percentage of your original season-long budget, not your remaining balance. A 10% bid means $10 from an original $100 budget or $20 from an original $200 budget. Suggested bids are starting points, not guaranteed winning amounts. Adjust them to your roster needs and league competition.

Week 1 statistics: Figures reflect games played through Sunday, September 13, 2026. Consider subsequent injury reports and Monday night’s performances before your league’s waiver deadline.

Week 2 Waiver Wire Rankings and Suggested FAAB

On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways. Move a player up the order when he fills an immediate need; a bench stash should not automatically outrank a usable starter for your roster.

League-format adjustments: Shough moves much higher in Superflex or two-QB leagues, with a suggested bid of 15–25% when he fills a starting spot. Mayer’s bid is conditional on Brock Bowers’ availability and your need for a short-term starter. Use a $0 bid only where your league permits it.

10 Week 2 Waiver Targets: Opportunity, Risk and Verdict

1. Jalen Coker — WR, Carolina Panthers

Week 1: Coker caught eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Chicago, including a 51-yard score.

Why add him: The reception total gives this performance more substance than a single long touchdown. Coker is the top-ranked receiver in these waiver rankings and a priority for managers seeking help at the position.

Main risk: Carolina’s 59–37 loss was an unusually high-scoring setting. Do not project another two-touchdown game or treat one result as proof that Coker has displaced every other receiver in the offense. His September 14 Yahoo roster rate of 61% also means he may already be taken.

Verdict: Priority add where available. Suggested FAAB: 10–20%, with the upper end reserved for a meaningful lineup upgrade.

2. Jacory Croskey-Merritt — RB, Washington Commanders

Week 1: Croskey-Merritt led Washington with 16 carries for 63 yards and a rushing touchdown against Philadelphia, adding one reception.

Why add him: His 16-carry workload makes him a priority for managers seeking immediate rushing volume. That matters for a manager who needs more than a contingency player on the bench.

Main risk: Rachaad White and Kaytron Allen also carried the ball, and one reception does not establish a valuable pass-catching role. A repeat of the rushing workload would be encouraging, but he is not an established every-down back based on this game alone.

Verdict: Prioritize him when running back touches are your biggest need. Suggested FAAB: 10–18%.

3. Isaiah Likely — TE, New York Giants

Week 1: Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ 28–20 win over Dallas.

Why add him: Eight receptions make Likely more interesting than a touchdown-only tight end pickup. For a roster with a weak starting tight end, he can be a more useful claim than a receiver who would remain on the bench.

Main risk: Two touchdowns are not a weekly expectation. He still needs to sustain involvement over multiple games, and managers with a reliable tight end should avoid bidding as aggressively as those trying to fill a starting spot.

Verdict: The top-ranked tight end in these waiver rankings, where available. Suggested FAAB: 8–15%; move him above the general ranking when the positional upgrade is substantial.

4. Devaughn Vele — WR, New Orleans Saints

Week 1: Vele finished with seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans’ 31–30 overtime loss to Detroit. Fantasy Life reported nine targets and a 7% Yahoo roster rate on September 14.

Why add him: His receiving involvement makes him a useful PPR bench target. With a September 14 Yahoo roster rate of just 7%, he is a practical alternative when better-known receivers are already taken.

Main risk: The Saints attempted 56 passes in an overtime game. Treat that as the setting for his production, not an ordinary weekly workload. Vele needs to retain a useful share of the passing game when overall volume falls.

Verdict: A strong receiver-depth target for 12-team PPR leagues. Suggested FAAB: 8–15%; be more selective in shallow leagues with stronger alternatives.

5. Parker Washington — WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 1: Washington caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 34–10 win over Cleveland. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes in the victory.

Why add him: Washington produced a useful receiving line without needing an enormous number of catches. He belongs on the shortlist for managers looking to improve receiver depth and evaluate another potential flex option.

Main risk: Lawrence spread his touchdowns among four players. This was an efficient offensive performance, not evidence that Washington has become the only reliable target. Expect competition for opportunities and assess the next matchup before starting him.

Verdict: Add where available for receiver depth. Suggested FAAB: 8–12%.

6. Kyle Monangai — RB, Chicago Bears

Week 1: Monangai turned 10 carries into 100 rushing yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 61-yard scoring run. In Chicago’s 59–37 win, D’Andre Swift received 18 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns.

Why add him: Monangai showed that he can contribute behind Swift. He offers bench value now and potential for a larger role if Chicago’s backfield circumstances change.

Main risk: The long touchdown explains much of his headline yardage. Ten yards per carry is not a sensible weekly projection, and Swift’s larger workload makes Monangai an upside backup rather than Chicago’s new lead back or an automatic Week 2 flex.

Verdict: An upside bench addition, especially for managers protecting a Swift roster spot. Suggested FAAB: 8–15%. Prefer Croskey-Merritt when immediate rushing volume matters more than contingency upside.

7. Caleb Douglas — WR, Miami Dolphins

Week 1: Douglas led Miami in receiving yards with five catches for 94 yards against Las Vegas.

Why add him: Five catches give his performance more substance than a single highlight play. He is a reasonable speculative addition when you have room to evaluate a receiver over the next few games.

Main risk: A productive debut does not establish a stable weekly workload. Avoid dropping a proven starter simply to chase this box score.

Verdict: Consider him for a bench spot in deeper leagues. Suggested FAAB: 3–7%.

8. Michael Mayer — TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Week 1: Mayer caught six passes for 32 yards against Miami while Brock Bowers was inactive.

Why add him: The reception total supports a short-term PPR streaming case if Bowers remains unavailable. Mayer is a situational solution for a manager needing a tight end, not a priority stash for every roster.

Main risk: Bowers’ absence in Week 1 does not establish his Week 2 status. Reassess Mayer after the next injury updates; a return to a smaller role would weaken the reason for making a claim.

Verdict: Suggested FAAB: 0–3%, conditional on Bowers’ status and your starting-lineup need. Do not pay a multiweek-starter price for an opportunity that may be temporary.

9. Carnell Tate — WR, Tennessee Titans

Week 1: Tate caught four passes for 38 yards against the Jets, tying Wan’Dale Robinson for Tennessee’s receiving-yardage lead.

Why add him: Tate is a low-cost bench stash rather than an immediate answer to a starting-lineup problem. Managers with space can watch whether his involvement develops over the opening weeks.

Main risk: This receiving line alone does not prove a high route share, a dominant role or imminent breakout production. A shallow roster may have better uses for the bench spot.

Verdict: A modest stash where available. Suggested FAAB: 1–5%.

10. Tyler Shough — QB, New Orleans Saints

Week 1: Shough completed 35 of 56 passes for 410 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the overtime loss to Detroit. New Orleans visits Baltimore in Week 2.

One-QB leagues: Treat him as a watch-list or matchup-based streaming option rather than replacing a reliable starter after one game. Suggested FAAB: 0–3% when you actually need a quarterback.

Superflex and two-QB leagues: His priority rises sharply where lineups can use two quarterbacks. If he is available and fills a starting spot, 15–25% is a suggested starting range; an especially thin quarterback pool may justify more. The overall Yahoo roster rate is not specific to these formats.

Main risk: Fifty-six attempts and overtime helped drive the yardage. That volume is not a normal weekly expectation, and turnovers remain part of the evaluation.

Who Should Be Your First Waiver Claim?

For receiver help: Start with Coker where available. Vele and Washington are the next receiver priorities. Use your actual player pool rather than assuming all three are free agents.

For running back help: Prefer Croskey-Merritt’s demonstrated rushing workload when you need usable touches. Choose Monangai when you can hold an upside backup without depending on him as an immediate starter.

For a positional upgrade: Move Likely up when tight end is your weakest starting position. In Superflex, evaluate Shough against your second-quarterback options before following a one-QB priority list.

How Aggressive Should You Be With FAAB?

Pay for the role you reasonably expect to use, not simply the fantasy points already scored. An addition who can improve your lineup for several weeks can justify a larger bid than a one-week injury replacement or an extra bench receiver.

Use the lower end of a range when your roster is healthy, the player is speculative or comparable free agents remain available. Consider the upper end when the addition fills a clear starting need and your league’s past bidding suggests strong competition.

For example, with an original $100 budget, a 12% bid is $12 even if only $60 remains. That bid consumes 20% of the remaining balance. Check the effect on your remaining budget before submitting several claims.

Set backup claims in your preferred order and review the proposed drops. Where your platform supports conditional claims, use them to avoid acquiring more players than you need. Do not drop an established contributor solely because of one disappointing opening game.

Monday Night Football Waiver Watch

Week 1 concludes with Denver at Kansas City on Monday, September 14.

Where your waiver deadline allows, review that game’s backfield usage, receiving opportunities and any injury updates before finalizing the order. A new role can matter more than another long touchdown. Follow your league’s rules rather than assuming every platform processes waivers on the same day.

Week 2 Waiver Wire FAQs

Who is the best Week 2 waiver wire pickup in 2026?

Coker leads these rankings for a typical 12-team PPR league, but he is not widely available in every format. Vele is a more accessible receiver, with a September 14 Yahoo roster rate of 7% compared with Coker’s 61%. Your first claim should change when running back, tight end or a second quarterback is the more urgent need.

Should I add Kyle Monangai after Week 1?

He is worth considering as an upside bench addition where available. His opening performance does not establish that he has taken over from Swift, so adding him and immediately starting him are separate decisions.

Is Isaiah Likely a better pickup than Michael Mayer?

Likely ranks ahead of Mayer as a waiver target. Mayer is a more conditional short-term option whose appeal depends heavily on Bowers’ availability. Managers who already have a dependable tight end can spend less aggressively on either.

How much FAAB should I spend after Week 1?

The suggested ranges use the original season-long budget. Most priority options in these rankings fall between 8% and 20%, while speculative stashes and conditional streamers cost less. These are roster-dependent recommendations, not guaranteed winning bids or universal limits.

Do these recommendations apply to DFS?

No. This guide concerns adding players to season-long fantasy rosters. Daily fantasy decisions depend on that contest’s player pool, salaries or projections, scoring and lineup rules. Being a worthwhile waiver pickup does not automatically make a player a good DFS selection.

More Fantasy Football and DFS Guides

Explore more season-long targets in the NFL Week 1 waiver wire guide. For an introduction to daily fantasy formats and platform comparisons, visit the DFS sites and Pick’Em guide.