Welcome to Week 2 of Waiver Wire Watch!
With the 2024-25 NFL season finally underway and four straight days of games already providing plenty of actionable information, consider making waiver wire claims for the following players (available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues) in your fantasy football league.
Mayfield was impressive in his first game without former offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Coming off the best season of his career in 2023, Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday. After one game, he ranks first among quarterbacks in passing completion percentage and second in fantasy points. The competition was weak for Mayfield in Week 1, but Washington Commandershe has favorable matchups Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles Weeks 2 to 4.
McLaughlin was inefficient on Sunday with 27 yards on 10 carries, one fumble and one yard on five receptions. Still, he got the most touches in Denver's backfield and is always worth keeping an eye on in Sean Payton's offense. The Broncos will face a tough opponent in their next matchup. Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York JetsBut it may be wise to add him now before McLaughlin's workload increases even further.
If no one else in the league had added Mason when Niners starter Christian McCaffrey was ruled out at the last minute with a calf injury on Monday night, he should have been high on the waiver priority list. Mason made the most of his opportunity, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries against a strong opponent. New York Jets Up front. Mason might not provide as much value if McCaffrey returns to the lineup, but Mason has proven to be one of the best handcuffs in fantasy whether or not you have McCaffrey on the roster.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After Rachel White finished last season second to McCaffrey in touches, Tampa Bay invested in another running back by drafting Irving with the 125th overall pick in April. The former Oregon Ducks forward flourished in the preseason and was impressive in his NFL debut, finishing with 62 yards on nine carries (6.9 yards per carry) and two catches for 14 yards. White remains the Buccaneers' starter, but Irving could find himself in a bigger role in the backfield in the near future.
The only wide receivers with more yards after the catch than Shaquill last year were Deebo Samuel and Rushe Rice. Shaquill's contact balance was on display again on Sunday. 11-yard touchdown catch He continues to get more targets on a Buffalo-powered offensive team, and while Shaquill may never be a league champion due to his 190-pound frame and the Bills' desire to spread the ball around, good players on good teams tend to have high-caliber talent.
Cooks, soon to be 31, proved his game is improving with four catches for 40 yards and a score on seven targets in Week 1. CeeDee Lamb is Dallas' unquestioned leader, and while Cooks has only topped 60 yards once since the start of last season, it's hard to ignore an every-down player with vertical speed in a top-five offensive line.
For the past two seasons, Naylor led all qualified receivers in “average separation scores” per fantasy point, and his talents shone through in Week 1 of this year. 21-yard touchdown catchand the 2022 sixth-round pick, will see increased playing time in Kevin O'Connell's offense due to injuries to TJ Hockenson (knee) and Jordan Addison (ankle). [Nailor] “We need to prepare as if we're going to play more snaps, more first downs, second downs and early down snaps,” O'Connell said Monday, “and that's why he's here. We have a lot of confidence in him to be a receiver on every down for us.”
Baltimore's third-year tight end likely had the best performance (pun intended) among skill players on the NFL's opening weekend. Despite his foot being slightly out of bounds in Thursday night's game, he set career-bests in receptions (9) and receiving yards (111) and also scored a touchdown. He ran fewer routes than Mark Andrews, but Andrews will be the focal point of Baltimore's offense despite a quiet Week 1 performance. But as Thursday showed, Likely's talent is too good to keep off the field. Few tight ends will surpass him.
Parkinson signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract this offseason ($15.5 million guaranteed) and caught four of five passes for 47 yards in his first game with the Rams on Sunday night. He was 23rd in target rate among tight ends as of Monday night, but eighth in route rate, per Fantasy Life. Parkinson's Week 1 start is in keeping with his new contract, and the fourth-year tight end will be playing nearly every down for one of the league's best offensive lines. If you want to make a difference at the position, this is the profile to target.
