How good was it to have football back on Sunday night? That warm fuzzy feeling in your body that lasts for about 15 minutes before your bet falls apart and you’re getting smashed in your fantasy match. Fortunately, Mahomes and Hill combined for just over 65 points and pulled my game out of the bag. Unfortunately (which would be an understatement), the bet picks aren’t going well, but the preseason Fantasy player picks and player outright predictions are looking solid. So, here are my waiver wire targets for week 2.

Running Back:

Elijah Mitchell – The 49ers running back produced a dazzling display against the Lions on Sunday evening, running 19 times for 104 yards, averaging 5.5 yards a carry, and one touchdown. Mitchell is rostered in 0.7% of leagues and is by far the standout performance from the group of undrafted running backs. But who the hell would have heard of this guy before the game on Sunday? The 194th pick in the 2021 draft was looking like the fourth running back in the Niners depth chart before Sunday, after Raheem Mostert, Trey Sermon and JaMychal Hasty. This is classic Kyle Shanahan, producing an unknown running back who goes for over a hundred yards in a season opener. Even with Mitchell’s Stellar production on Sunday night I would proceed with some caution here. Mostert is out for the next 8 weeks with torn ligaments in his knee, which is positive for Mitchell fans, but JaMychal Hasty also rushed for a touchdown on Sunday and Kyle Shanahan didn’t even think about utilizing third round pick, Trey Sermon. Mitchell is currently RB12, but who knows what his workload will be like next week.

Mark Ingram – I’m not the happiest camper writing this one, as I drafted Philip Lindsay in my league, but Ingram seems to still have some juice in the legs. Ingram rushed 26 times for 85 yards, averaging 3.3 yards a carry, and one touchdown as my beloved Texans steam rolled the Jaguars on Sunday night. Texans finna go all the way this year. Ingram does have a tricky match-up coming up against the Browns, who were solid against the run last year (#12), also holding Edwards-Helaire to 43 rushing yards on Sunday night, but the RB depth on the Waivers is pitiful. So if you’re desperate due to injuries, he is one of your best bets. Just don’t spend much. Ingram is rostered in 3.5% of leagues.

Honourable mention:

• Kenneth Gainwell.

Wide Receiver:

Nelson Agholor – Agholor caught five balls on seven targets for 72 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night against a decent Dolphins defence. He finished with 15.7 points in half-point PPR, which is a very respectable return, and is projected for a healthy 179.06 for the year. Agholor finished 2020 with 161.6 points from 896 yards and 8 touchdowns for the Raiders. He is a proven performer and with Mac Jones now at the helm, his value has certainly gone up since the season has started. Just as an FYI, an article was published last week where Drew Brees stated, “I think Mac Jones is going to have the most success of any rookie quarterback, not just this year but probably for the next few years.” High praise for the rookie and music to the ears of any Agholor fantasy would-be owners. Agholor is rostered in 15% of leagues.

Terrance Marshall Jr. – As you know, I have Marshall Jr. as a deep outsider for Offensive Rookie of the Year at 60/1. The Panthers wide receiver had a very promising league debut on Sunday night against the Jets, catching 3 balls for 26 yards. Now, that doesn’t sound amazing, but he was targeted six times in total, which was double the targets Robby Anderson got. He probably won’t displace Anderson or DJ Moore right away, but I would keep an eye on it. Marshall Jr may be a cheap pickup and stash kind of guy. He is currently rostered in 4.5% of leagues.

Zach Pascal – Don’t get overwhelmed at the thought of Pascal producing an 18.30-point performance every week. The Colts wide receiver displayed his explosiveness in a 2 touchdown and 43-yard performance on Sunday night against the Seahawks. I do think Michael Pittman is a more sustainable option for the entire year, but with TY Hilton currently on IR, Pascal could see continued increased reps alongside Parris Campbell. Pascal is rostered in 0.6% of leagues.

Honourable mentions (plenty of depth here):

• Bryan Edwards
• Christian Kirk
• Tim Patrick
• Jalen Reagor

Tight End:

Cole Kmet – my boy, Kmet looked good against the Rams on Sunday, going for 42 yards on five receptions. The Rams are one of the best defences in the league and the young TE took over the starting position from Jimmy Graham with authority. Kmet has a decent schedule for the next few games, with the Bengals, Browns and Lions coming up. If you are currently in need of a TE, he is one of my number one waiver wire targets for the position.

Dallas Goedert – this is probably a bit of a cop out, as Goedert is rostered on 51% of leagues, but if he is available on yours, he would be a solid pick-up. Goedert had 12.2 points on Sunday night against the Falcons, which came from four receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown. He also has a handy schedule coming up facing Dallas, Chiefs and Panthers over three of the next four weeks. The Eagles do face the 49ers next week, so be wary, I think that performance against the Lions was a bit of a blip. As I said in Issue 3, I expect the 49ers to start a little slow at the beginning of the season and to pick up serious momentum as they go on (their defence definitely started slow last week). Goedert is TE6 after week one and should continue some solid form over the near-term future at least. He’s got my other boy, Hurts throwing to him sure.

Honourable mention:

• Adam Trautman

May the odds be ever in your favour.

J