Top NFL Fantasy Sleepers Week 2

After an exciting opening week of NFL betting, it’s time to set your fantasy football waiver wire pickups. We found some potential fantasy sleepers for Week 2 including quarterback Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings), wide receiver Alec Pierce (Indianapolis Colts), and rookie running back Bucky Irving (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Week 2 QB Sleepers: Sam Darnold, Geno Smith

If you do not have a chance to grab Baker Mayfield or Matthew Stafford on the waiver wire, then consider a pair of ex-starting quarterbacks from the New York Jets. Sam Darnold and Geno Smith offer tremendous fantasy sleeper potential for Week 2 and beyond.

Sam Darnold

After a disastrous stint with the inept Jets, Darnold regained his confidence as a backup quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers last season. The Vikings signed Darnold, who expected to compete with rookie JJ McCarthy for the starting job. That was before the first-round pick from Michigan sustained a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game.

Darnold spent the rest of training camp and preseason with the starters and developed a strong bond with All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson. The chemistry was evident in a 28-17 victory against the New York Giants in Week 1. Darnold completed his first 12 passing attempts and finished the game 19-for-24. He tossed 208 yards and two touchdowns. Jefferson caught four passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. Darnold spread the ball out, and eight different players caught passes.

The Vikings host the 49ers for their home opener in Week 2. Even though the 49ers have a strong defense, Darnold is familiar with his former team. Darnold has an extremely low roster percentage on major fantasy football sites like ESPN, Sleeper, and Yahoo which makes them enticing additions to your team for Week 2.

Geno Smith

Although Geno Smith has a higher roster percentage than Darnold, he should be available in most fantasy leagues if you’re looking to upgrade your quarterback. Smith led the Seahawks to a 26-20 win against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. Smith completed 18-of-25 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown. He also scrambled for 30 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.

Over the next four weeks, Seahawks face two of the projected worst teams in the NFL, including the New England Patriots in Week 2 and the New York Giants in Week 5. The Seahawks also square off against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 and the Detroit Lions in Week 4, and both games have the potential to be shootouts.

Week 2 RB Sleepers: Bucky Irving, Alexander Mattison

If you’re desperate to add depth to your fantasy football team, or looking for a running back with stash potential, then consider rookie Bucky Irving or veteran Alexander Mattison as a Week 2 waiver wire pickup.

Bucky Irving

If you’re not familiar with Irving, that’s okay. Tampa Bay Bucs selected Bucky Irving with a fourth-round pick out of Oregon. With Rachaad White inked into the lineup as the starter, Irving won the backup job after an impressive preseason and training camp.

In Week 1’s dominating victory over the Washington Commanders, Irving outrushed White on fewer carries. White rushed 15 times for only 31 yards, while Irving exploded for 62 yards on only nine carries. It’s a small sample size, but Irving averages a whopping 6.9 yards per carry versus 2.1 from White.

White was a valuable weapon in the Bucs’ passing game, and he caught six passes from Baker Mayfield for 75 yards. Irving added two receptions for 14 yards.

An efficient Irving combined for 76 yards on 11 touches in Week 1. White had nearly twice as many opportunities but only outgained Irving by 10 yards with 86 total yards on 21 touches.

If you want to stash a rookie running back or are looking for a legit sleeper, then grab Irving before the other owners in your fantasy league realize how good he is.

Alexander Mattison

Although Zamir White is technically the starting running back for the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s difficult to gauge how a rookie will handle adversity early in their first season. White will face one of the toughest run defenses in the league during a Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Alexander Mattison struggled as a starter with the Minnesota Vikings last season, but he more than provided his worth as a valuable backup in previous seasons. His experience could come in handy the next few games against the Ravens, Panthers, Browns, and Broncos.

In the Raiders’ Week 1 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, White rushed 13 times for 44 yards, while Mattison rushed five times for 19 yards. Quarterback Gardner Minshew relied on Mattison in the passing game with six targets. Mattison caught four passes for 43 yards and added one touchdown reception. White caught just two passes for two total yards.

Overall, an efficient Mattison finished Week 1 with 62 combined yards and one score on just nine touches. Mattison tallied more yards from scrimmage in fewer touches than White’s 46 yards on 15 touches.

Week 2 TE Sleeper: Jordan Adkins

David Njoku from the Cleveland Browns was a popular tight end selection this year, but he could miss at least a month with a high ankle sprain. The Browns have only one other tight end on their roster, so Jordan Adkins will be the next man up in the rotation.

After five seasons with the Houston Texans, the Browns signed Adkins to a two-year contract last season. He was a former teammate of quarterback Deshaun Watson and appeared in all 17 games last season as Njoku’s backup. He only caught 15 passes for 132 yards in limited action in 2023 but was used a lot as a blocking tight end.

Njoku went down in the third quarter in Week 1, and Adkins played the rest of the game. Adkins is currently the only other tight end on the roster, so he’ll get the start against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2.