Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire: Best Players Available in 30 Percent or More of Leagues

Week 1 gave fantasy managers exactly what we wanted: breakouts, unexpected workloads and huge performances from players who remain available in a meaningful percentage of fantasy leagues.

Football Nation rule for this list: a player must be available in at least 30 percent of fantasy leagues to qualify. Anyone rostered in more than 70 percent of leagues is out.

There is no separate NFL Fantasy season long roster percentage for 2026. NFL Fantasy leagues moved to ESPN Fantasy this season, so this article compares Yahoo roster percentages with ESPN roster percentages and uses NFL.com waiver analysis to help rank the best adds.

Football Nation Week 2 Waiver Board

1. Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers: Yahoo 61 percent rostered, ESPN 51 percent rostered. Week 1: 8 receptions, 138 yards, 2 touchdowns.

2. Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, 49ers: Yahoo 49 percent rostered, ESPN 68 percent rostered. Week 1: 6 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown, plus 12 rushing yards.

3. Kaelon Black, RB, 49ers: Yahoo 26 percent rostered, ESPN 15 percent rostered. Week 1: 14 carries, 65 yards, plus 1 reception for 5 yards.

4. Devaughn Vele, WR, Saints: Yahoo 7 percent rostered, ESPN 13 percent rostered. Week 1: 7 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown.

5. Caleb Douglas, WR, Dolphins: Yahoo 12 percent rostered, ESPN 16 percent rostered. Week 1: 5 receptions, 94 yards.

6. Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders: Yahoo 26 percent rostered, ESPN 30 percent rostered. Week 1: 6 receptions on 7 targets.

7. Bryce Young, QB, Panthers: Yahoo 13 percent rostered, ESPN 11 percent rostered. Week 1: 361 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown.

8. Tyler Shough, QB, Saints: Yahoo 40 percent rostered, ESPN 47 percent rostered. Week 1: 410 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.

9. Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals: Yahoo 1 percent rostered, ESPN 2 percent rostered. Week 1: 5 receptions, 78 yards and 1 touchdown.

1. Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

Yahoo rostered: 61 percent

ESPN rostered: 51 percent

Week 1: 8 receptions, 138 yards, 2 touchdowns

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 25 to 35 percent

This is the obvious No. 1 waiver target. Coker caught eight of nine targets for 138 yards and two touchdowns, leading Carolina in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

This was not a random two touchdown game on three targets. Nine targets and eight catches are the kind of volume that gives a breakout performance staying power.

NFL.com placed Coker first overall in its Week 2 waiver priorities, yet he remains available in roughly four out of every ten Yahoo leagues and nearly half of ESPN leagues.

Football Nation verdict: Check for Coker before anybody else. If he is sitting there, this is exactly the kind of Week 1 breakout worth spending meaningful FAB on.

2. Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, San Francisco 49ers

Yahoo rostered: 49 percent

ESPN rostered: 68 percent

Week 1: 6 receptions, 48 yards, 1 touchdown, 12 rushing yards

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 20 to 30 percent

This is exactly why the cutoff is 70 percent rostered instead of chasing only obscure players. Deebo Samuel is a proven fantasy producer, and he is somehow still available in about half of Yahoo leagues and almost one third of ESPN leagues.

Samuel caught six of seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 and also added rushing work. That combination of receiving volume and designed touches gives him a much safer path to weekly usefulness than most traditional waiver wire lottery tickets.

Football Nation verdict: If your league is one of the leagues where Deebo is available, he should not remain available after waivers clear.

3. Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Yahoo rostered: 26 percent

ESPN rostered: 15 percent

Week 1: 14 carries, 65 yards, 1 reception, 5 yards

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 18 to 25 percent

Black may be the most interesting running back on the wire. Christian McCaffrey played, and Black still received 14 carries. McCaffrey had 10.

That makes Black more than a pure injury handcuff. San Francisco appears willing to use him as part of the offense right now, and the upside becomes enormous if he ever has to handle a larger share of the backfield.

NFL.com ranks Black as its No. 2 overall Week 2 waiver priority and its No. 1 running back addition.

Football Nation verdict: Running back needy managers should attack this one. Black offers immediate touches and potentially massive season long upside.

4. Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints

Yahoo rostered: 7 percent

ESPN rostered: 13 percent

Week 1: 7 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 12 to 18 percent

Vele might be the safest widely available receiver on the board. He received nine targets against Detroit and turned them into seven catches, 69 yards and a touchdown.

The most important part is the underlying opportunity. Vele ran 58 routes and operated as a major part of the New Orleans passing game. Routes and targets are much more repeatable than simply chasing a touchdown.

Football Nation verdict: Coker is the headline. Vele may be the quieter add who gives fantasy managers usable weeks for the next month.

5. Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins

Yahoo rostered: 12 percent

ESPN rostered: 16 percent

Week 1: 5 receptions, 94 yards

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 10 to 15 percent

Douglas is the upside swing. He ran 31 routes, received seven targets and caught five passes for 94 yards in his NFL debut.

NFL.com credited him with 3.0 yards per route run, while NBC Sports Fantasy noted that he ran a route on 86 percent of Miami dropbacks and commanded a 26 percent target share.

Football Nation verdict: Add Douglas before the touchdown game. Waiting until the breakout becomes obvious is how you end up bidding against the entire league next week.

6. Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Yahoo rostered: 26 percent

ESPN rostered: 30 percent

Week 1: 6 receptions on 7 targets

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 8 to 12 percent

If your tight end disappointed, Mayer needs to be near the top of your list. He caught six passes on seven targets and led Las Vegas in targets.

NFL.com also noted that Mayer was targeted on roughly 30 percent of his routes. At tight end, that kind of involvement matters.

Football Nation verdict: This is more than a desperation stream. Mayer has a chance to become a legitimate weekly starter if the target share continues.

7. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers

Yahoo rostered: 13 percent

ESPN rostered: 11 percent

Week 1: 361 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 5 to 8 percent

Young opened the season with 361 passing yards and four total touchdowns. With Jalen Coker emerging alongside Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina suddenly has a much more interesting passing offense.

Football Nation verdict: Young is an excellent streaming option in one quarterback leagues and a much higher priority addition in Superflex formats.

8. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

Yahoo rostered: 40 percent

ESPN rostered: 47 percent

Week 1: 410 passing yards, 3 touchdowns

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 4 to 7 percent

Four hundred and ten passing yards gets our attention. Shough attempted 56 passes, completing 35 for 410 yards and three touchdowns.

Nobody should expect 56 attempts every week, but New Orleans could spend a lot of time chasing points. That creates fantasy volume.

Football Nation verdict: Excellent Superflex claim and a useful quarterback stream while we learn whether this Saints offense is going to maintain an aggressive passing rate.

9. Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Yahoo rostered: 1 percent

ESPN rostered: 2 percent

Week 1: 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 touchdown

Football Nation FAB recommendation: 3 to 6 percent

Gesicki received seven targets, caught five passes for 78 yards and scored a touchdown. He even finished with more receiving yards than Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined.

That is not something we expect every week, but seven targets at the tight end position deserve attention.

Football Nation verdict: Mayer is the preferred tight end add. Gesicki is the cheaper alternative if you miss.

The Football Nation Week 2 Waiver Priority

1. Jalen Coker

2. Deebo Samuel Sr.

3. Kaelon Black

4. Devaughn Vele

5. Caleb Douglas

6. Michael Mayer

7. Bryce Young

8. Tyler Shough

9. Mike Gesicki

The Three Players I Want Most

Jalen Coker: The best Week 1 performance among the available skill players, backed by enough target volume to believe it was not a fluke.

Deebo Samuel Sr.: A proven fantasy player who inexplicably remains available in at least 30 percent of ESPN leagues and around half of Yahoo leagues.

Kaelon Black: The running back with the best combination of immediate workload and potentially league winning upside if San Francisco ever needs him to handle a larger role.

Final Football Nation Verdict

Do not chase touchdowns blindly after Week 1. Chase opportunity.

Coker had nine targets. Deebo had seven targets plus rushing work. Black had 14 carries. Vele had nine targets and 58 routes. Douglas had seven targets while running a route on almost every Miami passing play. Mayer led his team in targets.

Those are the numbers that can continue. And if one of these players is sitting on your waiver wire, make your league mates regret leaving him there.

Sources and Data Notes

Roster percentages and player availability were checked Monday, September 14, 2026 and can change quickly as managers submit Week 2 claims. Data and analysis referenced in this article include Yahoo Fantasy, ESPN Fantasy roster rates cited by NFL.com, NFL.com Week 2 waiver analysis, NBC Sports Fantasy and FantasyPros.