Fantasy Football: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for Week 2 (2026)

The 2026 fantasy football season is still in its infancy, but this makes the first in-season waiver wire session a perfect time to upgrade your roster. Your Week 2 waiver wire pickups could make the difference between the playoffs and just missing out, and ClutchPoints is here to help.

The following list includes players who are rostered on around 50 percent of all ESPN rosters, as this week’s list focuses on potential game winners and not depth pieces. Heading into Week 2, try your best to find that final missing piece your roster needs to win your Week 2 matchup.

Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups

1. WR Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers
50.7% Rostered

The first player on the Week 2 waiver wire pickups is Jalen Coker, who exploded as Bryce Young’s favorite target this past week. Coker was a big-time beneficiary of a shootout with the Chicago Bears, as Coker caught eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

While still behind Tetairoa McMillan on the depth chart, Coker has fully entrenched himself as Young’s second target, and the fact that he set a bunch of career marks in Week 1 shows that he has a fantasy-relevant role in the CAR offense this year. While he was seen in a boot after the loss, there doesn’t seem to be much concern for Coker’s availability for Week 2.

2. RB Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
15.4% Rostered

A surprising number of carries went to rookie Kaelon Black in Week 1, potentially showing that the Niners are looking to cut back on some of Christian McCaffrey’s workload. Even if it is just for the first few weeks out of the gate, Black has a valuable role within the SF offense and should be your priority addition at running back for your Week 2 waiver wire pickups.

Black earned 15 touches in the Niners Week 1 win, averaging over four yards per carry across his 14 carries. Don’t expect Black to tie CMC in touches moving forward, but do expect the backfield workload to be split more than originally expected.

3. WR Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
15.6% Rostered

Rookie Caleb Douglas looks to have the early lead in the Miami rookie WR race, as he led all MIA pass catchers (5/94 on 7 receptions) in their Week 1 loss. Catching passes from Malik Willis may be a bit too predictable every week, but you can at least count on the Dolphins needing to throw the ball a lot, as they will often be playing from behind.

4. QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
42.2% Rostered

The absence of Josh Jacobs puts even more pressure on the right arm of Jordan Love, and that means a higher passing volume for the Green Bay QB. A 50 percent completion percentage and two fumbles (one lost) are negatives to take away from his performance, but Love throwing for 387 yards and two touchdowns to Christian Watson helped the GB offense get out to a fast start.

If the running game continues not to be a major factor, you can expect Love to continue to see 35+ passing attempts every game, music to any fantasy football rosters relying on Love.

5. RB Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals
41.8% Rostered

With rookie running back Jeremiyah Love’s ankle not being 100 percent, former Atlanta running back Tyler Allgeier stepped in and led the backfield with 19 touches. While Love did find the end zone and Allgeier did not, it is a good sign that Mike LaFleur is looking to utilize a two-headed approach out of the backfield, giving Allgeier flex value on a weekly basis moving forward.

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6. QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
46.7% Rostered

The New Orleans Saints are mentioned often on this list, as QB Tyler Shough is the first of three mentioned in ClutchPoints’ Week 2 waiver wire pickups. Shough had a rough start in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, throwing two interceptions and fumbling twice, but a 410-yard, 3-TD performance from Shough made his fantasy football rosters proud in the end.

Shough and Chris Olave are back to their old ways, as they ended the 2025 NFL season with a bang. As long as Shough can cut down on some of the turnovers, he will be able to flirt with weekly QB1 numbers, making him a great target on the waiver wire this week.

7. TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
29.9% Rostered

Michael Mayer admirably stood in for the injured Brock Bowers in Week 1, as he was frequently targeted by Kirk Cousins. Catching six passes for 32 yards, Mayer fits the profile of a weekly streaming option at tight end, and with Bowers potentially spending more snaps lined up as a wideout instead of in-line like a tight end, Mayer could have a full-season role as this team’s de facto TE1.

8. WR Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints
12.9% Rostered

While both Shough and Olave earned the headlines for the Saints in Week 1, Devaughn Vele deserves some appreciation too. Vele caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, easily filling the WR2 spot in the Saints’ strong passing attack. With rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson still on the shelf with a hamstring injury, Vele can be penciled in as the WR2 in this offense.

9. QB Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
11.2% Rostered

A 37-point outburst from the Panthers was due, in large part, to the growth of Young, as he put up one of the best all-around performances in his career. Young accounted for four touchdowns in CAR’s Week 1 loss, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another, as the Panthers offense clicked on all cylinders. With matchups against the Falcons, Browns, and Lions coming up, Young has a good chance to repeat his strong Week 1 performance.

10. TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
51.7% Rostered

The final member of the Week 2 waiver wire pickups is tight end Juwan Johnson, the third member of the Saints to make the list. Johnson had a slow start but ended with seven targets, three receptions, 54 yards, and a touchdown, easily finishing as one of the better TEs in Week 1.

While asking for Olave, Vele, and Johnson to all earn enough targets on a weekly basis might be a bit much, Johnson’s hold on the TE1 spot in New Orleans makes him a viable start on a weekly basis.