We're back. Like a full stadium of fans, we're back.
This is my -- well, to be honest, I've now lost track of how many years that I've been writing this waiver wire column, which means that it's been a while. We'll call it Year Five.
The premise is simple. Each week, I'll highlight the players that are available in over 50% of leagues on ESPN who merit a roster spot, particularly those fantasy managers in 10-team leagues. If a player should be on a roster in a 14-16 team league, but probably not a 10-teamer, I'll point that out as well. Shout out to large leagues!
This column may be updated from time to time early each week as well. Is there a player who left a game early on Sunday and we find out Monday that he's going to be fine? If so, the backup we had added to this column will likely be removed from our recommendations.
Also, we've still got some Week 1 left in the form of Monday Night Football. Watch our tremendous team of Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, Brian Griese and Lisa Salters! And, if something happens in that game which leads to an add, we'll have it mixed into this piece by Tuesday.
The last thing I'll note is that Week 2's version of this waiver wire column is both the easiest and hardest edition to write all season long. We finally have actual games to base opinions on, which allows us to more accurately size up how players look and how they'll fit into their roles this season. However, we also only have a sample size of one game per team, so while some Week 1 standouts have sustained some success in the past (last year we knew right away that James Robinson was the truth), we've also seen fool's gold in the season's opening week.
Alright, you've heard enough from me, so let's get to the Week 2 ESPN Fantasy Waiver Wire adds.
Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers (0.7%): With Raheem Mostert leaving the game early for the 49ers due to injury, it was Mitchell (and not the inactive Trey Sermon) who stepped into a starring role right away. He rushed 19 times for 104 yards and even found the end zone. Mitchell is the drafted rookie who has most impressed San Francisco's brass, as colleague Adam Schefter noted during Fantasy Football Now on Sunday. He's a must-add.
Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants (24.9%): Despite two major additions to the Giants' WR corps this offseason in Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, Shepard was the wideout who most consistently stood out for the G-Men in camp. That carried over to Week 1 to the tune of seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, as Shepard paced the Giants in all of those categories. It would come as no surprise to see Shepard leading the Giants in catches, targets and yards for the season. He's a must-add, too.
Nelson Agholor, WR, New England Patriots (30.0%): The Patriots spent big to add several pass-catchers this offseason, but Agholor didn't generate much buzz on the fantasy radar during training camp. He nevertheless found the end zone and led the team in receiving during his debut, suggesting there's already a rapport with rookie QB Mac Jones. Anytime you can pluck a player off of the waiver wire who has a reasonable chance to lead his team in receiving, it's a worthwhile pickup in a league of 12 teams or more.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (49.5%): I'm certainly not overreacting to a giant output coming from a small sample size here. After all, Fields had just two pass attempts and one rush attempt in Week 1. Rather, I'm forecasting that a change at quarterback in Chicago will come at some point (duh!) and I'm encouraging you to get ahead of it. Whenever that time comes, it's clear that Fields' path to fantasy upside is significant because of a phenomenal overall skill set that includes some amazing rushing ability. Make the play now before it's too late.
Tyrod Taylor, QB, Houston Texans (3.9%): The perpetually underrated Taylor did what he does whenever he starts -- namely, making his day worthwhile from a fantasy perspective. Taylor paired 291 passing yards with 40 rushing yards, while also throwing two TD passes. The veteran lacks the weekly upside that other quarterbacks provide, but if you decided to be extremely patient at quarterback in your draft and have any concern after just one week, he's exactly the kind of quarterback to target.
Zach Pascal, WR, Indianapolis Colts (2.4%): With no T.Y. Hilton for at least two more weeks, the Colts are looking for another wideout to step up. The underrated Pascal found the end zone twice in Week 1 and had five targets. I suspect the target workload could be sustained week over week. If you're looking for a bench stash in a a league of 12 teams or more, Pascal is a good name to keep in mind.
Mark Ingram II, RB, Houston Texans (11.0%): The Texans dominated in Week 1, allowing them to follow a very positive game script. As a result, Ingram was able to pile up 26 rushes. Despite managing just 3.3 YPC, he made his day worthwhile thanks to a touchdown. I'm skeptical that Ingram has weekly upside because of the lack of passing-game usage, the shared work with David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay, and his very modest yards per carry. It all suggests that he's a volume-dependent flex play (at best) in any given week.