It's only Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, but some fantasy football managers are already scrambling because of key injuries. Packers quarterback Jordan Love is down with a knee injury for multiple weeks; Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is headed to the injured reserve list; and Christian McCaffrey was a surprise inactive leading into the Monday night game and could miss again this week.
So, let's find some streaming options to plug into your lineup.
Players listed below are deeper-league targets, rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues entering this week's waiver period. Although you might notice overlap with Eric Moody's waiver wire column that publishes on Mondays, an important distinction is that the options mentioned in this column are solely for this week's matchups and not based on the players' values for the remainder of the season.
Roster percentages are updated each Friday and players from Thursday's night game have been removed. All references to fantasy points are for PPR leagues.
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (58.1% rostered; at Lions)
Mayfield dropped 29.66 points and four touchdown passes on the Washington Commanders defense in the Buccaneers' Week 1 win. He was efficient throwing the ball, too, completing 24-of-30 passing attempts. Yes, Mayfield and the Bucs have a much tougher matchup in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, but don't be surprised if Tampa Bay has to throw with some volume here. Last season, in the playoff loss to Detroit, Mayfield attempted 41 passes, finishing with 349 yards. He's a solid option in 12-team leagues because of his aggressive throwing mentality and ability to extend plays.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (45.8% rostered; at Cardinals)
Stafford will be without Nacua (knee), but I still like the Rams' passing game against an Arizona Cardinals defense that will lean on split-safety coverage (52% of coverage snaps in Week 1). Sean McVay will have answers to create open voids for Stafford, who attempted 49 passes against Detroit in Week 1, finishing with 319 yards and a touchdown. I fully expect Stafford to deliver the ball with volume again to Cooper Kupp (14 receptions, 110 yards, one touchdown in Week 1). You can stream Stafford here as a deeper-league option.
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (27.1% rostered; at Broncos)
We'll have to monitor the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh this week with Fields and Russell Wilson (calf). However, if Fields is named the starter again, he provides streaming value because of his dual-threat traits, plus the explosive-play ability of wide receiver George Pickens. Fields logged 14 carries in the Steelers' Week 1 win over Atlanta, finishing with 56 rushing yards. While he attempted only 23 passes, Fields connected with Pickens on six of seven targets, which included a 40-yard reception on deep ball. You are playing the upside of Fields as a runner in Week 2 in Denver, along with his ability to push the ball down the field vertically.
Running backs
Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (85.9% rostered; at Vikings)
Editor's note: Since this story published on Tuesday, Mason has been the second-most-added player in ESPN leagues, but he remains in the column in case he is still available in your league.
Starting in the place of McCaffrey (calf) against an upper-level New York Jets defense, Mason ripped off 22.2 fantasy points on a national Monday night stage. Mason logged 28 carries -- the second-highest total of any back in Week 1 -- rushing for 147 yards (5.3 YPC) and a touchdown. While Mason wasn't featured in the passing game (one reception, five yards), he played a volume role that catered to his decisive and urgent running style. He gets downhill with some serious juice. If McCaffrey can't go in Week 2 versus Minnesota, Mason should be viewed as an easy fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense, where he can started as an RB1 in all scoring formats.
Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (14.0% rostered; vs. Browns)
Bigsby rushed for a career-high 73 yards in Week 1 and saw the same amount of carries as starter Travis Etienne Jr. (12), who also had a costly goal line fumble. While Bigsby was clearly the more efficient runner Sunday (6.1 YPC), he'll remain No. 2 in the Jags' backfield. However, if you play in a deep league, there might be enough here to stick Bigsby in your lineup.
Wide receivers
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (5.6% rostered; vs. Rams)
If you need a flex in a deeper league, take a look at Dortch, because he can make himself available in the route tree for QB Kyler Murray. Dortch finished with 11.1 points in the Cardinals' Week 1 loss to the Bills, catching six of his eight targets, with five of those receptions from slot alignments. Now, Dortch isn't going to provide instant "big-play juice" or consistent scoring opportunities, but he is a volume target in a Cardinals passing game that will work the ball underneath.
Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (37.1% rostered; at Saints)
Cooks logged 14.7 points in the Cowboys' Week 1 win over the Browns, catching four out of seven targets for 40 yards, including Dak Prescott's only TD pass of the day on 21-yard corner route. Cooks' seven targets were the second most on the team to CeeDee Lamb (10), and he's locked in as the No. 2 option for Prescott. This is another tough passing-game matchup against the New Orleans Saints, but there's enough volume here, plus third-level throws, to play Cooks this week.
Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (28.1% rostered; at Cardinals)
Tyler Johnson is another Rams wideout to monitor here, but I like Robinson as a potential streaming replacement for Nacua this week in Arizona. Robinson caught four of his seven targets for 42 yards in the Week 1 loss to Detroit. Yes, the majority of the target volume will go to Kupp (21 targets in Week 1), but Robinson is a viable option who can be schemed as a high red zone target for Stafford.
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (15.5% rostered; at Commanders)
Using Robinson as a streamer in Week 2 is strictly about target volume in a positive matchup against the Commanders secondary. Robinson had 11.8 points in Week 1 against the Vikings and saw a team-high 12 targets, catching six of them. Robinson also added a rushing attempt for 14 yards. The shaky play of Giants QB Daniel Jones is always a concern, but Robinson's route deployment as an underneath/middle-of-the-field option provides enough in deeper PPR leagues, plus he can be schemed on manufactured touches.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (11.8% rostered; at Packers)
The deep-ball throws from Anthony Richardson are an element of the Colts' passing game, and Pierce cashed in during Week 1. He caught a 60-yard touchdown on absolute rocket from Richardson and then added a 57-yard reception on a contested throw down the field. Pierce finished with 125 yards on just three receptions. He's a long strider who can eat up grass in the vertical pass game, with the frame to win at the point of attack. Sure, the target volume needs to go up, and this feels like a boom/bust play, but Richardson is more than willing to give Pierce opportunities down the field.
Tight ends
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (84.8% rostered; vs. Raiders)
Editor's note: Since this story published on Tuesday, Likely has been the most-added player in ESPN leagues, but he remains in the column in case he is still available in your league.
As expected, Likely was a priority waiver claim for the long term this week. The Ravens had the most two-TE snaps in the league during Week 1 (39), which created more opportunity for Likely with Mark Andrews also on the field. Likely's 26.1 points led all tight ends in Week 1, as he caught nine of his 12 targets for 111 yards and a score, with eight of those receptions out of two-TE sets. With his formation flexibility, plus the catch-and-run traits, Likely can be started in all formats for the Ravens' Week 2 game against the Raiders.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (31.8% rostered; at Cardinals)
In the Rams' condensed sets, Parkinson can get clean releases off the ball and work as the underneath option for Stafford on leveled concepts, which we saw on Sunday night in Detroit. Parkinson caught four of his five targets for 45 yards, with two receptions going for at least 15 yards. He has more catch-and-run ability than you think, and there will be opportunities for him this week against the Cardinals' zone coverages.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (18.0% rostered; vs. Jets)
Okonkwo saw only two targets in the Titans' Week 1 loss to the Bears, but he did score a touchdown, catching a back-shoulder throw from Will Levis on a red zone corner route. Given his matchup ability as a receiver and potential red zone upside, you can take a shot on Okonkwo this week against the Jets.
D/ST
Los Angeles Chargers (61.1% rostered; at Panthers)
The Chargers D/ST had 15 fantasy points in the team's Week 1 win over the Raiders, recording four sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Up next for them is a Carolina offense led by QB Bryce Young, who threw two picks and was sacked four times in the Panthers' blowout loss to the Saints. The Chargers are a must-start defense in Week 2, and fantasy managers have taken note, as they entered the week at just 10% rostered.