At various points during the fantasy football season, injuries, bye weeks and breaking news can cause you to need reinforcements for your fantasy lineup. Every Friday throughout the 2025 NFL season, Matt Bowen will offer up some late-week pickup options to help fill those holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues.
Because of that, this column will focus mostly on players rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.
As we enter Week 2, we already have injury news in San Francisco, as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is doubtful to play on Sunday with shoulder and toe injuries. So, we're going to start with a pair of signal-callers with streaming appeal who looked really good on the Week 1 tape.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (17.9% rostered; vs. Seahawks)
Rodgers erased some questions on his scheme fit in Arthur Smith's offense after throwing four touchdowns in the Week 1 win over the Jets. Rodgers was really efficient with the ball (22 of 30 passing), and Smith moved the pocket on boot schemes to give his quarterback more clean throwing platforms. I don't expect Rodgers to drop another 25-point game this week, but the combination of play-action and quick-game concepts work here against the Seattle defense.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (26.5% rostered; at Vikings)
Penix scored 24.02 points in Week 1 against the Bucs, showing his ability to run this offense like a point guard, which included rushing for 21 yards and a touchdown. He can give you numbers on scramble attempts. We must keep an eye on the status of wide receiver Drake London (shoulder). That matters here. If London can go, Penix will be in a position to distribute the ball to multiple playmakers against a Vikings defense that gave up 24.2 points to Caleb Williams on Monday night.
Eric Karabell breaks down his positive fantasy takeaways from Michael Penix Jr. in Week 1.
Running backs
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (54.5% rostered; vs. Panthers)
James Conner is still the lead back in Arizona and he paced the Cards with 16 touches in Week 1. However, Benson still has value in deeper formats due to his usage this past Sunday. Benson saw nine touches in the win over the Saints, and he showed his big-play ability on a 52-yard carry. Plus, I like the run-game matchup against a Panthers defense that allowed 143 yards rushing to Jacksonville's Travis Etienne Jr. last week.
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (7.4% rostered; vs. Seahawks)
It was Gainwell -- and not rookie Kaleb Johnson -- who shared the Steelers backfield with Jaylen Warren in the Week 1 win over the Jets. Gainwell saw 54% of the snaps in the game, finishing with 10 touches, compared to 13 for Warren. While the numbers for Gainwell didn't really pop (23 total yards), the veteran does have pass-catching ability, and we should expect another backfield split with Warren on Sunday.
Wide receivers
Olamide Zaccheaus, Chicago Bears (0.5% rostered; at Lions)
Zaccheaus caught four passes for 42 yards (8.2 points) in the Week 1 Monday night loss to the Vikings, and his seven targets were the second most on the team. There is a clear on-the-field connection between Zaccheaus and quarterback Caleb Williams, and coach Ben Johnson can scheme for the wide receiver on screens and underneath throws that lead to numbers after the catch. Look for Johnson to move Zaccheaus around the formation this week, giving him free access off the ball, against a Lions defense that will play man-coverage.
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (30.6% rostered; at Cowboys)
Robinson missed some practice time with an ankle injury this week, so we have to monitor the reports ahead of game time. If Robinson is ready to go, however, he's a solid deeper-league fit in PPR formats. Robinson caught six of eight targets for 55 yards (11.1 points) in the Week 1 loss to Washington. A slot receiver who can get loose underneath, he also gets boost here, as starting nickel corner DaRon Bland is out with a foot injury.
Tight end
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (34.0% rostered; vs. 49ers)
Johnson caught a team-high eight passes, on 11 targets, for 76 yards (15.6 points) in the Saints' Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. Working as an underneath/quick-game target, Johnson found space and made himself available to quarterback Spencer Rattler. The Saints attempted 46 passes in that game, and I would expect the throwing volume to stay up on Sunday against the 49ers, which creates more opportunities for Rattler to target his tight end against zone looks.
D/ST
Los Angeles Rams (51.3% rostered; at Titans)
Take the Rams defense this week against the Titans and rookie quarterback Cam Ward. In last week's win over the Texans, the L.A. defense had three sacks, a forced fumble and a pick (12.0 points). Look for the Rams to attack the Titans' protection schemes with loaded fronts to create the pass rush matchup they want, which will speed up the internal clock for Ward.