Top WR pickups from the Week 2 fantasy football waiver wire

Did you draft Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin and/or Keenan Allen? Such a scenario is not impossible, and if you did, it was a rough Week 1. But hey, we’re here for you. Maybe some of these widely available wideouts can help you cover up those tough breaks.

Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders (8 percent rostered)

Next up — @ DET, vs. PHI, @ DAL

Samuel has always been a player who’s hype and talent seem to exceed his production. But might we be entering a true star campaign for the 26-year-old? If Washington keeps feeding him like it did in Week 1, it could happen. Samuel was a do-it-all weapon for the Commanders. He caught eight of a team-high 11 yards for 55 yards and a score. He also rushed four times for 17 yards, which tops Samuel’s rushing total from five games last year. But rest assured, that’s something Samuel can do; it’s just up to the team to allow him to do it. One week in, Samuel looks like the focal point of an offense that should be more dangerous than its 2021 edition.

Julio Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (43 percent)

Next up — @ NO, vs. GB, vs. KC

Jones looked washed in Tennessee last year. He did not look like that in Sunday’s night victory over the Cowboys. Typically, washed 33-year-old wideouts don’t get a couple of end-around carries and a deep shot in tight one-on-one coverage. But Jones came down with that deep ball on a fantastic catch, ran twice for 17 yards and ended his Buccaneers debut with 86 total yards. He saw only five targets, but that number should increase if Godwin’s hamstring injury forces him to miss time.

Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers (36 percent)

Next up — vs. KC, @ JAX, @ HOU

Another player who stems to benefit from a teammate’s injury, Palmer’s 2022 season opened with a gross 3-5-0 receiving line on four targets. We’ve seen him make big plays in the past — like in Week 13 last season when Palmer posted a 5-66-1 line on seven targets in a game that Allen missed due to injury. It’s looking likely that the Chargers’ No. 1 wideout will miss this Thursday’s duel against the Chiefs, moving everyone up a spot in the pecking order for passes from Justin Herbert. This game has all the makings of an offensive showcase; it has a total of 54, the highest of any Week 2 game according to DraftKings Sportsbook, so Palmer is a fine streaming option in the short term.

Devin Duvernay, Baltimore Ravens (2 percent)

Next up — vs. MIA, @ NE, vs. BUF

Duvernay popped in Week 1, catching all four of his targets for 54 yards and two scores. Those two TDs jump out, obviously, but understand that receiving touchdowns are very unpredictable for those outside of the elite tier at the position. And it’s going to be difficult for this run-based offense to make a third receiving option, behind tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Rashod Bateman, into a reliable fantasy commodity. All of this is to say that WR-needy fantasy managers should not unload their FAAB on Duvernay after one good game. But he’s worth a few bucks just to see if there is something here as Baltimore continues its tour through the AFC East. And to Duvernay’s credit, his second touchdown versus the Jets was a beautiful throw and catch in tight coverage from 17 yards out.

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (18 percent)

Next up — vs. CHI, @ TB, vs. NE

You’ve all seen the highlight — or lowlight — by now. Watson straight up dropped a surefire 75-yard touchdown pass on Green Bay’s first offensive play of the season. Fortunately for Watson, no one else in this thin WR corps stood out in a positive way either. The rookie concluded his NFL debut with two catches for 34 yards on four targets. He added a 7-yard rush. It’s not the type of box score that turns someone into a priority waiver add, but Watson should be scooped up in a higher percentage of fantasy leagues for a few reasons. We’ve already seen how he can win downfield. Aaron Rodgers didn’t ignore him after that opening error. And the title of lead wideout in this attack is still unclaimed. Many people believe that will go to Allen Lazard once he is healthy enough to play, but Lazard has never shown himself to be a game-breaking talent. Watson showed glimpses of that in Week 1, despite missing most of the summer following knee surgery. If he had caught that one pass, we’d be falling over ourselves to go get him off the wire. He should still be owned regardless, especially for as long as the reigning two-time MVP is his quarterback.