Fantasy Football FAAB Report: Bryce Young, Kaelon Black, and 6 More Week 2 Waiver Wire Adds
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Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season is in the books, giving us a little more information on usage and roles for players within certain offenses. At the same time, things that happened in the first week of the season can be a facade, making it vital that we don’t completely overreact to certain developments.
While some leagues have waiver signings decided by team records or other factors, others use FAAB (free agent acquisition budget) to award free agents fairly. Leagues tend to give $100 or $1,000 for the entire season, so it’s crucial not to spend your FAAB recklessly.
It can be tough trying to guess how much people are going to bid on certain free agents, so within this article, we’ll be a weekly guide on players to consider on the waiver wire and try to reveal how much you should spend on said players.
All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. The players included in this article are rostered in 35% or fewer leagues on Yahoo.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
A total of 96 points were scored in the Week 1 bout between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. This led to Bryce Young finishing as the QB3 with 32.4 fantasy points.
While I’m skeptical of Young becoming a consistent option in fantasy football and not going out of my way to get him, he has six games against NFC South teams, and the Panthers will be underdogs in most matchups.
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
During the Denver Broncos’ lopsided defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, neither J.K. Dobbins nor RJ Harvey looked overly impressive. Dobbins and Harvey totaled only 54 rushing yards on 11 carries, and Harvey caught four passes for 23 yards.
With Dobbins and Harvey not showing much behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, I’ll be stashing rookie Jonah Coleman in leagues where he’s available.
Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers
FAAB Recommendation: 5-7 percent of budget, 7-10 percent of budget if you have Christian McCaffrey
One of the biggest surprises in Week 1 was rookie Kaelon Black earning more rushing snaps (15) and rushing attempts (14) than Christian McCaffrey. Among 34 RBs with 10-plus attempts in the first week, Black tallied the 12th-most yards per carry (4.6) and 16th-most EPA/rush (0.02).
If you’re someone who rosters McCaffrey, it’s clear that Black is the immediate handcuff to the star back on the San Francisco 49ers. It’s unlikely that Black continues to have a similar workload as McCaffrey, so don’t claim him with the idea of starting him each week unless an injury occurs to CMC.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
After operating out of 11 personnel (three-receiver sets with one RB and one TE) at the 15th-highest rate (59.3%) in 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles were in 11 personnel at the 4th-highest rate (71.7%) in Week 1 under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. As a result, Dontayvion Wicks ran a route on 96.9% of his snaps, and he was the WR15 with 14.3 fantasy points.
Although I’ve long been a fan of Wicks’ talent, I’d be wary of bidding too much FAAB on him, especially with DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and rookie Makai Lemon also commanding targets in an offense that still won’t be pass-heavy.
Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
Rookie wideout Caleb Douglas impressed in his debut for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, concluding the week as WR23 with 11.9 fantasy points. Of the receivers with five-plus targets in the opening week, Douglas logged the 5th-most yards per reception (18.8), 14th-most yards after the catch per reception (7.0), and 14th-most yards per route run (2.94).
While Douglas certainly passed the eye test, it’s tough to fully trust Miami’s passing attack, fellow rookie Chris Bell continues to ramp up off of an injury, and consistent volume could be an issue.
Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
In a forgettable Monday night performance for the Broncos, Pat Bryant tied for the most receptions (4) while posting the second-most receiving yards (42) on the team. Newly acquired Jaylen Waddle tallied only one catch for two yards in his Denver debut, and there are undoubtedly better days ahead in a Sean Payton scheme.
That being said, Bryant had the second-highest route rate (95.5%) on the Broncos in Week 1, and I’m still bullish on his talent in this offense.
Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
FAAB Recommendation: 5-7 percent of budget
Following the sudden news of Brock Bowers getting a meniscus trim and missing at least a week of action, Michael Mayer stepped into an expanded role in Week 1. Mayer was just the TE21 with 6.1 fantasy points, but he garnered a team-high seven targets and a solid 85.7% route rate.
Even when Bowers returns, it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy, and the Raiders deployed 12 personnel (two tight end sets) at the second-highest rate (46.3%) in Week 1. This makes me a little more interested in Mayer instead of Las Vegas’ wide receivers in fantasy football.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, New York Jets
FAAB Recommendation: 5-7 percent of budget
Another rookie to have a solid outing in Week 1 was Kenyon Sadiq of the New York Jets. Sadiq was the TE12 with 9.9 fantasy points, in large part due to getting a three-yard rushing touchdown.
Despite Sadiq getting only 13 passing-down snaps, he ran a route on 12 of them, and the Jets clearly want to utilize him in unique ways. Trusting New York’s offense undoubtedly carries risk, but Sadiq is worth a flier if you’re desperate at the tight end position.
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Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games.
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