That was about as memorable of an opening week as we’ve seen in a long, long time. Week 1 brought a record-setting shootout, a tie, surprise performances, and plenty of injuries that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the remaining 16 weeks of the schedule.

Hopefully, your team survived the injuries moderately well, but even if you lost key starters, it’s only the first week, so there is plenty of time to be proactive and hit the waiver wire for reinforcements. Constantly improving your fantasy roster is the most important thing you can do in-season to improve your odds of winning a championship. Whether you were bitten by the injury bug or merely trying to build up the strength of your roster, the initial waiver run is vitally important.

Let’s take a look at some of the lesser-owned players that are widely available on waiver wires as we head into Week 2.

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Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB) 3% owned (10% FAAB)
The “Fitzmagic” was back in New Orleans as Fitzpatrick lit up a talented saints defense for 417 passing yards and five total touchdowns. The 35-year-old journeyman enters Week 2 as the No. 1 overall fantasy scorer and will undoubtedly be a popular waiver target.

There’s even talk that Fitzpatrick could maintain Tampa’s starting gig even after Jameis Winston returns from his suspension. While this helps Fitzpatrick carry more potential value, keep in mind he’s been a highly volatile, and inconsistent week-to-week player throughout most of his career. Tampa Bay also faces a pair of solid defenses from Pennsylvania in the next two weeks, so he could easily be stymied. He’s worth a moderately aggressive add in two-QB formats, but be careful not to overpay for one fantastic performance.

Blake Bortles (JAC) 32% owned (4% FAAB)
Week 1 was a fairly solid representation of what you can expect from Bortles — mediocre accuracy, interceptions, and solid rushing production. He’s not the kind of fantasy signal caller you’d want weekly, but can be a useful fill-in with a positive matchup.

While the Patriots’ secondary stifled Deshaun Watson in their opening victory, the jury is still out on New England’s defense. The last time Bortles faced the Patriots, he threw for 293 and a touchdown. With RB Leonard Fournette looking very iffy with a hamstring injury, Bortles should see an increase in passing attempt in this game at home, where he’s accounted for at least one touchdown in 28 straight games.

Joe Flacco (BAL) 7% owned (3% FAAB)
Flacco also had a strong opening performance against an overmatched Buffalo squad, throwing for 236 yards and three scores before the Ravens called off the dogs while holding a commanding second-half lead. This week, Baltimore faces a tough task, traveling on a short week to play their division rivals from Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football. That’s a decided disadvantage for the Ravens’ offense and one that could keep Flacco’s passing yards modest and leave him without scores.

Further hurting Flacco’s weekly potential is the addition of first-rounder Lamar Jackson on gadget plays. Don’t overpay for Flacco’s excellent Week 1 performance. He’s worth a minimal bid and won’t be a recommended start in Week 2.

Running Backs

T.J. Yeldon (JAC) 15% owned (14% FAAB)
Yeldon already had standalone value in PPR leagues and was a sneaky, late-round investment. Now, starting RB Leonard Fournette injured his hamstring and could miss some time or be limited, which gives Yeldon added value as a potential three-down player. After Fournette exited Jacksonville’s victory in New York, Yeldon ended up leading the team in rushing and turned 17 touches into 69 yards of offense and a touchdown. If news breaks that Fournette will miss time, you could increase your bid quite a bit. Yeldon is still worth an add, not only as a handcuff for Fournette owners but as a potential flex play in deeper PPR leagues.

Phillip Lindsay (DEN) 4% owned (11% FAAB) – Denver’s final running backs snap counts were led by Royce Freeman with 29, then Lindsay got 26, and Devontae Booker logged 19. But what’s interesting is the touches, as Freeman and Lindsay both put up the exact same 15-carry, 71-yard performances and Booker got only two totes. Lindsay also contributed a pair of receptions, including a 29-yard touchdown grab. If the Broncos continue to feature multiple backs, it’s Linsday, not Booker who is the back to target and he’s also available in 96 percent of leagues.

Javorius Allen (BAL) 3% owned (8% FAAB)
Kenneth Dixon logged the most carries out of Baltimore’s backfield, but the majority of those totes came in the second half of a blowout win. Buck Allen appears to have locked up the club’s RB2 role, which was one that he turned into the overall RB27 last season. Allen does a little bit of everything and is often featured in short-yardage situations. Dixon’s presence likely means that Allen won’t get enough touches to finish that high again in 2018, but Allen can put up usable PPR stats and will continue to get weekly touches, especially if Alex Collins continues to struggle.

Jordan Wilkins (IND) 36% owned (6% FAAB)
With Marlon Mack still nursing a hamstring injury, Wilkins got the starting nod for the Colts and ended up getting 17 touches in the Colts’ loss to the Bengals. As expected, Wilkins didn’t find much running room, averaging just 2.86 yards per carry, and ceded most of the receiving work to Nyheim Hines (2% FAAB). Both Colts’ back split snaps fairly evenly, and the situation will only grow murkier when Mack returns. While Wilkins is worth a cautious bid, Indianapolis is likely to stick with a frustrating committee all season.

Wide Receivers 

DeSean Jackson (TB) 25% owned (12% FAAB)
Check Jackson’s status before overpaying based on his huge Week 1 showing. Jackson suffered a concussion late in Tampa’s victory, and Jackson will have to be cleared from the league’s concussion protocol. Week 1 was highly likely to be Jackson’s finest game of the season, and he’s had a history of being an inconsistent source of weekly fantasy production. He’s worth a pickup in nearly every format, but expect bidding to get quite aggressive as the recency bias drives up his price. The Bucs face the Eagles and Steelers in the next two games, so Jackson will find the going much tougher if he’s able to suit up.

Geronimo Allison (GB) 12% owned (10% FAAB)
Allison played 42 snaps against Chicago and hauled in five out of eight targets for 69 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown. Allison looks like he’s going to be a legitimate part of Green Bay’s offense, which means he’s got the potential to be fantasy relevant on a week-to-week basis. At only 12-percent owned, Allison could end up being one of the best wide receiver value adds of the season.

Brandon Marshall (SEA) 7% owned (10% FAAB)
Doug Baldwin sprained the MCL in his right knee and could miss some time. Marshall looked like QB Russell Wilson’s go-to receiver without Baldwin, as Marshall caught three of his six targets for 46 yards and a touchdown. Marshall’s touchdown was a red zone target from 20 yards out, and he was also the intended recipient of another near score from 17 yards out. Thought to be washed up by many, Marshall looked revitalized in Week 1 and like a player who can still be a useful fantasy contributor. He’s worth a bid in all formats.

John Brown (BAL) 19% owned (8% FAAB)
One of the favorite late-round sleepers of the fantasy football community, Smokey Brown’s 2018 season got off to a good start with a red zone touchdown grab from QB Joe Flacco. Brown also has the speed to be Baltimore’s primary deep threat, which is a good match with Flacco’s strong arm. However, the Ravens won’t end the year with above average passing numbers, so Brown won’t be a consistent weekly fantasy option.

Dede Westbrook (JAC) 16% owned (8% FAAB)
Keelan Cole and Donte Moncrief got the start for Jacksonville, but Westbrook paced the Jaguars with six targets and five receptions. Westbrook looks like he’s going to be the main threat for Jacksonville out of the slot, where he’s been quite effective.

It’s not advisable to rely on any part of the Jacksonville passing attack on a weekly basis, but Westbrook could be a reliable source of targets and receptions when the Jaguars have a favorable matchup. Westbrook should be on the PPR radar as a WR4 and worth a modest FAAB bid.

Cole Beasley (DAL) 8% owned (6% FAAB)
If you’re looking for a sneaky PPR add, Beasley is your guy. Beasley led all Dallas wideouts in every category, including snaps (43), targets (eight), receptions (seven), and receiving yards (73). The Cowboys had a pathetic offensive showing in Carolina, but Beasley looked like he was going to be the main benefactor of all those targets left abandoned from Jason Witten’s retirement. He doesn’t offer a lot of touchdown upside, but Beasley looks like an excellent bet to be a consistent weekly source of targets and catches.

Ryan Grant (IND) 3% owned (5% FAAB)
Andrew Luck passed his comeback test with flying colors, so Grant stands to have solid value as Indy’s No. 2 wideout. Grant was on the field for 79 percent of the Colts’ Week 1 snaps, and Grant commanded a healthy nine targets. We can’t count on him recording eight receptions regularly, but Grant is worth a speculative add in PPR leagues.

Phillip Dorsett (NE) 4% owned (5% FAAB)
Dorsett played 76 percent of New England’s snaps in Week 1 and caught all seven of his targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. He should be assured of a larger role for at least three more games while Julian Edelman is suspended. The Patriots do travel to Jacksonville this week, so while adding Dorsett is advisable, temper expectations for Week 2.

Dante Pettis (SF) 1% owned (5% FAAB)
Depending on the status of Marquise Goodwin, Pettis could shoot up the FAAB rankings. The second-round rookie came off the bench and got some extensive playing time, getting 48 snaps and catching San Francisco’s lone touchdown pass. If Goodwin is ruled out, Pettis should slide into his starting role and could become a bigger factor in the 49ers passing game moving forward.

Tight Ends

Ricky Seals-Jones (ARI) 30% owned (5% FAAB)
It was a dubious start for the Sam Bradford era in Arizona, but Ricky Seals-Jones played 49 of 53 snaps, catching three passes. He should retain that full-time role moving forward and is capable of putting up useful fantasy stats when the offense inevitably improves.

Will Dissly (SEA) 2% owned (5% FAAB) – Here’s where caution needs to be maintained. While Dissly had a huge Week 1 performance, he split snaps fairly evenly with Nick Vannett and probably won’t become a consistent part of Seattle’s passing game. He’s worth a bid, but it seems like the reactionary crowd is going to likely drive the price up too high. Proceed carefully.

Ian Thomas (CAR) 0% owned (4% FAAB)
When last seen, Greg Olsen was wearing a walking boot and using crutches on the sidelines. That’s not a good sign for Olsen, who missed a big chunk of last season with a foot injury. If Olsen missed a significant amount of time, Thoams would step in as Carolina’s starter.

Jonnu Smith (TEN) 1% owned (2% FAAB)
It looks like Delaine Walker (ankle) is done for the year. That sets up sophomore Jonnu Smith to take over Walker’s role, but Smith is highly unlikely to become anywhere near as valuable as Walker was to the Titans or to fantasy footballers.

Ryan Griffin (HOU) 1% owned (2% FAAB)
Griffin played 63 percent of Houston’s snaps, and rookie Jordan Akins (1% FAAB) was also on the field for half the snaps as the Texans went with more “12” sets to offset the absence of wide receivers Will Fuller and Keke Coutee. Both players are likely to carve out roles moving forward. Griffin is the starter and likeliest source of weekly targets, while Akins offers a ton of upside with his immense size and red zone potential.

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Jody Smith is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jody, check out his archive and follow him @JodySmithNFL.