We asked our writers to name their top waiver-wire targets at running back and wide receiver for the week. Here’s what they said.

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Who’s your top running back pickup of the week?

Benny Snell (PIT)
Head coach Mike Tomlin has traditionally eschewed committee backfields in favor of a workhorse running back. James Conner couldn’t get through one game without ending up on the sidelines again. There is no denying that Conner is a better talent than Benny Snell, but Snell reported to camp lighter this year in the hopes of playing quicker on the field. That was evident when he filled in after Conner went down with an ankle injury. Snell went on to post 113 yards on 19 carries. If Conner’s ankle turns out to be a lingering issue, Snell would almost certainly be a volume-based plug-and-play RB2 with some upside in an explosive Steelers offense. Even if Conner returns next week, Snell likely earned a share of the pie in an effort to help keep Conner healthier for the long season ahead.
– Paul Ghiglieri (@FantasyGhigs)

Benny Snell has handled the Steelers’ load, and he earned 10 or more carries in five of the 11 games that he played in 2019. His 19 carries on MNF against the Giants to open the season were the second-most of his career, so the Steelers are obviously comfortable feeding him the rock. His 119 rushing yards and his longest run of the night, which went for 30 yards, were both career-highs for the second-year back. Pittsburgh likes the running back by committee approach, so don’t be surprised if Jaylen Samuels or Anthony McFarland Jr. receive touches, but Snell will be the primary catalyst.
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VaughnDalzell)

Steelers starter James Conner exited Monday Night Football early with a sprained ankle. He will undergo additional testing, and a timeline for Conner’s recovery is expected to be announced soon. Enter Benny Snell, who looked impressive against the Giants on Monday and logged 19 carries for a career-high 113 rushing yards. Snell is an immediate add in all leagues. He flashed upside and proved that he can handle the workload to be the Steelers’ primary back. Even if Conner returns in Week 2, Snell could carve out a significant role in Pittsburgh’s offense.
– Brad Camara (@Beerad30)

Alexander Mattison (MIN)
Alexander Mattison might be the most efficient running back in the league, as he consistently makes the most out of every opportunity that he gets. In Week 1, the backup Viking ball carrier racked up 50 yards on just six carries and hauled in all four of his targets for 30 more yards through the air. That’s good enough for 10 points in half-PPR leagues, which isn’t too bad for your flex spot. We all knew about Mattison’s potential upside entering this season, but now we know that he can return standalone value. Grab him if you can, and look for similar production from week to week. Worst case scenario? You can use him as trade bait for the Dalvin Cook owner in your league.
– Jim Colombo (@WideRightNBlue)

Joshua Kelley (LAC)
Joshua Kelley looked every bit like the Melvin Gordon replacement in Week 1. The rookie out of UCLA played on just 24 percent of the snaps, but he turned those 18 snaps into 60 yards and a touchdown against a solid Bengals front seven. What’s more, Kelley carried the ball (12 rush attempts) or ran a route (two routes run) on 78 percent of his snaps. In comparison, Austin Ekeler played 68 percent of the snaps, and he carried the ball (18 rush attempts) or ran a route (18 routes run) on 72 percent of his snaps. Kelley also got both of the teams’ carries inside the five-yard line. The Chargers now get back-to-back favorable matchups in Weeks 2 and 3, and they face the Chiefs and Panthers, who both surrendered 118+ rushing yards in Week 1. Kelley may have just forced the Chargers’ hand in giving him even more work in the upcoming weeks, which makes him a viable flex play. Kelley is currently rostered in less than 15 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, and he should be given priority consideration as your top waiver wire add at the running back position this week.
– Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler)

Nyheim Hines (IND)
The Colts are going to have a major shakeup in their backfield after Marlon Mack tore his Achilles tendon. Jonathan Taylor is going to be the starter, and Hines is going to be the change-of-pace back. Taylor has a ton of upside, but he split snaps equally with Hines in the second half of Week 1, as each back earned 20 of them. Hines ended up with 15 touches, thanks to seven rushing attempts and eight receptions on eight targets. Hines also scored two touchdowns. The touchdowns are not sustainable, but he definitely could see 12-15 touches depending on game flow if the Colts are behind and need to pass the football. He has a ton of upside on an offense that gained 445 yards in Week 1, even if he is not going to be the starting running back.
– Derek Lofland (@DerekLofland)

Who’s your top wide receiver pickup of the week?

Robby Anderson (CAR)
Anderson was surprisingly under-drafted when you consider that he played for head coach Matt Rhule at Temple University. A familiarity with the offense and what should be consistently negative game scripts due to the porous Carolina defense makes Anderson a perfect WR3 in season-long leagues. When with the Jets, Anderson often had WR2 upside. and he may have realized it had Adam Gase not killed the team’s offensive potential (as he is wont to do). Before you consider Anderson to be nothing more than a low-target deep threat, consider that he actually caught six passes on Sunday (for 115 yards, a score, and a two-point conversion), and Teddy Bridgewater was able to find him deep, which is something that the quarterback has struggled to do with his receivers in the past.
– Paul Ghiglieri (@FantasyGhigs)

Robby Anderson is playing under his former college head coach, Matt Rhule, so if you weren’t aware of that, you are now. Luckily, I drafted Anderson in the later rounds of most of my drafts, as I expected him to fit in with Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s dynamic, field-stretching offense. The 115 yards and one touchdown marks Anderson’s ceiling, so don’t expect this be a weekly occurrence, but he could be a flex option or low-end WR3 most weeks in that offense. Anderson only surpassed 100 yards three times last season, and he caught at least six passes just twice. He should fly by those numbers with Teddy Bridgewater under center with Brady calling the plays.
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VaughnDalzell)

Russell Gage (ATL)
Russell Gage played on 70 percent of the Falcons’ snaps in Week 1, and he caught nine passes for 114 yards. In his last seven games going back to last season, Gage has been targeted an average of 8.6 times per game, and he saw nine or more targets in four of them. He has cemented his role as the WR3 on an Atlanta team that has thrown over 600 times the past two seasons. While he won’t go for over 100 yards on a weekly basis, he’s going to continue to play a high percentage of snaps, and he should continue to see a decent target share, even with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley getting their share of Matt Ryan’s targets. Gage is currently rostered in fewer than 4 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, and he is my top wide receiver waiver wire target this week.
– Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler)

Parris Campbell (IND)
Staying with the Colts, we knew that T.Y. Hilton was going to be the top wide receiver, but the mystery was who would be the second receiver in the offense. We found that out on Sunday. Parris Campbell had nine targets, six receptions, and 71 yards — compare that to Zach Pascal and Michael Pittman Jr., who combined for five targets, four receptions, 28 yards, and no touchdowns between the two of them. I’m not sure if the Colts will continue to throw the ball 46 times per game, but there is room for two fantasy-viable receivers in this offense, and Campbell is the second player in this passing game. He is worth a priority claim on the waiver wire, as he will likely have WR3 or WR4 value the rest of the way, depending on game flow and matchup.
– Derek Lofland (@DerekLofland)

Cole Beasley (BUF)
Cole Beasley nabbed four receptions on seven targets for 58 yards in Week 1, but he could have come close to 100 yards and a score if Allen hadn’t underthrown him on a deep ball up the seam. Either way, Beasley was the clear-cut third option on a surprisingly pass-heavy Bills offense in Week 1. It looks like Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll wants to spread out the offense this season, as the team lined up in 10-personnel packages (4 WR, 1 RB) for the majority of the game, which bodes well for Beasley moving forward. If Josh Allen continues to chuck the ball 46 times to eight different receivers as he did in Week 1 — and Cole Beasley is the third man from the top of those tosses — he should generate a decent floor in 2020. The best part? No one else in your league has a clue, so picking him up will cost you close to nothing.
– Jim Colombo (@WideRightNBlue)

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (GB)
Valdes-Scantling played 42 snaps and hauled in four receptions on six targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s Week 1 win over the Vikings. He will draw another favorable matchup Week 2 against the Lions. MVS was out-snapped by fellow wideout Allen Lazard 68-42, but he out-targeted him six-to-four. MVS has the size and speed to make big plays any given week. Aaron Rodgers looks motivated, and he will most likely shred the Lions secondary this week, which makes Valdez-Scantling an intriguing pickup for fantasy owners who need help at wide receiver.
– Brad Camara (@Beerad30)

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