Aaron Jones Injury: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Replacements

With the injury to Aaron Jones, fantasy football managers are left with a void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your fantasy football waiver wire this week. And also be sure to check out all of our full fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacements

Injury Outlook

Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) likely out Week 3
Aaron Jones Sr. (hamstring) is likely out this week as he deals with a hamstring injury he suffered on Sunday night.

Fantasy Impact

With Jones missing time things will open up for Jordan Mason to be the lead back in Minnesota. With reports JJ McCarthy may also miss time, Mason’s upside might be limited, however. Hamstring injuries have a bad tendency to linger, so don’t be surprised if Jones is out for a couple weeks or has this pop up once again after he returns.

Garrett Ball

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

Running Backs

Written by Ellis Bryn Johnson

Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL): 30% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @CAR, WSH, BYE
• True Value: $3
• Desperate Need: $5
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: Tyler Allgeier is one of the premier backups in fantasy football. Because of that alone, he should be rostered in all leagues with more than eight teams. In Week 1, Allgeier split touches with Bijan Robinson in the backfield, though he was not used in the receiving game. Allgeier may not be playable if Robinson is healthy, but he would instantly be a fringe RB1 if Robinson missed any time. Allgeier’s contingent upside might make him more valuable than some of the WR3s or WR4s parked at the end of your bench.

Kenneth Gainwell: 8% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @NE, MIN, BYE
• True Value: $2
• Desperate Need: $3
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: The Steelers are using a true running back committee this season. Kenneth Gainwell led the team in snaps in Week 1, but Jaylen Warren played 58.1% of the offensive snaps in Week 2, with Gainwell playing 41.9% of the snaps. The noteworthy development in this backfield is that Kaleb Johnson apparently is not ready for the NFL. The third-round rookie had another disappointing performance, finishing with one carry for one yard and a botched kickoff return that resulted in a Seattle touchdown. As a result, this is a two-man backfield with Warren and Gainwell. It will be difficult to determine which back will lead the charge each week. However, both will see enough touches to be Flex-worthy in deeper leagues. Gainwell also possesses contingent upside if Warren were to miss any time.

Jeremy McNichols (RB – WSH): 0% Rostered & Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB – WSH): 4% Rostered

• Next Opponents: LVR, @ATL, @LAC
• True Value: $2, $1
• Desperate Need: $4, $1
• Budget-Minded: $0, $0

Analysis: I would like to take a second to appreciate Austin Ekeler. The 2017 UDFA worked his way into fantasy superstardom with the Chargers. Known as one of the nicest (and most jacked) players in the NFL, Ekeler is one of the few players who seems to appreciate fantasy football. Joining industry stalwart Matt Harmon on podcasts, Ekeler’s fantasy analysis and NFL insight were a welcome combination. Wishing him a speedy and full recovery after he tore his Achilles tendon last week. In his absence, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. are primed for increased roles. McNichols will likely take on the receiving work, with Rodriguez operating as Jacory Croskey-Merritt‘s backup. Croskey-Merritt hasn’t exactly looked incredible over the past two weeks. I could see McNichols taking on more work as the season goes on, potentially becoming a Flex option for fantasy. With a favorable schedule coming up, McNichols and Rodriguez might be worth grabbing to see what the usage split will be.

Wide Receivers

Written by Derek Brown

Elic Ayomanor (WR – TEN): 8% Rostered

• Next Opponents: IND, @HOU, @ARI
• True Value: $9
• Desperate Need: $15
• Budget-Minded: $5

Analysis: While the counting stats weren’t there in Week 1, Elic Ayomanor still soaked up intriguing volume, and I was quietly interested in his upside moving forward. In Week 1, he had a 25% target share, a 48.5% air-yard share and a 36.8% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. Among 105 qualifying wide receivers, he ranked 45th in separation and 23rd in route win rate. In Week 2, Ayomanor didn’t see nearly the same target volume (18.1% target share), but he turned his volume into production with four grabs, 56 receiving yards and a score. Ayomanor is a talented rookie who could just be starting to hit his stride, and only Calvin Ridley can compete with him weekly for the team lead in targets. Ayomanor could evolve into a strong WR3/Flex if Cam Ward can be as good as we think he can be in his rookie season.

Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG): 22% Rostered

• Next Opponents: KC, LAC, @NO
• True Value: $7
• Desperate Need: $11
• Budget-Minded: $4

Analysis: Wan’Dale Robinson exploded in Week 2 with eight receptions and 142 receiving yards. Yes, in case you’re wondering, that was a career high in receiving yardage for Robinson and only the second 100-yard receiving game of his career, so don’t think that many more of those will be coming in 2025. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a strong weekly Flex moving forward in PPR formats. Over the last two games, he has a 23% target share while averaging seven grabs and 98.5 receiving yards. As the clear No. 2 option in the Giants’ passing attack, Robinson will be a nice player to have on your bench when the bye weeks arrive.

Troy Franklin (WR – DEN): 3% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @LAC, CIN, @PHI
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Good lawd, this feels like a trap, but if Sean Payton is finally going to feature Troy Franklin in a full-time role, he could really take off in 2025. The talented sophomore receiver led the team in snaps (49), routes (29), targets (nine), receptions (eight) and receiving yards (89) in Week 2. He also scored a touchdown. This season, he has earned a 21.4% target share and produced 2.33 yards per route run, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). Both of these marks are solid to outstanding. Marvin Mims has been unable to secure a full-time role in the offense, and I don’t see that changing. With Evan Engram also regulated to a part-time role in the offense, there’s a clear runway for Franklin to ascend if he continues to see this level of playing time.

Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE): 39% Rostered

• Next Opponents: GB, @DET, MIN
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Cedric Tillman has been a decent Flex play over the last two games and should continue to live in that fantasy realm moving forward. The Browns’ passing volume should allow him to sustain that level of fantasy production even after the touchdown hot streak is extinguished. Tillman has scored in both games this season, which has greatly helped his fantasy days while drawing only a 16.6% target share and averaging 3.5 receptions and 37 receiving yards. Joe Flacco has attempted 45 passes in back-to-back games, and I don’t see that type of raw passing volume slowing down anytime soon for Cleveland, so Tillman should continue to see somewhere in the neighborhood of the 7.5 targets per game he has seen so far.

Kayshon Boutte (WR – NE): 28% Rostered

• Next Opponents: PIT, CAR, @BUF
• True Value: $4
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: Kayshon Boutte had a wonderful Week 1, with a 17.4% target share, a 37.9% air-yard share, 2.58 yards per route run, 103 receiving yards and a 23.3% first-read share (which led the team). He backed those stats up with a solid 0.103 separation score and 15.4% route win rate, per Fantasy Points Data. Unfortunately, he didn’t follow up that strong opening week with another against the Dolphins. He had only one target and 16 receiving yards, but he made it count, as he came down with a touchdown. Drake Maye spread the ball around in Week 2, and New England leaned more heavily on its ground game. Better days are ahead for Boutte, and he should settle into solid Flex territory.

Romeo Doubs (WR – GB): 16% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @CLE, @DAL, BYE
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: If I’m going to make a bet on anyone in the Green Bay passing attack to stand out this season aside from Tucker Kraft, it’s Romeo Doubs. Through two games, he has a 17% target share, 2.34 yards per route run and a 20.6% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. With rookie Matthew Golden still a part-time receiver, Doubs is the best competition that Kraft has for targets. If Green Bay decides to increase the passing volume as we move through the season, Doubs should see his stock trend upward. And it’s possible Doubs sees a slight uptick in targets while Packers Jayden Reed recovers from a broken collarbone.