Top 3 Waiver Wire Running Backs for Week 2
Week 1 had plenty of surprises, some good and some included losing David Johnson for 8 to 12 weeks. Fear not, we have you covered in this weeks top 3 fantasy running backs to target to help fill the void or strengthen your bench.
The following running backs are in the order of where you should prioritize a pickup for Week 2.
1. Kerwynn Williams, Arizona Cardinals | 7% OWN
The Arizona Cardinals will still be a run-first football team even after the injury to David Johnson with an average of 18 carries per game in 2016. Carson Palmer showed off why the running game is so important and that the team can't rely on him to be a consistent quarterback anymore.
The problem is that all that production that Johnson usually handles will be split up by a running-back by committee approach, the dreaded phrase among fantasy football owners. We expect Williams to get the majority of touches in Week 2 but do not count out Andre Ellington who managed to out-snap Williams.
To make matters even more complicated, the Cardinals just signed Chris Johnson. At some point this season, all of these running backs will likely end up with a big fantasy week, so don't be too worried about not landing Williams.
When it comes to fantasy football running backs, depth is important. Feel free to add secondary waivers for Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson if you are in deeper leagues or can't land any of the other running backs on this list.
2. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears | 10% OWN
The Chicago Bears held their own against a very good Atlanta Falcons team on Sunday. Part of that reason was running back Tarik Cohen with a monster game of 8 receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown, plus 5 carries for 66 yards.
His solid performance in the preseason has carried its way to the regular season. Early indications point to the touches being split between Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen moving forward.
Do not expect Cohen to match his 12 targets again for the rest of the season, but he still should be able to be a very productive and appealing option for PPR leagues.
3. Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens | 4% OWN
The hamgstring injury to Danny Woodhead provided more opportunities to Javorius Allen. The thing about hamstring injuries is that they tend to linger and Woodhead has already been injury prone the past few seasons.
Allen's numbers were clearly inflated due to the fact the Bengals laid an egg on offense but his role will still be larger as long as Woodhead remains out. The current timetable for Woodhead is 4-6 weeks, which means someone in the Ravens backfield will have to learn to catch passes.
Allen's workload will largely be dependent on the situation of the week and if the team is nursing a large lead. Make no mistake about it though, Terrance West is still the #1 back in Baltimore.
