Week 2 Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Adds: Bucky Irving, Tank Bigbsy, Jaleel McLaughlin and More

The first NFL Sunday of the season is officially in the books! Normally, Week 1 brings at least a few obvious must-add players, but this week’s crop seems surprisingly lackluster — I don’t see a Kyren Williams on this list. With that said, there are still some running backs who are definitely worth adding after Week 1. Let’s dive right into it! 

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J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers (63% Rostered)

I’m cheating with this one, as I normally try to stay below 50% rostered with these picks. But Dobbins needs to be rostered in all leagues after his Week 1 performance. As long as he’s healthy, Dobbins will be the lead back on what is, as expected, a run-heavy Chargers team. Make sure your league isn’t part of the 37%.

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19.4% Rostered)

If there is a 2023 Kyren Williams in this week’s pool, it’s Irving. A fourth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Irving excelled in his NFL debut. He racked up 62 yards on just nine carries, also catching two of three targets for 14 yards. Meanwhile, Rachaad White managed half as many yards, 31, on far more carries, 15. 

This is especially notable because White was the least efficient high-volume back in the league last year, with a 30.1% success rate according to SumerSports. If Irving can be a positive in the run game, he should continue to cut into White’s workload and may even take over as Tampa’s lead back. He is a must-add in all formats. 

Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (4.9% Rostered)

In a lot of ways, Bigsby is very similar to Irving. Expected to be the clear RB2 behind Travis Etienne, Bigsby came out and easily outperformed his teammate. Etienne and Bigsby both carried the ball 12 times, but the sophomore had 73 yards to Etienne’s 44 (although ETN did score a touchdown). Even more interestingly, Bigbsy actually out-touched Etienne down the stretch, following a goal-line fumble by Etienne that essentially lost the Jags the game. 

There are just two reasons I’m not quite as excited by Bigsby as by Irving. First of all, Etienne, despite his rough outing Sunday, has been a better back than White, and I find it harder to believe he will lose his job entirely at any point this season. And second, while Irving is a rookie, we saw Bigsby in the NFL last year, and he was straight-up awful. Bigsby is still a priority add, but it’s unlikely he ever truly breaks out without an injury to Etienne.

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins (22.7% Rostered)

Wright wasn’t featured in the first draft of this article. After all, the rookie was a healthy scratch in Week 1. But the Dolphins announced on Monday afternoon that both De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert didn’t practice with injuries. This is especially notable given that the Dolphins have a quick turnaround heading into a Thursday night matchup with the Bills.

If either Mostert or Achane is out, Wright will be active. If both are out, he is a legitimate starting fantasy option. Wright’s speed makes him a perfect fit for this Mike McDaniel offense, and his upside is huge with both of the team’s lead backs already banged up.

Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos (39.7% Rostered)

Week 1 was weird for Jaleel McLaughlin. Electric and undersized, many expected him to serve a satellite role to Javonte Williams, especially on passing downs. Instead, McLaughlin actually out-carried Williams on Sunday, 10 to eight. However, Williams played more snaps, including most passing-down snaps and short-yardage snaps — the two most important usage types for fantasy production.

As a starting-ish running back, McLaughlin is absolutely worth adding. But this usage was weird enough across the board that he is too risky to start until we have more information. This is especially true given that the Bo Nix-led Broncos offense was terrible in Week 1 — there’s a chance neither Denver back is worth starting.

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers (19.3% Rostered)

Somehow, another back who was out in Week 1 makes the cut as a recommended waiver add. Lloyd, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, missed the season opener with a hamstring injury. However, he wasn’t placed on IR to start the season, meaning the Packers expect him to return within the first four weeks. When he does return, Lloyd may be able to carve out a real role in this offense — Packers HC Matt LaFleur is on the record as wanting to use multiple backs. That’s enough for Lloyd to be stash-worthy, especially if you can place him on your fantasy IR while he is listed as Out.  

Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens (3.6% Rostered)

Last Thursday’s Chiefs/Ravens matchup already feels like so long ago. But anyone who watched the season opener had to take notice of Justice Hill, who recorded six catches on eight targets out of the backfield for 52 yards, along with one carry for three yards. 

With the Ravens’ offensive line clearly a work in progress, plenty more check downs are in Hill’s future. With that said, he’s only really worth adding in deep PPR leagues. Unlike most of these backs, Hill has very little contingent upside. A passing specialist through and through, Hill’s role would hardly expand if Derrick Henry missed time. He’s a potential flex in deep PPR leagues in games where the Ravens will be passing, nothing more. 

Alexander Mattison (7.7% Rostered)

Look, I don’t particularly want to recommend Alexander Mattison. He’s a league-average (at best) running back in a very bad offense. But any RB who leads their team in snaps deserves a spot on rosters, and Mattison played 60% of available snaps in the Raiders’ opener. He still saw just five carries to Zamir White’s 13, but the former Viking did record four catches on six targets, including an impressive receiving TD. As the passing-down back on a team that is likely to be trailing often, he could have PPR flex value if you’re desperate.