Week 2 Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Options: Dylan Sampson, Kenneth Gainwell and More

Normally, Week 2 is the fantasy football waiver wire equivalent of Christmas, with tons of options at every position. That doesn't seem to be the case this year. After a few no-brainers at the top, options got thin fast in my wide receiver waiver article. Things are even bleaker here at the running back position.

Maybe this is because managers have gotten smarter — Jacory Croskey-Merritt already being nearly 80% rostered might not have been the case in the past … although that number should be 100%, so check your league. As for players available in the majority of leagues, we definitely have a few intriguing names, but no obvious must-adds. Let's break them all down.

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Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (43.3% Rostered)

The Browns' RB usage in Week 1 was weird. Veteran Jerome Ford led the team in snap share (52%) and routes (25). Sampson lagged behind at a 45% route share and just 14 routes. But when he was on the field, the rookie was far more involved, totalling 12 carries to Ford's six and an absurd eight targets to his one. Meanwhile, Raheim Sanders, a UDFA recently released by the Chargers, played just three snaps but saw two of the Browns' four carries inside the five (Ford handled the other two) and converted one for a TD.

As for Sampson, he was inefficient on the ground, finishing with just 29 yards. However, he salvaged his day by catching all eight of those targets for 64 yards through the air. Going forward, this backfield will only get more complicated as Quinshon Judkins finally signed his contract on Saturday. Who knows when he will actually take the field, though, so Sampson is definitely worth adding for now. 

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (48.6% Rostered)

Maybe James Conner wasn't lying when he said the Cardinals have two RB1s. Okay, the veteran was still clearly ahead of the sophomore against the Saints on Sunday. But Benson's role has clearly expanded: He played 34% of the snaps, handled eight carries to Conner's 12, and saw one target on a 30% route participation rate. Thanks mostly to a 52-yard scamper in the third quarter, he finished with a respectable 8.0 half-PPR points.

Going forward, Benson's new role still isn't quite big enough for him to be a weekly play in most leagues. But he has value as a deep-league flex or bye-week fill-in. More importantly, this usage signals that he is locked in as the handcuff behind Conner and would likely see excellent usage if the 30-year-old were sidelined. That alone makes him worth rostering.

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (2.3% Rostered)

The Steelers' backfield usage this season is shaping up to be an all-time Arthur Smith masterclass. While fantasy managers were wondering about the split between third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson and efficient veteran Jaylen Warren, Smith was clearly scheming up ways to get former Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell involved. 

Gainwell actually led the backfield in snaps with 29 (54%) in Week 1; Warren was right behind at 26, and Johnson touched the field just twice. He was also the primary passing-down back, running five more routes than Warren for a 38% participation rate and seeing four targets. The one place he didn't lead the backfield was in carries, as he saw seven to Warren's 11. This usage will probably change as the season goes on, but Gainwell is absolutely worth rostering for now.  

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (6.4% Rostered)

As usual, it was the Alvin Kamara show in the Saints' backfield in Week 1. But, on the rare occasions that the veteran took a break, Miller seemed to be the preferred backup. He outsnapped sixth-round rookie Devin Neal nine to five, and handled five carries on those nine snaps.

A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, Miller's career has gotten off to a rocky start. He missed large chunks of time due to injury in both of his first two years, which seemingly turned former Saints head coach Dennis Allen against him. Now, fully healthy and with a new coaching staff, he may finally get a chance to at least cement himself as the handcuff behind Kamara. Given Kamara's age and injury history, that's a potentially valuable role.   

DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts (5.2% Rostered)

With Tyler Goodson sidelined by an elbow injury, Giddens, a fifth-round rookie out of Kansas State, was the Colts' clear RB2 behind Jonathan Taylor. He played 24% of their offensive snaps and carried the ball 12 times, finishing with 41 yards. 

There's no path to standalone value here at the moment. Giddens ran just one route, and all of his carries came after the Colts were already up 23-0 late in the third quarter. But there are plenty of leagues deep enough where every team's RB2 should be rostered … especially when that RB2 is a high-upside rookie with elite athleticism and a potential three-down skillset. 

Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasySP. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.