{"id":94628,"date":"2020-09-13T22:49:11","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T02:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=94628"},"modified":"2020-09-14T06:14:52","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T10:14:52","slug":"fantasy-football-week-2-running-back-waiver-wire-claims-nyheim-hines-joshua-kelley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/09\/13\/fantasy-football-week-2-running-back-waiver-wire-claims-nyheim-hines-joshua-kelley\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Week 2 Running Back Waiver Wire Claims: Nyheim Hines, Joshua Kelley, More"},"content":{"rendered":"

After what feels like an eternity, NFL football is finally back. Months and months of devoted research, analysis, and data crunching has once again proven useless by the cruel hand of the fantasy football gods. Now, if you\u2019re looking to improve your running back depth, you\u2019ll need to check the waiver wire for guys like Nyheim Hines<\/a>, Joshua Kelley,<\/strong> and\u00a0Malcolm Brown<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Note that in order to be eligible for this list, the player needed to be available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues. Obviously, there is variation from league to league, so there is a chance that a better player is currently available on your league\u2019s waiver wire.<\/p>\n

Week 2 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver<\/a> – Tight End<\/a> – Quarterback<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Nyheim Hines, Joshua Kelley Highlight Fantasy Football Week 1 Running Back Waiver Wire Claims<\/h2>\n

Nyheim Hines<\/h4>\n

It turns out that Frank Reich<\/a><\/strong> wasn\u2019t lying when he said this was going to be a backfield by committee. Nyheim Hines<\/strong> had a big role in the offense even before Marlon Mack<\/a><\/strong> went down to injury. Now that he\u2019s down, Hines is a weekly lock for the flex spot.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Taylor<\/strong><\/a> is going to lead this backfield, but it\u2019s not going to be a one-man show. Hines is still an above-average pass-catcher, and Philip Rivers<\/a><\/strong> loves to target his running backs. Hines should be a lock for 5-10 targets every week and should see an additional 5-10 carries on a weekly basis. He may not be the most talented player in the league, but this volume ensures that he\u2019ll be a reliable play on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n

Joshua Kelley<\/h4>\n

Austin Ekeler<\/a><\/strong> received a giant payday in the offseason, but the Los Angeles Chargers seemingly still want to use a committee approach to the backfield. Rookie running back Joshua Kelley<\/strong><\/a> completely leapfrogged Justin Jackson<\/a><\/strong> on the depth chart, finishing the game with 12 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown. Ekeler, by comparison, had 19 carries for 84 yards along with just one target in the passing game. Kelley also received the majority of the goal-line touches.<\/p>\n

For the time being, Jackson is probably nothing more than a low-ceiling flex play. However, he\u2019s clearly the primary backup to Ekeler and should be rostered in all formats. He has some standalone value but could be a week-in, week-out start if Ekeler goes down.<\/p>\n

James Robinson<\/h4>\n

Undrafted free agent James Robinson <\/strong><\/a>earned the starting spot in the offseason, and his Week 1 performance means that he should have a lock on the job moving forward. The running back didn\u2019t exactly set the world on fire, but he still saw 16 carries for 62 yards. The next-closest player on the team was quarterback Gardner Minshew<\/a><\/strong>, who recorded five scrambles for 19 yards.<\/p>\n

This volume alone ensures that Robinson will have fantasy value on a weekly basis. There\u2019s literally no other competition for touches, and he will eventually find the endzone. The lack of passing work puts a clear cap on his ceiling, but he should be a solid flex play with RB2 upside when he finds the endzone.<\/p>\n

Adrian Peterson<\/h4>\n

I know, nobody wants to play Adrian Peterson<\/a><\/strong> in 2020. However, he\u2019s clearly the leader of Detroit\u2019s backfield and should see a heavy workload for at least the next few weeks. During the season opener, the future Hall of Famer recorded 93 yards on 14 carries for a healthy 6.6 yards-per-attempt. He did this despite joining the team just earlier this week.<\/p>\n

Amazingly enough, it\u2019s hard to imagine anyone eating into Peterson\u2019s workload. Kerryon Johnson<\/a><\/strong> just isn\u2019t the guy he once was, as injuries clearly took away what once made him special. D\u2019Andre Swift<\/strong><\/a>, meanwhile, is still getting up to speed in the offense and dropped what would have been the game-winning touchdown. Matt Patricia<\/strong> is definitely the type of coach to punish a player for that type of mistake, so Peterson should have a safe, reliable workload for the next few weeks. He definitely won\u2019t deliver too many RB1 performances, but he can be a steadying presence at the end of the roster.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions: Frank Gore<\/a>, Myles Gaskin<\/a>, Malcolm Brown<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Week 2 Waiver Wire Claims: Wide Receiver<\/a> – Tight End<\/a> – Quarterback<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>