It’s only Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, but some fantasy football managers are already in dire straits due to key injuries. Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been nursing a knee injury for multiple weeks; Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is headed to the injured list; and Christian McCaffrey was surprisingly inactive ahead of Monday night’s game.

Let’s take a look at streaming options you can add to your schedule.

The players listed below are targets for the deeper leagues, which are in less than 50% of ESPN’s leagues entering the waiver period this week. While you may see some overlap with Eric Moody’s waiver wire column published on Monday, one key difference is that the options listed in that column are for this week’s matchups only and not based on the players’ values ​​for the rest of the season.

We start in San Francisco, with a clear replacement for McCaffrey, and then we move on to the quarterback position, with three players who can provide sufficient production capacity for the Week 2 period.

All references to fantasy points apply to PPR leagues.

Backrunners

Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers (37.5% on list; at Vikings)

Mason started in place of McCaffrey (calf) against a top-tier New York Jets defense and poured in 22.2 fantasy points on a national stage Monday night. Mason recorded 28 carries — the second-highest total among all backs in Week 1 — and rushed for 147 yards (5.3 YPC) and a touchdown. Though Mason didn’t play in the passing game (one reception, five yards), he played a volume role that suited his decisive, urgent running style. He’s headed down the stretch with some serious juice. If McCaffrey can’t play in Week 2 against Minnesota, Mason should be seen as an easy fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense, where he can start as an RB1 in all scoring formats.

Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (4.6% on list; vs. Browns)

Bigsby rushed for a career-high 73 yards in Week 1 and tied the number of carries as starter Travis Etienne Jr. (12), who also had a costly goal line fumble. While Bigsby was clearly the most efficient runner on Sunday (6.1 YPC), he remains the No. 2 player in the Jags’ backfield. However, if you’re in a deep league, there might be enough here to keep Bigsby in your lineup.

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (34.0% on list; at Lions)

Mayfield scored 29.66 points and four touchdown passes on the Washington Commanders defense in the Buccaneers’ Week 1 win. He also threw the ball efficiently, completing 24 of 30 pass attempts. Yes, Mayfield and the Bucs have a much tougher matchup in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, but don’t be surprised if Tampa Bay has to throw with some volume here. In last season’s playoff loss to Detroit, Mayfield attempted 41 passes and finished with 349 yards. He’s a solid option in 12-team leagues because of his aggressive throwing mentality and ability to extend plays.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (35.8% on list; with Cardinals)

Stafford will be without Nacua (knee), but I still like the Rams’ passing game against an Arizona Cardinals defense that relies on split-safety coverage (52% of coverage snaps in Week 1). Sean McVay will have the answers to create open holes for Stafford, who attempted 49 passes against Detroit in Week 1, finishing with 319 yards and a touchdown. I fully expect Stafford to get the ball to Cooper Kupp with volume again (14 receptions, 110 yards, one touchdown in Week 1). You can stream Stafford here as a deeper-league option.

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (11.1% on list; at Broncos)

We’ll have to keep an eye on Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation this week with Fields and Russell Wilson (calf). If Fields is reinstated as the starter, though, he offers streaming value because of his dual-threat abilities, plus the explosive playmaking ability of wide receiver George Pickens. Fields logged 14 carries in the Steelers’ Week 1 win over Atlanta, finishing with 56 rushing yards. Despite attempting just 23 passes, Fields connected with Pickens on six of seven targets, including a 40-yard reception on deep ball. You’ll play Fields’ upside as a runner in Week 2 in Denver, along with his ability to drive the ball vertically downfield.

Wide receivers

Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (1.6% on list; vs. Rams)

If you need a flex in a deeper league, check out Dortch, as he can make himself available in the route tree for QB Kyler Murray. Dortch finished with 11.1 points in the Cardinals’ Week 1 loss to the Bills, catching six of his eight targets, with five of those receptions coming from slot alignments. Now, Dortch isn’t going to provide any immediate “big-play juice” or consistent scoring opportunities, but he is a volume target in a Cardinals passing game who will work the ball underneath.

Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (29.7% on list; with Saints)

Cooks scored 14.7 points in the Cowboys’ Week 1 win over the Browns, catching four of seven targets for 40 yards, including Dak Prescott’s lone TD pass of the day on a 21-yard corner route. Cooks’ seven targets were second-most on the team behind CeeDee Lamb (10), and he’s been penciled in as the No. 2 option for Prescott. This is another tough passing game matchup against the New Orleans Saints, but there’s enough volume here, plus third-level throwing, to make Cooks a play this week.

Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams (14.8% on list; with Cardinals)

Tyler Johnson is another Rams wideout to watch here, but I see Robinson as a potential streaming replacement for Nacua this week in Arizona. Robinson caught four of his seven targets for 42 yards in the Week 1 loss to Detroit. Yes, the bulk of the target volume goes to Kupp (21 targets in Week 1), but Robinson is a viable option who could be slated as a high red zone target for Stafford.

Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (6.8% on list; with Commanders)

Using Robinson as a streamer in Week 2 is strictly about target volume in a positive matchup against the Commanders secondary. Robinson had 11.8 points in Week 1 against the Vikings and saw a team-high 12 targets, catching six of them. Robinson also added a rushing attempt for 14 yards. The shaky play of Giants QB Daniel Jones is always a concern, but Robinson’s route-running as an under/middle-of-the-field option offers plenty in deeper PPR leagues, plus he can be slated for manufactured touches.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (0.5% on list; with Packers)

Anthony Richardson’s deep-ball throws are an element of the Colts’ passing game, and Pierce took advantage of them in Week 1. He caught a 60-yard touchdown on an absolute rocket from Richardson, then added a 57-yard reception on a contested throw down the field. Pierce finished with 125 yards on just three receptions. He’s a long rusher who can eat up turf in the vertical passing game, with the frame to win at the point of attack. Sure, the target volume needs to go up, and this feels like a boom/bust play, but Richardson is more than willing to give Pierce opportunities down the field.

Tight ends

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens (9.8% on list; vs. Raiders)

I expect Likely to be a priority claim for waivers this week, but given his roster percentage, I’m including him as a streamer here as well. The Ravens had the most two-TE snaps in the league in Week 1 (39), which created more opportunities for Likely with Mark Andrews also on the field. Likely’s 26.1 points led all tight ends in Week 1, as he caught nine of his 12 targets for 111 yards and a score, with eight of those receptions coming from two-TE sets. With his formation flexibility, plus the catch-and-run traits, Likely could be a starter in all formats for the Ravens’ Week 2 matchup against the Raiders.

Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (1.5% on list; with Cardinals)

In the Rams’ condensed sets, Parkinson can get clean releases of the ball and work as the underlying option for Stafford on even-height concepts, which is what we saw Sunday night in Detroit. Parkinson caught four of his five targets for 45 yards, with two receptions of at least 15 yards. He has more catch-and-run ability than you might think, and there will be opportunities for him against the Cardinals’ zone coverages this week.

Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (19.2% on list; vs. Jets)

Okonkwo saw just two targets in the Titans’ Week 1 loss to the Bears, but he did score a touchdown by catching a back-shoulder throw from Will Levis on a red zone corner route. Given his matchup ability as a receiver and potential red zone upside, take a chance on Okonkwo this week against the Jets.

D/ST

Los Angeles Chargers (10.6% on the list; at Panthers)

The Chargers D/ST had 15 fantasy points in the team’s Week 1 win over the Raiders, going on to throw four sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Next up for them is a Carolina offense led by QB Bryce Young, who threw two interceptions and was sacked four times in the Panthers’ blowout loss to the Saints. The Chargers are a must-start defense in Week 2.