Week 2: Pickups of the Week

Week 1 is almost all the way in the books, and it's time to start thinking about waiver pickups for Week 2. Last week in this space, Jets QB Geno Smith, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Cowboys RB Lance Dunbar were mentioned. Those guys should still be near the top of your waiver priority list, especially Smith and Kelce.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, ---

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A lot of Texans fans weren't too happy when the team announced that journeyman Fitzpatrick would be their starting QB in 2014. He hasn't had what you'd call an illustrious NFL career. But while Fitzpatrick won't break records any time soon, he also probably won't go full Matt Schaub either. And there's something to be said for consistency when it comes to a backup fantasy QB. His line from Sunday's game – 14-of-22 for 206 yards and a touchdown – is about what should be expected from him throughout the year. And Fitzpatrick isn't without upside playing in a Texans offense that is fairly well-stocked with talent. He isn't an every-week fantasy starter, but he will serve well if you get desperate in the event of an injury or a bye week.

QB Joe Flacco, CLE

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Flacco will probably never develop into the elite, every-week starter some fantasy analysts thought he might become a few years ago. And he certainly didn't make a case for himself on the field Sunday. Flacco went 35-of-62 passing and threw a costly interception. But in a week when most quarterbacks did not produce great fantasy numbers, Flacco would've been a decent start. It's true that most of his production came on an 80-yard touchdown pass, but that might not be an outlier. On Sunday, the Ravens looked like a team that will be playing from behind a lot, and if that happens, they'll need to get aggressive in their passing game. With deep threats such as Steve Smith and Torrey Smith in the lineup, Flacco could see plenty of big plays this year. Don't pick him up as a go-to QB, but when bye weeks roll around beginning in Week 4, Flacco won't be a bad fill-in.

RB Isaiah Crowell, ---

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Ben Tate left Sunday's game with a knee injury. He apparently aggravated an ailment that slowed him in practice during the previous week. This is nothing news; Tate's bill of health in the NFL is very spotty. In Tate's absence, Terrance West took 16 carries for more than 100 yards and will likely have first dibs in the event that Tate misses serious time. But Crowell took in two touchdowns and wound up with the better fantasy day. Crowell is a former top college recruit who ran into off-the-field trouble, but he possesses tremendous physical ability. There's a chance that rushing duties could fall to a committee if Tate is out for several weeks. West will get first crack at the carries, but Crowell has more upside and may eventually win out. He's worth a pickup in most leagues if Tate's injury is long-term.

RB Benny Cunningham, ---

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Starting way back in OTAs, the Rams' coaching staff has been encouraging competition for the starting RB role. Zac Stacy seems to own it for the time being, but he looked very average on Sunday against a mediocre Vikings defense. Cunningham recorded nine touches to Stacy's 12, and each ended the day with 51 all-purpose yards. Cunningham is the more talented pass-catcher and will likely see more opportunities in long-yardage, third-down and come-from-behind situations. The Rams figure to see a lot of those this year. Cunningham has value as Stacy's handcuff but could also develop into a reasonable stand-alone flex play. He's nipping at Stacy's heels and it's easy to envision this backfield developing into a full-fledged committee sooner rather than later.

WR Josh Gordon, ---

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Are you tired of hearing about Gordon yet? First, he's suspended a full year. Then there's a chance he might win his appeal. Then he's supposedly suing the NFL to stop the suspension. Next thing you know, he's going to be selling cars in a Cleveland suburb. Now there's a new development: NFL and the players' union are close to a deal on a new drug testing policy. According to several reliable sources, the deal, if it's agreed upon, could include a reduction or complete removal of Gordon's suspension. At this point, you're probably tired dropping Gordon and picking him back up. But just the percentage chance that Gordon is able to play this year makes him worth a roster spot. Remember that he was the No. 1 WR in fantasy last year. You won't find anyone else on the waiver wire with that kind of upside. Even if he's able to play only half of the season, Gordon has the kind of talent that wins fantasy championships. That makes him worthy of adding to your roster one more time.