With the 2nd week of the NFL season in the rear-view, we turn a corner in our understanding of players’ roles in their respective offenses. The 2nd week of data allows us to establish a more reliable baseline and track trends around usage and opportunity. Hidden deep down the waiver list, and often still waiting for us when FCFS comes around, are several players whose fantasy production is lagging behind their role in the offense, and several more who are trending in the right direction that we can grab before they become a future waiver-wire darling.
NOTE: Roster% based on Yahoo! data at time of writing.
Woody Marks (6%) Rostered
If you have been following me and my work at QB List (thank you, we love you), then you know that I’ve been the conductor of the Woody Marks hype train, so take this with a grain of salt. The hero arc for Marks is starting to take shape. Even the most sober analysis will identify that Week 2 represented a nice step forward for the rookie out of USC. We saw the Texans choose to make Dameon Pierce a healthy scratch heading into their Monday Night Football game against the Buccaneers, clearing the way for an expanded role for Marks. As a result, his snap-share jumped from 11% in Week 1 up to 27% against the Bucs, and his route participation nearly doubled week over week. He converted that time on the field into 4 total touches, including a flashy 37-yard reception. It seems clear that the Texans are warming to the idea of their Day 2 selection taking on the passing work out of their backfield, and his skillset could pry early-down work away from Nick Chubb before too long.
DJ Giddens (6%) Rostered
DJ Giddens is exactly the type of player we love targeting in this article. There isn’t much to speak of in terms of on-field production for Giddens, but Week 2 marks the 2nd consecutive week where Giddens operated as the clear backup to Jonathan Taylor. Week 1 saw Giddens handle 12 carries of the Colts’ 31 carries, and while Taylor took every carry for Indy in Week 2, Giddens was the only other running back to see snaps. The zero-touch week will almost certainly ensure that Giddens will be available to you as a FCFS target, but you’re getting the clear handcuff in one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL (36 rushes per game). Giddens needs to be rostered by any Jonathan Taylor manager at minimum and is a perfect back-of-the-bench lottery ticket for anyone with a roster spot at their disposal.
Isaac TeSlaa (9%) Rostered
It was said of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter that “all he does is score touchdowns.” The 2025 version of that might just be “all Isaac TeSlaa does is make highlight reels.” The Detroit Lions sent a king’s ransom to Jacksonville to acquire the raw athleticism of TeSlaa with the 70th pick in this year’s draft, but they did so knowing he was a bit of a project. TeSlaa only had 68 receptions to his name in DI football, but the athletic profile to pay serious dividends if he reaches his potential. We saw a very impressive preseason from the rookie, slashing 10/146/3 in 3 games, but there was legitimate concern that TeSlaa might be buried down the depth chart for the foreseeable future. While TeSlaa is still just a rotational player in the Lions corps, he has made jaw-dropping catches in both of his regular-season appearances, and last week we saw him take a 4% snap-share up to 29%. If we get another week where that trend continues, it likely won’t be long before TeSlaa overtakes Kalif Raymond for the “X” role in the offense, and you’ll be very glad you got him on the cheap back in Week 3.
Spencer Rattler (2%) Rostered
While the preceding players in this week’s piece have all been guys we’re picking up ahead of a potential breakout, Spencer Rattler, surprisingly, might already be in the midst of his upswing. Following a 6-game rookie campaign that saw a 4/5 touchdown to interception ratio and a woeful 57% completion rate, The Rat was believed by many to have seen his replacement drafted when the Saints selected Tyler Shough in the 2nd round. After reclaiming the starting role with an impressive off-season, Rattler has taken considerable steps forward in his 2 starts of the 2025 season. He’s boosted his completion to a respectable 65% and hasn’t thrown a single interception despite ranking 4th in the league with 80 pass attempts. Rattler now sits at QB17 in fantasy points, which might not sound like much to get excited about, but it represents a considerable uptick from his expectation heading into the season and represents solid value in a suddenly brutal quarterback landscape.
Photo by Matt Bowen | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@CarbonFoxGFX on Twitter/X)