Jay Cutler, Quarterback, Miami Dolphins
In his first regular season game with the Dolphins, Cutler more than proved himself as a capable QB2 in 12-team leagues. Despite a three-week hiatus after the Dolphins' season opener was postponed, Cutler put up 230 yards with a touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also completed 24-of-33 passes for a solid 73 percent completion mark.
We fully expect Cutler to open it up more moving forward. He missed on a couple deep passes to DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills in Week 1. Those are plays that will be there for Cutler, especially with Jay Ajayi continuing to dominate in the backfield.
Carson Palmer, Quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
Depending on whether he is actually available, Palmer could now act as a bottom-end QB1 option in standard leagues. Sure he's thrown two touchdowns compared to four interceptions in two games this season. He's also going to have an opportunity to put up big yardage and touchdown numbers now that David Johnson is sidelined until potentially December.
The stats don't tell us a story of someone ready to be impactful from a fantasy lens. Palmer is completing less than 50 percent of his passes and is averaging just 7.1 yards per attempt. However, he's also averaging 300 yards and 42 pass attempts per outing. Those numbers are indicative of fantasy success, even though the team itself might struggle.
Chris Carson, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
Carson has obviously taken over the No. 1 running back duties in Seattle. With Eddie Lacy a healthy scratch in Week 2 against San Francisco, he saw 20 of the 25 rush attempts for Seahawks running backs. Carson responded by putting up 100 total yards on 21 touches. Needless to say, he's a waiver wire goldmine right now.
Chris Thompson, Running Back, Washington Redskins
In PPR-heavy leagues, Thompson is most definitely someone to keep an eye on. Taking on a larger role in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams after Washington's rushing offense stalled in Week 1, Thompson put up seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. He also added six attempts for 81 yards and two scores on the ground. It also helps here that he saw the most snaps of any Redskins running backs in the game.
Darren Sproles, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles
LeGarrette Blount saw very little action, recording zero touches, in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Wendell Smallwood continued to prove that he's not capable of shouldering the load. Instead, the Eagles turned to this veteran running back to provide it a spark in the backfield. Sproles responded by putting up 78 yards on 13 touches. It wasn't a great performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it is likely indicative of him taking over the primary running back duties in Philadelphia. With opportunity, Sproles has proven throughout his career that he can make an impact.
Rashard Higgins, Wide Receiver, Cleveland Browns
With fellow wide receiver Corey Coleman now out at least six weeks due to a broken hand, the Cleveland Browns have officially listed youngster Rashard Higgins as a starter ahead of their Week 3 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Higgins made his 2017 debut in Week 2 against an elite Ravens defense, recording seven receptions for 95 yards on 11 targets. He immediately becomes an under-the-radar DFS play and potential waive-wire add, especially with Kenny Brittt struggling to do anything of substance.
Danny Amendola, Wide Receiver, New England Patriots
Even after sitting out Week 2 with a concussion, Amendola is an obvious add heading into this week. The Patriots dressed just three wide receivers for last week's game against the New Orleans Saints. Those three combined to catch just seven of Tom Brady's 30 completions on the afternoon. For his part, Amendola tallied six catches for 100 yards on seven targets prior to leaving with a concussion in Week 1. The math is easy from here.
Marqise Lee, Wide Receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars
We had Allen Hurns on this list last week after fellow receiver Allen Robinson went down with a season ending ACL injury in Week 1. However, it was Lee who stepped up for the struggling Blake Bortles at receiver. The former USC star caught 7-of-12 targets for 76 yards in a 37-16 loss to Tennessee. Surely, we have to be worried about the Jags going with a run-first attack now that Leonard Fournette is in the mix. But in no way did that happen in Week 2. Jacksonville's haplessness could be our fantasy goldmine here.
Cameron Brate, Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's rather clear the Bucs have not found a real role for rookie first-round pick O.J. Howard at tight end. That will likely happen at some point here soon. But for now, Brate's fantasy relevance has increased a big deal. He caught just two passes for 24 yards in Week 2's win over Chicago, but Brate played almost twice as many snaps as Howard. Considering he's coming off a solid 57-660-8 2016 campaign, Brate should be well sought after on the waiver wire this week.