The first week of the NFL season wouldn’t be complete without a slew of injuries to key players. For Week 2 waiver wire pickups, you should target Malcolm Brown, Nyheim Hines, Frank Gore, and Benny Snell Jr. for your rosters. In Week 1, three running backs went down with injuries, so their backups will be popular additions to your fantasy football team.

Malcolm BrownRB Waiver Wire Pick Up Week 2
LA Rams RB Malcolm Brown evades tacklers against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium in LA. (Image: Getty)

A trio of starting running backs went down with injuries, including Marlon Mack (Indianapolis Colts), Le’Veon Bell (New York Jets), and James Conner (Pittsburgh Steelers).

In Los Angeles, Rams head coach Sean McVay unleashed a dual running attack that featured rookie Cam Akers and veteran Malcolm Brown.


WEEK 2 WAIVER WIRE PICK UPS 
  • Benny Snell, Jr. (RB, Pittsburgh)
  • Frank Gore (RB, NY Jets)
  • Nyheim Hines (RB, Indianapolis)
  • Malcolm Brown (RB, LA Rams)

Brown has been with the Rams since the team left St. Louis after the 2015 season. He was buried on the depth chart behind Todd Gurley in previous years, and never rushed for more than 255 yards in a season.

Brown looked strong on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. He rushed 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 31 yards to go over 110 combined yards.

Brown, a former practice squad player, also scored the first-ever touchdown at the new SoFi Stadium.

“It’s very exciting,” said Malcolm Brown. “Sometimes in this league, you have to step in and play a role. And I was very aware of it.”

Snell Time Steeltown

James Conner exited the Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants prematurely. Conner injured his ankle in the second quarter. He had just six carries for nine yards, but he also added two catches for eight yards before his injury.

Mike Tomlin tapped Benny Snell, Jr. to replace Conner. Snell, a second-year player out of Kentucky, saw limited action in his rookie season in 2019.

Snell dazzled the Monday Night Football audience with 18 carries for 113 yards. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry against the Giants.

Ankle injuries can linger too, so adding Snell to your squad, via a Week 2 waiver wire pick up, seems like a no brainer.

Bell Bust?

After holding out for a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers and not getting what he wanted, Le’Veon Bell signed a ridiculous deal with the New York Jets to make him a very wealthy man.

Adam Gase wasn’t even the head coach for a hot minute before he criticized Bell’s hefty contract. Gase and Bell didn’t get off to a good start, and their relationship had been frosty ever since.

Gase and Bell had a miscommunication issue during training camp over a hamstring injury. They cleared the air before the season began, but Jets fans know the rift will probably cost Gase his job sometime down the line.

In true LOL Jets fashion, the Jets lost their star running back in the first game of the season. Bell injured his hamstring in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills. He got treatments at halftime and tried to play in the third quarter, but he was ineffective.

Veteran iron horse Frank Gore finished the game for Bell. It looks like Bell will be out for a few weeks, so Gore should be a good short-term addition to your roster if you got stuck with drafting Bell.

Mack Dunzo

Marlon Mack, starting RB of the Indianapolis Colts, saw his season come to an abrupt halt after he suffered an Achilles injury. Mack blew out his Achilles in the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He rushed for a career-high 1,019 yards last season.

Rookie Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines split time filling in for Mack.

Hines, a third-year player out of NC State, scored two touchdowns. He caught eight passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 28 yards and a score.

Quarterback Philip Rivers also went to NC State, albeit 15 years before Hines. The two ex-Wolf Pack alums look like they’ve established a good rapport already.

The Colts drafted Taylor, the latest stud-prospect out of Wisconsin, in the second round. Taylor looked good in his debut with 89 combined yards. He rushed nine times for only 22 yards, but he caught six passes from Rivers for 67 yards.

Most fantasy rosters already have Taylor, but Hines is free in many leagues. Either Taylor or Hines would be a good waiver wire pick up for Week 2.

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