Fantasy football waiver wire: Best running backs available in Week 2

We made it through the preseason and finally started the fantasy football season on Sunday. While the draft is a major component of fantasy football, playing the waiver wire might be just as important, if not more so. Making the right moves at the right time can mean the difference between winning your league or missing the playoffs altogether.

The byes are still a few weeks away, so we don’t recommend shaking up your lineup too much, but the running back position already has several high-profile injuries. David Johnson is day-to-day with a sprained wrist, while Danny Woodhead picked up a potentially serious hamstring injury. We shouldn’t be reacting too much to one game, but if your team is already in a bind, here are some waiver wire options owned in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! leagues.

The Seahawks’ offensive line was a disaster on Sunday, but Carson was clearly the best running back on the team. While Eddie Lacy slammed into brick walls and generally looked washed, Carson ran hard and created yards on his own. Seattle’s offense was a mess against the Green Bay Packers, but they’re due for a bounce-back when they play the San Francisco 49ers. Carson is a must-own if Thomas Rawls still can’t play.

Who saw this coming? Jordan Howard was seemingly the locked-in workhorse, but the rookie saw plenty of playing time, putting up 113 total yards on 13 (including eight catches) touches against the Atlanta Falcons. Howard still led the way with 16 touches, but it looks like Cohen is here to say. He’ll be on the PPR flex radar against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week.

Mack was one of the few bright spots in an embarrassing Colts performance, getting 45 total yards on 11 touches while running behind Frank Gore. He scored one touchdown and should’ve had a second — the referees incorrectly ruled him out at the 1-yard line, but in a baffling decision, Chuck Pagano hurried up to run a play instead of challenging. Mack probably didn’t do enough to challenge Gore, but he’s the clear handcuff to own here.

Reports on Johnson’s wrist injury were all over the map Sunday — he either could miss half the season or be fine in a week. Either way, fantasy owners need to pick up Williams as an insurance policy. Williams vultured a goal-line touchdown while Johnson was out getting treatment on the sidelines. A 26-year-old scatback at 5’8, 198 pounds, Williams could be forced into a committee with Andre Ellington if Johnson misses time, so his fantasy ceiling isn’t terribly high.

Woodhead’s injury opened up a huge opportunity for Allen, who was an afterthought heading into the season. He got 21 carries, a surprisingly high amount with Terrance West getting 19 carries. The Ravens got an early lead on the Cincinnati Bengals and basically sat on the ball, using their defense and run game to kill the clock. They probably won’t have that luxury every week, but Allen is worth a look when they play the Cleveland Browns next week.