Fantasy football managers have their Week 1 scores and their regrets, and now the league’s experts want them to look at the waiver wire again. SportsLine’s Fantasy football expert Josh Nagel has published his top picks for Week 2, and two names stand out: Saints receiver Devaughn Vele and Cowboys running back Emari Demercado. Both come with specific advice on how much to spend to land them.
The Wire Runs Now
The draft is finished and Week 1 has come to an end. It’s time for fantasy football managers to start tweaking their rosters. One major piece of that process is the weekly waiver wire run, during which players get added through a Free Agency Acquisition Budget (FAAB) or waiver priority, typically set by inverse order of the league standings.
A Reno-based analyst and radio host with more than 20 years of experience in the sports handicapping field serves as SportsLine’s assistant managing editor. He has reported on the wagering industry across multiple platforms and has earned numerous sports handicapping contest victories. He also works as a prolific Fantasy player and Fantasy editor at SportsLine.com. His deep understanding of league-wide rosters makes him an ideal expert to find value on the waiver wire each week.
Vele’s Week 1 Numbers
Fantasy players should consider adding Saints receiver Devaughn Vele via the Week 2 waiver wire, per Nagel’s advice. In Week 1, Vele caught seven of nine targets for 63 yards and scored a touchdown versus the Lions.
“If you’re desperate for help at flex or receiver in a 3WR league, we’d bid up to 10 FAAB dollars on him or make a priority waiver claim.”
The guidance arrives with background attached. Vele did not produce a single-week sensation. Across the closing stretch of his last campaign, he pulled in 19 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown over the final four contests. That history backs up the argument that this showing was no accident.
Demercado’s Injury Chance
Nagel has set his sights on Cowboys running back Emari Demercado. The former Cardinals running back came aboard at the last minute, filling the gap after projected RB2 Malik Davis suffered a season-ending injury during the team’s final practice before its Week 1 opener.
Nagel believes Demercado’s involvement will rise once he grows more comfortable with the system, after he recorded just two touches in Sunday night’s 28-20 defeat to the Giants.
The Overlooked Receiver
Nagel is targeting one more receiver who is worth investing some FAAB in, saying “there’s a good chance you’ll be getting a steal.” The problem is that the third pick is locked behind SportsLine’s paywall, so readers cannot see who it is here.
Beyond the quote, the source offers no additional information about that selection. It is worth pointing out that Nagel has named two players and supported each with numbers, while keeping the third player concealed.
How to Set Your Claims
Nagel’s guidance on Vele and Demercado covers how to make the claim. He recommends bidding up to 10 FAAB dollars on Vele when you need a flex or receiver in a 3WR league, or making a priority waiver claim if you control the process that way.
Demercado uses more guarded language. Nagel’s use is rising, though he has not put a dollar figure on the claim.
What You Actually Get
SportsLine carries the complete roster of Nagel’s selections, alongside his full analysis for each player. It’s presented as a package from “a proven Fantasy football and NFL expert,” which holds true. Nagel’s background and his years of work support his standing.
The preview is limited by the paywall on the third pick, so readers who want the full list must go to SportsLine themselves. That makes the free version incomplete.
Who to Target Before Week 2
Here is what is publicly available from Nagel’s picks:
- Devaughn Vele — Saints receiver, bid up to 10 FAAB or make a priority claim
- Emari Demercado — Cowboys running back, no dollar figure attached
- One more receiver — locked behind SportsLine’s paywall
The route to acquiring a receiver who fits your roster is simple: make the 10 FAAB bid or claim him with priority. A running back who remains unclaimed could see his workload grow once he grows comfortable with the playbook.
Until you pay to see it, the identity of the third receiver stays hidden. That payment is what the promotion demands, and it is a fair exchange for the two names that you can read about here.
The Verdict on the Preview
Nagel’s picks are grounded in recent performance and context. Vele’s 19-catch stretch over the final four games of last season gives his Week 1 touchdown a meaningful frame. Demercado’s two touches in his first game suggest the Cowboys are still figuring him in, and Nagel’s reading is that the usage will increase as he learns the playbook.
The actual obstacle here is the paywall on the third pick. SportsLine has launched a promotion, which forces readers who wish to see the complete rundown to head to the site themselves. This arrangement is not uncommon, though it does mean that the freely available preview is missing some information.
The message for managers looking to take action this week is direct: Vele and Demercado are the two players to pursue. The third receiver remains an unknown until you spend money to find out, but the first two selections arrive with statistics already attached.
Now is the time to set your sights on the waiver wire, and these two names are the ones you should be tracking.
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