Week 2 fantasy waiver wire: Vele has the clearer case than Demercado
Devaughn Vele has support across several Week 2 waiver lists, while Emari Demercado is a riskier Dallas depth add.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The Week 2 fantasy waiver wire has a clearer receiver play than running-back dart throw: Saints wideout Devaughn Vele has landed on several experts’ lists after a busy opener, while Cowboys back Emari Demercado is a speculative stash based on a possible larger role.
SportsLine analyst Josh Nagel, in recommendations published by CBS Sports, put both players on his Week 2 target list. The cases are far from equal. Vele has production and broader ranking support behind him; Demercado has only two touches with Dallas so far.
Who should I add from the Week 2 fantasy waiver wire?
For a manager who needs a receiver or flex option, Vele is the higher-confidence claim. Nagel said managers in three-wide-receiver leagues who need help at either spot could bid up to $10 in FAAB, or use a priority claim.
FAAB, short for Free Agency Acquisition Budget, is the pool of money many fantasy leagues use for blind bids on unrostered players. The right bid depends on league rules, roster construction and the size of that budget, so Nagel’s $10 figure should not be treated as a universal price.
Vele caught seven of nine targets and scored against Detroit in Week 1, according to CBS Sports. The supplied rankings disagree on his yardage: CBS listed 63 yards, while RotoBaller listed 69. Both accounts point to the same headline for fantasy managers, a high-volume opening performance with a touchdown.
There is also a little history behind the pickup case. CBS Sports reported that Vele produced 19 receptions, 239 yards and a touchdown across the final four games of the previous season.
- Yahoo ranked Vele seventh in its top 10 overall pickups for Week 2.
- Fantasy Footballers placed him fourth in its displayed waiver rankings.
- RotoBaller included Vele among its Week 2 options.
That does not make Vele an automatic starter. It does show that his appeal is not resting on one analyst’s opinion alone.
Why is Emari Demercado a more speculative add?
Nagel’s argument for Demercado is rooted in Dallas’ backfield depth. CBS Sports reported that the Cowboys signed the former Cardinals running back late after projected No. 2 back Malik Davis suffered a season-ending injury in the final practice before the opener.
Demercado had two touches in Dallas’ 28-20 Week 1 loss to the Giants. Nagel expects his workload to grow as he becomes more familiar with the offense, but that is a projection rather than an established role.
Unlike Vele, Demercado did not appear in the supplied Yahoo top 10, Fantasy Footballers table or RotoBaller excerpt. He fits best as a lower-certainty running-back depth claim for a manager with room to wait, rather than a player to chase ahead of an immediate lineup need.
Draft Sharks urged restraint after Week 1, noting that managers have only one game of fresh evidence and generally should not cut proven players with established roles for early waiver adds. That is especially relevant for Demercado, whose appeal depends on what Dallas may do next.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.