Week 1 of the fantasy football season is now in the books and as usual it didn’t disappoint. This week was full of action, and many people came face to face with some surprises when it comes to the initial showing from their rosters.
Every season players that are picked up early with high expectations do not live up to the hype and players that are picked later come out on fire. As fantasy managers we have to understand that this is just one week of football. We can get excited about the sleeper picks that show promise, but we don’t want to let our expectations get out of hand. We can be disappointed with the early picks that didn’t start quick, but you don’t want to overreact and assume that these players that have shown consistency are all of a sudden worthless.
The odds are the results fall somewhere in the middle. Everyone tends to have a down week at some point in the season and in many cases a slow start in week 1 from an early draft pick is just that. It just happens to be one of their few bad weeks. In the same respect, when it comes to the late round picks blowing up there are many cases where the stars just aligned that week and the player had one of their few great weeks that week.
Even with this being the case, there are always situations that don’t get any better as the season goes on for the early picks and situations where that late round pick is a true sleeper and you are witnessing a breakout year. Most fantasy football championships aren’t won solely because of a good draft but are aided by a big free-agent pickup or trade.
The early weeks in the season are usually where the biggest breakout players are found. As the season progresses the fountain of players tends to dry out. Whether you had a breakout late round pick or an underwhelming early pick it is important to attack the waiver wire for players that may add depth and a possible starter to a championship roster.
Many players this week had unexpected big games or outings that show promise for this season. The most important thing to look for when scouring the waiver wire is players who are getting a lot of usage (a high amount of targets or carries). Also think about how they got their unexpected increase in usage. Is someone hurt that may be back soon? If so, this production may not last through the season.
Below I am going to go over my suggestions for the week 1 waiver wire pickups. I will be showing more interest to the players that I think have a better chance at sustaining their production throughout the season. With that in mind let’s get started!
Quarterbacks:
- Jordan Love-42% Rostered
Jordan love threw for 387 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in week 1. He seemed to have a real connection with both wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden and even though they seem to be bringing him back from injury slowly he showed the connection that he has with tight end Tucker Kraft. With all these pass-catching options, Jordan Love should be able to have continued success through the air this season. He is worth adding to a quarterback needy roster and at least using on a week-to-week basis based on matchups.
2. Tyler Shough-46.7% Rostered
Tyler Shough had a very good opening week. He threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing two interceptions and losing one fumble. Everyone knows what kind of talent wide receiver Chris Olave provides when he is healthy, but wide receiver Devaughn Vele also had a big week adding 7 catches for 69 yards. In addition, Juwan Johnson continues to be a threat in the passing game and Shough will eventually get first-round pick Jordyn Tyson back. The Saints are a team that still has some work to do and I expect them to be playing from behind this season. This should result in plenty of passing attempts for Shough. He should be rostered as a quarterback to play by matchup right now with potential to turn into a plug and play quarterback.
3. Bryce Young-11.4% Rostered
Young found himself in a shootout with the Bears this week and while his team came out on the losing end he put up incredible fantasy numbers. Everyone knows about the emergence of wide receiver Tet McMillan last season, and he remains the number one option for Young. However, it was wide receiver Jalen Coker that absolutely went off this week and that added option as a pass catcher makes Young worth taking a chance on. Young, like Tyler Shough should find himself playing from behind and having to pass the ball frequently. With McMillan and Coker being viable options for the young quarterback he could end up being a reliable option as a starter depending on his matchups.
4. Carson Wentz-.1% Rostered
Carson Wentz was thrust into action early in the game on Sunday after starting quarterback Kyler Murray left the game with a concussion. I have Wentz on this list because he had a solid week with his point totals, but he may be more of a person to watch and add before game time this week. Kyler Murray’s status is in question, and if he can’t go Wentz is an option for a quarterback needy team, but he very likely isn’t a long-term solution.
Running Backs:
- Kaelon Black-15.5% Rostered
Kaelon Black surprised a lot of people in week 1. He went into the season as Christian McCaffrey’s backup, but he ended up topping McCaffrey in carries. Black had 14 carries to McCaffrey’s 10 carries. Black ended the game with 65 yards rushing and one catch for 5 yards. These are impressive numbers when it comes to splitting a backfield with McCaffrey. McCaffrey had over 400 touches last year and it seems like the 49ers plan to use Kaelon Black to preserve Christian McCaffrey. With this being said Black is well worth being rostered. Even in this split backfield he could be worth a flex play or start when bye weeks come around and if McCaffrey were to miss any time, he would become a starting option.
2. Tyler Allgeier-41.6% Rostered
Tyler Allgeier seems to be in a split backfield with first-round pick Jeremiyah Love. He started the season outpacing love with 17 carries to Love’s 11. The Cardinals are expected to bring Love along slowly after he injured his ankle in the preseason. Love’s usage should continue to ramp up over the next few weeks which could mean less opportunities for Allgeier. However, Allgeier is one of the better backups in the league and if Love were to have any setback or other injury Allgeier would be considered an option for a starting running back on fantasy rosters.
3. Mike Washington-42% Rostered
The Raiders drafted talented running back Mike Washington in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In many places he could be in line for a much larger role, but in Las Vegas he sits behind last year’s first-round Pick Ashton Jeanty. In the Raider’s week 1 win Jeanty had 23 carries to Washington’s 7, but Washington was more efficient averaging 5.86 yards per carry to Jeanty’s 4.43. While Jeanty is healthy Washington likely will not have a role that you can depend on, but if Jeanty were to miss time Washington could be a valuable commodity. This addition may be even more valuable to Jeanty owners as a handcuff option.
Wide Receivers:
- Caleb Douglas-15.6% Rostered
Caleb Douglas entered this week as a starting receiver for the Miami Dolphins. During the game he was targeted 7 times and brought down 5 receptions for 94 yards. Douglas immediately emerged as one of Malik Willis’ top targets, and he should be added to anyone’s roster whether you are a receiver needy team or looking for depth.
2. Devaughn Vele-13.1% Rostered
Devaughn Vele is currently slotted in as the Saints number two receiver. In this week’s matchup he was targeted 9 times and had 7 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. While he is not the primary target it seems like he could see plenty of action on a team that will likely be playing from behind and passing the ball a lot. When first-round pick Jordyn Tyson comes back from injury later this season his usage could decline, but if you are looking for someone to fill in over the next few weeks with potential to play more this season Vele is a good buy this week.
3. Antonio Williams-1.9% Rostered
Antonio Williams was efficient in his opportunities this week. He only played in 26 of the 70 offensive snaps, but he came away with 4 catches on 4 targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. Early in the season, his usage could be spotty as he has veterans Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs in front of him, however Washington’s third round pick showed what kind of talent he has and he could be worked into the offense more and more as the season progresses.
4. Khalif Raymond-.3% Rostered
Raymond led the Bears in targets with 9 targets and 8 receptions totaling 84 yards. He had twice as many targets as the next pass catcher and had a great week in fantasy football, however I think this is one of those fluke weeks. I fully expect Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Colston Loveland to lead the team throughout this season. These are three guys that the Bears drafted in the top two rounds of the draft over the last few seasons and they have a lot of talent. Loveland started the season slowly with no catches on only two targets, but he was the number two tight end in fantasy football through the last half of the season last year and averaged 11.5 targets per game in the last two games of last season. Raymond is a fine addition for anyone really needing a prayer at receiver in hopes that he can continue what he did this past weekend, but I don’t expect the production will be consistent.
5. Mack Hollins-.1% Rostered
Mack Hollins’ status increased when A.J. Brown went down in the second half of the Patriot’s week 1 game. Hollins jumped into the starting outside role across from Romeo Doubs. Doubs had a rough day with multiple drops leading to 0 catches on 3 targets. Meanwhile Hollins had 4 catches on 5 targets for 51 yards. The Patriots offense struggled and may continue to do so with Hollins and Doubs being the leading receiving options, but Hollins could see a significant increase in targets while A.J. Brown is out, and he is worth rostering to see what happens in the upcoming weeks.
Tight Ends:
- Michael Mayer-29.2% Rostered
Mayer started the season with 6 catches on 7 targets for 32 yards. While his production wasn’t excellent, his usage should raise some eyebrows. Mayer lead the team in targets and may be the leading receiver for the Raiders until Bowers returns from injury. This kind of usage could result in more production in upcoming weeks. With this being the case, even when Bowers is back Mayer could end up being the number two option. I would roster Mayer as a possible start if you are weak at the tight end position and see where his production goes when Bowers is added to the mix.
2. Evan Engram-3% Rostered
Evan Engram opened the season with 4 catches on 5 targets for 43 yards and a touchdown. The Broncos offense struggled, but Engram was second on the team in targets and could be a healthy option at tight end this season if this usage continues. I don’t expect this offense to struggle all season, and Engram could be in for even brighter days.
Defenses:
- San Francisco 49ers-7.7% Rostered
The 49ers are coming off a game where they held last year’s powerhouse Rams offense to 7 points. They were dominant against a team that is loaded with talent. This week they face a Miami Dolphins offense that is quite the opposite. If you are streaming defenses I would highly recommend the 49ers this week.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-13.1% Rostered
Unlike the 49ers, the Bucs had an awful debut allowing 33 points against the Cincinnati Bengals. So why go with them this week? Well because they happen to play the Cleveland Browns and right now anyone who plays the Browns deserves to be considered as a start for streaming defenses.
In this list of waiver wire additions for week 1 I did not include any player who is rostered in 50% or more of fantasy football leagues. All of the percentages in this article are based on the ESPN platform. These are all players who are likely available to pickup in your league. When making your decisions I urge you to evaluate your needs. Don’t get too down on stars who started slow, but make moves as a precaution in the areas that may need to be fixed and stay tuned for more information on waiver wire additions for next week.
Check out more NFL related articles here.
Check out my fantasy rankings here.
Forged For Football is dedicated to helping NFL fans keep up with the latest league-wide news.
