At this point, most fantasy football drafts are over. Rosters are set, and team managers are waiting with great anticipation for the start of the season. While some may be waiting, others are staying active. Your draft may be over, but that doesn’t prevent you from making a last-minute move before the Week 1 games that could land your team a gem before others are thinking about them.
I have been looking over the current waiver wires, and while they seem slim, there are always unexpected players who break out each season. Here, I want to discuss five players who are rostered in less than 30% of leagues but have a chance to be high-impact players early this season.
1. QB – Malik Willis – Miami Dolphins
21.3% Rostered
Quarterback Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins this offseason and is set to start for them in Week 1 of the regular season. Willis was initially drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He came into the league as a very athletic but raw quarterback.
Malik Willis only appeared in 11 games in the two seasons that he was with the Titans and started in three of those games. In 2024, he was traded to the Green Bay Packers, where he was used as the backup quarterback for the 2024–2025 season. During that time with the Packers, he threw for 992 yards and six touchdowns. Willis started three games for the Packers during that span and played in 11 total games for them.
In the four games that Willis appeared in last season, he threw for 422 yards, three touchdowns, and had a QB rating of 145.5. The improvement that he showed over the last couple of seasons in passing the football, mixed with his natural athleticism, was enough for Miami to finally give him a real shot as a starting quarterback.
In fact, Willis’ athleticism is what could make him one of the biggest steals in fantasy football this season. In addition to the 422 passing yards last season, he had 123 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Willis is a threat to run the ball on every play, and as a fantasy manager, you should know that a running quarterback has a high floor when it comes to points in fantasy football. Just a few years ago, Justin Fields showed us exactly what kind of upside a player like this can have.
In the 2022 season, Fields averaged 19.7 points per game, and in 2023, he averaged 17.7 points per game. With these kinds of numbers being a possibility for Willis, I think he is well worth a stash on your bench before others see this in action and grab him first.
2. WR – Tre Tucker – Las Vegas Raiders
26.7% Rostered
Wide receiver Tre Tucker was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Tucker hasn’t had the biggest fantasy football production, but his production has increased in each of his first three seasons, as shown below.
2023 – 71.8 points, 4.5 PPG
2024 – 129.3 points, 7.6 PPG
2025 – 161.7 points, 9.5 PPG
Tucker’s role has grown each season, and this year he is set to start the season as the Raiders’ number one receiver. Of course, their number one option in the passing game is star tight end Brock Bowers, but you don’t get too many opportunities to grab a team’s number one wide receiver in free agency.
This is a golden opportunity to get your hands on a receiver who could grow into an even bigger role this season and should have plenty of opportunity to do so. The Raiders are still building and will likely have to play from behind. They will likely be passing the ball a lot, and Tre Tucker should be a huge beneficiary.
I encourage anyone looking for more depth at the flex or wide receiver positions to make the move for Tucker prior to the Week 1 games. If he proves to even be a solid number one receiver for the Raiders, you could be snagging a guy who could bring you WR2-to-flex play numbers.
3. WR – Jaylin Noel – Houston Texans
8.2% Rostered
Last offseason, Iowa State had two receivers who were collecting a lot of buzz going into the NFL Draft (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel). Neither of these players was in the top tier of the class’s receivers, but both were pegged as players who could thrive in the right situations. So why was Jaylin Noel’s production not higher last season?
When the NFL Draft came around, the Houston Texans selected WR Jayden Higgins with the 34th overall pick, just to follow that up by picking WR Jaylin Noel in the third round with pick 79. This put Noel in an unfortunate position, as he was immediately placed behind star receiver Nico Collins and second-round pick Jayden Higgins.
This was unfortunate, as Noel had all the potential to shine if he was given the opportunity. In his final season at Iowa State, he had 80 catches, 1,194 yards, and eight touchdowns. He was drawing high praise with elite comparisons. Analysts were comparing him to players like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tank Dell.
I understand all these facts are nice to know, but this is a “what have you done for me lately?” league, and last year’s production was not what people were looking for. In 17 games last year, Noel only managed to account for 68.4 fantasy points.
So why should you add Noel this season? Jayden Higgins recently went down with a season-ending injury. The number two receiving position is now up for grabs, and Noel may have his shot to show everyone if the hype last year was real.
I believe that there is real talent in Noel’s game. Now is the time to get him before he comes out early this season and shows everyone just how real the talent is.
4. TE – Terrance Ferguson – Los Angeles Rams
26.5% Rostered
The Los Angeles Rams have a tight end room that is full of talent. Last year, this group was led by Colby Parkinson with 43 catches, 408 yards, and eight touchdowns in 15 games. Tyler Higbee also added 25 catches, 281 yards, and three touchdowns in 10 games. Tight ends Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson also put up similar stats to Higbee.
Looking at these stats, production from the tight end group seems to be evenly distributed. Along with this, two of the NFL’s top receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, are reception hogs on this team. So why waste a roster spot on Terrance Ferguson?
Ferguson is a big breakout candidate. His 11 receptions last year were by far the fewest of any of the tight ends; however, he averaged 21 yards per catch, leading to yard totals similar to those of Higbee and Allen and tying their touchdown totals.
Ferguson was a second-round pick by the Rams in the 2025 draft, and with that being the case, the Rams will likely be looking to increase his usage and truly give him an opportunity to shine. There is absolutely a world in which Ferguson is the third option for a Rams team with an electric offense.
The Rams were fourth in the league with 35.18 passing attempts per game last year. With those kinds of numbers, if Ferguson takes the jump to the third option in this offense, there would be plenty of opportunity for him to make an impact for your fantasy team.
It is a possibility that his increased opportunities will happen as soon as Week 1, which is why I’m listing him here as a player to pick up before your opponents see this in action.
5. TE – Greg Dulcich – Miami Dolphins
3.3% Rostered
I will start this off by saying this is a deep sleeper pick, but one that could absolutely pay off. The Miami Dolphins cleaned house this offseason. Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa were released, while Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Broncos.
Instead of filling their needs with known veterans, the Dolphins took to the NFL Draft. Wide receivers Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas were drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft, and they were just declared the starting receivers for the Dolphins in Week 1. Malik Washington was named the starting slot receiver, and he was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
This makes tight end Greg Dulcich the veteran of the starting pass-catching group. Dulcich was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. In Dulcich’s rookie season, he averaged 8.6 fantasy points per game. This was his most productive season, but he has had a career plagued by injuries.
In his four NFL seasons, Dulcich hasn’t played more than 10 games in a season. His injury history is a big concern, but if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be one of, if not the, top target for new starting quarterback Malik Willis.
Throughout his career, Willis has used tight ends frequently as a safety valve, and it is being said that Dulcich has emerged as one of his favorite targets during this offseason. If you are looking for a backup option at tight end or a sleeper that could blow up, taking a shot on Dulcich could pay off early.
These players are not the elite number one options that will carry the load for your team, but these are guys who could surprise the league early this season and become key role players on a winning roster. A championship is rarely won on the draft alone. Most championships are won with a trade or free-agent pickup that vaults the team in the right direction.
When you find a steal, they can be used in multiple ways. The player could be plugged right into the lineup and make a direct impact. The player could also bring more depth that allows you to make a trade for another position of need. With the opportunities that these players are being given, they could be the addition that helps lead your team to a championship run.
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