Fantasy Football Week 1 Waiver Wire: Players to add post-draft

Every Monday during the season, Justin Boone breaks down his top recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are generated from Yahoo fantasy football leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

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Quarterbacks

Michael Penix Jr., Falcons

We only got a glimpse of Penix as the Falcons starter last season, but in those three games his production ramped up, culminating in a QB6 finish in Week 18. In his first start as a sophomore, he’ll draw one of his easiest matchups of the year against the Buccaneers’ pass-funnel defense that allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2024. Last year in this same offense, Kirk Cousins threw for 785 yards and eight touchdowns over his two matchups with Tampa Bay, finishing as a top-three fantasy QB both weeks. With Darnell Mooney back at practice, there’s a chance Penix will have his full complement of weapons in the opener. Consider Penix an intriguing QB2 with QB1 upside this week.

Trevor Lawrence is just above the 50% rostered mark but would be the top add if available.

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Streaming options: Bryce Young at JAX (27% rostered), Tua Tagovailoa at IND (25% rostered), Geno Smith at NE (22% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Matthew Stafford vs. HOU (27% rostered), Sam Darnold vs. SF (14% rostered), Daniel Jones vs. MIA (5% rostered)

Desperation streaming options: Russell Wilson at WAS (5% rostered), Aaron Rodgers at NYJ (14% rostered), Joe Flacco vs. CIN (4% rostered), Cam Ward at DEN (26% rostered), Spencer Rattler vs. ARI (2% rostered)

High-upside stashes: Jaxson Dart (6% rostered), Anthony Richardson Sr. (4% rostered)

Running Backs

Ollie Gordon II, Dolphins

De’Von Achane was back on the practice field and working off to the side at the start of the week as he tries to return from a calf injury. The expectation is that Achane will suit up in the opener, but whether the Dolphins give him a full workload is yet to be determined. With Jaylen Wright set to miss multiple games after leg surgery, Gordon is about to parlay his strong preseason into a Week 1 role. Even if Achane sees a normal amount of snaps, the rookie can offer RB3/flex value as a bigger back and potential goal-line option in an offense that’s struggled in that area of the field. Gordon needs to be rostered everywhere until we confirm Achane is 100% heading into the weekend.

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Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders

With Brian Robinson Jr. out of the picture in Washington, there’s an opening for fantasy value to emerge. Some beat writers have suggested it will be Rodriguez who gets the Week 1 start, which wouldn’t be shocking since an early-season committee seems likely. Rookie Bill Croskey-Merritt is the most explosive of the Commanders’ remaining backs and has received a ton of hype, while veteran Austin Ekeler should continue to serve as the main passing-down option. With Rodriguez projected to have a role, he needs to be picked up in more leagues as a potential flex option or at worst a wait-and-see stash.

Dylan Sampson, Quinshon Judkins and Jerome Ford are close to or below the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues until we get clarity on the Browns’ backfield situation.

High-upside backups like Trey Benson (39% rostered), Ray Davis (35% rostered) and Tyler Allgeier (34% rostered) should be rostered in most leagues.

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Flex options: Rico Dowdle at JAX (21% rostered)

Flex options (if healthy): Rachaad White at ATL (44% rostered)

Risky flex options: Jaydon Blue at PHI (38% rostered), Woody Marks at LAR (9% rostered), Keaton Mitchell at BUF (3% rostered), Brashard Smith at LAC (2% rostered)

Risky flex options (if healthy): Najee Harris vs. KC (45% rostered), Kyle Monangai vs. MIN (5% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: Justice Hill at BUF (3% rostered)

Other backups to roster: Will Shipley (12% rostered), DJ Giddens (3% rostered), Tahj Brooks (2% rostered), Kendre Miller (3% rostered), Kareem Hunt (17% rostered), Jarquez Hunter (2% rostered), Blake Corum (10% rostered), Dameon Pierce (4% rostered), Sean Tucker (3% rostered), Kalel Mullings (0% rostered)

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Deep stashes: Chris Brooks (0% rostered), Zamir White (1% rostered), Miles Sanders at PHI (2% rostered), Kenneth Gainwell (1% rostered), Ty Johnson (1% rostered), Hassan Haskins (0% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Tyjae Spears (36% rostered), MarShawn Lloyd (3% rostered)

Wide Receivers

Christian Kirk, Texans

This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about Kirk as a very underrated wideout whom fantasy managers are sleeping on this season. So, let’s recap why he should be rostered in most leagues. Kirk has already established himself as a starter in both two- and three-receiver sets, in a Texans’ passing attack that’s primed for a bounce back after they reloaded the receiving corps. He also earned nicknames like “slot magician” and “slot demon” from teammates and people shouldn’t be surprised. Kirk is just a couple years removed from being the WR19 in fppg and was a top-30 option over the first 12 weeks of 2023 before injuries derailed each of his past two campaigns. A healthy Kirk could return fantasy-WR3 value, so don’t let him linger on the waiver wire.

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Darnell Mooney and Keenan Allen are close to or above the 50% rostered mark but should be rostered in most leagues.

WR4/flex options (if healthy): Marvin Mims Jr. vs. TEN (40% rostered)

Flex options: DeMario Douglas vs. LV (16% rostered), Cedric Tillman vs. CIN (24% rostered), Xavier Legette at JAX (17% rostered), Romeo Doubs vs. DET (14% rostered), Wan’Dale Robinson at WAS (19% rostered)

Flex options (if healthy): Hollywood Brown at LAC (17% rostered)

Risky flex options: Rashod Bateman at BUF (46% rostered), Joshua Palmer vs. BAL (25% rostered), Dont’e Thonton Jr. at NE (9% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options: DeAndre Hopkins at BUF (9% rostered), Adam Thielen at CHI (27% rostered), Jayden Higgins at LAR (39% rostered), Tory Horton vs. SF (3% rostered), Isaac TeSlaa at GB (9% rostered), Tyler Lockett at DEN (4% rostered), Darius Slayton at WAS (2% rostered), Amari Cooper at NE (15% rostered), Adonai Mitchell vs. MIA (2% rostered), Alec Pierce vs. MIA (5% rostered), Dontayvion Wicks vs. DET (1% rostered), Michael Wilson at NO (2% rostered), Josh Reynolds vs. PIT (0% rostered), KaVontae Turpin at PHI (3% rostered), Troy Franklin vs. TEN (2% rostered), Malik Washington at IND (2% rostered), Ray-Ray McCloud III vs. TB (1% rostered), Olamide Zaccheaus vs. MIN (0% rostered)

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Dart-throw flex options (if healthy): Quentin Johnston vs. KC (5% rostered), Jalen Nailor at CHI (0% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes: Jalen Coker (8% rostered)

Upside stashes to roster: Kyle Williams (11% rostered), Pat Bryant (4% rostered), Luther Burden III (25% rostered), Tre’ Harris (11% rostered), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (1% rostered), Elic Ayomanor (3% rostered), Jalen Royals (2% rostered), Jaylin Lane (0% rostered)

Tight Ends

Chig Okonkwo, Titans

Okonkwo has ended each of the last two years strong, finishing as the TE15 in fantasy points per game over the final seven weeks of 2023 and as the TE12 over the same period last season. More importantly, Okonkwo’s playing time ramped up down the stretch and his near full-time status carried over into the preseason. He’s an athletic pass-catching threat who has a chance to be one of the top-two targets in a Titans offense that just got a massive upgrade at quarterback. After back-to-back seasons with at least 70 targets and 50 receptions, I’m projecting a career year from Okonkwo, which would put him in the low-end TE1 conversation for fantasy.

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Zach Ertz is just above the 50% rostered mark but would be the top add if available.

Streaming options: Brenton Strange vs. CAR (22% rostered), Jonnu Smith at NYJ (34% rostered)

Risky streaming options: Mason Taylor vs. PIT (12% rostered), Ja’Tavion Sanders at JAX (2% rostered), Theo Johnson at WAS (7% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if healthy): Cade Otton at ATL (7% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options: Darren Waller at IND (12% rostered), Juwan Johnson vs. ARI (1% rostered), Mike Gesicki at CLE (7% rostered), Tyler Higbee vs. HOU (2% rostered), Tyler Conklin vs. KC (0% rostered)

Upside stashes to roster: Harold Fannin Jr. (1% rostered), Isaiah Likely (14% rostered), Elijah Arroyo (5% rostered), Terrance Ferguson (1% rostered), Noah Gray (1% rostered), Cade Stover (0% rostered)

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Defenses

Week 1 streamers

Kickers

Week 1 streamers