With the week one game wrapping up tonight, it’s time to look at the waiver wire and find some guys who can strengthen your team. Before we get started, it’s important to note that there were no performances this year in week one that should lead us to expect a Puka Nacua-type of season from someone we can grab off of waivers. Instead, we are looking for upside plays and injury replacements.
With leagues of all different sizes and scoring settings, I’m going to do my best to bring you the top options you can try to grab. I don’t know who is available on the waiver wire in your league, but I have a lot of experience playing in deeper leagues and know firsthand the futility of scouring articles such as this, only to find that none of the targets are available in my league.
With that in mind, I am going to list three types of targets for small leagues (think 8-10 teams), standard leagues (12 teams), and deep leagues (14+ team leagues). My benchmark for determining who may be available is to base it on the percentage of leagues in which they are rostered. In small leagues, the benchmark is simply 50%; for standard leagues, I will use 25%, and for deep leagues, I will use 10%. For simplicity, I will use the roster percentage in ESPN leagues since it is the most widely used site.
If you have any questions on who to add or drop, or want personalized team advice, click the link below and shoot me a message on Discord. Anyone in that channel will also be given access to my top 48 RB/WR rankings and top 24 QB/TE rankings each week. That being said, let’s dive right into the top sit/starts for week one of the fantasy football season!
Quarterback Targets
Baker Mayfield (34%)
The Buccaneers offense was clicking on Sunday. Of the quarterbacks who put up good points, Mayfield is the one I feel the best about for the rest of the season. He was an efficient 24/30 passing, threw four touchdowns, and spread the ball out to 7 different players. More than that, he did all of this without needing a huge number of attempts. The Bucs rushed and threw for 30 times each, so it isn’t unfathomable that Baker could replicate or even exceed this performance multiple times this year.
Derek Carr (4%)
I have to admit, I’m surprised I’m writing this one. Carolina is just a flat-out bad football team, but you also can’t ignore that Derek Carr far outplayed expectations. He targeted nine different players, took care of the football, and the Saints controlled the game. Despite how bad the Panthers may be, you don’t score 47 points in the NFL without a good offense.
Sam Darnold (4%)
Sam Darnold was good but not great. I’m buying here in redraft because he has weapons around him and has a coach who kept the offense going last year with a rotating door at QB. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones, Darnold has a good supporting cast, and he should get TJ Hockenson back partway through the year as well.
Running Back Targets
Bucky Irving (21%)
Irving showed great efficiency on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He drew three targets in the passing game as well and looks to be a back who is capable of putting up modest production while being in line for a great workload if Rachaad White ever misses time.
Tank Bigsby (4%)
One of the most popular waiver wire adds will be Bigsby, who surprisingly had the same number of carries as Travis Etienne while being more efficient. Bigsby was given an opportunity and capitalized, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him continue to get touches and opportunities throughout the year.
Justice Hill (3%)
Hill is someone I would add in PPR leagues. It was clear that the Ravens plan to use Hill in passing downs while keeping Derrick Henry as the punishing rusher that he is. Hill got 8 targets which is an incredible number for a running back, and is a great bye-week fill-in if you are in a PPR league.
Wide Receiver Targets
Rashid Shaheed (42%)
Despite only having three catches, Shaheed put up 73 yards and a touchdown. I’m often wary of adding players who do a lot but with very few targets because of the volatility of their season-long production. Shaheed, however was tied for the most targets on the Saints this week and has shown his big play ability in the past. If he’s available in your league, he’s worth an add.
Greg Dortch (2%)
Most people expected the Arizona passing attack to go through Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. Instead, Dortch was the most targeted wide receiver in the offense. While I expect Harrison to gain more targets in coming games, Dortch is a great second option who should continue to get looks throughout the year.
Devaughn Vele (0.1%)
I’m digging deep here, but Vele is someone who should be available in just about every league. If you’re playing in an exceptionally deep league, he could be a good option for you. The Broncos will have some growing pains with Bo Nix at quarterback, but they should be in a position to throw the ball a lot this year, as they did this week. Vele got eight targets and caught all of them. Anytime a rookie is heavily targeted, I tend to take notice.
Tight End Targets
Isaiah Likely (10%)
By far, the most obvious and most popular waiver wire target this week is Isaiah Likely. His performance is made all the more noticeable with the poor performances from many top tight ends this week. There has been and will continue to be much discussion about his role and Mark Andrews’s role, but for my money, I expect them both to produce throughout the season.
Zay Flowers is the only other receiver I expect to be heavily targeted, so I think there is plenty of room for both to thrive. It is also worth noting that the Ravens use 2-tight end sets more than most teams and will play to the strengths of their team.
Colby Parkinson (2%)
Parkinson is someone who will likely still be on waivers next week, but did well enough that you can take a flyer on him if you’re desperate. I don’t expect Cooper Kupp to get 21 targets most weeks, so even with Puka getting more targets, I think there will be plenty to go around and Parkinson can at least offer modest production which is more than we can say about some other highly sought after tight ends this week.
