It was a long offseason. So long that we thought Kyren Williams wouldn’t get volume (he did), Dak Prescott might not get paid (he did), and all of our favorite teams would be undefeated (half aren’t). Week 1 brings a new set of data, and the waiver wire is currently a gold mine. If you’re looking for specific waiver wire strategy, this channel will break it down September 10th. Let’s find some league winners.
Note: Players must be available in over 60% of leagues on ESPN. This eliminates Rasheed Shaheed, Jameson Williams and some other bigger names. Check for them first.
Waiver Wire Week 1 – Isaiah Likely, Handcuff Stashes and More Fantasy Football
Isaiah Likely – TE Baltimore Ravens
Tough scene for the elite tight end drafters. Mark Andrews was schemed out of the Ravens-Chiefs matchup, and Likely feasted. Likely has been, for lack of a better term, a tight end handcuff for years now. But his usage Week 1 was different. He is currently the first or second read on many of Lamar’s passes, and if that trend continues, we have a viable tight end readily available on the waiver wire.
Tank Bigsby – RB Jacksonville Jaguars
After his coaches talked him up all offseason, Bigsby actually got a big chunk of the touches. He was more efficient than Etienne (6.1 vs 3.7 ypc) and Etienne fumbled out of the endzone to start Miami’s comeback. If Etienne finds himself in the doghouse, Bigsby could be a handcuff with FLEX appeal. They play the Cleveland Browns next week, so not a smash start, but the sledding gets easier. Stash him now and see if he turns into gold later.
Emmanuel Wilson – RB Green Bay Packers
The Packers won’t play a top five defense every week. For that, we’re thankful. The splits between Jacobs and Wilson weren’t that exciting, but Jacobs is already well over 1,500 touches in his career, and Jordan Love could miss some time. That smells like a recipe for the Packers to lean into the run, and until Lloyd returns Wilson is the clear waiver wire stash.
Bucky Irving – RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Irving has the juice. While Rachaad White plodded his way to fantasy relevance, Irving looked like a much more dynamic player. His size concerns are fair, but the coaching staff seems like they want to give Irving more touches moving forward. If this moves to a 50/50 timeshare, Irving’s efficiency could skyrocket him to RB2 weeks.
Related Video – Bucky Irving Film Study
Wan’Dale Robinson – WR New York Giants
Robinson is available in over 90% of leagues on ESPN right now. Yes, the Giants passing game looked horrific. But in PPR leagues, Robinson earned 12 targets and turned them into 11.8 fantasy points. The volume alone can keep a fantasy team moving in the right direction, and there aren’t a lot of wide receivers screaming to be picked up this week.
Demarcus Robinson/Tyler Johnson – Los Angeles Rams
Both are readily available on waivers, and Puka Nacua is hurt, and we have no timetable. If he’s not ready for Week 2, one or both of the Rams backups could see the targets that we crave in fantasy. Demarcus Robinson has more built in rapport with Stafford, but Johnson had a better showing once Nacua went down. Bottom line, grab a piece of the Rams offense and you could have a FLEX for a couple weeks.
Chargers D/ST
They play the Carolina Panthers. Is there a better reason to grab a defense right now? They’re the top option if you’re playing the waiver wire in Week 1.
Main Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
