by Nate Polvogt
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If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out.
We’re back, baby!
Fall is in the air. The leaves are slowly starting to change; the crisp evening air is getting crisper, and, most importantly, football is back! You’ve likely already conducted the time-honored ceremony of drafting, and now it’s time to buckle up those lineups and get your fantasy football rosters on the road to victory.
Keeping your fantasy football rosters in tip-top shape is no small task; it requires a level of almost psychotic tinkering that only a few in this world are capable of. It can drive some to madness and others to championship glory. We prefer to help you do the latter.
It’s only Week 1, but the fantasy waiver wire pickups you make now can shape your entire season. Let’s get to it with some gems to start you off on the right foot.
Week 1 Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups
QBs To Target
Jacoby Brissett (QB – NE)
Jacoby Brissett might not be the forever starter for the New England Patriots, but while rookie QB Drake Maye waits for his shot to take the reins, he’s what we’ve got. Brissett isn’t going to win your leagues in 2024, but in Week 1, he draws a favorable match-up against a Cincinnati defense that allowed 18.2 fantasy points per game to QBs, followed by a Week 2 face-off against a Seahawks team that didn’t fare much better (17.7 points per game (PPG) to QBs).
While he isn’t a long-term solution at QB, Brissett has some early-season upside that makes him a nice stash on your bench and a viable QB2 option in Superflex and 2QB leagues. If he plays well enough, he could keep Maye at bay for the 2024 season and be an unexpected long-term option for your squads.
Brissett is your guy if you have questions about the QB position or feel you could use reliable depth at a reasonable price. At this point in the season, he should be a cheap addition, requiring less than five percent of your free agency acquisition budget (FAAB).
Sam Darnold (QB – MIN)
When the Vikings signed veteran QB Sam Darnold in March, it was apparent to me that he would likely be the Week 1 starter for head coach Kevin O’Connell and company. How long that would last was up for conversation until rookie QB J.J. McCarthy ended his season before it started with knee surgery.
Now, Darnold finds himself the unquestioned captain of the ship in Minnesota, with some of the most dangerous weapons he’s ever had in an offense. The last time he had anything similar was in 2021 in Carolina, with D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffery’s services at his disposal. Darnold was dealing through four weeks before injuries to McCaffery, Moore, and then himself derailed a phenomenal start. Darnold was the overall QB5 in that stretch, averaging 24.4 fantasy points per game.
We cannot expect Darnold to be a top 5 fantasy asset at QB in 2024. However, given the situation and weapons at his disposal in The Land of 10,000 Lakes — who wouldn’t be excited about getting paired with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and eventually T.J Hockenson?), he could provide high-QB2 upside to nearly every week. Don’t be afraid to spend up to 10 percent of your FAAB if you need a second QB or are unhappy with your current options – I’m looking at you, Daniel Jones managers.
RBs To Target
Samaje Perine (RB – KC)
Sneaky upside is the name of the game in fantasy football, and newly acquired Kansas City RB Samaje Perine has just that. The veteran ball carrier finds himself thrust into a situation where he will see immediate work. Fellow veteran RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire has found himself on injured reserve (IR), leaving Perine as the RB2 on the Chiefs depth chart heading into Week 1.
Perine is still behind incumbent back Isiah Pacheco, the overall PPR RB15 in 2023. However, Pacheco isn’t a three-down back, and all signs point to Edwards-Helaire getting a significant amount of work alongside the third-year RB. With him now on the sideline, Perine looks to absorb that volume.
We know what Perine can do when he gets the rock. He is efficient as a runner, averaging more than four yards per carry in five of his seven NFL seasons. He also excels in the passing game, where he caught 50 of his 56 targets for 455 yards in Denver last season and snagged four receiving touchdowns the season before in Cincinnati.
While he won’t see enough volume to be more than a situational fringe RB2, there will be boom weeks, and if Pacheco gets injured, Perine could be a difference-maker for your fantasy football squads. Get him while he’s cheap to acquire – spend two to three percent of your FAAb and walk away a winner.
Emanuel Wilson (RB – GB)
Nothing is more frustrating than starting your season with a player you drafted hitting IR. That was the case for many who rostered RBs Elijah Mitchell and A.J. Dillon. Now, those managers are pivoting, as they should. If you’re still looking for a fill-in, you likely missed out on San Francisco RB Jordan Mason. However, not all is lost.
It’s not a flashy acquisition, but second-year RB Emanuel Wilson is now slotted in as the RB2 on the Packers depth chart. With Dillon done for the season and rookie RB Marshawn Lloyd dealing with a lingering hamstring injury, Wilson will fall into work early this season behind veteran Josh Jacobs.
While Wilson’s NFL resume is pretty thin – 14 carries for 85 yards and four catches for 23 yards – he averaged 6.07 yards per carry in his rookie season. He figures to factor in as a change-of-pace option early on and could also earn additional work. He’s worth an addition and a stash in Week 1 to see how things shake out, and you can spend $1 of FAAB to find out.
WRs To Target
Greg Dortch (WR – ARI)
Sometimes, you look to acquire players just to get a share of an exciting offense. The Arizona Cardinals are one such offense, and WR Greg Dortch is one of those players.
In his sixth NFL season, Dortch has been labeled a “break-out” candidate for three seasons. In an offense built to sling the ball, it makes sense that a sneaky, slight slot receiver would garner some attention and expectations. The closest Dortch came was in 2022, catching 52 passes for 467 and two touchdowns.
Despite inconsistent production, the flashes from Dortch have been enough to keep up hope. With WRs Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown now out of the picture, Dortch finds himself with a more realistic path to fantasy-relevant volume. While he is listed as the team’s WR3, all signs indicate he will return to primarily working out of the slot, where he took 428 of his 625 snaps in 2022.
If you’re looking for a waiver wire bargain, Dortch isn’t it. But the potential upside he provides in an explosive offense is worth the risk. Spend 10 to 15 percent of your FAAB budget and enjoy the ride.
Josh Reynolds (WR – DEN)
No one has been even remotely excited about the Denver Broncos offense heading into this season, and I am no different. However, when it comes to fantasy football, there are always values you can’t pass up, and WR Josh Reynolds is one of those.
The veteran journeyman landed in the Mile High City this offseason after three seasons in Detroit. While Reynolds was always serviceable, his fantasy impact was minimal at best. His best fantasy finish came last season, with Reynolds catching 40 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns on his way to a WR55 finish.
To be fair, those numbers aren’t exactly titillating. However, Reynolds now finds himself as the WR3 in an offense devoid of receiving depth, unlike his previous stips in Detroit and Los Angeles. His primary competition for work will be veteran WR Courtland Sutton and TE Greg Dulcich, with fellow WR Marvin Mims likely playing a gadget/deep ball receiver role.
It’s not likely Reynolds is more than a flex option in fantasy football this season. However, when it comes to early-season waiver wire additions, you could do much worse for the price. Thanks to the skepticism behind Payton and the Bo Nix-led Broncos offense, he isn’t a hot ticket item. Depending on your league landscape, you might get away with Reynolds for free, if not for just a few of your FAAB dollars.
TEs To Target
Josh Oliver (TE – MIN)
In recent years, the scarcity of production at the TE position has led fantasy football managers to dig deep to find points from bookends around the league. Paying close attention to situations that could lead to increased opportunity is the name of the game. Vikings TE Josh Oliver is just that type of asset.
As far as TEs go, Oliver isn’t exactly a household name. He is entering his sixth NFL season and has 48 catches and four touchdowns to show for it. 2023 was his most productive campaign, with 22 catches for 213 yards and two of his four touchdowns, most of which came playing second-fiddle to TE T.J. Hockenson.
Now, Oliver finds himself as the TE1 in Minnesota while Hockenson heals up from a brutal knee injury suffered in Week 16 last season. He won’t be an option for the entirety of the season, but early on, it stands to reason that he will be involved in a pass-heavy offense. In 2023, Minnesota threw the ball on 63.31 percent of offensive snaps – 71.68 percent in their final three games – and there is no sign of that changing soon.
Much like Reynolds, Oliver isn’t a player on the radar for many managers, and as such, you should be able to roster him at a discount. If you’re not desperate to fill a hole for Week 1, try a low FAAB bid – think three percent or less. If you need help now – maybe you drafted Hockenson hoping a miracle would get him on the field to start the season – don’t be afraid to go for the gold and drop up to seven percent of your FAAB budget.
Greg Dulcich (TE – DEN)
Sometimes, when you are settled into streaming a position in fantasy football, the unexpected happens: you find your ride-or-die player you can roll with through the entire season. While I’m not guaranteeing anything here – because this is fantasy football, and anything can happen – Broncos TE Greg Dulcich feels like a fantasy waiver wire pickup that could be one of those players.
Over the last two seasons, there have been times when it’s felt like Dulcich was never going to realize his full potential. Thanks to injuries, his rookie season saw him miss seven games, and his sophomore campaign was even worse, with him missing all but two games.
The good news is that all signs point to a healthy Dulcich for the 2024 season. He will be a welcome outlet for rookie QB Bo Nix in an offense void of elite weapons. In his healthy ten-game stretch in his rookie season, Dulcich was the overall PPR TE10, averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to believe he cannot produce similar numbers in an offense where Nix will rely on him as a safety net.
It’s not a home run, but if you’re one of the many fantasy football managers feeling sick looking at their TE room, Dulcich is an A+ waiver wire option. We should know quickly if he will be involved in the Broncos passing attack in any significant fashion. It’s worth five percent or less of your FAAB to find out.
Nate Polvogt is a Co-Founder and the lead senior analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Nate on X (formerly Twitter) @NatePolvogt and right here on Optimus Fantasy.
by Nate Polvogt
Share
If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out.
We’re back, baby!
Fall is in the air. The leaves are slowly starting to change; the crisp evening air is getting crisper, and, most importantly, football is back! You’ve likely already conducted the time-honored ceremony of drafting, and now it’s time to buckle up those lineups and get your fantasy football rosters on the road to victory.
Keeping your fantasy football rosters in tip-top shape is no small task; it requires a level of almost psychotic tinkering that only a few in this world are capable of. It can drive some to madness and others to championship glory. We prefer to help you do the latter.
It’s only Week 1, but the fantasy waiver wire pickups you make now can shape your entire season. Let’s get to it with some gems to start you off on the right foot.
Week 1 Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups
QBs To Target
Jacoby Brissett (QB – NE)
Jacoby Brissett might not be the forever starter for the New England Patriots, but while rookie QB Drake Maye waits for his shot to take the reins, he’s what we’ve got. Brissett isn’t going to win your leagues in 2024, but in Week 1, he draws a favorable match-up against a Cincinnati defense that allowed 18.2 fantasy points per game to QBs, followed by a Week 2 face-off against a Seahawks team that didn’t fare much better (17.7 points per game (PPG) to QBs).
While he isn’t a long-term solution at QB, Brissett has some early-season upside that makes him a nice stash on your bench and a viable QB2 option in Superflex and 2QB leagues. If he plays well enough, he could keep Maye at bay for the 2024 season and be an unexpected long-term option for your squads.
Brissett is your guy if you have questions about the QB position or feel you could use reliable depth at a reasonable price. At this point in the season, he should be a cheap addition, requiring less than five percent of your free agency acquisition budget (FAAB).
Sam Darnold (QB – MIN)
When the Vikings signed veteran QB Sam Darnold in March, it was apparent to me that he would likely be the Week 1 starter for head coach Kevin O’Connell and company. How long that would last was up for conversation until rookie QB J.J. McCarthy ended his season before it started with knee surgery.
Now, Darnold finds himself the unquestioned captain of the ship in Minnesota, with some of the most dangerous weapons he’s ever had in an offense. The last time he had anything similar was in 2021 in Carolina, with D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffery’s services at his disposal. Darnold was dealing through four weeks before injuries to McCaffery, Moore, and then himself derailed a phenomenal start. Darnold was the overall QB5 in that stretch, averaging 24.4 fantasy points per game.
We cannot expect Darnold to be a top 5 fantasy asset at QB in 2024. However, given the situation and weapons at his disposal in The Land of 10,000 Lakes — who wouldn’t be excited about getting paired with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and eventually T.J Hockenson?), he could provide high-QB2 upside to nearly every week. Don’t be afraid to spend up to 10 percent of your FAAB if you need a second QB or are unhappy with your current options – I’m looking at you, Daniel Jones managers.
RBs To Target
Samaje Perine (RB – KC)
Sneaky upside is the name of the game in fantasy football, and newly acquired Kansas City RB Samaje Perine has just that. The veteran ball carrier finds himself thrust into a situation where he will see immediate work. Fellow veteran RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire has found himself on injured reserve (IR), leaving Perine as the RB2 on the Chiefs depth chart heading into Week 1.
Perine is still behind incumbent back Isiah Pacheco, the overall PPR RB15 in 2023. However, Pacheco isn’t a three-down back, and all signs point to Edwards-Helaire getting a significant amount of work alongside the third-year RB. With him now on the sideline, Perine looks to absorb that volume.
We know what Perine can do when he gets the rock. He is efficient as a runner, averaging more than four yards per carry in five of his seven NFL seasons. He also excels in the passing game, where he caught 50 of his 56 targets for 455 yards in Denver last season and snagged four receiving touchdowns the season before in Cincinnati.
While he won’t see enough volume to be more than a situational fringe RB2, there will be boom weeks, and if Pacheco gets injured, Perine could be a difference-maker for your fantasy football squads. Get him while he’s cheap to acquire – spend two to three percent of your FAAb and walk away a winner.
Emanuel Wilson (RB – GB)
Nothing is more frustrating than starting your season with a player you drafted hitting IR. That was the case for many who rostered RBs Elijah Mitchell and A.J. Dillon. Now, those managers are pivoting, as they should. If you’re still looking for a fill-in, you likely missed out on San Francisco RB Jordan Mason. However, not all is lost.
It’s not a flashy acquisition, but second-year RB Emanuel Wilson is now slotted in as the RB2 on the Packers depth chart. With Dillon done for the season and rookie RB Marshawn Lloyd dealing with a lingering hamstring injury, Wilson will fall into work early this season behind veteran Josh Jacobs.
While Wilson’s NFL resume is pretty thin – 14 carries for 85 yards and four catches for 23 yards – he averaged 6.07 yards per carry in his rookie season. He figures to factor in as a change-of-pace option early on and could also earn additional work. He’s worth an addition and a stash in Week 1 to see how things shake out, and you can spend $1 of FAAB to find out.
WRs To Target
Greg Dortch (WR – ARI)
Sometimes, you look to acquire players just to get a share of an exciting offense. The Arizona Cardinals are one such offense, and WR Greg Dortch is one of those players.
In his sixth NFL season, Dortch has been labeled a “break-out” candidate for three seasons. In an offense built to sling the ball, it makes sense that a sneaky, slight slot receiver would garner some attention and expectations. The closest Dortch came was in 2022, catching 52 passes for 467 and two touchdowns.
Despite inconsistent production, the flashes from Dortch have been enough to keep up hope. With WRs Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown now out of the picture, Dortch finds himself with a more realistic path to fantasy-relevant volume. While he is listed as the team’s WR3, all signs indicate he will return to primarily working out of the slot, where he took 428 of his 625 snaps in 2022.
If you’re looking for a waiver wire bargain, Dortch isn’t it. But the potential upside he provides in an explosive offense is worth the risk. Spend 10 to 15 percent of your FAAB budget and enjoy the ride.
Josh Reynolds (WR – DEN)
No one has been even remotely excited about the Denver Broncos offense heading into this season, and I am no different. However, when it comes to fantasy football, there are always values you can’t pass up, and WR Josh Reynolds is one of those.
The veteran journeyman landed in the Mile High City this offseason after three seasons in Detroit. While Reynolds was always serviceable, his fantasy impact was minimal at best. His best fantasy finish came last season, with Reynolds catching 40 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns on his way to a WR55 finish.
To be fair, those numbers aren’t exactly titillating. However, Reynolds now finds himself as the WR3 in an offense devoid of receiving depth, unlike his previous stips in Detroit and Los Angeles. His primary competition for work will be veteran WR Courtland Sutton and TE Greg Dulcich, with fellow WR Marvin Mims likely playing a gadget/deep ball receiver role.
It’s not likely Reynolds is more than a flex option in fantasy football this season. However, when it comes to early-season waiver wire additions, you could do much worse for the price. Thanks to the skepticism behind Payton and the Bo Nix-led Broncos offense, he isn’t a hot ticket item. Depending on your league landscape, you might get away with Reynolds for free, if not for just a few of your FAAB dollars.
TEs To Target
Josh Oliver (TE – MIN)
In recent years, the scarcity of production at the TE position has led fantasy football managers to dig deep to find points from bookends around the league. Paying close attention to situations that could lead to increased opportunity is the name of the game. Vikings TE Josh Oliver is just that type of asset.
As far as TEs go, Oliver isn’t exactly a household name. He is entering his sixth NFL season and has 48 catches and four touchdowns to show for it. 2023 was his most productive campaign, with 22 catches for 213 yards and two of his four touchdowns, most of which came playing second-fiddle to TE T.J. Hockenson.
Now, Oliver finds himself as the TE1 in Minnesota while Hockenson heals up from a brutal knee injury suffered in Week 16 last season. He won’t be an option for the entirety of the season, but early on, it stands to reason that he will be involved in a pass-heavy offense. In 2023, Minnesota threw the ball on 63.31 percent of offensive snaps – 71.68 percent in their final three games – and there is no sign of that changing soon.
Much like Reynolds, Oliver isn’t a player on the radar for many managers, and as such, you should be able to roster him at a discount. If you’re not desperate to fill a hole for Week 1, try a low FAAB bid – think three percent or less. If you need help now – maybe you drafted Hockenson hoping a miracle would get him on the field to start the season – don’t be afraid to go for the gold and drop up to seven percent of your FAAB budget.
Greg Dulcich (TE – DEN)
Sometimes, when you are settled into streaming a position in fantasy football, the unexpected happens: you find your ride-or-die player you can roll with through the entire season. While I’m not guaranteeing anything here – because this is fantasy football, and anything can happen – Broncos TE Greg Dulcich feels like a fantasy waiver wire pickup that could be one of those players.
Over the last two seasons, there have been times when it’s felt like Dulcich was never going to realize his full potential. Thanks to injuries, his rookie season saw him miss seven games, and his sophomore campaign was even worse, with him missing all but two games.
The good news is that all signs point to a healthy Dulcich for the 2024 season. He will be a welcome outlet for rookie QB Bo Nix in an offense void of elite weapons. In his healthy ten-game stretch in his rookie season, Dulcich was the overall PPR TE10, averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to believe he cannot produce similar numbers in an offense where Nix will rely on him as a safety net.
It’s not a home run, but if you’re one of the many fantasy football managers feeling sick looking at their TE room, Dulcich is an A+ waiver wire option. We should know quickly if he will be involved in the Broncos passing attack in any significant fashion. It’s worth five percent or less of your FAAB to find out.
Nate Polvogt is a Co-Founder and the lead senior analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Nate on X (formerly Twitter) @NatePolvogt and right here on Optimus Fantasy.
Believing in New York to pull off the unlikely victory in Week 1 was most definitely not my finest moment of the week, but I did also advise others to be cautious about the small likelihood of that. I can't beat myself too much over believing in the Giants, as Wan'Dale Robinson did deliver in Week 1's predictions via "Storyline, Storytime."
Hey folks! We cannot understate the importance of being in on Week 3 waiver wire players early while the FAAB price is cheapest (or free!), so you can add them to your roster. This is not just for adding them to your roster so your league mates don’t get them first but also so you […]
Bo McBrayer brings the spice with his fantasy football Week 2 advice, giving you the musings and information you need to keep your lineups hot-n-ready. Have you ever watched football for 11 consecutive hours on a leather couch? I have. My current couch is cloth, but I remember back when I was sticking and peeling […]
Week 1 always has a way of taking the wind out of our sails. Sure, it's lovely having football back. What's not wonderful is when a wide receiver goes down with an injury and has to miss time.
Puka Nacua should be heading to the injured reserve with a sprained PCL. There is no timetable for how long Nacua will be shelved. Fantasy managers are now sprinting to find a decent replacement.
In this week's WR2 Radar, I look at some of the more notable wide receiver injuries to monitor this and future weeks.
I will examine wide receivers that are readily available and that you can use to bolster your squad this week (or in the near future). Plus, find out what WR1s are pulling the wool over our eyes. Make sure to check out the Optimus Fantasy Rankings.
But fear not, folks. It’s early in the season, and there is plenty of time to fill those holes and right the ship. Here are players at every position that can help you get on your way to victory in Week 2 of fantasy football action and beyond.
Wide receivers are so nice; I had to do this twice! Welcome to Week 1, Part 2 of The WR2 Radar, where I dive into wide receivers who may not be the top option on their teams or at the top of the weekly fantasy WR rankings but have the potential to post WR1 numbers this season. Week 1 offers opportunities for these players to step into the spotlight.
Each week, I'll provide five players as look-ahead players for the next week, who could be THE waiver wire claims for the following week. But they won't be available in your league because you already have them. We haven't even played a snap of regular-season football yet, but we're already looking ahead to Week 2's players.
Note: If these players get hurt in Week 1, I cannot be held responsible, so please don't tweet me @ktompkinsii if that happens.
Which teams are at risk of facing an unexpected upset and commencing the season with a disappointing loss? Furthermore, which resilient teams are poised to learn from past setbacks and aggressively pursue their Super Bowl aspirations? The spotlight will be on a few promising rookie players aiming to showcase their talent right from the start. Will they walk into the tunnel after Week 1, leaving a significant mark on the league?
All these compelling NFL Week 1 storylines will be analyzed and dissected in our latest series, "Storyline, Storytime," which will bring you exclusive insights crafted by @hoovtube on X.
Should I give out bad advice, I’m not really the sentimental type. Being apologetic for failing to predict the future seems disingenuous, anyway. The fine folks at Optimus want me to contribute the stuff that spills from my eyes, ears, and nose, so this column will put just that at your fingertips. Should it aid you in a redraft or dynasty league victory, or even a DFS lineup, that’s cool beans. I aim to win in an entertaining way, so they don’t ever sack me for being boring. Bring on the rush, I’ll stand tall (or scramble) the only way I know: with pizzazz.
Last year, several wideouts surprised us by putting up WR1 numbers when they were WR2 (or WR3) on their teams. DeVonta Smith, Gabe Davis, and Tee Higgins each had four games as a top-12 WR in points per reception (PPR) scoring.
Rashid Shaheed, Jakobi Meyers, and Noah Brown all had three. Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr., Jordan Addison, Joshua Palmer, and Cooper Kupp tallied two.
In my series this season, I'll examine weekly matchups to determine if an NFL WR2 can outperform a WR1 on another team. It is important to look beyond the label of "WR1." Considering factors such as matchups, injuries, and team dynamics, I'll find what No. 2 options are worth putting in your lineup.
This series is focused on helping you to learn how to play fantasy football.
In this article, we'll focus on the basics of what you need to start your own league. We will discuss how to decide what league format you want to play in, a few of the different platforms you can play on, and how to create your league settings.
First and foremost, let's discuss deciding who you will be playing with.
These rookies stepped onto the stage in downtown Detroit this April and heard their names called for the world to listen to. Now, it is their time to show the world what they are made of. Not all rookies will meet their fanbase's expectations in their first year, but some players will start building a resume on their path to a golden jacket during their rookie seasons.