Hey, is anybody old enough to remember 2024 Week 1 waiver wire darling Isaiah Likely? Pepperidge Farm remembers. As it happens, so do we. We had experts advising people to spend 50%+ FAAB on him and his 12 Week 1 targets. Of course, Likely went on to earn another 41 throughout the entire rest of the season, and finished as the overall TE15.

Why bring all this doom and gloom to the hope that is the post-Week 1 waiver wire? Because it’s easy to get ahead of ourselves in the excitement of a new season, and Week 1 lies. So tuck in, and let our panel of Optimus Fantasy experts help guide you to the players who will stick around, and talk you down from those of a more ephemeral nature.

Week 1 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team

Quarterbacks:

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper – 10% | ESPN – 4.9% | 3-5% FAAB

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Alright, fine. I certainly didn’t think I’d be writing up Colts QB Daniel Jones ahead of Week 2, but he’s given me no choice. With one more game to go this week, Jones is sitting as the QB3 for Week 1 after dismantling the Miami Dolphins. 

Not only was Jones very good, but he was also efficient. His completion percentage (75.9) was second only to Jalen Hurts (82.6), and he tacked on two rushing TDs to go along with his one passing TD.

It’s going to get tougher for Jones and company, with a Week 2 matchup against a very stout Denver defense looming. However, Jones is playing behind a much-improved offensive line compared to what he had in New York. Furthermore, Susan, he has a quality rushing attack behind him with Jonathan Taylor, keeping the pressure off. 

While Jones is unlikely to be more than a mid-level QB2 this season, he’s worth a speculative addition to see if he can keep this train rolling.     

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants | Sleeper – 14% | ESPN – 4.5% | FAAB 0-1%

It didn’t take long for Giants’ QB Russell Wilson to incite calls for a change at QB. After a putrid Week 1 performance where he completed just 17 of 37 attempts (45.9%) and didn’t lead New York to a single touchdown.

Enter rookie QB Jaxson Dart. In a post-game press conference Sunday, HC Brian Daboll wouldn’t commit to Wilson moving forward. While the rookie signal-caller did not get the nod in Week 2 against Dallas, it won’t be long. Daboll is playing for his job, and the Giants’ fanbase gets impatient fast.

I don’t expect Dart to light it up immediately once he does take over behind center. However, Dart is currently going to be cheap or free on your waiver wire. If you have space on your bench after Week 1, Dart is a fantastic wait-and-see waiver wire candidate at the cheapest price you’ll see all season long.  

Running Backs:

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns | Sleeper – 52% | ESPN – 32% | FAAB 10%

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Ok, let’s start off with what Sampson is not, first and foremost. Sampson is not an every-week RB1 or probably even RB2. Quinshon Judkins is apparently on the verge of joining the team, and that will cut down on Sampson’s 20(!!!) touches in Week 1. So even as electric and “juiced up” as Sampson looked when called upon, he’s not going to be The Guy. The Browns also won’t play the Bengals and their so-called “defense” every week. Sampson also was pretty not great when he ran the ball, with a -4 Rushing Yards Over Expectation (RYOE), which is in line with what we saw from him as a prospect.

Alright, that’s enough of managing expectations. Sampson played 45% of snaps, ran the ball 12 times, and earned eight targets. That’s phenomenal usage. Even with Judkins returning, it’s reasonable to think Sampson will render Jerome Ford moot thanks to Sampson’s receiving prowess. Considering how often we project Cleveland to be an underdog going in and playing from behind, there should be a consistent pass-catching role for the Cleveland RBs. It’s only one week, but Sampson looks like the guy to fill that role.

Again, we’re not expecting Dylan Sampson to be an RB1 or RB2 every week, but RB3/flex is certainly within reach. Think “Justice Hill.” 

DJ Giddens, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper – 11% | ESPN – 2% | FAAB 0-2%

12 rushing attempts for 41 yards is fine. Not exciting, but fine. The exciting part is that two of those ten rushes were 10+ yards, which shows the explosion we were hoping we’d see out of Giddens. Tyler Goodson missed the game due to injury, but Giddens clearly surpassed him as the RB2 in Indianapolis even without that factor. 

The workload could be due to the Colts blowing out the Dolphins, so don’t get out over your skis here. However, starter Jonathan Taylor played 43 of 43 snaps in the 1st half, and then played only the first 9 of the 29 in the 2nd half. We also saw Taylor working with the trainers a bit, so there’s a slight injury possibility there, and that’s the basis of this. If Taylor misses any time, Giddens makes for a solid RB3 with RB2 upside play.

This is an almost entirely speculative play, so we’re not going to break the bank here. But for deeper leagues, he’s worth a couple of bucks for some bench depth for you.

Wide Receivers:

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers | Sleeper: 9% | ESPN – 3.6% | 3-5% FAAB

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The pecking order for targets for the Chargers starts at the top with Ladd McConkey; no questions there. After that, you can make the case for Quentin Johnston, who put up a 5-79 line with two touchdowns on 88 percent of routes per dropback. Even more intriguing for Johnston is that the Chargers aren’t going to shy away from passing the ball in almost all situations. To say that an offense coordinated by Greg Roman put up the second-highest Pass Rate Over Expectation (PROE) (13.5 percent) is almost mindblowing, but that’s the data point we have. It’s nothing new; from Week 7 to the end of the season in 2024, the Chargers were sixth in the NFL in PROE after having the second-lowest PROE in the NFL from Week 1 to Week 6.

The targets might shuffle here and there between McConkey, Keenan Allen, and Johnston, but it’s a pretty condensed target hierarchy in Los Angeles. You don’t have to worry about tight ends Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin or the running backs earning consistent targets. If the Chargers are going to move the ball through the air, the volume is going to come from the top-three wide receivers. That includes Johnston. Putting aside the inconsistencies from his first two seasons, he’s an improved player in his third season. He’s somebody you should add as a depth receiver, and if he retains this role, plug Johnston in your lineups during bye weeks.

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots | Sleeper: 4% | ESPN – 0.5% | 1-2% FAAB

Kayshon Boutte has spent most of his pro career as a strictly outside receiver, earning a ton of routes as the ‘X’ receiver, but the targets didn’t always come. In fact, they were a bit rare for Boutte in 2024, only averaging 4.5 targets per game. During the offseason, the Patriots added Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins to the receiving room, and it was thought that those two, plus incoming Day 2 draft pick Kyle Williams, would push some of the secondary receivers down the depth chart.

That didn’t happen in Week 1 as Boutte led the team in routes, but put together a 6-103 receiving line on a team-high eight targets. I’m interested to see if this is going to be a one-off performance or something that Boutte can build off of. Still, if you want to get in on a receiver with some routes-based upside that could earn a little more market share in the New England offense, I don’t mind throwing a few bucks of FAAB on Boutte to see if this is something real and not fool’s gold. Remember: we did the same thing with Jauan Jennings, and Boutte was a solid prospect at LSU. It doesn’t hurt to add if you have the room, and then cut bait if his production doesn’t remain a thing.

Calvin Austin, Pittsburgh Steelers | Sleeper: 7% | ESPN – 2.3% | 1-2% FAAB

From a gadgety-type pass-catcher in last season’s iteration of the Steelers’ offense with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson to a nearly-every-down wide receiver with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, what a long, strange trip it’s been for Calvin Austin. The most interesting aspect of Austin is his utilization, not his production, as he’s consistently been a solid, somewhat-efficient receiver with limited routes.

In Week 1, Austin was the clear second to D.K. Metcalf in terms of routes, with 85 percent routes per dropback, and added production to that with a 4-70 line with a touchdown on six targets against the Jets. What makes it clear is that the Steelers didn’t even give much thought to giving route volume to any of the other wide receivers, with Roman Wilson (21 percent), Ben Skowronek (15 percent), and Scott Miller (12 percent) all afterthoughts for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

The Steelers aren’t going to throw for four touchdowns each week, but as a clear, somewhat consolidated passing offense where I count both Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith as one tight end since they both share one role, Austin’s got some potential as a low-end flex play at worst. He’s not someone I’m going out to add right this second, but if I miss out on Quentin Johnston, I’m happy to get him for a buck or two.

Tight Ends:

Are you worried about George Kittle‘s availability next week against the Saints? Here are three solid options for you to consider!

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints | Sleeper – 5% | ESPN – 1.2% | FAAB <15%

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Against a decent Arizona Cardinals defense, Johnson was Spencer Rattler‘s 2nd favorite target behind Chris Olave. Johnson caught 8 of 11 passes thrown his way for 76 yards. While Johnson didn’t fall into the end zone, tight ends consistently trusted in the passing game don’t come easily. The Saints play the 49ers next week, who have a tougher defense. Rattler will need a consistent “safety blanket” in Johnson in this rough offense to trust for fantasy production.  

Noah Fant, Cincinnati Bengals | Sleeper – 3% | ESPN – 0.7% | FAAB <10%

While the Cincinnati Bengals paid Mike Gesicki handsomely this offseason, Noah Fant was preferred by Joe Burrow to catch more passes. The Bengals’ offense had a rough day against a below-average Browns defense, which held them to 17 points. Fant tied with Ja’Marr Chase for the most targets (5) from Burrow. He also caught Burrow’s only touchdown pass on the day. As the season progresses, the Bengals will have much better days on offense, which won’t necessarily improve Noah Fant’s fantasy production consistently. However, the fact that Fant is getting red zone targets at all is a positive sign for fantasy production. If you need a streaming or permanent second tight end, he’s worth a look.

For More In-Depth Analysis, Check Out Our Waiver Wire YouTube Show:

Kickers:

Matt Prater, Buffalo Bills | Sleeper – 4% | ESPN 11.6% | FAAB 0-1%

Matt Prater went from retired NFL kicker to hero this past weekend. In place of Buffalo K Tyler Bass, who landed on IR ahead of Week 1, Prater was two for two on extra points and three for three on field goals, including the game-winner as time expired.

Bass will miss at least the first four games of the season, locking Prater in as the Bills’ kicker until then. As long as he continues to be accurate, Prater will be in line to get plenty of reps in a high-scoring Josh Allen-led offense.

In the world of kicker leagues, Prater is a top-tier streaming option as long as Bass is injured. In fact, you can likely hold Prater on your roster until Bass returns, and spend a very minimal amount of your FAAB to do it. 

Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper – 1% | ESPN – 1.5% | FAAB 0-1%

Week 1 brought us an all-around surprise performance from the Indianapolis Colts. 

K Spencer Shrader finished the week as the overall K1 with 16 fantasy points in a blowout win over Miami. While Week 2 presents a much more formidable challenge in the Denver Broncos, that could benefit the second-year kicker.

Despite losing to Denver on Sunday, Titans K Joey Slye managed to lock in as the overall K2 behind Shader. While the Colts are unlikely to put up 33 points again, Denver will stop them short plenty, giving Shrader plenty of opportunities to put the ball through the uprights.

Shrader could end up being a long-term add as a kicker, but right now, he’s an excellent streaming option that won’t cost you much heading into Week 2. 

Defense/Special Teams (D/ST): 

Dallas Cowboys | Sleeper – 5% | ESPN – 3.7% | FAAB 0-1%

Match-up, match-up, match-up. That’s the key when streaming D/ST units, and Dallas has a great one against Carolina this week.

The Panthers’ offense is inept. So inept, in fact, that the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST managed to log 11 fantasy points (D/ST3 on the week) on Sunday. The unit snagged 2 INTs and a fumble from QB Bryce Young on their way to a decisive victory. 

This is in no way an endorsement of the Dallas D/ST. Without veteran EDGE rusher Micah Parsons, this unit isn’t good. However, they don’t need to be in Week 2. Carolina should handle all the work, and you should be able to roster them for next to nothing. 

Los Angeles Rams | Sleeper – 28% | ESPN 7.2% | FAAB 0-1%

The Rams D/ST showed out in Week 1, holding the electric Houston Texans’ offense to 9 points and logging 11 fantasy points on Sunday. Week 2 brings Los Angeles a more favorable match-up against rookie QB Cam Ward and the Titans.

While Ward looked better than expected in Week 1 against a tough Denver unit, it didn’t show in the stat sheet. Denver held the number one overall pick, completing 12 of 22 attempts for 112 yards in the air. Furthermore, the Broncos sacked Ward 6 times, forced two fumbles, and recovered both.

The Rams unit might not put up quite those numbers against Tennessee, but they are in line to be a top-five fantasy D/ST unit again in Week 2. You won’t need to break your FAAB bank to get them, either. They will likely be a free add when waivers run this week. 

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