The Weekend of Week 1 of the NFL regular season is here. That means Weekend Waiver Stashes start today. Do you have a hole in your lineup from your draft? Do you really dislike someone at the end of your bench? Well, I have some players you might want to add BEFORE the week kicks off in full effect.
We know there will be guys you didn’t expect to get a massive workload or to deliver on opportunities. Typically, people wait until after the week to get the players everyone already knows about. Try to get them BEFORE the games are played
Now it is time to get those must-stashes and patch up those lineup holes prior to Week 1.
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Week 1 Weekend Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Young has an improved offensive line. He has a new wide receiver that everyone loves in Tet McMillan. Xavier Legette has built more chemistry with him over the offseason. None of this made him taller, but he did ball out at the end of last season. Ending the season with a 5-touchdown game. Look for him to take another step forward this season
Other quarterbacks to consider:
- Daniel Jones – Indianapolis Colts
- Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Joe Flacco – Cleveland Browns
Quarterback Notes: All four quarterbacks mentioned could return some value. At the very least, they will be guys you could stream. I do think both Lawrence and Young will be guys you could start weekly if you needed to.
Running Backs
Ollie Gordon, Miami Dolphins
Gordon is currently the clear direct backup to Devon Achane in Miami. Achane is also dinged up. Gordon should be rostered in every league. He will most likely be the goal-line back and has a significant number of touches starting Week 1. Gordon should be rostered in every league.
Chris Rodriguez, Washington Commanders
Rodriquez has averaged over 4.9 yards per carry over his career. He is not the running back who had the preseason buzz in Washington, but there are rumors that he is the starting running back for Washington in Week 1. The guy killed it in camp, averaging over 6 yards per carry. I want him to be rostered if I have room
Other running backs to consider:
- Dylan Sampson – Cleveland Browns
- Trey Benson – Arizona Cardinals
- Justice Hill – Baltimore Ravens
Running Back Notes: Gordon and Rodriguez both need to be rostered at the very least. These guys could easily be a piece that gets you wins. The other running backs listed are just stashes.
Wide Receivers
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers
Injuries and trades have trimmed the passing tree in Carolina. Legette is easily the second option in this improved offense. Expect Bryce Young to throw the ball and Legette to catch his fair share of passes.
Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans
Christian Kirk is out for at least Week 1, which moves Higgins and fellow rookie wide receiver Noel up the depth chart. I would prefer Higgins but at the very least put a watch on both players as they were good in the preseason and CJ Stroud has proven he can get talented pass catchers the ball.
Other wide receivers to consider:
- Jaylin Noel – Houston Texans
- Dont’e Thornton – Las Vegas Raiders
- DeMario Douglas – New England Patriots
Wide Receiver Notes: Legette had some good days last season as a rookie and will improve upon that this year. The Texans’ two rookies (Higgins and Noel) are both players I will be watching closely this weekend. Thornton looks like he might get a shot in Vegas with Amari Cooper retiring unexpectedly this week. Douglas is playing that slot role in a Josh McDaniels’ offense, yet somehow is available everywhere.
Tight Ends
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has quite a few pass catchers dealing with injuries right now. That can open the door for Otton to produce. He has stepped up many times when some of the players ahead of him in the passing tree have been out in the past.
Other tight ends to consider:
- Brenton Strange – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chig Okonkwo – Tennessee Titans
- Jonnu Smith – Pittsburgh Steelers
- Noah Gray – Kansas City Chiefs
Tight End Notes: Otton might be the best player of the bunch for Week 1, but some of these other guys might be better for the rest of the season. Okonkwo is the second or third option for the Titans right now. Jonnu Smith will be used in a variety of ways for the Steelers. Strange and Gray may both have bigger roles than people thought coming into the season for their respective teams.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 1 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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