Fantasy Football 2025: Waiver Wire Strategy

Just because your fantasy football draft is over, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your team. Far from it, in fact. If you think that the team you draft is going to be the team you take through the season, you’re already set up for failure. Trading in fantasy football is generally rare or not even allowed in most leagues. That leaves the waiver wire as the only path to improving your team. Between injuries, players who emerge, and covering bye weeks, your waiver wire strategy is critical. Let’s take a look at some thoughts.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Strategy

Guard That Priority

Following the draft, generally, the reverse order becomes your waiver wire priority. As you claim a player off the waiver wire, you go to the back of the line. It’s important to remember that not every waiver wire target is created equal. Each week is going to have a number one waiver wire target, but are they worthy of that claim? Be careful before prematurely utilizing it. Instead, you can hope that your target sneaks through waivers, and then you can add them as soon as free agency opens for the week.

While we want to improve our rosters each week, the waiver wire isn’t the only way. We have free agency as well, and your waiver priority is an asset. Treat it as such. Additionally, if there’s not a true target on waivers, let someone else utilize their priority so you can move up.

Early and Often

Yes, I know I just advocated for being patient, but that only works to a point. There’s a fine line to walk between being conservative and being aggressive. You don’t want to sit back and let your league mates get better, but at the same time, you don’t want to make moves for the sake of making moves. Be thoughtful, but also be aggressive.

Target Upside

If you’re going to make a move and drop someone from your roster, upside is important. We aren’t hitting the waiver wire just for a player that will sit on your bench with no upside for that to change. I’m going to set a record for how many times I use that word, but upside is what it’s all about. If you target a player on the waiver wire, they should have the upside and potential to elevate into your starting lineup.

Opportunity is Key

This can be taken both ways. Either an opportunity to play on your roster or an opportunity to play on their NFL team. Regardless, this has to be weighed.

If we take your roster first, let’s separate quarterbacks and tight ends from running backs and wide receivers. When it comes to the latter, you simply never can have enough of them. Follow the talent, add them to your team, and worry about the starting lineup later. You don’t want to miss out on the waiver wire addition who will be a third-round pick next year just because you liked your running backs at the time. The next week, both can suffer season-ending injuries, and then what? Take the talent. Just be sure that the running back who rushed for 150 yards in Week 3 won’t be headed back to the bench in Week 4 because their starter returned to action. That’s the opportunity piece we are worried about.

When it comes to quarterbacks and tight ends, when you generally start one, they should be treated differently. Granted, you could have Brock Bowers and Patrick Mahomes get hurt and create opportunity, but what’s already on the waiver wire? Just because a player emerges in a given week, it doesn’t mean they are better than what’s already available. And if that’s the case, will the potential claim find a starting spot on your team at any point?

Know Your Roster

Roster management really is critical here. If you are streaming quarterbacks or tight ends, then perhaps you should be more aggressive on those positions. Are you stashing handcuffs or players coming back from injury? Who will your drop be? Do you have some tough matchups ahead? What about bye weeks to cover?

Look a Week Ahead

You don’t want to be in the position where you’re using a waiver claim on a kicker or a defense. In general, you want to have your bye weeks covered the week prior. That way, you aren’t competing with every other fantasy manager to field an active roster for Week 8 during Week 8. Instead, get that set during Week 7. In this situation, though, I’m not looking to use a waiver wire claim, but instead, hit the free agent market after waivers run.

Churn for Upside

While this is about waiver wire strategy, the intention is to use the waiver wire as little as possible. Instead, you should be hunting the free agent market after waivers run. The best waiver wire strategy is to have the players who break out already sitting on your bench. You won’t always be right, but churn the end of your bench. Utilize it as a feeder system for your starting lineup. At some point, you’ll run out of players to drop, but keep on using your bench to search for upside.

For more great fantasy football rankings and analysis, make sure to check out the 2025 FantraxHQ Fantasy Football Draft Kit!