No matter what you think you know going into a given fantasy football season, Week 1 often has a way of making you feel dumb as a manager. When guys like A.J. Brown and Ja'Marr Chase are doing next to nothing in the way of fantasy production, while someone like Quentin Johnston was the WR1 for the week going into Sunday Night Football, there's no other way to feel. But the mark of a great fantasy football manager is knowing how to adjust on the fly, and that obviously starts on the waiver wire.
Waiver-wire pickups are the lifeblood of a successful fantasy football season, but one could argue that making the right moves heading into Week 2 is more important than any time of the year. There are things we see with usage and production at the start of the regular season that we simply hadn't forecasted that changes things. And while there weren't any big injuries where handcuffs could come into play, there is still opportunity abound on the wire this week.
Now, it should be noted that Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown should absolutely be added and started if he's available, but given that he's right on the 50 percent rostered mark, he doesn't officially qualify as a waiver-wire pickup. But with Xavier Worthy now out and Rashee Rice still suspended, his stock is skyrocketing in fantasy now, especially after a 19.9-point performance in PPR leagues in Week 1.
With that tidbit out of the way, though, let's get deep into the players who went overlooked in your drafts, but could now help guide you to a fantasy football championship if you pick them up on the waiver wire — but let's pray you don't need a running back, because the options are as slim as they come.
Note: Roster percentages are in ESPN fantasy leagues. All rankings and point totals are in PPR leagues.
Quarterbacks to add from the fantasy waiver wire
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (4.9% rostered)
Make no mistake, picking up Daniel Jones on the waiver wire comes with an inherent risk that his Week 1 breakout was more about the porous Dolphins defense than it is about the Colts and their new starting quarterback. Having said that, he's worth an add if you have the roster space to see how things play out moving forward based on the merits of his performance in the season opener.
Jones finished as the QB3 in Week 1 after throwing for 272 yards with one touchdown and no picks, as well as adding 26 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Behind a far more competent offensive line than the one he played behind in New York, he looked like a different player.
Again, this would be more of a speculative add from where I'm sitting, because there's a good chance that we see Jones and the Colts come back to Earth quite a bit. However, you don't want to be left empty-handed if that turns out to not be the case, so he's still worth a look on the wire.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (20.0% rostered)
Michael Penix Jr. wasn't overwhelmingly impressive in the Falcons' loss on Sunday to Tampa, but the signs were there for what could be a breakout season for the second-year quarterback in this offense.
The counting stats were quite good, throwing for 298 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another on the day, good enough to make him QB10 for the week. That, in itself, would make him worth a look as an add for your roster. However, what stood out more to me was the 42 passing attempts on the day, and the fact that Next Gen Stats has him as the second-most aggressive quarterback on the week.
Going back to his days at Washington, we know that Penix can push the ball downfield at a high level, and the hope was that Atlanta and OC Zac Robinson would take advantage of that as he took over the offense. Perhaps don't start him just yet if you pick him up, but the young quarterback definitely made a case that he's going to be airing it out as potentially one of the highest-upside quarterbacks in fantasy who's not a traditional dual-threat option.
Running backs to add from the fantasy waiver wire
Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns (32.7% rostered)
In a week when there really isn't much meat on the running backbone, Dylan Sampson stands out as someone to monitor. The rookie saw a ton of work in Week 2 for the Browns, particularly as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. While his 11 carries for 29 yards aren't anything to write home about, he still finished as the RB9 in Week 1 because of his eight receptions for 64 yards.
While Sampson is going to remain in a time-share with Jerome Ford, and while we don't know what the usage will look like for anyone in the Browns' backfield once Quinshon Judkins is ramped up and ready to play, the rookie out of Tennessee had the most touches of this group in the season opener. The eight targets with Joe Flacco at the helm feel particularly notable, too, and that raises the stock for Sampson on the waiver wire in PPR leagues in particular.
It's clear, though, that Sampson is going to have some sizable role in the offense and, with the landscape looking quite barren on the waiver wire overall, he should be the top priority in fantasy if you need help at running back.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (42.1% rostered)
The fastest running back at this year's NFL Combine now has a pathway to much more work moving forward in Jacksonville after the Jags traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. While Travis Etienne Jr. remains the featured back in this offense, the explosive newcomer Bhayshul Tuten is now the second fiddle and offers real upside with an increased opportunity and role in this offense.
Tuten was quiet in the Jaguars' crowded Week 1 backfield, finishing with just three carries for 11 yards on the day. However, the film showed someone who is tailor-made for Liam Coen's offense and could turn more touches, even if not a crazy amount, into a highly efficient level of production.
It'd probably be a bit too aggressive for my liking to start Tuten in Week 2, but this might be the only time to add him in your league if he's available considering that the speedster garnered significant buzz as a pre-draft sleeper and is already near the 50% rostered threshold.
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers (1.9% rostered)
Let's get this out of the way, there wasn't a ton from Kenneth Gainwell's Week 1 production that would make you think that he should be picked up off the waiver-wire, rushing for 19 yards on seven carries and catching three passes for only four yards, all with no touchdowns. However, this really comes down to usage for the veteran newcomer in Pittsburgh and the upside that presents.
Shockingly, Gainwell actually led the Steelers running back room in snaps (28), and was the primary third-down back for this offense. Considering that Arthur Smith is still the offensive coordinator for this team and the quite apparent upgrade that Aaron Rodgers brings on that side of the ball, we could see Gainwell start to garner some more touches as we move forward.
This is definitely another situation in which any waiver-wire add with the Steelers running back should be done with the intention of stashing him. However, the snap counts are always something to follow early in the year, and Gainwell's stood out.
Wide receivers to add from the fantasy waiver wire
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers (3.6% rostered)
Entering Sunday Night Football (when he was eventually surpassed by both Zay Flowers and Keon Coleman), Quentin Johnston was the WR1 for the week — just like everyone expected, right? He was dominant in the Chargers' win over the Chiefs on Friday night, hauling in five catches for 79 yards with two touchdowns.
What stands out more than just the production, which admittedly can be boiled down to a bit of touchdown luck for how much he scored for fantasy managers, was the targets, which came in at seven. While Ladd McConkey is still the top target for Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen will steal some touches, it's possible that Johnston is more the second wide receiver for the Bolts than the No. 3.
Starting Johnston in Week 2 might be a bit aggressive, unless you're in a deeper league. But he should be added in virtually every league after his Week 1 performance and usage.
Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (0.5% rostered)
At a certain point, we might need to just accept that Kayshon Boutte is a preferred target, especially downfield, for Drake Maye and start considering him a viable fantasy option. Week 1 was another feather in his cap in that capacity, catching six of his eight targets for 103 yards, and finishing as the WR17 for the week despite not finding the end zone.
Boutte flashed several times throughout last season, including two 90+ yard performances with a touchdown in the Patriots' two matchups with the Bills. Now, with the revamped offense and receiver room, Boutte might continue to be someone that this New England passing game continues to rely on, especially as they look to get Stefon Diggs back to full speed in his return from a torn ACL.
More importantly, starting Boutte in Week 2 isn't a bad idea at all with the Patriots matching up with a Dolphins defense that got absolutely obliterated by the Colts in their season opener.
Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (42.6% rostered)
The final stat-line for Cedric Tillman isn't going to jump off the page, as the WR18 for Week 1 finished with five catches for 52 yards, but did add a touchdown. Once again, though, we're looking at the opportunities, and it's possible that the wideout actually left some meat on the bone in the Browns' offense, as he only hauled in five of his eight targets on the day.
Tillman simply looked like a more trusted, or at least more readily open, target for Joe Flacco than Jerry Jeudy on Sunday, which is a stark pivot from preseason expectations for the Cleveland wide receiver room. That may not continue, but it's now also hard to imagine that this offense doesn't move forward without Tillman being a featured part in the mix.
Moreover, the Browns look far more competent than many fans expected, and Tillman could be an undervalued addition because of that.
Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh Steelers (2.3% rostered)
Considering the rostered percentage for Calvin Austin III, it seems like most fantasy managers weren't buying what the Steelers were selling in the preseason and training camp with the speedy pass-catcher. After Week 1, though, that should certainly change after Austin finished as the WR16 with four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, while also getting targeted six times by Aaron Rodgers in this game.
My big concern for Austin coming into the year was simply Rodgers and his infamous lack of trust when he's not familiar with his receivers. That doesn't seem to be an issue at all, and the touches and looks that Austin was getting throughout Pittsburgh's Week 1 win seemed to indicate that he's truly going to be a focal point of this offense moving forward.
Olamide Zaccheus, Chicago Bears (0.4% rostered)
I'm not going to make a ton out of Olamide Zaccheus finishing as the WR51 for the week, because that's obviously not all that impressive. However, what does stand out is that Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams seem quite keen on using the veteran pass-catcher in the role that many hoped rookie Luther Burden III would occupy, which is perhaps best indicated by the seven targets he received on the day.
Not only did Williams miss him on some potential big plays on Monday night, but he also average more than 10 yards per reception on the catches he did make. There was some speculation in the offseason, especially watching the preseason offense, that Zaccheus could be a diet version of Amon-Ra St. Brown in Johnson's offense for the Bears, and we saw some of that play out in the loss.
This definitely isn't someone to start in Week 2, but Zaccheus could be someone to pick up early and stash to see if his role does indeed end up being a much bigger factor for Chicago than many previously anticipated.
Tight ends to add from the fantasy waiver wire
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (1.2% rostered)
You have to start any tight end waiver wire conversations with Juwan Johnson after Week 1 considering that he finished as the highest-scoring player at the position in PPR leagues with eight catches on 11 targets for 76 yards. And the most favorable thing for him is that's almost surely going to continue based on what we saw from the Saints offense.
Johnson isn't a big-play threat, but he clearly looked like the designed safety valve for Spencer Rattler in an offense that's operating behind a lackluster offensive line. Against most teams, that's going to mean getting the ball out quickly, and the tight end should be seeing the ball a ton because of that.
With the always-fickle nature of tight ends, you have to consider Johnson as a startable option now until proven otherwise given the situation.
Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (0.8% rostered)
Even as a big Harold Fannin Jr. fan coming out of Bowling Green, I didn't expect him to be used nearly enough to be the TE6 in Week 1, but here we are. It's abundantly obvious that the Browns love the versatility of the H-back style weapon, even as a rookie, as they targeted him nine times on Sunday (7-63-0), and even gave him a carry as well.
Fannin was on the field consistently in various alignments and roles for the Browns offense, which is a big reason why he should be added. For a rookie to already have that kind of trust from the coaching staff, the first game of the season might've just been an appetizer. And for a player who was a record-setting pass-catcher in college as a tight end, his stock could be about to completely take off.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (0.5% rostered)
One of the few injury replacements that you could target to stream after Week 1 has to be Michael Mayer. With Brock Bowers looking questionable after leaving the Raiders' season opener with a knee injury, Mayer immediately stepped in and performed solidly, hauling in all four of his targets for 38 yards to end up as the TE20 for the week.
If Bowers is unable to go or if the Raiders simply take a cautious approach with their star tight end, those numbers are going to go up. Tight ends ultimately accounted for 12 targets in the Vegas passing game in Week 1, and it's clear that Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly are going to use the talent at this position in what looked to be a pass-heavy offense early on in the season.
Mayer might not have the long-term value that Fannin and Johnson offer, but his short-term returns might be higher, depending on Bowers' status.