Amazing how quickly fantasy football draft season comes and goes, isn’t it? Some of you still have last-drafts coming up in the final days before the NFL’s Thursday-night opener, but most of us have shifted from draft mode to in-season mode. Most leagues have a waiver wire run just before Week 1, so it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start managing.
Not that you’re obligated to do any waiver wire shopping this week. Maybe you’re perfectly content with the hand you’re holding. No problemo.
Some fantasy football managers confuse activity with productivity, doing more harm than good with restless overmanagement. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your fantasy football team is nothing. There is a concept of Taoism called wu wei, which essentially means “do without doing.” In other words, inactivity is sometimes the most prudent choice.
On the other hand …
Early waiver wire shopping has its benefits. A year ago, this Week 1 waiver wire article included Puka Nacua, De’Von Achane, Jake Ferguson, Jayden Reed and Jordan Love. All were rostered in under 50% of Yahoo leagues heading into Week 1, and all became impactful fantasy assets.
Who among this summer’s widely undrafted players might be able to help your fantasy football team? Let’s have a look at our top fantasy football waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 1. Below we dive into our top fantasy football Week 1 waiver wire pickups at Wide Receivers.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers
Wide Receivers
Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL): 32% rostered
It took a while for Cooks to assert himself in the Dallas offense last year, but once he got a foothold, the results were impressive. From Week 10 on, Cooks had 37-492-6, averaged 9.5 yards per target and was WR14 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. Cooks plays with one of the better passers in the game in Dak Prescott and could benefit from the heavy defensive attention that star WR CeeDee Lamb figures to draw.
Mike Williams (WR – NYJ): 43% rostered
Williams is expected to play in Week 1 after tearing his ACL last September, although Jets head coach Robert Saleh has suggested that Williams could be used cautiously early on. A former first-round pick, the 29-year-old Williams has had two 1,000-yard seasons and a 10-TD season. He figures to be the Jets’ No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson, and he’ll be catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, one of the most precise throwers in NFL history.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB): 30% rostered
Ignore Green Bay’s crowded WR corps and bet on the talent. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has compared Wicks to former Packers star Davante Adams. A fifth-round pick from Virginia, Wicks had 39-581-4 as a rookie, averaging an impressive 10.0 yards per target and 3.78 yards per route run. The Packers are overstocked with good young receivers, and Wicks is No. 4 in the pecking order, but he might be just one injury away from significant fantasy impact.
Adonai Mitchell (WR – IND): 28% rostered
Mitchell might not be instantly startable early, but he’s a worthwhile stash for his dreamy combination of size (6-2, 205) and speed (4.34). A second-round pick, Mitchell was expected to compete with Alec Pierce for one of the Colts’ outside receiver spots, but Mitchell took most of his snaps from the slot in the preseason with Josh Downs sidelined by an injury. That sort of dual usage increases the likelihood of Mitchell playing meaningful snaps early in the season.
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