Faraz's Week 1 Waiver Wire Targets

Faraz Siddiqi
Sep 2, 2024
7 min read

The 2024 season is back, and we’re already looking at the waiver wire. Here are the top options available in more than 50% of fantasy football leagues.

Waiver Wire Targets:

Rico Dowdle (RB - Dallas Cowboys) - 30% FAAB
- I’m surprised by how available Rico Dowdle is - maybe people are scared off because of the Dalvin Cook signing, but I wouldn’t be. Cook was one of the most inefficient RBs last year, and that’s taking the Jets offensive line into account - the coaching staff, the beat reporters, all indications are that Dowdle is the primary RB in that backfield, and he does have upside to take it over. I do think Zeke will be involved in short-yardage situations, so that could cap Dowdle’s upside a bit, but this is a good offense, and if he’s getting most of the work in the backfield, he has to be rostered, and he can even be started as a RB3/flex play.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB - Denver Broncos) - 20% FAAB
- Jaleel McLaughlin is the next RB I am prioritizing on waivers if he’s available - Samaje Perine was released, and now this is looking like a 2-man backfield between Javonte Williams and McLaughlin. Perine played a big role in this offense last season behind Javonte, and McLaughlin had limited opportunities. But on those limited opportunities, according to Fantasy Life’s advanced stats, among the 57 RBs with 75+ carries last year, he was 4th in missed tackles forced/att and 3rd in yards after contact/att. And he was pretty good in the receiving game too - among the 66 RBs with at least 80 routes ran, he was 1st in targets/route run and 4th in yards/route run. Under Sean Payton last year, the Broncos had 153 targets go to the RB position - that was the most in the NFL, and this is just a theme we have been seeing in Sean Payton's offense - since forever.
Josh Downs (WR - Indianapolis Colts) - 15% FAAB
- Making a shift to WR - Josh Downs is someone I’m looking to stash. He has a high ankle sprain, but he should be back relatively soon - and according to to reports, he was Anthony Richardson’s favorite target in camp - like, over Michael Pittman. No, I’m not saying that Downs will out-target Pittman this year, but the target share can be closer than we think. Grab him, stash him - because he has fantasy WR2 upside.
Mike Williams (WR - New York Jets) - 10% FAAB
- Mike Williams is on that Breece Hall plan - meaning, the Jets will ramp him up over the first few weeks of the season before he gets a full-time role - he’s a stash right now until we get the green light - he will play Week 1 apparently, he has Aaron Rodgers at QB - there’s a lot of volatility here potentially, but there’s a world where Williams gives you 10 TDs this year. There’s no target competition behind Garrett Wilson right now, and he could be a steal being able to get him off the wire.
Dontayvion Wicks (WR - Green Bay Packers) - 10% FAAB
- Dontayvion Wicks is such a high-upside player - the question is whether they are going to give him the playing time required to be a dependable fantasy asset. It seems like the primary rotation is Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs as the perimeter WRs with Jayden Reed as the primary slot, and then Wicks rotating in for any of them. That’s not what you want. However - there’s a world where he does end up playing more as the season goes on, and if any three of these WRs get hurt and Wicks is put in a full-time role, he can absolutely explode - you saw the long TD this preseason - the upside is there. Remember, as a rookie - he was only behind Puka, Rashee, Tank Dell, and Jayden Reed in yards/route run - ahead of Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison. He was 4th in 1st downs/route run among rookie WRs and 4th in PFF grade - there’s a lot to like here - I’m stashing him for as long as possible.
J.K. Dobbins (RB - Los Angeles Chargers) - 5% FAAB
- JK Dobbins is available on a lot of waiver wires - it’s hard to tell how this backfield is going to play out, but my expectation is that Gus Edwards will be the 1a and Dobbins will be the 1b to start the year. Dobbins is the most talented obviously, but he’s coming off the Achilles injury, which can be devastating for RBs and their careers. Can Dobbins defy the odds in his first year back? It’s hard to bet on that - but he’s worth rostering to find out because Edwards isn’t crazy competition. I do have Kimani Vidal down my waiver wire rankings at #17, because if Dobbins is not that guy anymore, Vidal can look good and end up moving his way up the depth chart - past Dobbins, and past Gus Edwards - who is 29 years old and has never carried the ball more than 200 times in a season in his career. So if Dobbins isn’t available, I’d look for Vidal on waivers when you’re talking about the Chargers backfield.
Ja'Lynn Polk (WR - New England Patriots) - 5% FAAB
- I have two Patriots WRs here, and I know this offense is terrible so you don’t want any pieces of it, but they’re going to have to throw the ball, and while there might not be many TDs for this unit, receptions and yards will be there - and choosing a Patriots WR on waivers, it depends on what you need. If you need a PPR flex play this week with a safe floor? Pick up DeMario Douglas - he’s starting in the slot, he was very efficient last year as a rookie, and he can give you a solid 5 catches for 64 yards in Week 1. If you want a higher-upside, longer-term play, Ja’Lynn Polk would be the guy I’d pick up - it looks like he’ll be their starting flanker - and that’s exactly the role you want him to play - off the line, in motion, and targets down the field. He could end up being the primary read on most plays very soon.
Demario Douglas (WR - New England Patriots) - 5% FAAB
- If you need some other WRs to play this week - Adonai Mitchell assuming Josh Downs isn’t going to play - he’s been taking over for Downs in the slot, and we’ve seen Anthony Richardson connect with Mitchell several times this preseason while Downs has been out. He’ll be an upside flex play. Jakobi Meyers - a good WR you can throw in - he did his thing last year, QB did change obviously, so there isn’t as much confidence there - but at least you know he’s the clear WR2 on the Raiders and he’s a good player. Greg Dortch is someone in deep leagues I’d be willing to throw into my flex - between him and Michael Wilson, I lean in his direction by a hair - he’s always been productive when given the opportunity with Rondale Moore off the field. I’d keep an eye on both Jermaine Burton and Andre Iosovias in case Ja’Marr Chase ends up sitting out Week 1. Iosivas is ahead of Burton on the depth chart, but if Chase is off the field, Burton will likely be close to a full-time receiver, and my bet is actually on him because I really like him as a player - I know he played against 2nd and 3rd stringers in the preseason, but he dominated.
Tyler Allgeier (RB - Atlanta Falcons) - 3% FAAB
- Could have some standalone value - maybe, hopefully not. But we know he’s a good RB, and he would do very well if Bijan Robinson were to ever go down.
Jordan Mason (RB - San Francisco 49ers) - 3% FAAB
- With Elijah Mitchell now out for the season, we actually have a clear handcuff to Christian McCaffrey. The rookie Isaac Guerendo has spent the entire offseason hurt. Mason has huge upside if CMC were to get banged up.
Jaylen Wright (RB - Miami Dolphins) - 3% FAAB
- He’s actually a handcuff to both De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert. If either of those two were to go down Wright would just slide into a 1b role, and we know that this role can be extremely productive and fantasy-relevant. When you consider Wright’s speed and athleticism, he can absolutely go crazy even in a complementary role.
Ray Davis (RB - Buffalo Bills) - 3% FAAB
- Maybe he’s the goal line back to start for the Bills, maybe he complements James Cook more than we think. At the very least though, he’s their RB2 and would be very fantasy-relevant on a great offense if Cook were to go down. Stash him.
Marshawn Lloyd (RB - Green Bay Packers) - 3% FAAB
- He’s back in practice, it looks like he might go in Week 1. Josh Jacobs was very inefficient last year, but either way, if Jacobs were to go down, Lloyd would have crazy potential in the Packers offense. There’s no one worth noting behind him, and he is very capable of handling a 3-down role.
Samaje Perine (RB - Cincinnati Bengals) - 3% FAAB
- We’ve seen Jerick McKinnon have some big games for the Chiefs two years ago, I think Perine is better now than McKinnon was last year - and while I don’t think there will be real standalone value for Perine, even though there is a world where this is some, I do think that he now becomes one of the more valuable handcuffs because he would play a 3-down role if Isiah Pacheco were to go down.
Adonai Mitchell (WR - Indianapolis Colts) - 1% FAAB
Bucky Irving (RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers) - 1% FAAB
Kimani Vidal (RB - Los Angeles Chargers) - 1% FAAB
Jakobi Meyers (WR - Las Vegas Raiders) - 1% FAAB
Greg Dortch (WR - Arizona Cardinals) - 1% FAAB
Michael Wilson (WR - Arizona Cardinals) - 1% FAAB