NFL Waiver Wire: Week 1 Pickups

We are only hours away from the start of Week 1 as the next chapter in the Bears-Packers rivalry is set for Thursday night. Each and every season leagues are won and lost based on the waiver wire. This column will appear every Tuesday morning to help with waiver pickups, and to help you win a title.

To recap, we'll label each player as a primary target, secondary target or hail Mary. A primary target is a player who can contribute now to your fantasy team; a secondary target is worth a stash for the near future; a hail Mary is player who might contribute down the road. 

This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based on both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget.

QUARTERBACK

Hail Mary

Daniel Jones, NYG - Jones looked worthy of being the sixth overall pick in this year's draft based upon his preseason performance. He went 29-for-34 through the air without an interception this preseason, though he did put the ball on the ground a couple times. It's not out of the realm of possibility the Giants' season goes south quickly and Jones is called upon sooner rather than later. Obviously bump him up in 2-QB/super-flex leagues. FAAB: $1-$2

RUNNING BACK

Hail Mary

Giovani Bernard, CIN - Bernard was rewarded for his service with a two-year extension Tuesday worth more than $10 million. Not bad for a backup. Bernard is one of the better backups to stash on a bench given his rushing and receiving ability out of the backfield. When teammate Joe Mixon was out Weeks 3 and 4 last season, Bernard scored 17.1 and 23.6 fantasy points in half-point PPR leagues. Bernard has a good amount of upside should something happen to Mixon, though this offensive line isn't the greatest. FAAB: $1-$2

Justice Hill, BAL - Hill is another great stash for the bench and might be a better all-around back than Mark Ingram. He has 4.40 40 speed, faster than any Ravens back,  and is considered a better pass-catcher than Gus Edwards. The release of Kenneth Dixon doesn't hurt and having a running quarterback will help open holes for all of the running backs. He should have an immediate role, which could expand depending on his impact. FAAB: $1-$2

Dare Ogunbowale, TB - Peyton Barber (3.7 YPC) and Ronald Jones (1.9 YPC) were slight disappointments last season, to say the least. Enter Ogunbowale. He doesn't have much of a hill to climb to overtake either running back. Andre Ellington was cut, leaving only the three aforementioned running backs; and it's not like Bruce Arians has any loyalty to Barber or Jones. Keep an eye this week to see how the Buccaneers' backfield rotation is used. FAAB: $1-$2

Frank Gore, BUF - Devin Singletary is 73 percent owned and should be the main target on the waiver wire in the 27 percent of the leagues he isn't. However, the Bills felt comfortable enough to release LeSean McCoy, suggesting that Gore will have a significant role in the running attack. Gore averaged a stout 4.6 yards per carry last season but despite rushing for 722 yards never found the end zone. That should change this season as Gore could easily take over as the lead back should Singletary find himself making rookie mistakes. T.J. Yeldon is also an injury away from being fantasy relevant as well. FAAB: $1-$2

WIDE RECEIVER

Secondary Target

Tyrell Williams, OAK - Williams is in his prime at 27, is 6-foot-4, 205, and runs a 4.42 40. On paper, all of those stats point to him being a surefire No. 1 wide receiver. However, he'll have to give that spotlight to Antonio Brown, the more accomplished receiver of the two. That said, it's not tough to see a scenario where Brown goes off the rails about some topic (his helmet, some other odd axe to grind), misses time and Williams ends up the top receiving option. Williams is already in a better situation than last year with San Diego as there is less competition for targets. He's 37 percent owned in Yahoo leagues. FAAB: $2-$4

Hail Mary

Demaryius Thomas, NE - It was an up-and-down weekend for Thomas, who was released by the Patriots and then re-signed once N'Keal Harry was placed on IR. It appears Thomas will be the third receiving option behind Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon. He had a big outing in his final preseason game, finishing with 7-87-2. While he's 31, Thomas finds himself in a much better position than he would be in if he was still a Bronco. If we learned something from last season, it's never to count out Tom Brady and the Patriots. FAAB: $1-$2

TIGHT END

Hail Mary

Jordan Akins, HOU - Jordan Thomas was shaping up to be a nice sleeper for the Texans, but a rib injury sent him to IR, and he'll miss several weeks as a result. That'll put second-year player Akins on the radar as he'll be the team's primary pass-catching option at the position. Akins has a decent amount of athleticism and will benefit from being in one of the better offenses in the league. Deshaun Watson continues to improve and with DeAndre Hopkins/Will Fuller/Kenny Stills working the outsides of the field, Akins should have plenty of room to operate over the middle. The addition of left tackle Laremy Tunsil will help shore up the offensive line and give Watson more time to throw. FAAB: $1-$2

DEFENSE

Primary Target

Buffalo Bills - The Bills are a slight road dog (+3) at the Jets this week, meaning that if this game was on a neutral field it would be a pick 'em. Buffalo had 27 takeaways last season (eighth) and allowed the second-fewest yards per game (294.1). This game has one of the lowest over/unders (41.5) of the week, suggesting the defenses could dominate. The Bills are a solid streaming option and 46 percent owned on Yahoo. FAAB: FCFS or $1