NFL Waiver Wire: Week 1 Pickups

Finally, Week 1 is upon us. After weeks of research and drafting, we finally get to set our lineups. Check to make sure your lineups do not have players in flex spots who play Thursday or Friday — you want that flexibility for Sunday games. Even the best fantasy managers occasionally slip up on that. 

If you're still drafting, the players below are solid late-round targets. Otherwise, they're likely available on the waiver wire in 12-team leagues.

Good luck to everyone. I'm looking forward to writing this column once again this season.

The waiver wire features players who are typically lower than 50 percent rostered. Questions on players who are not mentioned can be asked about in the comments below.

QUARTERBACK

HAIL MARY

Jacoby Brissett, NE - He's been anointed the starter, at least to begin the season. The Patriots aren't likely to have an elite passing attack and the receiving corps is probably bottom 5 in the league. That said, if you're looking to fill a superflex spot, Brissett probably has a better floor than anyone on your roster. Expect Drake Maye to take over at some point this season, but for now it's Brissett's job. FAAB: $1-$2

RUNNING BACK

SECONDARY TARGETS

MarShawn Lloyd, GB - A third-round pick, the rookie is expected to complement Josh Jacobs in the Green Bay backfield. AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending injured reserve, leaving Lloyd as the backup. He's dealing with a hamstring injury, which tend to linger, but there's a good chance the Packers are handling him with white gloves given Dillon's status and he'll be fine. Check whether he travels with the team to Brazil for Friday's game. If not, he'll probably be back for Week 2. FAAB: $2-$4

Jordan Mason, SF - With Elijah Mitchell out for the season, Mason is now the backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. McCaffrey dealt with a calf injury for much of training camp, and Mason, who had a strong camp, will pick up the slack if needed. At 5-foot-11, 223, with passing down skills, Mason likely would have a prominent role in the San Francisco offense if McCaffrey is injured long term. 

HAIL MARY

Tyrone Tracy, NYG - It's a little uncertain whether Tracy or Eric Gray will back up Devin Singletary this season. I'm going to side with Tracy, who has a better pedigree and was drafted with Gray already on the roster. A converted wide receiver, a good comp for Tracy might be Cordarrelle Patterson, who never ran a lot between the tackles and rarely was given a large volume. FAAB: $1-$2

WIDE RECEIVER

SECONDARY TARGETS

Rashid Shaheed, NO - Shaheed appears to be ready for Week 1 after dealing with a toe/foot injury the last few weeks. He has had issues staying healthy, missing six games the last two seasons, which is a bit of a concern. However, he's been effective when he's been on the field with 46-719-5 last season. Shaheed relies on the big play. He averaged 15.6 yards per catch last season and totaled 719 receiving yards despite never having more than five catches in a game. FAAB: $2-$4

Adonai Mitchell, IND, Jordan Whittington, LAR - I'm grouping these rookies together because they were teammates last season at Texas. Mitchell is the preferred target, having the slightly better pedigree (a second-round pick) and seems to have a clearer path to playing time.Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is uncertain for this weekend, which could put Mitchell in a spot to be the second WR. Whittington is competing for the third wide receiver spot for the Rams and you'd only have to go back to last season to see if the Rams have had any success with rookie wide receivers. FAAB: Mitchell $2-$4, Whittington $1-$2

HAIL MARY

Dontayvion Wicks, GB - Wicks is fourth on the Packers' WR depth chart, but he likely will be fantasy relevant if one of the top 3 goes down. At 6-1, 206, Wicks is a physical receiver who had 39 receptions for 581 yards and four scores on just 58 targets last season — his 10.0 yards per target ranked 10th in the league, with a minimum 50 targets. He's worth stashing.

TIGHT END

HAIL MARY

Theo Johnson, NYG - Daniel Bellinger is technically atop the Giants' TE depth chart and will probably see more snaps than Johnson. However, Johnson projects as more of a receiver than a blocker, which should make him more valuable for fantasy purposes. Johnson was a great red-zone target for Penn State last season (seven touchdowns) and runs a 4.47 40 at 6-6, 264, blazing at his size. He should be on the fantasy radar as someone who could make an impact. FAAB: FCFS

DEFENSE

Los Angeles Chargers D/ST - If you're looking ahead to a streaming option for Week 2, check out the Bolts. They're on the road and only three-point favorites but arguably have the best matchup of the week against the Panthers. Bryce Young is still developing, and this game has one of the lowest over/unders of the week at 41.5. FAAB: $1-$2