5 Fantasy Football Players You Should Get Now

While Thursday and Friday served as a taster for the NFL season, Sunday was finally the main course, featuring action from 13 NFL games. While many of the games had surprising outcomes, the hour leading up to kickoff on Sunday was arguably the most surprising part of the weekend.

Dak Prescott got a new contract. Tyreek Hill was arrested by police. Ja’Marr Chase decided at the last second to play in Week 1. Kendrick Lamar was announced as the Super Bowl halftime player. There was a lot to process, which is why this week was the perfect opportunity to take in all of those distractions and get on the waivers list.

Week 1 saw some impressive performances from relatively unknown players you could snatch away from your teammates. Here are five players you should target on waivers this week.

Waiver Wire Targets for Week 1:

TE Isaiah Likely, BAL (on the roster in 28% of Yahoo leagues)

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Likely had a stellar performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. While it would be easy to assume that star tight end Mark Andrews will get more work as the season progresses, Likely could continue to get plenty of attention.

Likely has always been an athletic option that the Ravens have kept to themselves and only used when Andrews was injured. However, Likely was used in a variety of ways against Kansas City. He was used in the slot, wide out, tight end, all over the field, meaning the Ravens likely plan to use him frequently. Aside from Andrews and Zay Flowers, there isn’t much competition for targets in Baltimore’s offense. This is the perfect opportunity for Likely to step in and make an impact right away.

WR Greg Dortch, ARI (on the roster in 5% of Yahoo leagues)

Despite the signing of Marvin Harrison Jr., Greg Dortch has been the Cardinals’ most targeted receiver, being targeted eight times by quarterback Kyler Murray. In PPR leagues, Dortch could be a great FLEX option, someone who may not get a lot of yards but puts in a great performance week in and week out.

Additionally, there have been rumors throughout training camp that Dortch could be a serious target on the Cardinals offense, and that appears to be the case after one week. As always, be cautious. You may not want to start Dortch in Week 2, but if you can keep him on the bench if he continues to perform like this, he could be a tremendous asset.

WR Brandin Cooks, DAL (on the roster in 32% of Yahoo leagues)

Despite being the surefire No. 2 receiver in one of the NFL’s most pass-heavy offenses, Cooks is only on the roster in 32% of Yahoo leagues. He had the second-most passing hauls of any Dallas receiver, and that number could only go up in the near future, as Jake Ferguson was injured during the team’s Week 1 win over Cleveland.

WR Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG (on the roster in 10% of Yahoo leagues)

The New York Giants are not a good football team. However, that is good news for their receivers, as the team often plays from behind and has to pass the ball more often than other teams. Wan’Dale Robinson benefited the most from a positive play in Week 1, completing 12 passes on the night, making him the Giants’ best player and almost twice as many as Malik Nabers (7), the team’s second-most.

While it’s very likely that Nabers will receive more attention as he gets used to this offense, Robinson still appears to be quarterback Daniels Jones’ favorite target. He could be a great early signing if he can get a few more of his targets under control.

RB Tank Bigsby, JAX (In 5% of Yahoo leagues on the roster)

While Travis Etienne handled the bulk of the backfield workload in Jacksonville a year ago, it looks like a split workload is in store for 2024. Bigsby and Etienne both ran 12 carries in Sunday’s loss to Miami. While Etienne got the goal-line runs and pass-receiving work, Bigsby was the more efficient back, averaging over six yards per run while Etienne managed less than four.

There were rumors in the offseason that Bigsby would get more work, but since there were rumors that Bigsby would limit Etienne’s work last year (which didn’t happen), many fans have dismissed the rumors this year. Well, it’s time to take them seriously. Bigsby is here to stay, and he could be facing a huge workload if Etienne is out.

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