Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice for Preseason Sleepers Who May Be Available

We're only two games into the 2026 NFL season, which means that fantasy managers still have opportunities to find value on the waiver wire.

While many managers will wait until after Week 1 to bolster their rosters, they could be wasting a prime opportunity. After all, it's typically easier to snag a player before his breakout game than after. A few players are worth a preemptive flier, especially for managers who have expendable players on the back end of their rosters.

Here, you'll find a look at the top waiver targets who are likely to be available before Sunday's games.

All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

The Miami Dolphins aren't expected to be very good in 2026. They lack proven playmakers on both sides of the ball, and they parted with most of their established stars during the offseason.

Yet, quarterback Malik Willis has an intriguing amount of upside heading into the 2026 season. His supporting cast isn't great, but his dual-threat ability could lead to some massive fantasy outings in most formats.

Willis made just one start for the Green Bay Packers last season, but he racked up 31.5 fantasy points against the Baltimore Ravens. A similar performance against the rebuilding Las Vegas Raiders this week will make Willis a coveted waiver target entering Week 2.

This could put Willis entirely out of play for managers who win their Week 1 matchups. Right now, he's only rostered in 16 percent of fantasy leagues.

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Las Vegas Raiders

I'm going to continue pounding the table for speedy Las Vegas Raiders rookie Mike Washington Jr. The Arkansas product is an ideal complement to Ashton Jeanty in Klint Kubiak's offense, and he should see a fairly prominent role in what I expect to be a two-back rotation—not unlike the Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet pairing that Kubiak employed last season.

Washington could see an especially large role in Week 1, as Jeanty makes his way back from a sprained ankle. Jeanty returned to practice on Wednesday, but following a two-week absence, Las Vegas may look to ease him into action.

Right now, Washington is rostered in only 24.3 percent of fantasy leagues. However, that number will skyrocket if he sees double-digit carries and makes the most of them against a suspect Dolphins defense.

The advice here is to scoop up Washington now.

If you followed the Baltimore Ravens at all during training camp and the preseason, you'll know that rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane was arguably the biggest standout of the summer. He's already well positioned to become Baltimore's No. 2 receiver opposite Zay Flowers sooner rather than later.

And there's a very strong chance that Lane has the sort of NFL debut that makes him difficult to land on the Week 2 wire.

For one thing, Flowers has been dealing with a hamstring issue and popped up on Wednesday's i njury report as a limited participant. If he isn't at 100 percent, that could mean extra opportunities for Lane.

Secondly, we don't know exactly what sort of offense to expect from new coordinator Declan Doyle. If Baltimore decides to air it out against the Indianapolis Colts more than they might have in recent seasons, Lane's fantasy stock could take a massive jump.

Heading into Week 1, Lane is only rostered in 9.8 percent of leagues.

My advice to managers who don't already have two star tight ends is to try grabbing Juwan Johnson now. The New Orleans Saints pass-catcher finished last season as TE8 and could be even more productive in 2026.

Quarterback Tyler Shough is entering his second season, and if he makes a jump, so could Johnson's production. With rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson opening the season on injured reserve, Johnson should also have a huge role in the passing game early.

This week, Johnson will face a Detroit Lions defense that has several question marks in the secondary. As Shough's No. 2 target behind Chris Olave, he could have strong numbers against a defense that ranked 20th in passing yards allowed and 26th in passing touchdowns allowed last season.

Johnson is currently rostered in 32.8 percent of leagues, but that percentage will rise significantly if he has a big game in Week 1.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros .