2026 Week 1 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Report

The 2026 NFL season kicks off with a waiver wire already on fire. Final 53-man rosters locked in days ago, the Commissioner's Exempt list claimed a major RB, and a few depth-chart surprises from preseason week 3 are still rippling through add counts on Sleeper. Availability will vary by league size and format — none of these names are guaranteed to be open in your specific league, so check before you get excited.

Running back

Jacob Saylors

Over 418,000 adds in 48 hours — by far the largest surge in this window. That number screams something happened, even though the available news snippets don't spell out the exact catalyst. His 2025 season produced just 1.1 PPR points across 16 games, so this isn't about track record. FantasyPros projects him for 24.1 PPR points on the season, which is fringe-relevant at best — but when add volume this large hits right before Week 1, there's almost certainly a depth-chart opportunity driving it. Grab him now in all formats and sort out the details after; if you wait, he won't be available.

Malik Davis

272,000 adds makes Davis the clear second priority among RBs. He logged 40.6 PPR points across all 17 games in 2025 — modest, but he was on the field. FantasyPros projects a jump to 75.7 PPR points for 2026, and his name appeared in both the final-53 roster-moves coverage and dynasty rankings chatter heading into the season. That combination suggests a role that expanded when rosters finalized. Priority add in deeper leagues (14-team+); strong handcuff stash in 12-team.

Chris Brooks

Josh Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List and will miss significant time, per reporting from late August. That reshuffled Green Bay's backfield entirely. MarShawn Lloyd has been taking first-team reps at practice, but Brooks is also climbing add charts (nearly 24,000 adds) and sits in the same opportunity pool. His FantasyPros projection of 78.3 PPR points reflects real starter-adjacent upside if Lloyd stumbles or the carries get split. Grab both if you can — Brooks is the handcuff to Lloyd and a starter-upside flier in his own right.

Justice Hill

Hill's projection of 115.1 PPR points for 2026 is legitimately starter-worthy, and he appeared in both the final-53 fallout coverage and draft strategy pieces this week. He put up 65.2 PPR points in 2025 across 16 games. The 58,000-add surge suggests managers are betting on an expanded role. Priority add in PPR leagues where his receiving work gets amplified.

Kaelon Black

A 2026 rookie who didn't play in 2025, Black landed in a "target or fade" rookie RB piece this week — suggesting his preseason earned him real fantasy attention. His FantasyPros projection (88.6 PPR points) is surprisingly robust for a Day 3 pick. The 54,000-add volume says the fantasy community is leaning target. Stash in 12-team leagues, priority add in dynasty.

Brian Robinson

Robinson made the dynasty rankings update and appeared specifically in the Josh Jacobs exempt-list fallout newsletter — which means analysts connected his name to that news cycle. His 2026 projection sits at 86.1 PPR points. With 15,000 adds, he's a lower-urgency pickup but still worth a roster spot in 12-team leagues if he's open.

Alvin Kamara

Kamara is listed as questionable heading into Week 1, which is the only reason he's on the wire at this point in the season. He posted 100.7 PPR points in just 11 games in 2025, and his 2026 projection of 116.6 PPR points reflects genuine RB2 upside when healthy. If you need a handcuff or can stash a healthy-scratch risk, grab him — but do not start him in Week 1 without a status update closer to game time.

Wide receiver

Zavion Thomas

Thomas had zero NFL stats in 2025 (didn't play), but he earned preseason week 3 player award recognition — a standout performance that landed him 83,000 adds over 48 hours. His FantasyPros projection of 65.0 PPR points for the season is reasonable for a depth receiver with momentum. Stash in 12-team leagues; priority add in 14-team or deeper.

Jalen Nailor

Nailor is the most projectable WR on this list — 100.7 PPR points in 2025 across a full 17-game season, with a 2026 projection of 127.2. He's been featured in preseason recap pieces and ranks well inside the top 200 at his position. At 33,000 adds he's generating less buzz than his production warrants, which usually means he was already widely rostered. Check your league — if he's open, he's a priority add in all formats.

Khalil Shakir

Shakir is questionable for Week 1, and that injury tag is almost certainly why he's suddenly climbing waiver adds (25,000) — managers who cut him are creating openings. He produced 166.4 PPR points in 2025 and projects for 164.9 in 2026. If he clears, he's a high-end WR2. Add him if open and monitor his status closely; don't assume he plays.

Odell Beckham

Beckham posted zero points in 2025 and projects for just 23.9 PPR points in 2026, per FantasyPros — that's streaming-floor territory. He appeared in the final-53 roster-moves piece, which suggests he made a roster. At 60,000 adds he's generating real interest, likely off name recognition and a depth-chart opportunity. Streaming option only in 12-team leagues; stash in deeper leagues if roster space allows.

Cooper Kupp

Kupp put up 117.3 PPR points in 2025 and projects for 125.1 in 2026 — legitimate WR2 production. His add surge (23,600) likely reflects a final-roster clarity moment or a preseason role signal. If he's open in your league, that's a surprise worth acting on immediately. Priority add in all formats.

Keenan Allen

Allen moved to the Indianapolis Colts and made his preseason debut there in week 3, per the preseason recap coverage. He produced 182.7 PPR points in 2025 and projects for 141.6 in 2026. The dip from last year's actual points to this year's projection likely reflects uncertainty in a new situation. Preseason fallers coverage flagged him specifically — so there's real debate — but if he's open, his floor in PPR is high enough to add in most formats.

Also stashing

Tyquan Thornton (12,488 adds, 92.7 PPR projection, 80.8 actual PPR points in 2025) and Cyrus Allen (16,182 adds, 52.7 PPR projection, no 2025 stats) are fringe stashes in 14-team or deeper leagues. Neither has enough context in the available data to justify a confident priority-add call, but both showed up in preseason receiver coverage worth monitoring.

Tight end

Darren Waller

Waller is the second-most-added player in this entire window at 92,500 adds — easily the top TE priority. He played 14 games in 2025 and totaled 88.7 PPR points. His 2026 projection of 115.8 PPR points represents a step forward, and he landed in a TE rankings piece published today (September 3). That's a real signal. Priority add in all formats; he belongs on a roster, not a waiver wire.

Mark Andrews

Andrews posted 131.0 PPR points in 2025 across a full 17 games, and his 2026 projection of 167.1 PPR points makes him a TE1. At 17,000 adds, the surprise here is that he's available at all. If he's open in your league, drop whatever you were going to add first and grab him. Instant starter.

Daniel Bellinger

Bellinger projects for 52.0 PPR points in 2026 and posted 59.6 in 2025 across 16 games. He appeared in the preseason week 3 recap, suggesting some role clarity emerged late in camp. At 32,000 adds he's generating real interest as a TE streaming option — which is exactly what he is. Add in 12-team leagues only if you need a streamer; skip in deeper leagues with better options available.

Quarterback

Malik Willis

Willis is now the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, per the September 2 news cycle. That changes everything for his fantasy value. He produced just 51.2 PPR points in 2025 across 16 games as a backup, but his 2026 projection jumps to 271.8 — reflecting the scoring upside a mobile QB carries as a starter in a points-based format. At 31,500 adds he's a priority add in 2-QB or superflex (SF) leagues. In 1-QB formats he's a streaming option with upside.

Kyler Murray

Murray's 2026 projection of 291.4 PPR points is the highest among QBs on this list, and a recent draft strategy piece specifically noted he's now throwing to Justin Jefferson — a significant upgrade in offensive weapons. He played 14 games in 2025 and posted 80.8 PPR points, a below-projection season. If healthy, the 291-point projection reflects genuine QB1 upside. At 24,400 adds, he should already be rostered in most leagues — check now.

Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson

Cousins projects for just 47.1 PPR points in 2026, and Watson — despite a 135.2 projection — played 17 games in 2025 and scored 0.0 PPR points, which raises serious questions about his actual role or availability that the data doesn't resolve. Both are 1-QB streaming options at best. Add only if you're in a 2-QB or SF league and need a second quarterback.