Welcome to week one of fantasy football and the very first waiver wire of the 2024 season! While there hasn’t been a snap played on the field just yet, there are still a few players you can plant your flag on to help your fantasy team this season.
For this Week 1 Waiver Wire (2024) article, I will be using Sleeper HQ roster percentages, as it is one of the more popular platforms. For those using Yahoo and ESPN as their fantasy platforms, the percentages may be off, but there were no major discrepancies.
Quarterback:
Derek Carr – Sleeper roster 42%
- Carr’s supporting cast could elevate his fantasy season. Olave and Kamara alone combined for almost 1,600 passing yards in 2023.
- Game one this season is against the Carolina Panthers, who statistically pose a bottom-five overall team in the NFL, giving Carr more upside for week one.
Russell Wilson – Sleeper roster 15%
- Wilson goes to a new team in Pittsburgh, where he earned the starter position over Justin Fields to start the year.
- While Wilson had his lowest passing yardage of his career in 2023, he looks to bolster those numbers with some talented receivers and running backs around him.
Baker Mayfield – Sleeper roster 13%
- Mayfield had one of his best seasons in 2023, throwing for 4,044/28/10 on the season.
- Baker retains his supporting cast in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who combined for more than half of Mayfield’s total passing yards in 2023.
Running Back:
Jaleel McLaughlin – Sleeper roster 43%
- While Javonte Williams was out in 2023, McLaughlin had 37.3 total fantasy points as the starter, and 106 points overall as a solid backup.
- Denver plays Seattle in week one, who gave up almost 500 passing yards to the running back in 2023, a place where McLaughlin excels.
Jordan Mason – Sleeper roster 27%
- With Elijah Mitchell going on IR, Mason is the backup to Christian McCaffrey. While McCaffrey will take majority of the work load, the 49ers backups totaled almost 1,000 yards in 2023.
- Mason has looked good this preseason, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has three total touchdowns
Dalvin Cook – Sleeper roster 25%
- While Cook hasn’t played all offseason and just signed with the Cowboys, the team brought him in to be a factor in their offense.
- Just in 2022 with Minnesota, Cook was an elite running back. His time with the Jets did not go as planned, but it is possible he can support more of a workload with the Cowboys and get back some juice that he had during his 1,000 yard seasons.
Wide Receiver:
Adam Thielen – Sleeper roster 44%
- Last year, Thielen posted his first 1,000 yard season since being a Viking in 2018, leading all receivers in receptions, targets and yards.
- Thielen is still listed as a starter along with Mingo and newcomer Dionte Johnson. He looks to be a safety net for Bryce Young and will play a part in this offense.
Darnell Mooney – Sleeper roster 33%
- While Mooney hasn’t had great success since 2021, the Falcons signed him to a three year deal, showing their belief in the 26-year-old receiver.
- With Rondale Moore in IR, Mooney has the opportunity to cement his place as the WR2 behind Drake London.
Demario Douglas – Sleeper roster 25%
- The Patriots weren’t the best team last year, but out of the receivers, Demario Douglas led the team with receiving yards with 561.
- Aside from the rookie Ja’lynn Polk, New England doens’t have much depth at the position. Douglas remains a top receiver for whichever quarterback will be playing for the Patriots.
Tight End:
Taysom Hill – Sleeper roster 48%
- Hill is a jack-of-all-trades kind of player. In 2023, he posted 83 passing yards, 401 rushing, 291 receiving, and seven total touchdowns across three different positions.
- While he is a scary type of starter, he averaged almost 9 fantasy PPR points per game in 2023 when he was on the field, finishing as high as 3rd in week 8 due to his rushing game.
Cade Otton – Sleeper roster 34%
- After the two wide receivers and Rashaad White at running back, Otton is the 4th target on a team that loves to pass the ball.
- Week one the Buccaneers play the Washington Commanders. The team gave up the 11th most points to the tight end in 2023.
Isaiah Likely – Sleeper roster 32%
- While Likely is technically the backup to Andrews, the Ravens have said they will use more 12 personnel sets in 2024 to highlight both players.
- Likely has had 331 yards and two touchdown while Andrews has been on the field with him.
D/ST:
Seattle Seahawks – Sleeper roster 45%
- Seattle play the Denver Broncos in week one, who are starting a rookie quarterback. Expect Bo Nix to make some mistakes and Seatlle capitalize on that.
- They also have a great matchup in week 2, where they take on the New England Patriots and a struggling Jacoby Brissett.
Houston Texans – Sleeper roster 33%
- The Texans overhauled their defense in 2024, and now rank as the third best defense for fantasy, according to PFF.
- The first five out of six weeks of the season is a juicy lineup for the Texans where they face the Colts, Bears, Vikings, Jaguars, and Patriots.
Chicago Bears – Sleeper roster 20%
- The Bears rank 13th overall according to PFF, but are one of the lowest rostered defenses on Sleeper.
- They open up against the Tennessee Titans and against 2nd year quarterback Will Levis, who threw four interceptions and was sacked 28 times in 2023.