As preseason football winds down and the regular season approaches, the 2024 fantasy football landscape is coming into focus. The buzz from training camps has provided valuable insights, and while some leagues won’t unlock the Week 1 waiver wire until after the first games, planning ahead could be the key to dominating your league.
Last year, savvy managers who grabbed De’Von Achane, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams before Week 1 reaped huge rewards, turning low-owned players into league-winning investments.
To help you stay ahead of the competition, here’s a look at some players you can stash on your roster from the Week 1 Waiver Wire, avoiding the scramble and saving your FAAB or waiver wire priority.
Note: Roster % based on Sleeper App availability
WEEK 1 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS AND STASHES
JORDAN MASON, RB, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (14% ROSTERED)
Jordan Mason has entered the upper echelon of fantasy football handcuffs after the 49ers placed Elijah Mitchell on season-ending IR. It looks like Mason has cemented himself as the team’s RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey, who has missed all of training camp while dealing with a calf strain. Although CMC is expected to be ready for Week 1, a lengthy soft tissue injury could cause concern for his 2024 fantasy outlook.
Although it would be insane to expect any sort of CMC-level production, the third-year RB has done well in his limited action, averaging 5.60 yards per carry during his career. In his final preseason game, he played 21 of 24 snaps with the first-team offense and racked up 42 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Mason’s roster percentage should be way higher than 16%.
MARSHAWN LLOYD, RB, GREEN BAY PACKERS (31%)
MarShawn Lloyd’s 2024 fantasy outlook is intriguing, especially now that he’s made the 53-man roster without being placed on PUP or IR after missing time due to hip and hamstring issues. Most importantly for his outlook, the Packers decided to put AJ Dillon on season-ending IR with a neck injury, making Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson (6% rostered) compete for the RB2 role behind Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs struggled last season, ranking bottom five in several key metrics, including yards before contact, yards after contact, broken tackle percentage, and evasion percentage. He also had the lowest yards per carry among RBs with 200+ rushes in 2023 and ranked RB56 in Fantasy Points per Touch. This creates an opening for Lloyd to step up and make an impact as a rookie and could be a league-winner in the second half of the season.
JALEEL MCLAUGHLIN, RB, DENVER BRONCOS (39%)
I’m very hesitant to buy into the Javonte Williams hype that’s been coming out of Denver the last few weeks. While Sean Payton historically has favored a bell-cow approach, Williams hasn’t shown he can stay healthy a full season, plus the league norm seems to be adapting the committee approach.
Enter Jaleel McLaughlin, who has been playing the majority of the first-team snaps in the preseason. He looks in line to play a significant role in the passing game while knocking right on the doorstep of leading the backfield, knowing Williams’ injury history. Plus, Sean Payton-led offenses are known to pepper the running back spot. McLaughlin should be rostered everywhere.
JAYLEN WRIGHT, RB, MIAMI DOLPHINS (50%)
It’s not too often that you’ll find an RB3 on these lists, but Jaylen Wright seems to have some special big play ability that’s flashed already in the preseason. He’s been used all over the field as a runner and receiver, making plays left and right. We know Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane have extensive injury histories, so Wright could be one week away from a feature role in an explosive offense. It also doesn’t hurt that he fits the Mike McDaniel RB model to a tee with his elite athleticism and 4.38 40-yard dash.
MICHAEL WILSON, WR, ARIZONA CARDINALS (21%)
While most of the focus in the Cardinals passing game will center around Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, keep your eyes on Michael Wilson heading into his sophomore year. Wilson had a meager target share on the number of routes he ran, which wasn’t helped by the absence of Kyler Murray for half the season. However, his yards per reception were high, and his stature and skill set should make him a red zone and vertical target opposite of MHJ.
JUWAN JOHNSON, TE, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9%)
After starting the offseason with foot surgery, Juwan Johnson has returned to the field and is back to 100 percent. Looking at the Saints’ receiving core, very little moves the needle outside of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to a lesser extent. Johnson ended his 2023 campaign strong with three touchdowns in his last four games. He should still have a decent target share with huge red-zone potential.
PIERRE STRONG JR., RB, CLEVELAND BROWNS (1%)
With Nick Chubb on the IR and D’Onta Foreman cut, the Browns backfield is down to two men on its 53-man roster: Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. After last season, it’s clear Ford will be the Browns’ workhorse, but Strong is an athletic runner with pass-catching upside. Now, he’s set to open up as the team’s RB2 and a Jerome Ford injury away from taking over. Strong does not have immense upside, but he’s worth a stash in deeper leagues.
ANDREI IOSIVAS, WR, CINCINNATI BENGALS (6%)
Tyler Boyd signed with the Tennessee Titans over the offseason, which opened up the WR3 spot in a pass-heavy Bengals offense. Iosivas seems to have the edge over rookie Jermaine Burton and veteran Trenton Irwin from the sound of it.
Not only did the second-year wideout put together a strong training camp, but in the two games where he saw over 70% of snaps last year, he turned in a 9-72-2 line on 15 targets. It also likely won’t factor in, but you can’t ignore Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins’ contract dilemmas.
Others to consider: QB Will Levis, QB Justin Fields, RB Audric Estime, RB Emanuel Wilson, RB Kimani Vidal, RB Justice Hill, RB Dalvin Cook, RB Khalil Herbert, RB Carson Steele, RB Sione Vaki, WR John Metchie, WR Marvin Mims, WR Jordan Whittington, WR Demarcus Robinson, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Greg Dortch, TE Theo Johnson, TE Colby Parkinson, TE Jonnu Smith
