The 2026 fantasy football season is finally here, and Week 1 is all about finding the hidden gems that could take your squad to the next level.
Adding players post-draft is absolutely vital to season-long success, as would-be starters are being cut, traded, or shuffled on depth charts, opening up significant roles for underrated studs.
From upside wide receivers to sneaky tight ends and under-the-radar running backs, our Fantasy Football Week 1 Waiver Wire highlights the top waiver targets to stash before your league catches on.
Nabbing a potential league-winner now could pay huge dividends for the rest of the season.
Heads up: Each player featured here is rostered in roughly 55% or fewer leagues, according to FantasyPros, at the time of publication.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 1 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
QUARTERBACKS
MALIK WILLIS, QB, MIAMI DOLPHINS (47% ROSTERED)
It’s not hard to see the fantasy case for Willis in 2026. Legs, legs, legs.
Willis looks to be one of the best, or at least most dynamic, rushing quarterbacks in the game, based on the small sample size we’ve seen thus far.
In spot work with the Packers in 2025, while Jordan Love was dealing with injury, Willis showcased the playmaking ability that made him such a polarizing prospect entering the league.
Willis started his first game as a Dolphins QB this preseason and led the team on a 93-yard scoring drive before taking a seat.
This is fresh off Willis starting to catch fire in training camp.
Unless there is a massive shake-up of pass catchers on this roster, it’s likely Willis’ ceiling is capped in the QB8-12 range.
The Dolphins are a bad football team, but that doesn’t mean Willis can’t threaten 20+ fppg weekly with his legs.
TYLER SHOUGH, QB, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (22.3% ROSTERED)
Shough is a terrific waiver wire stab who could finish as a QB1 in 2026.
Through weeks 12-18 in 2025, Shough was the QB6 in fantasy while averaging 25 yards per game on the ground.
What’s most impressive is that Shough was producing for fantasy despite averaging only a 3.1 TD rate, well short of the estimated league average of around 4.5-4.7% last season.
During this same span, the former Louisville Cardinals QB ranked 12th in yards per attempt and accurate throw rate while ranking 7th in pass yards per game and 9th in hero throw rate, according to FantasyPoints data.
With Chris Olave rounding into form and a lethal backfield headlined by free-agent Travis Etienne, Shough expects more opportunities to throw for TDs.
With the additions of Etienne, talented rookie Jordyn Tyson, who should return to the field midseason, and explosive rookie Bryce Lance, Shough is a free stab at a weekly starting QB.
He drips week-winning upside at the position that can turn into a league winner down the stretch. Stab and stash!
Other stashes: Sam Darnold (SEA), Cam Ward (TEN)
RUNNING BACKS
MARSHAWN LLOYD, RB, GREEN BAY PACKERS (21% ROSTERED)
This is some low-hanging fruit now that Josh Jacobs has landed himself on the commissioner’s exempt list. And he could find himself off the list at any moment.
Still…
The uber-talented and often-injured Lloyd represents week-winning upside with what is expected to be a decent opportunity share with a likely high-octane offense in 2026.
According to an article on Forbes, Lloyd said he is “ready” to be the bellcow if called upon with Jacobs’ status up in the air.
“Honestly, I’m a baller. I’m a baller,” Lloyd said. “Honestly, you know, you just gotta be ready whenever your number’s called. I feel like the way my body’s feeling, it’s football. You know, there’s games I had in college that where I had a lot of carries. It’s just football. I mean, you gotta be ready for whatever.”
The former third-round pick has steadily reminded fans of his explosive abilities that made him such a polarizing prospect in 2024.
While with the USC Trojans, Lloyd flourished with a lighter load, averaging 7.1 yards per carry for 820 yards and 9 rushing TDs.
Now that he’s finally healthy, it’s reasonable to assume Jacobs, who turned 28 in February, could see Lloyd spell him more in the season.
Since joining the Packers, Jacobs has averaged 303 touches (19 touches per game), 14 rushing TDs, and more than 1,440 yards from scrimmage.
While it’s possible no formal suspension will be announced, should Lloyd have his number called, he could be in for a lucrative role.
The recent acquisition of Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers only raises Lloyd’s stock in my opinion.
Johnson could provide the Packers with a short-yardage grinder and a body to keep Lloyd’s legs fresh.
KIMANI VIDAL, RB, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (~2% ROSTERED)
The electric jitterbug Keaton Mitchell is not likely to have much of a role to start the year aside from sporadic touches here and there.
Dealing with an injury to finish the offseason has stalled the Mitchell hype train that drove his price tag sky high.
After a recent setback and some minor injury history with Hampton, Mitchell’s fellow backfield backup has week-winning upside and is capable of handling the load for a spell.
Kimani Vidal appears to be second-fiddle to second-year stallion Omarion Hampton and had four RB1 finishes in 2025.
While 2025 backfield splits suggest Hampton’s still the unquestioned alpha of the backfield, Vidal proved he is more than capable of shouldering the load.
Something Mitchell has yet to showcase, just saying.
Other stashes: Najee Harris (NYG), Tyjae Spears (TEN)
WIDE RECEIVERS
ZACHARIAH BRANCH, WR, ATLANTA FALCONS (3% ROSTERED)
I won’t be so bold as to say the former Georgia Bulldog will come out and light it up week one.
HOWEVER, I will say… crazier things have happened.
Tua Tagovailoa is arguably the most limited QB in the game and works best when he can get the ball out of his hands quickly.
Branch is capable of turning on those blazing burners beneath his feet and working downfield, but the 5’10” receiver prefers to hang around the line of scrimmage.
He thrives in space when he can catch the ball in stride or on designed hits like bubble screens where he can plant his feet and fly.
Perfect for Checkdown Charlie.
Branch can earn a solid role with the team quickly and help keep defenders from cheating back to lock up Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
With linebackers having to focus on the best running back in football, Branch is free to cook in designed open-field concepts.
Easily worth a stash.
CALEB DOUGLAS, WR, MIAMI DOLPHINS (6% ROSTERED)
It doesn’t excite me to advocate for rostering Dolphins pass catchers.
But if you squint one eye, turn your head, and then squint another eye, you can see the truth for what it is.
This is an NFL offense, and someone besides De’Von Achane has to catch the ball and score points.
Douglas has been on the receiving end of a steady drumbeat of offseason and preseason praise.
He’s routinely flashed downfield chops and has flashed reliable hands.
If nothing else, Douglas has earned the trust of Willis and is in line to run plenty of routes in 2026.
If this pick doesn’t work out after a couple of weeks, just tip your cap to Don McLean and sing “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” and set Douglas free for another team’s roster.
