Congratulations, everyone! You officially made it to Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season — which means most of your fantasy football teams have been drafted. And synced to our tools, right?

You put in the hard work, so take a small victory lap and give your roster another admiring glance. I hope you got the quarterback of your dreams, the best value picks, and the late-round running back who will surely win your league.

So… what's next? 

Start a Guillotine League with all your same rosters and managers and create a parallel experience! 

And then it's waivers, baby! It's now time to be a true manager. We know how the season goes. There will inevitably be injuries, utilization changes and players who seemingly come out of “nowhere.”

This column will be your guide for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll spotlight the biggest waiver wire targets, players you should keep on your radar, and the recommended FAAB. Most importantly, WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Injuries happen, but we can manage our way out of anything. It's a fresh start, a new season… so let's get into it.

Injuries to know

  • Chiefs: Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (shoulder)
  • Packers: MarShawn Lloyd (hip, hamstring) — more on him below

Players out for at least four weeks:

Week 1's Top Waiver Wire Add for Fantasy Football

Kansas City's newest addition, Samaje Perine — featured in the RB section below

Waiver Wire Adds for Week 1

Quarterbacks 

It’s Week 1, so your starting QB is probably locked and loaded. But let’s say you drafted in mid-August and have lost confidence in the QB you selected. Here are some deeper choices that are probably still available to you.

Will Levis, Titans (18% rostered)

You should avoid putting mayonnaise in your coffee, but what you shouldn't avoid (even with questionable food priorities) is rostering Titans QB Will Levis in 2024 as a backup. 

In Levis' debut last seson he threw four touchdowns, and also led all qualified quarterbacks in aDOT and deep ball rate (22% of his passes traveled 20-plus air yards).

Entering the 2024 season Levis has a new head coach in Brian Callahan and offensive coordinator in Nick Holz, along with a bevy of weapons that could elevate his game. Levis has DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to look forward to, who are all solid options to help come down with that deep ball. 

Don't let your leaguemates scoff at you when you pick up Levis — there was no upside in his average draft position during the offseason, so outperforming expectations are completely on the table. Especially as a backup on your roster.

Keep in mind…

Drake Maye, Patriots

The New England Patriots named Jacoby Brissett their starting quarterback, but we should still leave a candle lit for rookie Drake Maye. The decision to start Brissett over Maye could be perceived as a more cautionary approach from New England. The Patriots have the second-hardest strength of schedule—with matchups against the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins, and Texans in their first six games. 

It's also not a bad idea for the offensive line to gel a bit more before putting the rookie out there. They are entering the season as PFF's 28th-ranked offensive line, which is not ideal. There are also some questions as to which wide receivers will rise to the top of this depth chart. All-in-all, it doesn't seem like the Patriots are ready yet to support Maye. He shouldn't be a priority on the waiver wire until we see more from him.

Running Backs

Samaje Perine, Chiefs (3% rostered)

This might be the waiver wire pickup of the week, so don't miss out. The Kansas City Chiefs placed running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/non-football illness list, which means he will miss the first four games of the season (at least). 

To me this means that the Samaje Perine signing was more than just a depth addition. Add in the fact that the Chiefs reportedly tried to sign Josh Jacobs during the offseason and we should come to the conclusion that maybe Isiah Pacheco's workload won't get bigger for him this season. Perine will look to take over the passing-and-third-down role we saw Jerick McKinnon have in 2023. Of course, Pacheco is the team's RB1, but Perine is now a solid backup to target on the waiver wire this week. 

Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos (33% rostered)

So, Javonte Williams wasn't cut (LOL), but that doesn't mean we should stop looking for value in this backfield. Jaleel McLaughlin is the team's No. 2 RB, which gives him a path to relevancy. 

Last season, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry—better than Williams (3.6) and Samaje Perine (4.5). He was also second among running backs in targets per route run, which is a sign that the coaching staff was willing and wanting to get him the ball when on the field.

With Perine out of the picture, Williams could be highlighted in two-minute situations. Even though he is the lead back, there's not a guarantee that Williams takes on the bulk of the work. I really like McLaughlin this season, with a bigger role on the horizon. 

Fantasy Life has McLaughlin projected for 525 rushing yards and 241 receiving yards and five total touchdowns.

Jordan Mason, 49ers (26% rostered)

Unfortunately Elijah Mitchell landed on season-ending injured reserve. That means the next man up in this backfield is Jordan Mason. He is now one of the top handcuffs heading into the 2024 season.

We never want injuries, but Christian McCaffrey was sidelined all preseason due to a calf injury. If he were to miss time during the regular season, then Mason would be in line for a big workload.

Only De'Von Achane (7.9) has averaged more yards per carry than Mason (5.6) over the last two seasons (minimum 75 carries). This is one of the league's best rushing attacks for fantasy football, so keep Mason in mind as a solid bench stash. 

MarShawn Lloyd, Packers (14% rostered)

This Packers backfield will be led by Josh Jacobs, that's not a secret—the team gave him a 4-year, $48-million contract earlier this offseason. But who could be RB2 on this offense? Unfortunately, AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending injured reserve, meaning there is a clear path for rookie MarShawn Lloyd. 

Here's what Thor Nystrom, our college football analyst, wrote about Lloyd after the draft:

“Lloyd boasts a tantalizing combination of make-you-miss agility, 4.4 wheels, and power. He changes directions suddenly and returns to top gear in a few steps. Blessed with a thick lower body, Lloyd is a loaded spring that snaps arm tackle attempts. He runs with good balance, ricocheting away from off-angle attempts.”

I have drafted a ton of Lloyd. He has been sidelined during the preseason with hip and hamstring issues, but he is back on the field just days before the season opener. This doesn't mean that Lloyd will be an automatic start in fantasy football lineups, we are going to have to exercise some patience with him. But Lloyd really is too skilled of a runner to be sidelined — I think the version of Jacobs we get this season is somewhere in the middle of his 2022 and 2023 season performances. 

The Packers have always deployed a committee running back approach, so keep an eye on Lloyd in your leagues.  

Keep in mind for later…

Jaylen Wright, Dolphins (21% rostered)

Yes, this is De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert's world and we are just living in it, BUT might I interest you in rookie running back Jaylen Wright? This is another handcuff situation in fantasy that you are going to want a piece of.

The Dolphins traded a 2025 third-round pick to move up and draft Wright —when you look at what he brings to this offense you'll understand why. He is FAST. Wright notched a 4.38-second 40-yard dash AND hit 23.7 MPH at the NFL Combine. One thing the Dolphins love is speed and the rookie could fit into this offense almost seamlessly if there was an injury to either Achane or Mostert. 

I want any and all parts of this backfield. Wright is one of my favorite bench stashes, but just remember to be patient.

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers (17% rostered)

Another RB2 worth keeping an eye on is rookie Bucky Irving. While I still drafted a good amount of Rachaad White, there is a path for Irving to be more than just “a solid handcuff.”

Former OC Dave Canales is gone, and so could the "we're running no matter what" mentality. Could White be getting the same volume as last season? Dwain McFarland featured Irving as one of his "my guys" for 2024, noting that the rookie fits the profile of what Tampa Bay's staff wants from their running backs and said that the door is open for Irving to push White for reps as the season progresses. 

Wide Receivers

Adonai Mitchell, Colts (28% rostered)

The Indianapolis Colts may be indefinitely without wide receiver Josh Downs, who has been out most of training camp and the preseason due to a high-ankle sprain. Enter: rookie Adonai Mitchell. 

Mitchell notched an 86% route participation rate, 22% target share and 21% air yards share with Anthony Richardson this preseason. He mostly played from the slot with Downs out, but Dwain McFarland highlighted in the Utilization Report that he kicked outside in 12 personnel looks, bumping Alec Pierce off the field. This was a good sign for his playing time once Downs returns. He's going to get meaningful playing time, which gives him a path to be a solid bench stash in fantasy

Keep in mind for later…

Andrei Iosivas, Bengals (6% rostered)

First off, let's get the pronunciation of Andrei Iosivas' name ingrained in your mind… Ready? "Yo-see-vash." 

  • Yo as in “yo, what's up” 
  • see (self explanatory)
  • and the "a" in "vash" sounds like "ah." 

IOSIVAS!

So, with Tyler Boyd taking his talents to the Titans, Iosivas is now the WR3 in this Bengals offense. Rookie Jermaine Burton could be a threat to his status, but for now Iosivas could see some early work. If Ja'Marr Chase's hold-in continues to be ugly before the season starts OR we see an injury to either Chase or Tee Higgins, Iosivas would be in line for a lot more work.

Tight Ends

Noah Fant, Seahawks (32% rostered)

A new Seahawks coaching staff could mean a new outlook for Noah Fant. I mean, he didn't score a touchdown in 2023 so it's only up from here … right?

Former tight end teammates Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are no longer in the picture, which means he could see a larger role this season. He finished as the TE11 and TE12 in his two highest route participation campaigns in 2020 (67%) and 2021 (73%). If your plans at tight end fall apart, or you're not in love with who you currently have on your bench, then Fant is a solid waiver pickup.