After the draft, every fantasy football manager thinks they have the best team in the league. Then Week 1 hits, and at least 50 percent of managers start to panic.

The week between Week 1 and Week 2 is arguably the biggest week in fantasy football. The waiver wire is as deep as it’ll be all year, and managers everywhere are trying to sell high or buy low in trades. Rash post-Week 1 decisions can cost you your league, but if you’re smart about it, you can also win your league this week.

Here are three players you should buy, sell, and hold onto in fantasy football this week.

Buy: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith had a lot of hype entering the 2026 fantasy football season. With A.J. Brown gone, Smith is taking over as Philadelphia’s WR1, but he had a pretty disappointing season opener, catching three passes for 53 yards. He was the Eagles’ third-leading receiver on the day behind Dallas Goedert and Dontayvion Wicks, but he’s still in a great spot for the rest of the season.

Despite finishing third in yards, Smith led the team in targets with six, and his 27.27 percent target share ranks 13th in the league. If it weren’t for some explosive plays on offense, such as the 43-yard touchdown to Goedert or the 64-yard completion to Wicks, which won’t happen every week, Smith would’ve gotten even more opportunities.

Smith is an easy buy-low for me after Week 1.

Sell: Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucky Irving may have scored you 20 points in the season opener, but I would 100 percent look to sell him if you have any interested buyers, especially to a team that desperately needs RB help and may overspend to get one.

In Week 1, Irving ran the ball eight times for 45 yards and a touchdown, but his real fantasy value came in the passing game, where he caught seven passes for 48 yards. He’s not going to get that kind of receiving work every week, largely because Tampa has one of the best receiving backs in football, Kenneth Gainwell, who is only going to get a bigger role as the season progresses. Add on the fact that he only out-carried Gainwell by three, and I don’t see Irving producing 20+ points most weeks.

There are too many teams desperate for a running back out there. I’d see if anyone’s willing to overspend and give you a better receiver or tight end in return.

Hold: Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Parker Washington hype was real this offseason, and it looks like he’s going to live up to it.

I know Jacksonville played Cleveland this week, but Washington led the team in targets with six (nobody else had more than three), caught five of those for 83 yards and a touchdown, and he only played about half of their offensive snaps. Meanwhile, Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr., Washington’s two biggest rivals for targets, combined for five catches for 80 yards and one score. He out-produced both of them combined.

The Washington haters out there will be telling you to sell him while his value is high, but Washington is one of the best WR2 options in fantasy football right now, and if you were lucky enough to get him as your WR3, there are very few FLEX players with a higher ceiling.

Buy: Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

Drake Maye’s stock is as low as it has ever been after a very poor performance in the season opener, but that’s the perfect reason to buy low on him right now.

In Week 1, Maye threw for 178 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions, but he also showed his rushing ability, adding 47 yards on the ground, and was playing probably the toughest defense in the NFL. This is not going to be an every-week occurrence for Maye, who was the MVP runner-up last year.

The schedule doesn’t get a whole lot easier, but they won’t face a defense as tough as Seattle’s for the rest of the year. He’s still a top-six fantasy quarterback for the remainder of the season, especially when A.J. Brown returns.

Sell: Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

A lot of people were high on Jalen Coker this season, and for good reason, because he’s a very talented player. But let’s be honest, he’s not keeping up this pace for the entire season, and even if you think he’s going to be good, you’re never going to trust him enough to start him. You might as well dump him now and get a solid haul in return before his value drops again.

After a 130+ yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 1, Coker’s stock is as high as it has ever been, but he is still the WR2 on a Carolina offense that isn’t going to score 37 points every week. Bryce Young didn’t just learn how to be an elite quarterback overnight. He’s always shown flashes, but he’s never been able to keep it up over a 17-game season.

I would bet money that Coker won’t even come close to topping his Week 1 fantasy total for the rest of the season, and for that reason, I’m selling him and getting as much in return as I can before the weekend.

Hold: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos

Jaylen Waddle was someone that I and many others were very high on this season. Coming from Miami, where he played with Tua Tagovailoa and was still very successful, to Denver with Bo Nix was an exciting prospect, but in Week 1, Waddle caught just one pass for two yards. Still, I’m not being rash and dumping him. I’d rather hold onto him, because he has a ton of upside.

We all know Waddle is an explosive playmaker, and while Denver’s offense isn’t elite, it’s still one of the better units in the NFL. I fully believe that by the end of the year, he will be the Broncos‘ WR1. He’s a much better playmaker than Courtland Sutton, and this offense is going to find its legs, even if that means Sean Payton has to take back play-calling duties.

Don’t sell Waddle just because of one bad week, because you will regret it.

Buy: Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears

The most obvious buy-low candidate of the week is Colston Loveland. Despite scoring 59 points and putting up over 500 yards of offense, the Chicago Bears‘ TE1 didn’t catch a single pass and ended up with a fat 0 in fantasy football (I have him in two leagues, so I know the pain). Loveland managers are panicking, and it’s the perfect time to take advantage.

If you think Loveland isn’t going to be one of the top-two options on this offense for the remainder of the year, you’re lying to yourself. I could argue that he’s the most talented player on their offense that doesn’t wear No. 18. Ben Johnson loves this guy – there’s a reason he was the first pick of the Ben Johnson-era – and he’s going to find ways to get him the football in the future.

Buy now while you still can, because in a few weeks, it will be hard to get him.

Sell: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Chuba Hubbard was on the other side of the field from Loveland in that record-setting game, and while he played much better than Loveland, I’m selling him all day long.

Hubbard ran the ball 10 times for 49 yards and a touchdown while adding three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. It was a solid season opener for Hubbard, but there’s reason to be concerned about his long-term outlook. First, he carried the ball just 10 times and finished with under 50 percent of the team’s carries. Second, Carolina’s offense isn’t going to be this potent every week, and his touchdown opportunities are going to go down.

There’s a good chance that, by the end of the year, Hubbard is splitting carries with A.J. Dillon and Jonathon Brooks, so I’d sell high on him while you can.

Hold: Isaiah Likely, TE, New York Giants

Finally, hold onto Isaiah Likely. When a late-round pick goes off in Week 1, it’s easy to say you’ll just trade him and try to get a “more talented” player in return, but the writing for Likely’s breakout season has been on the wall all offseason, and now it’s coming to fruition.

I forgot the exact stat, but I saw a post in training camp saying that Jaxson Dart was targeting Likely more than any other receiver on the team in drills, and who would’ve guessed that in Week 1, Likely would be the second-most targeted player on the team behind Malik Nabers. His breakout game was not a fluke; this was always going to happen.

Don’t sell Likely just because you can get a solid RB3 in return. Hold onto him and be happy you have a top-10 TE on your team.