Week 1 of the NFL season came and went, and now it’s time for one of the most important days of the fantasy season: Week 1 waiver wire day.

Over the next 24 hours, everyone is going to be scouring the waiver wire, trying to find the next breakout star to help their fantasy team, and there are quite a few potential league-winners out there right now at every position.

Here are eight guys I’m targeting on waivers this week.

Note: Only players rostered in under 60% of leagues are on this list

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

Rostered: 51%

Ever since Jalen Coker left Holy Cross, a lot of people have been very high on him as an NFL receiver. He didn’t do much as a rookie, but had a solid second season with the Carolina Panthers in 2025, and it looks like 2026 might be his breakout season.

In Week 1, Coker caught eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, out-performing Tetairoa McMillan, who finished with five receptions for 75 yards. That obviously isn’t going to happen every week, but Coker is the clear second-best receiver in this offense. I don’t expect Carolina to score 37 points every week either, but Coker is more than capable of catching five passes for 60 yards pretty consistently, and if McMillan misses any time, he has WR1 upside.

Coker is dealing with an ankle injury, but the Panthers have said they don’t expect him to miss any time. He’s definitely a priority pick up this week.

Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints

Rostered: 52%

If you’re weak at tight end, Juwan Johnson is the No. 1 person you should be targeting on waivers this week. He was one of my late-round picks in every single draft, because in 2025, when Tyler Shough was under center, he was the TE3 in fantasy. I couldn’t fathom why he was going undrafted in every other fantasy draft, and now everyone else is wondering why as well.

In Week 1, Johnson caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, but he was also targeted seven times. If the Saints’ offense didn’t start slow, there was potential for a 5+ catch, 75+ yard performance for Johnson.

The tight end position is so thin in fantasy, it’s rare to find someone like Johnson on waivers. If you use FAAB, I would dump a good bit of it on Johnson if you need tight end help. Don’t be afraid to overspend here; he’s going to finish as a top-10 fantasy TE if he’s healthy.

Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

Rostered: 47%

I know I’m a New Orleans Saints fan, so you can call me biased, but I never understood why Juwan Johnson and Tyler Shough were going so late/undrafted in fantasy drafts. They were both really good down the stretch last season, and with another offseason under their belt, they were always going to get better.

Shough had a slow start in Week 1, but still finished the game with 410 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He literally threw for more yards in the second half (325) than all but three other quarterbacks (Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Bryce Young) did in the entire game. When this offense is humming, they’re going to be very good, and they have an extremely favorable schedule.

I’d put money on Shough finishing as a top-12 fantasy quarterback this year, so if you can get him off waivers this week, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Rostered: 15%

Kaelon Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football this year. He’s Christian McCaffrey’s backup, and we know how often CMC gets injured (and he’s already dealt with an injury in training camp), but he’s also very talented and will be a big part of this offense even when CMC is healthy.

On Thursday night, Black ran the ball 14 times for 65 yards, but the most impressive part about it was that he actually out-carried CMC, 14-10. Will that continue throughout the season? I doubt it, but he’s likely to get a good amount of work, and again, if CMC goes down, he becomes the clear RB1 in a very potent offense.

I wouldn’t break the bank for him, but I’d spend a decent bit of FAAB to secure the best handcuff in fantasy.

Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints

Rostered: 13%

Devaughn Vele is much more of a short-term option than the others I’ve mentioned thus far, but if you’re someone who has A.J. Brown or Zay Flowers, who could end up missing a few weeks, Vele could be a good pickup.

As long as Jordyn Tyson is out, which is at least three more games, Vele is going to be New Orleans’ WR2 behind Chris Olave, and if we learned anything in Week 1, it’s that Kellen Moore is not afraid to throw the ball a lot. Olave may have seen 13 targets, but Vele still got nine, catching seven of them for 69 yards and a score. And after two acrobatic catches in big situations, Shough is going to be very confident throwing him the football in the red zone.

Once Tyson returns, Vele’s value will diminish quickly, but if you need a short-term option at receiver, there’s no one better on waivers at the moment, outside of Jalen Coker.

Caleb Douglas, WR, Miami Dolphins

Rostered: 16%

I was very, very impressed with Caleb Douglas in his NFL debut. He was viewed as a late-round pick by many coming out of college, but the Miami Dolphins selected him in the third round, along with Louisville WR Chris Bell. I thought it would be Bell who made the bigger impression in Week 1, but it was Douglas, who led Miami with five receptions for 94 yards.

Miami’s offense is not going to be very good this season, so Douglas’s production will be pretty hit-or-miss, but it never hurts to have a team’s WR1 on your bench, no matter how bad the offense is.

Mack Hollins, WR, New England Patriots

Rostered: 1%

When A.J. Brown went down, many expected Romeo Doubs to become the New England Patriots’ WR1, but Doubs had a horrible game, dropping multiple passes and ending the night with zero catches. Instead, it was Mack Hollins who stepped up, catching four passes for 51 yards. He was a reliable target when Drake Maye needed to make a play happen, and heading into Week 2, he should once again be Maye’s favorite target.

Hollins is another guy, sort of like Vele, who doesn’t have a ton of long-term value. Once A.J. Brown returns, he’ll go back to being pretty irrelevant in fantasy, but if you’re an A.J. Brown owner and need some receiver help, Hollins could be a solid pickup.

Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders

Rostered: 2%

The last guy I want to mention this week is Antonio Williams. The rookie receiver out of Clemson was pretty highly touted, but as a slot receiver, he slid a bit in the draft before Washington picked him up in round three, and he had a great debut.

Williams led all Commanders receivers with four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown – which was an incredibly impressive shoestring catch. While Makai Lemon, the top slot receiver in the draft, ended the game with -5 receiving yards, Williams showed out and looked like the better player. He’s going to be a big part of Washington’s offense, so I’d scoop him up.