NFL Waiver Wire: Week 1 Deep Dive

After what feels like far too long of a wait, we've finally made it to Week 1 of the 2023 season. Most teams have mainly remained healthy since Draft Day, and we avoid any more significant injuries to star players. Looking toward the waiver wire, there may not be many moves to make given the relative lack of new information. On the other hand, it's important to keep churning the final few roster spots early in the hopes of hitting on someone who can contribute consistently for the rest of the season.

In an effort to provide actionable advice to all readers, this article will highlight players rostered at a low rate on both ESPN and FFPC.  These are just examples of providers that typically host shallower leagues (ESPN) and deeper rosters (FFPC), not specific advice to those sites. 

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr vs. Titans (29 percent ESPN)

There are very few injuries to worry about at QB right now, particularly among those who fantasy managers would be relying upon as starters. For those who got stuck at the position in their draft, Carr represents a decent option. He'll begin his Saints tenure in his domed home field against a Tennessee secondary that was extremely vulnerable last year and wasn't upgraded significantly this offseason. 

Sam Howell vs. Cardinals (10 percent ESPN)

Arizona's roster is a disaster from top to bottom, so attacking them with streamers will likely be an option throughout the season. Howell takes the first shot, and he'll be a better choice if we get positive injury news on Terry McLaurin (toe) the rest of the week.

Baker Mayfield at Vikings (60.3 percent FFPC)

Mayfield is fairly highly rostered in deeper leagues, but he's a good option this week as the Vikings are another team with a weak secondary. There could be some improvement throughout the year, though that's not likely now. We know what Mayfield is at this point, but Chris Godwin and Mike Evans could drag him to some productivity and this is another matchup set to be played under a dome.

Running Backs

Kyren Williams at Seahawks (11 percent ESPN)

As would be expected, there are no projected starting RBs widely available in pretty much any format. With that being said, we'll turn to those we're fairly confident are locked into backup roles. Williams is among them as he didn't play at all in the preseason and earned the same treatment as starter Cam Akers. While things appear to have been cleared up, it'd worth remembering Akers' rocky start to 2022.

D'Onta Foreman vs. Packers (16 percent ESPN)

Foreman hasn't received great reviews out of camp and was reportedly on the hot seat for his roster spot. However, the Bears backfield remains ambiguous, so it's worth seeing how touches are allocated in Week 1.

Trayveon Williams at Browns (20.9 percent FFPC)

The Bengals backfield is another club with a cloudy backfield - at least in terms of depth - heading into the opener. Neither Chris Evans nor Chase Brown was overly impressive while trying to lock in the backup spot during the preaseason, potentially keeping the door open for Williams – who was sidelined with an injury for much of July and August. Joe Mixon remains on the roster, though the Bengals showed us they didn't want to rely on him as a three-down back consistently to close out last season.

Latavius Murray at Jets (21 percent FFPC)

Murray always seems to find his way into touches. He's earned at least 140 rushing attempts in all but two of his nine professional seasons. That's not necessarily predictive of what will happen in 2023, but Damien Harris has been limited by injuries early in his career and James Cook has yet to prove he can be an NFL workhorse.

Salvon Ahmed at Chargers (two percent ESPN)

The Dolphins cut Myles Gaskin and Jeff Wilson (abdomen) is on injured reserve, so the depth looks a bit different in Miami. De'Von Achane will likely play a larger offensive role at some point, but the best projection is that he'll be eased in after missing a significant part of training camp. That leaves Raheem Mostert and Ahmed as the most likely backs to earn touches.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Mims Jr. vs. Raiders (14 percent ESPN)

Mims should be off waivers in most leagues, so this is more of a check situation. It would be a surprise to see Jerry Jeudy active in Week 1, which means Mims should immediately be on the field at nearly a 100 percent rate.

Alec Pierce vs. Jaguars (seven percent ESPN)

Josh Downs is drawing a lot of attention among the Colts' receiving corps, but Pierce is the name to keep an eye on. He proved to be a big-play threat in his rookie season (eight catches of 20+ yards, three of 40+), even with terrible quarterback play. Anthony Richardson may be inconsistent, yet he knows how to make big plays - and that fits Pierce's style.

Rashid Shaheed vs. Titans (two percent ESPN)

Speaking of big plays, Shaheed was another big-play threat last year as a rookie. Michael Thomas is back on the field, but his role will differ significantly from Shaheed's. The matchup should also play into his favor, as discussed above for Carr.

Greg Dortch at Commanders (29 percent FFPC)

No one wants to touch the Cardinals' offense and rightfully so, but the benefit of targeting a team with a gutted roster is that it creates opportunity. After popping some big games when given a chance in 2022, Dortch could get more consistent looks. Quarterback play is a clear concern, but he's a decent stash in deeper leagues.

Marvin Jones at Chiefs (23 percent FFPC)

Jones has fallen off significantly the last two seasons in terms of efficiency, though projected volume could make up for that dip. He also enters the season as Detroit's second receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Trey Palmer at Vikings (eight percent FFPC)

We know Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will dominate targets and Russell Gage's season is over after he suffered a serious knee injury. Gage received 70 targets across 13 appearances in 2022, and Palmer appears to be the favorite to take over that role.

Deonte Harty at Jets (six percent FFPC)

Harty has beaten out Khalil Shakir for the third receiver spot according to Buffalo's depth chart. He may be buried on the priority list for targets, though the alternative to searching for players with better-than-expected opportunity is finding those attached to solid offenses.

Kendrick Bourne vs. Eagles (four percent FFPC)

We don't know the exact hierarchy of the Patriots wide receiver corps, but we do know Bourne is among the top three of the group. DeVante Parker (knee) is already battling an injury, so Bourne could be in line for targets alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Eagles also represent a tough Week 1 matchup.

Tight Ends

Luke Musgrave at Bears (seven percent ESPN)

The Packers are likely to be without Romeo Doubs (hamstring) on Sunday, and now Christian Watson's (hamstring) status is also in doubt. Jayden Reed was highlighted in Tuesday's waiver column, but Musgrave should have the chance to make a strong first impression as a pro given the injuries to Green Bay's key pass catchers.

Noah Gray (four percent ESPN) and Blake Bell vs. Lions (zero percent FFPC)

Speaking of injuries, we all know Travis Kelce's status is in question due to a knee issue. Target distribution is unpredictable in Kansas City, though both Gray and Bell would have the chance to step up if the star is out.

Adam Trautman vs. Raiders (eight percent FFPC)

Greg Dulcich may be headed for the Albert Okwuegbunam treatment in Denver this season with Trautman listed ahead of him on the team's current depth chart. This seems to be an under-discussed storyline, and Trautman could quickly become relevant in most league formats.