It is back. After a long off-season, the NFL and fantasy football has finally returned with Week 1 upon us. What a glorious feeling it is. Following months of research, planning, and speculation, the 2022 NFL season begins this week and it's time sure up those fantasy football lineups. While I am sure you feel good about all of your carefully drafted teams, there is always going to be some room for tweaking or improvement based on the ever-changing NFL environment and fantasy football projections. Players may still be stuck on the NFL injury report while fantasy football sleepers are emerging late. The fantasy football player rankings are always changing and it's important to stay on top of everything. Heading into Week 1 of the 2022 season, let us take a look some potential fantasy football waiver wire pickups. The general criteria being used here are players that are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. Now let's get to some fantasy football advice for the top waiver wire targets ahead of NFL Week 1.

 

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Week 1

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Matt Ryan, IND – FAAB Bid: 1%

Last year was a flat-out disaster for Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons and the veteran is looking for a fresh start this season with the Colts. It is a soft-landing spot for Ryan in his debut against the Texans and he will also be quite eager to put last season behind him with a new team and talented weapons like Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor. We did see some positive momentum generated, in albeit a small sample size, this pre-season and I would not count Ryan out just yet. He makes the perfect veteran hedge if you waited on quarterbacks and went with a high upside option with perhaps a few more questions. 

Baker Mayfield, CAR – FAAB Bid: 1%

The Cleveland Browns were/are a mess, and you could make an argument that Mayfield never really got a fair shake with his first NFL team. After much drama this off-season, Mayfield was ultimately traded to Carolina, and as luck would have it, guess who the Panthers face this Sunday? If you want to take the revenge angle, this is a perfect spot for it and the main thing that catches my attention here, is that Mayfield is finally healthy after he had no business being on the field most of the time he was last year. The need for a fresh start cannot be overstated. 

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Mike Davis, BAL – FAAB Bid: 2-3%

Gus Edwards is on the PUP list to start the season and with J.K. Dobbins not at 100% and his status still unclear, that potentially leaves Baltimore’s backfield in the hands of Mike Davis. While this does not start off as a long-term play, when it comes to running backs, it always about who is sitting in the job at that moment. Davis failed to really distinguish himself last year when he sat atop the depth chart with Atlanta, but once again he could find himself in a high-volume situation against a Jets’ team and a defense that we really do not know what they are capable of. This could turn out to be bust rather quickly, but we have to follow the potential carries. 

J.D. McKissic, WAS – FAAB Bid: 2%

The circumstances are terrible, but Washington’s backfield is a little thinner now, and I would expect McKissic to have a relatively major role once again this season. Last year, McKissic caught 43 passes for 397 yards in 11 games while also averaging 4.4 yards per carry. I am expecting Antonio Gibson to handle the first and second round work once again with McKissic being the third-down back, and in PPR leagues especially, there is a solid amount of value in that. 

Isaiah Spiller, LAC – FAAB Bid: 1%

I could be proven wrong very quickly, but it appears that in Spiller, the Chargers have found the true second running back behind Aaron Ekeler. It is a good sign that the rookie returned to practice last week and I would expect the rookie to have a legitimate role which will likely grow each week. We might have to wait a week or two for Spiller to carve out some playing time and find his footing, but it should come as the Chargers also look to keep Ekeler healthy for 17 games. 

 

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Jarvis Landry, NO – FAAB Bid: 3%

What we get out of Michael Thomas is a complete unknown as it has been quite a while since we have seen him on the field and he is still dealing with a hamstring injury so it is safe to say there are more questions than answers. While Chris Olave is super talented and comes with a lot of buzz, he is still a rookie so that leaves Landry as the boring option. It is hard to truly judge him based on what we saw last season in Cleveland and despite a lack of upside, Landry can be a valuable asset to begin the season and this is especially true in PPR leagues. 

Rondale Moore, ARI – FAAB Bid: 2-3%

Despite the addition of Marquise Brown, Moore is an interesting option as he enters the second year of his career. DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games of the season and with Christian Kirk in Jacksonville and Chase Edmonds now in Miami, the stage is set for Moore to take on a larger role. The fact that Moore practiced on Monday is a good sign as he looks to turn the corner after an up and down rookie season that saw him catch 54 passes for 435 yards and a touchdown. Moore can also be used as a runner and we know that the speed is there. 

Nico Collins, HOU – FAAB Bid: 1-2%

Collins had a pedestrian start to his NFL career in 2021 catching 33 passes for 446 yards and he begins this year starting for the Texans alongside Brandin Cooks in an offense that should at least improve on an incremental basis. Davis Mills should also make strides in his second year as well in a new offense run by Pep Hamilton. At the very least, there should be volume here. 

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Evan Engram, JAC – FAAB Bid: 1%

If you find yourself in the position in which you waited on tight end, Engram could be the perfect streaming option; well at least early in the season while he is still healthy. Health and inconsistency in general have been issues for Engram throughout his career, but when he is on the field, we have seen flashes of production. Engram gets a change of scenery in Jacksonville and with Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars slated to take the next step, there could be some value to be found here.

Noah Fant, SEA – FAAB Bid: 1%

Right off the bat, it is a revenge game for Fant who faces the Broncos in his first game with Seattle. I am not sure how large the downgrade is for Fant going from the Denver quarterbacks last season to Geno Smith beginning this year. It still remains to be seen how the Seahawks will utilize Fant, but he is talented and the general market has been down on the Seattle offense heading into the season. 

 


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