Week 1 of the NFL Season is officially under the books, as fantasy managers get a first look at their teams and see which players will benefit them throughout the season.   After evaluating their teams, managers now look to the waiver wire to see who could help.  Waiver wires are crucial because a player can come out of nowhere and become the next fantasy stud that could help out your team. It’s easy to overreact after Week 1, but fantasy managers shouldn’t underestimate the potential of a waiver-wire pickup who could provide additional points, fill in for an injured player, or suddenly emerge as a relevant fantasy option.

With Week 2 approaching, several players have already emerged as waiver-wire pickups and make a strong case for your fantasy teams.  Let’s look at some players to add to your fantasy teams.

Tyler Shough QB, NO Saints

Possibly the hottest fantasy wire pickup of Week 1, Saints QB Tyler Shough is a QB that fantasy managers should pick up in their leagues.  Shough had a massive performance against the Detroit Lions, throwing for 410 passing yards and three touchdowns for 23.2 points in PPR leagues.  The New Orleans Saints played competitively against the Detroit Lions and nearly pulled off the upset, with Tyler Shough as the main architect of the offense as the ball was spread around.

The Saints’ offense leaned heavily on the pass, as Shough had a career-high 56 pass attempts in Week 1.  He finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in four of his last six starts dating back to late last season, proving that Week 1 against the Lions was no joke.  The Saints offense is on the come-up because, all around, there’s serious talent, with Chris Olave as the WR1 and Devaughn Vele making a name for himself as the WR2 until Jorydn Tyson returns.  Juwan Johnson is a reliable TE, along with a backfield of Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne.  

He was unrostered in more than half of leagues heading into the week, making him an accessible stash if you need a backup QB.  Per FantasyPros, he’s rostered in 43% of leagues.  

Kaelon Black RB, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers came away with an upset win against the heavily favored Super Bowl favorites, the Los Angeles Rams.  One player who made a name for himself in the matchup was RB Kaelon Black, who is the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey.  

Though he’s second on the depth chart behind McCaffrey, last week’s matchup against the 49ers showed that he might be more involved in the offense than we think.  He actually out-carried CMC (14 to 10) in the opener, though CMC was dealing with some lower-body tightness/cramps and still dominated in the passing game.   Black finished with 14 carries for 65 rushing yards and caught a pass in the 49ers’ 27-7 win against the Rams.  

Even if his rush share drops, he is the clear RB2 ahead of Jordan James and serves as a premier contingency stash for one of the league’s valuable backfields.  All CMC fantasy managers worry about his health, so picking up his RB2 would ease some stress.  He’s only rostered in 21% of leagues, per FantasyPros. 

Devaughn Vale WR, NO Saints

The Saints shocked everyone on Sunday, played a competitive game against the Detroit Lions, and were a two-point conversion away from an upset win.  In that matchup, Devaughn Vele made a name for himself.

With first-round rookie WR Jordan Tyson on injured reserve, Vele is the No. 2 to soak up high-value snaps and targets, since there isn’t much competition behind him.  Vele caught 7 of his 9 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown and was on the field for over 90% of the Saints’ offensive snaps as the clear No. 2 wideout across from Chris Olave.  QB Tyler Shough threw the ball 56 times in Week 1, racking up 410 yards, which created a massive ceiling for secondary pass-catchers like Vele.

Vele should be widely available in your fantasy leagues, as he’s rostered in 6% to 10% of leagues, making him an easy, affordable addition via FantasyPros.  In PPR leagues, he’s worth the pickup as a quick-access, underneath target, which makes him especially valuable in PPR formats. 

Caleb Douglas WR, Miami Dolphins 

It’s supposed to be a tough year in South Beach, as the Miami Dolphins aren’t expected to make much noise this season.  On offense, depth is thin beyond De’Von Achane, giving the current skilled players on the roster a chance to make a name for themselves.  After Week 1, Caleb Douglass looks like the next guy up in Miami to become a WR1 for the Dolphins after a good performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Douglass finished with 5 receptions on 7 targets for 94 receiving yards.  He ran a route on 86% of QB Malik Willis’s dropbacks.  Surprisingly, his 94 receiving yards set a Miami franchise record for a player making their debut.  As a 6-foot-4 rookie drafted 75th overall, his rare size, catch radius, and 4.39 speed give him a high ceiling as Miami’s clear top wideout option.  

He’s a WR fantasy managers should stash immediately.  Douglass is rostered in just 16% of leagues, per FantasyPros.   

DeMario Douglas WR, New England Patriots

With A.J. Brown out for at least the next four games, Romeo Doubs will take charge of the New England Patriots’ WR core, leaving DeMario Douglass as the Patriots’ WR2.  

With A.J. Brown down, the Patriots’ underneath passing game opened up a heavy target volume.  Douglas led the Patriots with seven targets and a 79% route share in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.  Over the next couple of weeks, the Patriots will face tough matchups where Drake Maye will be heavily pressured, leaving DeMario Douglas as Maye’s safety net out of the slot.  

His underneath role gives him a solid weekly floor in PPR leagues, even though his total yardage was low in Week 1: 5 receptions for 20 yards.  He’s only rostered in 2% of leagues, per FantasyPros.  

Mike Gesicki TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Tight ends are hard to come by, so when you can snag a TE on the waiver wire, take the opportunity.  Mike Gesicki has always been a premier TE throughout his career and has been reliable at times.  He is the next waiver-wire TE you should pick up in your league.  

In Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gesicki led the Cincinnati Bengals with 5 receptions on 7 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown.  He earned QB Joe Burrow’s trust when top receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins had slow games.  His touchdown was a crucial goal-line one, as he showed to be a big-body threat in the red zone, showing upside for tight-end-needy teams.

He only played in 21 total offensive snaps, so his production came on limited opportunities.  Higgins and Chase might also heat up as the weeks go by, but Gesicki could become a vocal part of the offense alongside the two stud WRs.  He’s only rostered in 3% of leagues, per FantasyPros.