Fantasy football championships aren’t only won at the draft. Some of the biggest advantages you can create come from getting ahead of the waiver wire before everyone else realizes a player’s role has changed.
That’s especially important entering Week 1. Instead of waiting for one of these players to break out and spending 20-30% of your FAAB next week, I’d rather use the final spot on my bench to stash players whose value could look completely different after one game. These are six of my favorite waiver-wire stashes entering the 2026 fantasy football season.
1. George Holani, Seattle Seahawks
George Holani might have the clearest immediate opportunity of anyone on this list. Seattle lost Kenneth Walker III in free agency, while Zach Charbonnet will begin the season on the PUP list after tearing his ACL late last year. Seattle’s first unofficial regular-season depth chart listed Holani first at running back, while the team has indicated Holani and first-round rookie Jadarian Price figure to split the workload early in the season. We don’t know exactly what that split will look like yet, and that’s precisely why Holani is so interesting before Week 1.
I’m not expecting Holani to suddenly become a three-down workhorse, but there are multiple ways for this stash to hit. Price missed time late in camp and didn’t play during the preseason, while Holani already has two years in Seattle’s system and can contribute on passing downs. He also stepped into the No. 2 role during Seattle’s playoff run last season after Charbonnet went down. Holani remains rostered in only a small percentage of leagues, and I’d rather stash him now than wait until Sunday shows us he’s handling 10-12 touches and then compete with everyone else on waivers.
2. Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
Kaelon Black is much more of a traditional upside stash, but the situation is obvious. San Francisco selected Black 90th overall in the third round after he rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries during his final season at Indiana. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry despite handling a significantly larger workload than he had previously, and the 49ers specifically praised his physical running style and ability to consistently finish forward when they drafted him.
The reason I’m stashing Black has much more to do with who he’s playing behind. Christian McCaffrey turned 30 this offseason after handling more than 400 regular-season touches last year, and we’ve already discussed why I’m concerned about that workload and durability profile. Black doesn’t have much standalone fantasy value as long as McCaffrey is dominating the backfield, but that could change immediately if San Francisco decides to reduce McCaffrey’s workload or if he misses time. Black returned from an adductor injury late in camp and averaged 5.1 yards per carry across his final two preseason games. In Kyle Shanahan’s offense, that makes him one of the better contingency stashes available before the season starts.
3. Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
Caleb Douglas isn’t even a traditional handcuff stash. There’s a chance he’s already starting for Miami in Week 1. Miami’s current depth chart lists Douglas as a starting outside receiver alongside a room that features Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington. That’s a significant development for a rookie selected 75th overall who remains available in the overwhelming majority of fantasy leagues.
The physical profile gives Douglas considerably more upside than a typical third-round rookie. He measured around 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds while running a 4.39 forty, giving him a 97th-percentile Speed Score according to PlayerProfiler. He also topped 800 receiving yards in consecutive seasons at Texas Tech, including 877 yards in 2024 before another productive season last year. Miami doesn’t have an established alpha receiver blocking his path to targets, and Douglas has already earned first-team opportunities throughout camp. I’m not putting him into my Week 1 lineup, but I absolutely want him on my bench before we find out how large the role actually is. If he sees six or seven targets immediately, his waiver price is going to change overnight.
4. Ted Hurst III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ted Hurst III is one of my favorite deep receiver stashes because Tampa Bay invested enough in him for us to pay attention. The Buccaneers selected Hurst 84th overall in the third round after he caught 71 passes for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns at Georgia State last season. Hurst gives Tampa Bay another big-bodied outside receiver and was specifically drafted for his ability to threaten defenses vertically. He also showed enough throughout camp to start building chemistry with Baker Mayfield before the season even began.
Hurst isn’t starting ahead of Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, or Jalen McMillan right now, which is why he’s a stash rather than someone I’m expecting to use immediately. But Tampa Bay’s own coverage noted that Hurst became one of Mayfield’s go-to targets during practices when several veteran receivers were sidelined. The Buccaneers are also entering their first season without Mike Evans at the top of the depth chart, creating more long-term opportunity in this receiver room than we’ve seen in years. Hurst may need an injury or role change before he becomes fantasy relevant, but that’s the kind of player I’m willing to hide on the final spot of a deeper bench before that opportunity arrives.
5. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough is probably being overlooked because quarterback is so deep, but I think there is legitimate breakout potential entering Year 2. Shough started only nine games as a rookie and still threw for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns while adding 186 rushing yards and three more scores. The much more interesting part of his rookie season came down the stretch. From Weeks 12-18, Shough threw for at least 239 yards in five of seven games, topped 300 yards twice, and averaged exactly 25 rushing yards per game during that span.
Now he enters his second season as New Orleans’ unquestioned starter in Kellen Moore’s offense. Chris Olave gives him a legitimate No. 1 receiver, Juwan Johnson remains a reliable option in the middle of the field, and the offense should give Shough every opportunity to prove that last year’s late-season improvement was real. I’m not dropping an established top-10 quarterback for him, but in deeper leagues, Superflex formats, or anywhere I’m carrying a second quarterback, Shough is one of my favorite players to stash before Week 1. If the rushing production sticks and the passing game continues to develop, he could quickly become a legitimate weekly streaming option.
6. Greg Dulcich, Miami Dolphins
Greg Dulcich might be the player on this list most likely to become an every-week fantasy starter. Miami currently lists him atop the depth chart at tight end, and he quietly showed why this offense could be an excellent fit after joining the Dolphins last season. Dulcich caught 26 passes for 335 yards in only 10 games, averaging 12.9 yards per reception despite never completely taking over the position.
The underlying efficiency is what makes him especially interesting. Among 59 qualifying tight ends last season, Dulcich ranked second in yards per route run at 2.64, fifth in target rate per route, and sixth in fantasy points per route run, according to Fantasy Points Data. That’s an extremely impressive efficiency profile for a player still being treated like a waiver-wire tight end. Miami also enters the season without an established group of dominant target earners, giving Dulcich a realistic path to consistent volume from Malik Willis. Tight end gets ugly quickly, and I’d rather take a chance on a starter with this type of efficiency than wait until after Week 1 and pay for the breakout.
