Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 1 include Joshua Palmer, Jerry Jeudy, Adonai Mitchell, Demario Douglas

September 5, 2024

Justin Carter's fantasy football WR waiver wire pickups for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. His free agent wide receivers to add, stream, and stash off waivers.

The 2024 NFL season has arrived. If you were unhappy with your draft and already need some new additions to your fantasy squad, then welcome to our Week 1 wide receiver fantasy football waiver wire pickups.

Below, you'll find some wide receivers that you should be targeting on the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 1. Not all of these waiver wire options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster.

Be sure to also check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 1 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list are around 50% rostered or below.

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 1

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers - 56% rostered

With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, there will be a new top receiver in Los Angeles. Rookie Ladd McConkey has a shot to lock down the spot, but if McConkey is unable to make a quick transition to the NFL, it's likely that Joshua Palmer will be the team's No. 1 receiver.

Last season, Palmer appeared in 10 games, catching 38 passes for 581 yards and two touchdowns. 2024 might be the first chance that Palmer has to really be a breakout player. He's a risky starting option for Week 1 fantasy, but his upside means you could stash him for now.

Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders - 50% rostered

There's a lot of pro-Jakobi Meyers chatter out there.  Last season, Meyers caught 71 passes for 807 yards. It was the third season in a row he finished with a yardage total in the 800s.

Jakobi Meyers finished as the WR24 last year 👀

The perfect round-by-round fantasy draft strategy for 12-team leagues: https://t.co/U2isHNicJH

— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) August 30, 2024

Maybe that's his ceiling, but Meyers could instantly see a huge uptick in volume if anything happens to Davante Adams. He's worth rostering for that reason.

Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers - 56% rostered

Romeo Doubs had some good moments in his second NFL season, catching eight touchdowns over the course of the campaign. However, fantasy managers were left disappointed because he wasn't piling up the yardage, finishing with 674.

But every report from training camp about Doubs was positive, with plenty of chatter that he's set to emerge as Jordan Love's top weapon in 2024. The Packers have a lot of mouths to feed so it's possible Doubs won't take a step forward in 2024, but he shouldn't be available in 44% of fantasy leagues at this point.

Curtis Samuel, Buffalo Bills - 55% rostered

No wide receiver unit in the NFL has more question marks than the Buffalo Bills. Someone will be the top option out of Keon Coleman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Curtis Samuel, and Khalil Shakir, but which will it be?

Samuel isn't the likeliest of these names to emerge as the top weapon for quarterback Josh Allen, but he's definitely an option to emerge. He isn't worth starting in Week 1, but he's more stashing on your bench.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns - 42 % rostered

After four largely quiet seasons in Denver, Jerry Jeudy is off to Cleveland for the 2024 season. While he hasn't lived up to his high expectations, Jeudy almost hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2022 before he took a step back in 2023.

JERRY JEUDY BREAKOUT SZN 🚀 pic.twitter.com/civjuY9n5I

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) August 29, 2024

Maybe a fresh start in Cleveland is what Jeudy needs. Amari Cooper will draw a lot of defensive attention, potentially leaving Jeudy with space to make plays in. If Deshaun Watson can regain his form from back in his Houston days, Jeudy could be in for one of his best seasons.

Adonai Mitchell, Indianapolis Colts - 28% rostered

Rookie Adonai Mitchell has the chance to be the No. 2 receiver for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. Mitchell's upside as a deep threat mixed with Richardson's huge arm makes this a potentially explosive combination.

At the same time, Mitchell needs to refine his game still and Richardson has accuracy concerns, so there's a good chance this combo never gets going. If you want a safe option on your bench, Mitchell isn't the guy. If you want an upside stash, give me a chance.

Wide Receiver Deeper League Pickups For Week 1

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers - 17% rostered

Bryce Young can't be as bad this year as he was last year, right? If he improves, rookie Xavier Legette is likely to benefit greatly from that.

The reason is that both Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen feel best suited for the short and medium passing game at this point in their careers, so Legette could theoretically make a dent down the field. I don't feel super confident in that outcome, but he's worth adding in 14-team leagues in case we get it.

Demario Douglas, New England Patriots - 15% rostered

I was really impressed by Demario Douglas as a rookie, even though he failed to record a touchdown in his first year with New England. He had some strong showings, like his five catches for 74 yards against Denver, and wound up as the team's top receiver.

Who’s ready for some Demario Douglas this season? 😊 pic.twitter.com/HgjwHM3twk

— Boston Cream 🍩 (@itsbostoncream) August 30, 2024

With the improvement at quarterback this season, Douglas should be in for an improved 2024 campaign. Kendrick Bourne and Ja'Lynn Polk will get targets, but Douglas could easily end up as the Patriots's top receiver again.

Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos - 8% rostered

Marvin Mims Jr. didn't do much as a rookie, catching 22 passes for 377 yards and a touchdown. He did manage to make the Pro Bowl as a return man though, where he was able to showcase his explosiveness.

With Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick gone, there will be targets up for grabs in Denver. Mims has a big-play upside and is likely to be on the field significantly more than last year considering his competition beyond Courtland Sutton is Josh Reynolds and a pair of rookies.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers - 8% rostered

As mentioned above, the Chargers have a huge gap to fill at wide receiver, and while Palmer and McConkey are expected to be the main targets, we shouldn't forget about the existence of Quentin Johnston.

Sure, Johnston wasn't very good as a rookie, catching 38 passes for 431 yards and two touchdowns while looking out of his element at times. But he's still a former first-round pick on a team that has no high-end wide receivers on the roster. He'll have a chance to prove if he's an NFL talent.

Luke McCaffrey, Washington Commanders - 4% rostered

The wide receiver position for the Washington Commanders is largely a mystery entering the 2024 season. Terry McLaurin is the clear No. 1 guy, but the situation behind him is fairly open.

That should allow rookie Luke McCaffrey to have a shot at breaking out in 2024. His biggest competition for the role as the team's No. 2 receiver is Dyami Robinson, who impressed in camp and the preseason but doesn't have a strong track record so far in the NFL.

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