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Week 1 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, stashes for Elic Ayomanor, Isaac TeSlaa, Pat Bryant in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, and Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant are three intriguing rookie players that fantasy managers might be considering adding as waiver pickups ahead of Week 1.
It can be difficult to predict which rookies, if any, among draft picks in the later rounds, will get significant playing time and make an impact immediately, but it's better to have those guys on as many rosters as possible before their first breakout game.
When you don't have a lot of data about how those players will be used, it's tough to determine these things with any degree of accuracy, but we can try our best to look at other data. So let's dive into Ayomanor, TeSlaa, and Bryant as waiver wire pickups for Week 1!
Elic Ayomanor Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 25% of leagues
Baller Move: Add In 14+ Team Leagues
Ayomanor's draft position received a boost when he was named as a starter by Titans head coach Brian Callahan ahead of Sunday's season-opener. Ayomanor was drafted in the late fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, so his draft capital wasn't exactly premium, but it's still encouraging to see.
Ayomanor, Tyler Lockett, and Calvin Ridley are now locked in, at least for now, as the team's top-3 receivers. It's not a huge surprise that Ayomanor was able to beat out the aging veteran Van Jefferson and fellow rookie Chimere Dike for the WR3 spot.
Cam Ward’s first pass is completed to Elic Ayomanor for 35 yards
Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1CYQniFXtc— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2025
Ayomanor's early-season production might not be impressive. If rookie quarterback Cam Ward struggles, it's possible he'll be a disappointing and inconsistent player. The Titans have had poor offenses for many seasons now, and we don't have much information about whether it will get better.
Isaac TeSlaa Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 27% of leagues
Baller Move: Add In All Leagues
TeSlaa flashed perhaps the most impressively of any rookie in the preseason this year. While that's not a substitute for real NFL game tape, TeSlaa's presence on one of the league's best offenses over the past two seasons is notable. Their previous offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, is gone, but the infrastructure is in place, as they retained their starting quarterback, Jared Goff.
TeSlaa's athleticism and size combination is tantalizing. While there's plenty of target competition ahead of him -- wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and tight end Sam LaPorta are likely to remain ahead of him on the depth chart -- TeSlaa would have a huge opportunity in case of an injury.
All 🔟 Isaac TeSlaa preseason catches 🎥 pic.twitter.com/wc7KoINpzC
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 25, 2025
In general, you can trust elite general managers like Brad Holmes, the Lions GM, to make great draft picks. The impressive film, his athletic profile, and the offensive environment TeSlaa is in make him worth stashing on your bench in most leagues.
Pat Bryant Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 10% of leagues
Baller Move: Add in 14+ Team Leagues
Bryant was a third-round pick for the Denver Broncos in the 2025 NFL Draft. Interestingly, he profiles similarly to a smaller Broncos WR1, Courtland Sutton, as an athlete. At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, his 4.61-second 40-yard dash wasn't all that impressive.
It seems like they want to use him as a big-bodied, contested catch specialist on the outside, playing opposite of Sutton. Bryant is currently the fourth receiver on the team's depth chart behind Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and Troy Franklin.
Sean Payton on Pat Bryant when asked for NFL comp.
“There were so many things about his game that reminded me of Michael Thomas” pic.twitter.com/FeWRMruXSm
— Elite Drafters (@Elite_Drafters) July 6, 2025
Broncos head coach Sean Payton compared him to Michael Thomas, which is lofty praise, but he didn't exactly flash in the preseason. He has nice fluidity when running his routes, and after the catch, though, that could earn him a bigger role. Keep your eye out for him, especially if another Broncos WR gets injured.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Elic Ayomanor, Isaac TeSlaa, and Pat Bryant. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Elic Ayomanor, Isaac TeSlaa, and Pat Bryant. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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