Updated Waiver Wire Rankings Before Week 1 - Mike Washington, MarShawn Lloyd, Najee Harris, Tre Tucker, Jalen McMillan, Terrance Ferguson

August 30, 2026

Updated fantasy football waiver wire rankings before Week 1 of 2026. The top 85 free agent options to add and stash off waivers before fantasy football Week 1.

Some of the biggest draft weekends are coming up, and the 2026 NFL season is just about kicking off. Now that you have completed your fantasy football drafts, it's time to start going through the waiver wire and adding some players who could make an immediate fantasy impact for your team. At RotoBaller HQ, we guide you through the waiver wire with our updated fantasy football waiver wire rankings before Week 1 of 2026 to help you prioritize which players to prioritize ahead of Week 1. 

There are several players who still have low ownership percentages and could make immediate fantasy impacts in 2026. Will Mike Washington Jr. have a bigger role than expected with his impressive preseason and star RB Ashton Jeanty dealing with an ankle injury? With Tyrone Tracy Jr. struggling this preseason, and Cam Skattebo prone to injuries, will Najee Harris carve out a sizeable role in the Giants' backfield? Is Terrance Ferguson ready to break out after his impressive training camp?

Our Week 1 fantasy football waiver wire rankings will help answer these questions and many more -- they've been a staple on RotoBaller for years, bringing readers a quick-hit list of the top 75 fantasy football player names to consider as free agent pickups. For those new to this article series, RotoBaller's lead NFL analyst Nick Mariano brings you these waiver wire rankings in priority order. Good luck on waivers!

Who To Pick Up Before Fantasy Football Week 1?

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league, depending on the league size. Quarterbacks and Defenses (D/ST) are grouped together at the bottom of the list:

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlooks

Top names include Mike Washington Jr, Jalen McMillan, Najee Harris, MarShawn Lloyd, and Tre Tucker. We recap why these players rostered under 55% in Yahoo! leagues should be on your waiver wire radar before Week 1:

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Raiders

Week 1 Waiver Wire Ranking: 2

Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. appears to have earned a real role alongside Ashton Jeanty. Head coach Klint Kubiak said Friday that both backs will prepare to "play a lot of football" when Jeanty is healthy, according to Sam Warren. Kubiak also made it clear that the workload could change from game to game. Washington has made a strong case for touches after rushing 23 times for 168 yards during the preseason, including 49 yards on eight carries in Thursday's finale against San Francisco.

The fourth-round rookie also flashed as a receiver during camp and sits directly behind Jeanty on the Raiders' latest unofficial depth chart. Washington rushed for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns at Arkansas last season while adding 28 catches for 226 yards and another score. Jeanty is still the lead back when healthy, but Kubiak's comments suggest Washington should have a role even without an injury opening the door.

Jalen McMillan, WR, Buccaneers

Week 1 Waiver Wire Ranking: 36

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Saturday that he expects wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Sept. 13, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. The team is hoping that fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka (toe) will also be ready, and they do not plan on carrying an extra receiver on the 53-man roster to offset their short-term injuries at the position. The 24-year-old McMillan sustained a knee injury earlier this month and was held out of all three preseason games. It sounds like his injury is not very serious, but McMillan could be facing snap-count limitations in the regular-season opener against Cincy.

If Egbuka is out or limited as well, it could mean a lot of work for veteran Chris Godwin Jr. and tight end Cade Otton. McMillan is in line for a bigger role in a new offense in 2026 with Mike Evans gone, but the former third-rounder from Washington must stay healthy to capitalize. He played in only four games in 2025 due to a serious neck injury he suffered in the preseason. A 37-461-8 line in his rookie campaign shows the kind of upside McMillan has. He is a late-round dart throw for fantasy managers that will gain a boost if Egbuka misses the start of the season.

Najee Harris, RB, Giants

Week 1 Waiver Wire Ranking: 32

New York Giants running back Najee Harris had 11 carries for 39 rushing yards and added one reception for an additional 20 yards in Friday's 23-6 preseason win against the New York Jets. It was the first game the 28-year-old participated in since tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 3 of last year when he played for the Los Angeles Chargers. Harris is expected to play a significant role in the Cam Skattebo-led running back corps for the Giants, especially since Tyrone Tracy Jr. (neck) left Friday's preseason finale after being injured.

The former Alabama product and 24th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 logged over 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons before last season's Achilles injury held him to just three games and 15 carries. RotoBaller ranks Harris at RB60 in the positional rankings, but he could end up being more valuable if Tracy or Skattebo are sidelined by injuries. Harris could offer fantasy managers insurance as an RB3 this season.

MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Packers

Week 1 Waiver Wire Ranking: 6

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd is currently surging up fantasy football draft boards ahead of the 2026 season, even though he has only appeared in one game with the Packers due to injuries since being drafted in the third round in 2024 out of USC. Lloyd has also been rising up RotoBaller's RB rankings for the upcoming season now that there is a real possibility that he could open the 2026 regular season as the Packers' starting running back in light of Josh Jacobs' (groin) legal issues. Jacobs was formally charged on Thursday with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property for an incident that occurred back in late May.

Packers brass admitted on Wednesday that they are preparing for the possibility that Jacobs is suspended by the NFL. Chris Brooks would be Lloyd's only competition for lead-back duties if Jacobs were to miss games in 2026. Although Lloyd has not been able to stay on the field early in his NFL career, the Packers still believe in his abilities. His speed and athleticism will make him very intriguing as a fantasy starter if Jacobs is suspended.

Tre Tucker, WR, Raiders

Week 1 Waiver Wire Ranking: 29

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker was heavily utilized in the team's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Tucker caught two passes for 21 yards on the team's opening drive and appears poised for a major role in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. Tucker played 9/10 snaps with the first-team offense, while Jalen Nailor (8) and Jack Bech (5) each played a role as well. The former third-round pick had a solid 2025 season, hauling in 57 of 92 targets for 696 yards and five touchdowns, despite the Raiders' struggles on offense.

If Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza can find a rhythm in Kubiak's new offense, Tucker could have a breakout season as the clear lead wideout. Ranked WR65 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Tucker can easily outperform his ADP in 2026.

Running Backs - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Wide Receivers - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Tight Ends - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Quarterbacks - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 1:

Defenses (D/ST) - Week 1 Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 1:

Week 1 Waiver Wire Articles

After diving into the Week 1 rankings, check out some other free waiver wire resources available at RotoBaller, including more articles which are coming soon.

Each week, our NFL team puts out a complete array of fantasy football waiver wire articles to complement our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more. Stay tuned!

Who Should I Pickup Tool

Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:

Who Should I Pickup for Week 2?

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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Mike Washington, MarShawn Lloyd, Najee Harris, Tre Tucker, Jalen McMillan, Terrance Ferguson, Najee Harris, Ryan Flournoy, Rashod Bateman, Emmett Johnson, Caleb Douglas, Malachi Fields, Pat Bryant. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. 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.

2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Mike Washington, MarShawn Lloyd, Najee Harris, Tre Tucker, Jalen McMillan, Terrance Ferguson, Najee Harris, Ryan Flournoy, Rashod Bateman, Emmett Johnson, Caleb Douglas, Malachi Fields, Pat Bryant. These are some common searches for 2026 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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.

Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Mike Washington, MarShawn Lloyd, Najee Harris, Tre Tucker, Jalen McMillan, Terrance Ferguson, Najee Harris, Ryan Flournoy, Rashod Bateman, Emmett Johnson, Caleb Douglas, Malachi Fields, Pat Bryant:

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