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Andy's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver-wire sleepers ahead of Week 1 (2024). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your fantasy teams.
Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship.
As the season progresses, injuries occur or rookies begin to break out. Many of these NFL players are often drafted but dropped after the first handful of weeks due to impatient league managers. This article will pinpoint which players we’d want to stash on our bench as fantasy football waiver-wire pickups to power us down the stretch.
Last week, we examined some must-have handcuffs, such as MarShawn Lloyd, Jordan Mason, and Ray Davis. This week, we will discuss some more rookies and a few veteran players who could eventually grow into starting roles and who you should consider stashing before Week 1 kicks off. All players will be below a 25% Yahoo! roster percentage.
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Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
20% rostered
The former fourth-round pick from this year’s draft got some positive news this week as head coach Mike McDaniel said he plans to involve all three of his running backs. He stressed that “at a certain point, he says he may feel like leaning on a guy in the game because he senses it’s his day.”
While the Tennessee product may be ranked No. 3 on the depth chart today, he could eventually become a weekly flex play and potentially an RB2 with upside even in a timeshare.
Jaylen Wright is making moves for the @MiamiDolphins
📱: Stream #ATLvsMIA on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qYWJLaUhw5
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024
However, if Raheem Mostert or De'Von Achane were to miss any extended period, Wright could enjoy huge spike weeks with his elite breakaway speed.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17% rostered
The other rookie running back on this list currently sits as the clear No. 2 option in Tampa Bay. While Rachaad White is poised for another high-volume season, Irving will likely only be deployed as a change-of-pace running back early on.
However, even though White was one of the most valuable running backs in fantasy last season, his production was dependent on volume as he was statistically not a good runner. He averaged a poor 2.3 yards after contact and saw -2.4 air yards per game.
While he will still see double-digit touches every week, fantasy managers should not be confident that White could remain in that role as the season progresses. If Irving can shine in his few opportunities, he could eventually become a flex option in most leagues.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
3% rostered
With rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the PUP list, the Panthers will turn to Chuba Hubbard to lead the backfield and Miles Sanders as the No. 2.
While Hubbard may have been pushed up your draft board, Sanders could be an interesting stash candidate in deeper formats. He was not impressive last season, as he ran for just 432 yards and caught an additional 154 through the air with just one total score.
However, when it comes to depth running backs on your fantasy roster, finding a player with a path to volume could make them a viable flex play in desperation scenarios.
If Hubbard does not look impressive early on and struggles in the passing game, Sanders could easily see a handful of games as the starting running back as Brooks gets eased into NFL action.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
25% rostered
The Texas product was a touchdown machine in his final season at college, scoring 11 on just 55 receptions. With Josh Downs (knee) in questionable status, the former second-round pick could see a heavier-than-expected workload through the early part of the season.
During the preseason, he already showed strong chemistry with his quarterback, Anthony Richardson, as he caught both targets from him, one of them in the end zone in the final game.
The @Colts opening drive 🔥
Anthony Richardson goes 7/8 for 65 yards and finds rookie WR Adonai Mitchell for the TD! pic.twitter.com/Bp3IvzZEX1
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2024
His ability to play both a slot and outside role could provide him with every-down opportunities in a Colts offense that is ready to take off.
Noah Brown, WR, Washington Commanders
1% rostered
Last week, I wrote about Commanders receiver Dyami Brown, who is currently positioned as the No. 2 wideout opposite Terry McLaurin.
However, earlier last week, the Commanders signed recently cut Houston receiver Noah Brown, who could now enter the competition for the open role.
Brown was stuck in a depth role on a high-powered Houston offense last season, but he still performed despite his limited playing time. He totaled 567 yards and scored two points on 33 catches, and he held a strong 6.8 average yards after the catch.
The No. 2 pass-catcher in Washington could have plenty of targets this season and should be a viable WR3 in most leagues once someone rises to the top.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens
20% rostered
If you faded the tight-end position in your draft, you may want to consider adding Isaiah Likely. The 24-year-old has been a popular waiver-wire target whenever Mark Andrews has to miss time and usually performs quite well.
Likely provides the highest amount of upside of any tight end that is universally on the waiver wire as he could immediately see a high target share as soon as he moves to the top of the depth chart.
Once Mark Andrews went down last season, Likely averaged an excellent 15.0 PPR points from Weeks 14-18, which was the third most among tight ends in that span. If you want that upside at your tight-end position, grab Likely on waivers this weekend.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
17% rostered
Lastly, our QB stash comes in the form of former second-round pick Will Levis.
Levis took over the starting job in Tennessee in Week 8 of last season and had a few impressive showings (including a four-touchdown NFL debut) but also several duds along the way.
However, despite the inconsistent performances, Levis was not afraid to launch the ball downfield. He finished his rookie season with an impressive average target depth of 10.8 yards, which placed him in the top 99% of all quarterbacks last season.
Will Levis this preseason - 3 drives, 3 touchdowns.
• 8/9 passing, 100 yards (11.1 YPA), 1 rushing TD pic.twitter.com/QM3saW7IrZ— Justin Graver (@titansfilmroom) August 25, 2024
With DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley lined up on the outside, Levis should see plenty of spike weeks and is worth keeping on your roster as a QB2 with upside.
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