Sneaky Bench Stashes: High-Upside Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Ahead of Week 1

September 11, 2026

Andy's sneaky must-have fantasy football waiver wire adds, sleepers and bench stashes ahead of Week 1 in 2026. Pick up these high-upside players before Week 1.

Hey RotoBallers! Welcome to the second edition of our High-Upside Bench Stashes series. Our first edition was a "post-draft" edition, but with the NFL season underway (albeit just two games in), let's take another scan of the waiver wire ahead of the first full slate of the season.

For this weekly column, we will spotlight only names with less than 30% rostered on Yahoo to ensure we spotlight high-upside lottery tickets for those across all fantasy formats.

Be sure to follow RotoBaller NFL on X for all of our league-winning content and me @A_Smith_FS. Additionally, be sure to use discount code SMITH for 50% off any Premium Packages and gain access to our Team Sync platform with customized lineup tools, projections, and more based on your league settings. Let's dive in!

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Running Backs

Malik Davis, Dallas Cowboys

5% rostered

The first running back to consider adding to your bench is one of the premier handcuffs in the sport. Malik Davis is set to be the clear No. 2 option behind Javonte Williams in 2026, especially following the departure of Jaydon Blue.

In camp, Davis was competing alongside Blue for a value handcuff role, and he was able to not only claim the job but also solidify it after Blue's release from the team. Now, Emari Demercado is behind Davis, who joined Dallas late in August, suggesting he will face minimal competition if Williams misses time.

Davis has spent all three NFL seasons in Dallas but made his first real impact in 2025. In 2022, his rookie season, Davis would take 38 carries for 161 yards and a score. However, he took a step back and didn't make a major impact until 2025.

Last season, Davis would log a season-best 52 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Through the air, the 27-year-old saw five targets and brought in two for only 16 yards.

Williams operated as the lead back for nearly the entire season outside of Week 18, in which he was inactive. In this game, Davis showcased his upside, rushing for 103 yards on 20 carries and running another 17 routes (but failing to bring in either of his targets).

While Williams was a league-winner (based on his 2025 ADP) and is well-positioned as a low-end RB1 in 2026, there was serious concern about his long-term availability before last fall. Williams has undergone many serious knee injuries and was under 4.0 YPC in both 2023 and 2024 before returning to form in Dallas.

If he faces any type of regression or misses time, Davis can be a legit plug-and-play RB2 in one of the game's most potent offenses.

Malik Davis the Top Handcuff to Stash in Dallas https://t.co/y6SA0qXgo2

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 6, 2026

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins

2% rostered

While Wright may not be in the high-octane offense that Davis is in, he is still a valuable handcuff to consider closely monitoring ahead of Week 1. Wright competed for the No. 2 job behind superstar De'Von Achane in camp and was able to claim the role over Ollie Gordon II. On the team's initial depth chart leading into Week 1, Wright was listed as the RB2, making him the name to stash in Miami.

Wright showed solid upside in the No. 2 role last season despite Achane appearing in the first 16 games (sitting out Week 18). Wright would take 24 carries in Week 14 against the Jets and total 16.7 PPR points. In Week 16, Wright would take nine carries and punch in his second touchdown of the season.

However, for most of the campaign, Wright had a minimal role as Achane dominated the workload. That's expected once again, but if Achane misses time, Wright would likely get most of the carries.

While he has not missed time the past two seasons, Achane appeared in only 11 games as a rookie. Any injury (even a minor one) could force the Dolphins to ease his workload, as this team will likely be competing for a top pick in next year's draft.

While Wright's upside as a handcuff may not be as high as Davis's given his offensive surroundings, he could still see a 20+ carry workload if their superstar suffers an injury.

The final running back to monitor is a rookie in Seth McGowan. While McGowan's path to carries is truly dependent on Jonathan Taylor's health, he did see his fantasy value increase in training camp, which should keep him on our radar in deeper 14-team leagues.

McGowan joined the Colts in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but that doesn't tell the full story. In his final season at Kentucky, McGowan punched in 12 rushing touchdowns (career high) and ran for 725 yards on 165 attempts. The season prior, he was slightly more effective and showed more promise as a pass-catcher, bringing in 23 of his 38 targets (season high).

However, his camp performance put him on this list and ultimately earned him the valuable backup job over DJ Giddens.

While managers should not expect McGowan to carve into Taylor's massive workload, he could become a lottery ticket in the event he misses time. While his minimal standalone value makes him tough to hold in standard leagues, those in deep formats with larger benches could do far worse than picking up McGowan and potentially hold one of the premier handcuffs in the sport.

Other RBs to stash - Emmett Johnson, Braelon Allen

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Wide Receivers

Chris Bell, Miami Dolphins

8% rostered

Bell underwent surgery for a torn ACL last winter but has not only completed an impressive comeback but is on pace to suit up in Week 1 and potentially take on a large role. Bell was an area manager's monitored player in training camp, but surprisingly, he has claimed the top role despite spending much time on the field.

On the team's initial depth chart, Bell was listed as a starting wideout alongside Malik Washington and fellow rookie Caleb Douglas. However, given Bell's Day 2 draft capital, there is reason to believe he should be the frontrunner to slide into the "lead" role.

Head coach Jeff Hafley told the media earlier in the week that Bell may not face a pitch count in their season, but he will against the Raiders. In their final preseason game, Bell drew five targets in just under 10 minutes of "real" game time, further showing the impact he could have.

In his final season at Louisville, Bell totaled 917 yards with six touchdowns over just 11 games, both setting career highs.

While this Miami offense may not inspire much confidence, Bell could emerge as a weekly FLEX play in a matter of weeks based on his volume alone.

Chris Bell to Start Week 1 Without a Pitch Count https://t.co/UnmVxRBx9f

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 9, 2026

Malachi Fields, New York Giants

8% rostered

The other stash option WR is also a rookie. The Giants selected Malachi Fields in the third round of the draft out of Notre Dame. During his final campaign in South Bend, Fields had a quiet final season at Notre Dame, tallying only 630 yards, but he eclipsed the 800-yard mark in 2023 and 2024.

However, while Fields appeared to be a depth role with Big Blue, recent roster changes suggest the rookie could line up as a starter on Sunday night. Earlier this month, the Giants parted ways with veteran Darius Slayton. While this may suggest Malik Nabers is fully healthy, it also suggests the coaching staff trusts Fields to take on a large role early in the season.

Additionally, like Bell, Fields received some positive news on the depth chart, being listed as the No.3/No.4 option alongside Odell Beckham Jr. (while Nabers and Darnell Mooney occupy the No. 1/No.2 roles).

Given that Mooney caught only 32 passes for a modest 443 yards over 15 games in 2025, it does not create a major roadblock for the rookie to emerge as the legit No. 2 option in this WR room.

Like Bell, Fields could be on the FLEX radar much sooner than expected.

Other WRs to stash - Tank Dell, Devaughn Vele

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Tight Ends

Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets

15% rostered

After discussing Terrance Ferguson in the "post-draft" edition, let's take a look at a rookie tight end who has seen his roster-ship rate decline significantly. Kenyon said he joined the Jets with the 16th overall pick in the draft but battled some injuries in camp, which caused him to go undrafted in most formats.

However, recent reports suggest he has been a full-go at practice and should be cleared for their Week 1 opener against the Tennessee Titans.

While most managers likely have a stable TE1 with a safer floor to start the season, those looking for mid-season upside should consider stashing the former top-ranked prospect. Sadiq turned a dominant end to his time in Oregon in 2025, catching eight touchdown passes with 580 yards on just 51 receptions.

Throughout college, Sadiq moved around the line of scrimmage, seeing time in the slot, on the line, and even on the outside as a wide receiver. While the Jets have a top option in Garrett Wilson, the rest of their pass-catching room leaves much to be desired, as the unproven Adonai Mitchell could be the "No. 2."

This offense may not be the most potent, but if Geno Smith can return to his 2024 form, they have the lane to improve significantly over last season. Sadiq should quickly take over full-time TE1 duties over Mason Taylor and emerge as a major mismatch for this team by the end of the month.

If you faded the position and missed out on Ferguson over the first run of waivers, don't wait to stash Sadiq.

Other TEs to stash - Oronde Gadsden II, Michael Mayer (preferred "short-term" streaming option, but his long-term upside will be capped)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Quarterbacks (QB)

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

25% rostered

Rounding out this list is an early-season streaming option. C.J. Stroud had a disappointing 2025 season, and he threw for only 3,041 yards (over 14 games) with a 19:8 TD:INT. His production has steadily declined from his impressive debut seasons, when he threw for over 4,000 yards and tossed 23 passing touchdowns with three rushing touchdowns.

Since then, Stroud has scored just one touchdown with his legs and has yet to come close to hitting the 4,000-yard passing mark in a season.

However, there is room to believe Stroud could be well-spent for a bounce-back in 2026. In the offseason, the Texans brought in a field stretcher in Kayshon Boutte ot pair with Nico Collins and slot wideout Jaylin Noel. Additionally, the Texans could see Tank Dell (who played a massive role in Stroud's debut season) return from a serious knee injury soon, adding another playmaker to this offense.

While the Texans project to play with a lead in most games given their elite defense, Stroud has a far better supporting cast than he did a season ago.

His Week 1 matchup against the Bills isn't ideal for fantasy purposes, but he has a positive stretch of matchups in the coming weeks that makes him a worthwhile stash for QB-needy rosters. In Weeks 2, 3, and 4, Stroud will face the Bengals, Colts, and Cowboys, all of which are likely to be relatively high-scoring affairs for both sides.

Last season, the Cowboys allowed the most points per game (30.1), the Bengals the third-most (29.6), and the Colts the 12th-most (24.2).

Other QBs to stash - Cam Ward, Jacoby Brissett

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