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Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, Terrance Ferguson in Week 1 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
As fantasy football drafts wind down and Week 1 approaches, many fantasy football managers may have already begun checking the waiver wire for options to improve their teams. Whether a draft didn't go your way and you ended up short at a position or are just looking to build in extra depth, it's always critical to keep an eye on the waiver wire for emerging options. Every year, several must-start options step up during the first month of the season.
In this piece, we will analyze three tight ends gathering momentum at the end of the preseason. If your tight end position is thin or you missed out on the players you want, these players should be considered as potentially part of the solution.
Are Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, and Terrance Ferguson worth adding off the waiver wire in Week 1? Here are the latest outlooks on each for fantasy football.
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Brenton Strange Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 36% of leagues
The Jaguars gave Strange the starting tight end job last year in Liam Coen's first year as the head coach. Strange was in his third season after the Jags made him a second-round pick out of Penn State.
While Strange did set career highs last year, he didn't have a full breakout season. He finished the year with 46 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. He missed five games in the middle of the season on IR with a ligament tear in his hip, but he finished the season strong, averaging 3.7 catches for 48 yards per game while scoring a total of three touchdowns in his seven games after returning from the IR.
After signing a three-year extension over the offseason, Strange has had a strong camp and could be ready for a larger target share this season.
That boy @BrentonStrange! 👀
Grab tickets to #TBvsJAX: https://t.co/XnjmMS4q7M
@Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/kxDd1HDmEb— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 25, 2026
Coach Liam Coen said, “As our offense continues to evolve, Brenton’s role will evolve with it... We're excited to keep developing this offense with him as a main focal point.” Even just a small increase in his workload could bump him from a fringe starting option to an every-week regular in lineups.
Strange has shown the ability to be a big red zone target and to break off plays down the field. His growing rapport with QB Trevor Lawrence and his clear role as the team's top tight end make him a strong grab off the waiver wire.
Barring injury, he will definitely get plenty of playing time in a productive offense. That gives him a good floor to go with his potential leap if his workload increases.
Add in 12-team leagues
Chig Okonkwo Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 42% of leagues
Okonkwo also got a new deal this offseason, but instead of an extension, the 26-year-old who played his college football at Maryland signed with the Washington Commanders. Okonkwo played each of his first four years in Tennessee, flashing potential upside with some big games but not becoming a consistent fantasy contributor.
Okonkwo has played all 17 games in each of his four seasons and set career highs with 56 catches and 560 receiving yards while working with rookie Cam Ward last year.
This year, he'll be working with dynamic QB Jayden Daniels and has a chance to step into a larger role since the team doesn't have much depth at receiver behind veterans Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. The Commanders have a new offensive coordinator this year, David Blough, and if Okonkwo gets regular work, he has proven he has the tools to produce.
CHIG ‼️ pic.twitter.com/tUMbip0P6L
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 4, 2026
Last year, Okonkwo shared time with rookie Gunnar Helm, but this year, he should have a more secure role with his new team. With more targets and a more experienced quarterback, there's definitely the potential that Okonkwo takes a step forward and becomes a regular weekly top-10 option.
If Daniels stays healthy, the offense has the potential to be very productive, and if either or both of the veteran receivers battle injury, Okonkwo would have to step into an even more significant role. He doesn't have prototypical tight end size, but his speed and ability to make moves after the catch give him plenty of YAC upside.
His floor is a little less certain than Strange's since he's working with a new QB in a new system, while Strange is returning to where he already has an established role. However, Okonkwo also brings plenty of breakout potential and is worth adding if you need depth at tight end or are looking for a starter to emerge.
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Terrance Ferguson Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 18% of leagues
Ferguson is the highest risk of the three waiver wire tight ends in this post, since he doesn't have a clear path to playing time, but he also brings a very intriguing ceiling if he grows into a significant role in the Rams' offense. Entering his second season in the league, the 2025 second-round pick is battling for playing time with Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee.
Last year, Ferguson had 11 catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams went to more three-TE sets late in the season as the offense evolved, which gave the rookie a chance to make a bigger impact late in the year, including touchdowns in each of his last two regular-season appearances.
He led all tight ends in yards per reception, with 21 yards per catch, and 52% of his targets came at least 20 yards downfield (no other TE topped 21%). He just missed when he had chances to post a few more big plays, and he could have posted even bigger numbers with just a few more opportunities. As it was, he proved he can be an elite downfield target with the ability to go up and win contested catches.
Perfect ball placement from Stafford on this pass to Terrance Ferguson 🎯
SFvsLAR on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/MhcMdBgH3U— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2025
Ferguson had a very impressive offseason and training camp, and he has been lining up in a variety of positions in the formation in multiple personnel groups and scenarios as his route tree has grown. He has continued to be a big downfield threat, but he has also been more involved near the line of scrimmage.
Ferguson has been dealing with some soreness that has kept him out of practice this week, which raises further questions about his early-season workload. He's a much less certain option than Okonkwo or Strange, but he has top-10 TE potential if the work is available and he takes the next step.
He is a great late-round flier if you're swinging for the fences, but Okonkwo and Strange are better pickups if you need more sure and stable production from a backup.
Monitor workload closely and be ready to add if in a larger role.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup 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 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Chig Okonkwo, Terrance Ferguson, Brenton Strange. 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 - Chig Okonkwo, Terrance Ferguson, Brenton Strange. 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.
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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 Chig Okonkwo, Terrance Ferguson, Brenton Strange:
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