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Week 1 Wide Receivers: Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds

At this point, you've either already drafted your teams, or are preparing for the last ones to take place. Maybe you didn't love your bench players, or are looking to add some more depth to your wide receivers? Either way, we are here to analyze the waiver wire for any overlooked wide receivers (in both PPR and standard leagues), and potentially make minor roster tweaks.

Sifting through your league's waiver wire is something that you should be doing consistently, but I'm here to help highlight some specific favorites on mine. Some of the wide receivers discussed below are already widely owned, but those in shallow leagues may still have an opportunity to add them to your rosters. The other WRs mentioned are less widely owned, and may be options to consider adding to your fantasy football teams before the season kicks-off, depending on your league size and roster settings.

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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire for Week 1

Markus Wheaton - WR, PIT - 61% owned on Fleaflicker

Wheaton makes for a very intriguing WR3, in a potential goldmine of a matchup this week, against a weak Patriots secondary that hasn’t had much time to work together on the field. With Antonio Brown likely seeing Malcolm Butler most of the night, Wheaton is going to be seeing plenty of Logan Ryan, Tarrell Brown, and even the "burnt toast" himself Bradley Fletcher in a matchup that could exceed 70 points.  

Big Ben doesn’t have weapons Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant at his disposal, so look for Wheaton to be see at least 6+ targets in Week 1. While he’s started of his career on the slow track, he has an opportunity here to solidify himself as a starting receiver, especially in PPR leagues, and I’m willing to bet on him in such a great matchup. There’s a ton of big play and red zone potential here for Wheaton to have a huge day for fantasy football owners. If he's still sitting on your league's waiver wire, be sure to add him to your rosters. 

 

Eddie Royal - WR, CHI - 57% owned onFleaflicker

Without Kevin White this week, Eddie Royal becomes the clear #3 option in the Bears passing attack (he may already have been) behind Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett. In a game where points are likely to be plenty, I’m willing to bet on Royal contributing significantly this week.  

Royal should see plenty of time in the slot going against rookie Damarious Randall, or fringe player Demetri Goodson, matchups fantasy owners should be exploiting. He’s also back with his best bud Jay Cutler. The only season Royal and Cutler played together (his rookie year), Royal went 91-980-5. Even though the Bears could be in for another rough year, Eddie Royal should be a nice bright spot for them. He has WR2 potential in this great matchup, especially in PPR leagues, and should be added off the waiver wire if he's still available.

 

Stevie Johnson - WR, SD - 41% owned on Fleaflicker

Ladarius Green may miss this week with a concussion. That leaves Malcom Floyd, Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson as the only legitimate weapons for Rivers on the outside. While they don’t have an ideal matchup against the Lions very underrated secondary, I’m willing to buy the Stevie Johnson hype as a potential WR3 for teams desperate for one this week.

Johnson became a ghost in San Francisco last year, however I’m expecting a slight bounce back in San Diego barring injury with a much more proven offense around him. On occasion, Johnson has even shown to be somewhat “matchup proof” in years past, having decent games against Darrelle Revis on multiple occasions. With an unproven rushing attack, it’s likely that San Diego looks to air the ball out possibly 40 times in what could become a high scoring game, and Johnson could see 6-10 of those targets come his way. If he's still available on your league's waiver wire, consider adding him to your roster.

 

Marvin Jones - WR, CIN - 40% owned onFleaflicker

Marvin Jones missed all of last year with injuries, but offseason reports have been promising, and he was able to expectedly beat out Mohamed Sanu this preseason for the #2 role on the outside. Jones absolutely flourished with the Bengals in his sophomore season, scoring 10 touchdowns, most of them coming in a huge six game stretch.

While he’s obviously behind A.J. Green, and likely Tyler Eifert in targets, but he should still solidify a role as a deep threat for a team that needs to keep the field stretched for their running game. Oakland is a tough matchup, where he’ll face off against T.J. Carrie, but it’s nothing to avoid. I don’t expect heavy targets volume for Jones, but Dalton should look his way 3-5 times, and there’s few receivers available on the waiver wire that will see more deep looks than him. I’d consider adding him to your roster if you’re looking for a waiver wire flyer or some additional WR depth.

 

Brian Quick - WR, STL - 28% owned on Fleaflicker

Quick has an awful matchup this week against Richard Sherman, so he’ definitely not someone you want in your starting lineup for Week 1. However, there’s not many more receivers with his type of upside laying on the waiver wire.

While his schedule is tough for the most part, he has a few very easy matchups throughout the year that fantasy owners should be looking to exploit. Nick Foles has proven to be a reliable quarterback for providing good fantasy numbers to his receivers, and Quick is one of the few weapons St. Louis has on the outside. I’m willing to bet Quick falls into the mid WR3 range by the end of this year, as long as his shoulder cooperates. At only 28% owned, Quick is still being overlooked in drafts and by fantasy owners. He's someone to add off the waiver wire for additional wide receiver upside and depth.

 

Brandon Coleman WR, NO - 22% owned on Fleaflicker

I’m more-so buying Coleman for his situation rather than his hype as a player. Coleman went undrafted this past year, but was scooped up by one of the most intriguing passing offenses in the NFL, the Saints. They then shipped Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills out of town, and put Nick Toon on IR. Marques Colston also appears to have lost his starting spot, and C.J. Spiller’s status is somewhat murky.  

Honestly, this offseason was a dream for Coleman, and he’s now in the driver’s seat to become the Saints #2 option in the passing game outside of Brandin Cooks. Coleman was a decent prospect out of college, and the reason he went undrafted was likely for health reasons. He has the size and speed to succeed in this league, and his last preseason game showed that. I’d be willing to let Coleman be my last bench spot as he could make for a WR3 material. If he's sitting out there on your waiver wire, you should consider this wide receivers to your team. The upside is there.

 

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