Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
This piece is a fantasy manager’s one-stop shop for managing their fantasy roster early in the week. For more players to add, check out the weekly waiver wire, and for more on this past week’s games in general, check out the fantasy football recap.
5 PLAYERS TO ADD
1. RB Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
The fourth-round rookie led Cleveland in rushing attempts and receptions.
The Browns moved on from Nick Chubb, D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. this offseason, retaining only Jerome Ford. They added Quinshon Judkins and Sampson in the draft, but Judkins signed his rookie deal just a day before Cleveland’s Week 1 game. The preseason suggested the Browns would deploy a mostly even split between Sampson and Ford until Judkins is ready to play.
Sampson served as the primary early-down back, while Ford was the third-down back. Raheim Sanders played limited snaps, specifically in short-yardage and goal-line situations, which led him to score a rushing touchdown. Naturally, Sampson led the team in rushing attempts as the early-down back. However, he was targeted eight times, and seven came on early downs.
Reports have indicated that Judkins could be ready to play as early as next week. If that happens, we would likely see him eventually take over as the early-down back while Sampson mixes in. Ford would likely continue to be the third-down back in the short term, but it’s possible Judkins or Sampson could take those snaps in the future.
It’s worth rostering Sampson, as he will potentially start again next week, and he would also be the primary running back if Judkins is suspended at some point this season. He has the most upside of the waiver-wire running backs because he may be Cleveland’s clear lead back for multiple weeks. However, Judkins will presumably take over by midseason, giving Sampson limited long-term value.
Typically, there is a running back worth spending a lot on in Week 1, but that is not the case this year. Only spend on Sampson if you think you will need to start him sometime in the near future.
2. WR Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh Steelers
Calvin Austin III caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, firmly establishing himself as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 wide receiver.
The Steelers overhauled their wide receiver room this offseason, trading away George Pickens and acquiring D.K. Metcalf to take over as the X. They also moved on from Van Jefferson, opening up a competition for the third starting spot. That battle — initially wide open — narrowed to Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek after final cuts.
Austin entered the year as the presumed WR2 but missed time in the preseason due to injury. In Week 1, he clearly separated himself from the pack, playing snaps both in the slot and out wide depending on the personnel. He’s the only Steelers receiver with that level of versatility.
Austin is a strong waiver add. With Aaron Rodgers under center and a favorable offensive scheme for slot-capable receivers, Austin could develop into a matchup-dependent fantasy starter — especially if Rodgers continues to play at a high level.
3. TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Hunter played a higher percentage of New England’s offensive snaps in this game than in the past.
The Patriots kept their same two tight ends as last season, Henry and Austin Hooper. Henry was the clear lead tight end in 2024, playing 81% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps. That included 71% of the early-down snaps out of 11 personnel and 79% on third downs. This week, he played 92% of the 11-personnel snaps on early downs and 93% on third downs.
Henry has had a few excellent games in recent seasons, but he generally brings limited fantasy value. He averaged 9.1 PPR points per game last season, which ranked 16th among fantasy tight ends.
With this increased workload, he becomes a safer option in fantasy starting lineups. His stat line of four receptions and 66 yards certainly helps. I was low on him during draft season, given Hooper’s experience with both offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with the Las Vegas Raiders and head coach Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans. However, the usage in this game changes my opinion about his outlook.
The other tight ends on this list are young options with more upside than Henry, but the veteran will probably outscore most of them. Henry can go into fantasy starting lineups every week and have OK production while outscoring a few tight ends who were drafted to be fantasy starters.
4. TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strange caught four passes for 59 yards in the Jaguars’ Week 1 win.
He had to step up at times last season while Evan Engram was out due to injury, and he played well enough to earn the starting job this season once Engram moved on to the Denver Broncos. At his best, Strange was playing more than 80% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps. Typically, when he was the starter, he played between 68%-75% of the snaps, including a 58%-66% share in single-tight-end sets on early downs, an 80%-plus share on third downs and the clear majority of snaps in two-tight-end sets.
Strange played 78.8% of the snaps this week, including nearly every snap in two-tight-end sets. Unfortunately, the one play where he wasn’t on the field in 12 personnel was when top backup Johnny Mundt scored a touchdown. Strange also played 90% of the snaps in 11 personnel on third downs and 65% on early downs. It’s worth noting that Mundt was his backup on early downs, and Hunter Long was his backup on third downs. This suggests that if Strange were to get injured, Long would become the primary receiving tight end.
Strange was among the top sleeper tight ends heading into the season, and this was a great start. He should be one of the best waiver-wire options at the position this week.
5. QB Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. was one of my top sleeper quarterbacks heading into the season, and his Week 1 performance backed that up. While his raw numbers from three late-season starts last year were modest, his underlying metrics told a different story. He earned an 87.6 passing grade, fueled by an elite big-time throw rate and the lowest turnover-worthy play rate in the league. Among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts, Penix led in positive-grade rate — edging out Lamar Jackson — and topped Josh Allen in big-time throw rate.
In Week 1, Penix threw for 298 yards and a touchdown despite playing without one of his top two receivers. He also added value on the ground, rushing six times for 21 yards and a go-ahead touchdown late in the game, good for one of the top fantasy outings among quarterbacks.
While Penix isn’t an ideal streaming option for Week 2, he draws favorable matchups in Weeks 3 and 4 against the Panthers and Commanders. His second-half schedule is even better, making him a strong stash candidate in leagues with deeper benches.
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