Waiver Wire Week 1: Highlighting Top Pickups from 2022 Preseason
Baker Mayfield does not project as the long-term solution to any fantasy football team for the 2022 NFL season.
But the new Carolina Panthers quarterback could be the ideal waiver wire pickup for Week 1 because of the emotional matchup he has with his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
As of Monday morning, Mayfield was rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. That number could rise a bit in the coming days as fantasy football players finish their drafts and assess their rosters for Week 1.
Mayfield has a few top playmakers at his disposal in Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore and he could be in for a fantastic start to the season against his former team and its depleted roster without Deshaun Watson.
Mayfield and other Week 1 waiver-wire pickups may not stay on your roster past next Tuesday in some situations, but they could offer some value to kick off the fantasy football season on the right note.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Carolina
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There are statistical and emotional reasons to land Baker Mayfield off the waiver wire for Week 1.
Mayfield finished the preseason with two touchdown passes in a win over the Buffalo Bills, Mayfield went 9-for-15 for 89 passing yards and 5.9 yards per attempt.
Mayfield accomplished that without his top wide receivers in the contest, so that seems like a positive going into the matchup with Cleveland, which is where the emotional angle comes in.
The former No. 1 overall pick should be more than motivated to play well against the team that traded him away in the offseason after the Deshaun Watson trade was finalized with the Houston Texans.
Carolina may not come into the regular season with a ton of hype, but if the offense gets rolling, it could land the second spot in the NFC South standings behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After all, this is the team with one of the top two fantasy football players in Christian McCaffrey and an overlooked No. 1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore.
Robbie Anderson gives Mayfield a solid No. 2 target and the late preseason trade for Laviska Shenault with the Jacksonville Jaguars could reap rewards as well.
Cleveland did not exactly have the best preseason on defense. The Browns allowed 21 points to Philadelphia and Chicago in their last two preseason contests.
As Mayfield knows firsthand, he is going up against a defense that conceded 20-plus points in eight games in 2021.
Mayfield will know the weaknesses of the players on the defense and he could use that knowledge to pick apart the Browns' secondary with his three wide receivers and McCaffrey.
Mayfield may garner more fantasy football attention after Week 1, but there is always the chance the Panthers revert back to the norm after that game, which is why Mayfield could be worth a one-week rental to begin the campaign.
Mike Davis/Kenyan Drake, RB, Baltimore
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The Baltimore Ravens running back situation is one of the few situations we have to watch all week.
J.K. Dobbins is the clear starter when healthy, but he is recovering from an ACL injury and may not be at 100 percent for Sunday's opener against the New York Jets. Gus Edwards is currently on the PUP list.
The Ravens signed Kenyan Drake to add to their running back depth alongside Mike Davis ahead of the trip to MetLife Stadium.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley that Dobbins "has looked better every day", but he also outlined why Drake was brought in.
"We've been known to run the ball a little bit," Harbaugh said. "So you get a running back out there who fits what we do -- a talented guy who wants to be here -- we feel like it was a good move for us."
Davis and Drake appear to be short-term fixes from a fantasy perspective since Dobbins is gaining strength and should be the No. 1 running back for most of the season as long as he stays on the field.
Of course, this could always mean Lamar Jackson takes over more of the rushing responsibilities in Week 1 before Dobbins gets healthy.
Davis or Drake comes with a risk because of Jackson's impact on the rushing attack, but they could be sneaky additions as an RB2, RB3 or FLEX player because of their touchdown potential.
Baltimore should provide more clarity in the buildup to the opener, but for now, it is one of the most important situations to follow as Week 1 approaches.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston
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You may regret not drafting Nico Collins.
The Houston Texans wide receiver gave us a glimpse of what he may do in 2022 with a four-catch, 48-yard performance in Week 2 of preseason.
Collins finished the 2021 season with at least four targets in five straight contests. Davis Mills may not be the most accurate quarterback in the NFL, but at least he and Collins had time to polish their chemistry in the offseason. That was showcased in the preseason clash with the Los Angeles Rams.
At the moment, Collins is far from the hottest fantasy football prospect on his own roster. Running back Dameon Pierce has all the buzz at the moment after Marlon Mack was cut, but that also means his roster percentage should skyrocket before Sunday.
Collins is currently rostered in 31 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues and that number may not go up much until after Week 1.
Collins' competition for targets with Brandin Cooks could also hurt his stock in certain stretches of the season, but he could be one of those players that you buy low on in Week 1 and he comes through with a few key performances throughout the season.
Houston has a tough matchup with the Colts in Week 1, but it is worth noting Collins had four receptions for 44 yards against them in one of his first games as an offensive contributor with the Texans last season.
The improved chemistry between himself and Mills could lead to some additional targets if Cooks is not free and that could allow for a breakout performance in Week 1.
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Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore
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Isaiah Likely is the preseason stud that carries the most intrigue and most risk at the same time.
Likely had a 100-yard performance in the second preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals that caught everyone's attention.
We may not see Likely's potential inside the Baltimore offense right off the bat because Mark Andrews is the starting tight end and a very good one at that.
Andrews will get the majority of the targets from the tight end position, but the Ravens could use both players in certain situations, especially closer to the end zone.
Likely is the tight end that improved his stock the most in preseason, but he could be more of a boom-or-bust waiver-wire pickup in Week 1.
If you drafted poorly and need help at the position, Likely could be the guy for your roster. One tight end touchdown, or a large gain, could make a huge difference in any type of head-to-head format.
Likely is rostered in nine percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment, and unless he explodes in Week 1 with a performance that blows away Andrews' production, he should be available over the first few weeks of the season.
But if you are willing to take the risk in Week 1, Likely could be the play since the Ravens could be in blowout mode against the Jets.
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