Waiver Wire Week 1: Examining Top Fantasy Pickups and Drops on Yahoo
There is no better time to make a fantasy football statement than in Week One.
Earning bragging rights in your league right out of the gate builds confidence and gives managers a much-needed momentum starter, enhancing the significance of each player on one's roster.
The first week of the 2024 season is no different.
Ahead of the schedule's first slate of games, there are several players still available who will have opportunities for touches and scores that will ultimately benefit your team more than the more recognizable stars who have not produced to the extent that their star power would suggest.
Entering Week One, these are the players to add to, and drop from, your Yahoo fantasy rosters.
All fantasy stats via FantasyPros unless otherwise stated.
Pickup: Samaje Perine, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
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Samaje Perine was a late addition to the Kansas City Chiefs roster following his release from the Denver Broncos and, as has been the case throughout head coach Andy Reid's tenure with the defending Super Bowl champions, is the sort of pickup that will pay dividends almost immediately.
The 28-year-old veteran back is coming off a year with the Broncos in which his 693 total yards from scrimmage may not be eye-popping on paper but his 4.5 yards per carry and 455 receiving yards certainly are.
Patrick Mahomes likes to find his running back out of the backfield. He threw 86 passes to Iasiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 2023 season. Perine, himself, caught 88 passes a season ago.
Finding the back for big, explosive plays out of the backfield has long been a staple of Reid's offense, dating back to the days of Donovan McNabb hooking up with Brian Westbrook for the Eagles.
Perine gives the Chiefs the chance to implement that aspect of the offense from day one and, against an aggressive Baltimore Ravens defense in Week One, a team that Perine knows and played against with regularity during his seasons in Cincinnati, he should be an asset right out of the gate.
He is available in 96 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Drop: Ezkiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
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The signing of Ezekiel Elliott by the Dallas Cowboys made headlines this offseason but in reality, the veteran back is a superstar in name only at this point in his career.
Elliott is currently RB1 on the depth chart but the veteran back achieved more than 10 fantasy points in just four games a season ago, according to FantasyPros, and 20 points just once.
Add his sub-par fantasy performance to the fact that fifth-year back Rico Dowdle will be breathing down his neck for carries and rookie Deuce Vaughn has a legitimate chance to be a breakout star for America's Team, and you have the very real possibility that Elliott is not the primary back in Dallas fairly early on.
That Elliott faces a tough, stingy Cleveland Browns defense will not help get his return to Dallas off to a great start.
He is currently rostered in 79 percent of Yahoo leagues, which is somewhat surprising and almost certainly reflective of his starting position. There are others available, like Dowdle and Vaughn, who could provide greater value to your roster long-term.
Pickup: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
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Chuba Hubbard established himself as the best option at running back for the Carolina Panthers last season.
Until rookie Jonathon Brooks is off the PUP list, he will remain as much, for an offense that will desperately need him to produce.
Hubbard averaged just over 77 yards per game a season ago and while that does not inspire a ton of trust with fantasy managers, he did so on 19.2 touches.
Like Elliott, his fantasy output was not plentiful by any stretch of the imagination but as the undisputed No. 1 back for the Panthers for now, he will have the opportunity necessary to put up numbers and be a worthwhile start for a team that has yet to prove it is willing to let Bryce Young sling the ball around the field and beat opponents.
At least as long as the explosive Brooks is unavailable to the team.
Hubbard is currently available in 39 percent of Yahoo leagues.
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Drop: Mike Williams, WR, New York Jets
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The idea of dropping Mike Williams may seem rather absurd given how dynamic a pass-catcher he is, but his injury history is concerning. Even if he is available following last season's torn ACL, as he is expected to be for Week One against San Francisco, it is not a great match-up for the Jets receiver.
Despite having high-profile offensive weapons all over the field, the showdown between the defending NFC champion 49ers and the New York Jets will likely have strong defensive play that limits the number of big plays available to both teams.
On the Jets side of things, Aaron Rodgers has had more time to work with Garrett Wilson and the rest of the team's offensive playmakers this offseason and will likely look their way when the opportunity presents itself.
Williams has missed 26 games in his seven-year NFL career. The threat that he could miss more has left managers cautious about wasting a spot on him, as evidenced by the fact that he is available in 56 percent of Yahoo leagues.
He could very well come back strong, play all 17 games, and deliver on his potential to be one of the consistently great playmakers in the league. The question is whether you should wait around for him to prove that he can be available or find another wide out to take his spot in an era where there are quality receivers three and four deep on most squads.
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