Top Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups from 2025 NFL Preseason

The 2025 NFL season may not have started yet, but fantasy football stocks have been moving for a while.

That's because managers have been making educated guesses about which preseason standouts have a chance to enjoy similar success on the main stage.

With those managers now forced to make lineup and roster decisions based on that information, we're spotlighting our favorite waiver-wire pickups (available in 30-plus percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros) at each of the marquee positions for Week 1.

Quarterback: Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (6% Rostered)

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Assuming, for your sake, that your quarterback plans haven't already gone awry, you could hit the waiver wire to seek out a long-term stash at the league's most important spot rather than a plug-and-play fill-in. And if you're going that route, it'd be tough to find a more exciting option than Dart.

The rookie first-rounder had the kind of eye-opening preseason that suggests he won't be stuck behind veteran starter Russell Wilson for long. In three preseason outings, Dart completed 32-of-47 passes (68.1 percent) for 372 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also contributed with his legs, adding six carries for 52 yards and another score.

There are already folks around the league who think the Giants should start Dart right away. That won't happen, but it's still worth noting that his promotion could come sooner than later, especially if this team, which lost 11 games in 2024, is nowhere near the playoff picture.

Whenever Dart gets the call, he'll immediately benefit from having one of the league's best young receivers at his disposal in Malik Nabers. That combo could become fantasy gold in no time if everything breaks right.

Running Back: Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders (66% Rostered)

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When the Commanders traded away Brian Robinson Jr., all eyes in the fantasy community immediately turned toward rookie seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The attention isn't entirely unwarranted—he's a super athlete who had some electric moments in the preseason—but it also highlighted the fantasy world's collective obsession with the shiny, new object.

Ekeler is anything but shiny and new. He turned 30 in May and is about to start his ninth NFL season. It's not totally shocking, then, to see the fantasy community feel less enthusiastic about his outlook.

That doesn't mean it's the right approach, though. Ekeler's volume may have quieted plenty since his prime days in Los Angeles, but he was about as efficient as ever during his first year with Washington this past season. His 4.8 yards per carry were his most since 2018, while his 10.5 yards per reception were the second-highest of his career.

This might be a by-committee backfield, but Ekeler should play a big role in it, especially early in the season. And if Croskey-Merritt can't carry over his preseason success to the games that actually count, maybe Ekeler is actually the Washington running back most worth rostering this season.

Wide Receiver: Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions (9% Rostered)

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There are, admittedly, reasons to be skeptical about TeSlaa. It's not just that he's an unproven rookie, it's that he wasn't particularly proven in college. He played his final two seasons at Arkansas and was not a needle-mover there: 62 catches for 896 yards and five touchdowns in 25 games.

All of that said, the Lions clearly believe in him. They drafted him earlier than expected (70th overall) and paid a premium to do it (giving up three third-round picks to trade into that spot). Their general manager Brad Holmes later called TeSlaa "my favorite wide receiver in this draft" and later basically backed up those words by trading away productive veteran Tim Patrick.

Suddenly, TeSlaa has a realistic path toward locking down the Lions' WR3 job. And he did everything he could during the preseason to earn it. He caught 10-of-13 targets for 146 yards and three scores.

His target volume is still incredibly uncertain, but his athleticism is elite, his quarterback is accurate (Jared Goff) and his offense needs a third receiver to emerge behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. TeSlaa's range of possible outcomes covers a lot of real estate, but the potential reward is too great to overlook.