Brandon Aiyuk and the Best Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Stashes Before 2025 Week 1

Many fantasy football leagues have already held their draft at this point, but managers shouldn't rest on their laurels quite yet. There's still plenty of roster tinkering to do before the 2025 NFL season starts on Thursday.

Most drafts don't leave you perfectly set for the season. While established veterans anchor your lineup, it's important to also stash potential breakout sleepers who could provide huge value.

Don't worry if you missed out on the trendy sleepers. A number of high-upside players—currently free agents in most leagues—could soon break out, or provide value later when they return from injury.

Don't overlook veterans who slipped through the draft after down seasons—if they rebound, they'll become reliable depth options.

With that in mind, here's a look at the best waiver-wire pickups and stashes—who are rostered in approximately half or less of Yahoo! leagues—you can add before Week 1.

Fantasy points, rankings, average draft position (ADP) and other stats courtesy of FantasyPros using PPR data.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (51 Percent Rostered)

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is expected to energize the offense. He helped Baker Mayfield achieve a career-best QB4 finish as Bucs OC, and he could unlock similar upside in Lawrence this season.

While Lawrence has just a single top-12 fantasy finish under his belt, he's a great bet to land on the QB1 radar in 2025.

He gets a soft matchup against a beatable Carolina defense—the third-worst in the league last year—to open the year and will likely become a hot waiver-wire addition among managers whose drafted signal-callers stumbled out the gate.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (33 Percent Rostered)

Penix made his debut far earlier than expected when he took over for an ineffective Kirk Cousins late last year. While he didn't move the fantasy needle in his first two starts, his QB7 ranking in the Week 18 may be a sign of things to come.

With a slew of Day 1 skill position talent surrounding him, the second-year QB has sleeper potential in 2025.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (27 Percent Rostered)

After battling injury for much of the offseason, Stafford has returned to action and is ready to start the opening matchup of what could be his NFL swan song season.

While Stafford may not have the most upside at this stage of his career, he'll still be a serviceable streaming choice against Texans in Week 1 for those who still need a reliable option at QB.

Running Back

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (56 Percent Rostered)

Tuten is a true high-upside stash who could deliver league-winning value. He's reminiscent of last year's surprise RB13, Bucky Irving—undrafted in most leagues but highly productive.

With Liam Coen now running the show in Jacksonville and Tuten being handpicked during the new regime's first draft, it may not be long before he usurps both Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby on the depth chart, opening the door for him to put up some eye-popping fantasy metrics in this system.

Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers (46 Percent Rostered)

Although a July 4 firework incident marred Harris' first offseason with the Chargers, the reliable back is still trending towards participating in the opener.

It's a great sign for Harris' fantasy prospects, as he could end up forcing a near-equal timeshare with rookie Omarion Hampton in what projects to be one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league.

If your lineup lacks stable depth at the RB position, Harris could be the ideal bye-week and injury fill-in this year.

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (37 Percent Rostered)

The Cardinals aim to become the league's top rushing offense in 2025.

With a pair of talented backs in Benson and James Conner, that goal isn't out of reach. While Benson's RB70 rookie performance may not be inspiring, he was the second back off the board in last year's draft and still has real potential to break out as a star.

Conner—last year's RB11—has said Arizona will have two RB1s and his backfield partner will get more touches this season. Despite this, Benson is still being rostered in less than half of all leagues right now.

Shrewd managers will capitalize on this availability, picking up a player who could become an integral part of the next great fantasy backfield.

Ollie Gordon II, Miami Dolphins (33 Percent Rostered)

After a quiet offseason largely spent battling for the RB3 spot on Miami's depth chart, Gordon has suddenly surged onto the fantasy radar following a rash of injuries.

With Alexander Mattison done for the season and Jaylen Wright undergoing a procedure for a lower-leg injury that could keep him out for a month, Gordon appears to be the clear-cut backup behind injury-prone starter De'Von Achane.

The rookie will get plenty of opportunities to cement a significant role in the Dolphins' rotation, so snap him up before he becomes one of the hotter waiver-wire targets following a breakout performance.

Wide Receiver

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Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers (52 Percent Rostered)

Aiyuk is going to be sidelined for a good portion of the 2025 campaign as he recovers from an ACL tear suffered last October. The 49ers star was placed on the PUP list—meaning he'll miss at least four games—with head coach Kyle Shanahan looking at a potential Week 6 return.

Expect the Niners to try to get Aiyuk back up to speed as soon as possible. The team will be desperate for pass-catching help after parting ways with Deebo Samuel this offseason and having 2024 breakout star Jauan Jennings miss much of the preseason due to a calf issue and contract dispute.

If you can stash Aiyuk—especially in your IR slot—he could deliver top-10 numbers down the stretch and help win your league.

Christian Kirk, Houston Texans (41 Percent Rostered)

The Texans made a smart move to add Kirk for pennies on the dollar this offseason, getting a receiver who underwhelmed in an abysmal offensive system and dealt with injuries for much of stint with the Jags.

He's due to reemerge as a legitimate fantasy weapon this year, potentially even outperforming his WR12 finish from 2022 if all goes right for the veteran.

Kirk is shaping up to be the second option behind superstar Nico Collins and should be on the field even in two wide receiver sets, a setup that should result in consistent fantasy production.

Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (26 Percent Rostered)

Chicago's Week 1 clash with the Vikings will reveal much about head coach Ben Johnson's new-look offense.

One of the biggest mysteries going into the new season is Burden, a second-round pick who will have to compete with the likes of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and the team's two pass-catching tight ends for targets.

If Burden can still find a way to carve out a meaningful role and get at least a few targets each week, he has more than enough talent to make the most of them and put up huge fantasy numbers. This is the ultimate boom-or-bust stash, one that could end up paying dividends for managers who rolled the dice.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots (16 Percent Rostered)

The Patriots may have a logjam in their receiving corps, but Douglas has stood a cut above the rest in training camp.

While high-profile offseason additions such as Stefon Diggs drew most of the offseason headlines, the third-year incumbent could wind up remaining Drake Maye's favorite target in 2025.

Douglas may have flown under the radar in previous seasons, but he could have a true breakout campaign if the Pats' O-line and running game takes a leap and properly supports the passing attack.

Tight End

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Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (54 Percent Rostered)

Ertz returned to fantasy relevance last year after joining up with the Commanders. His instant chemistry with Jayden Daniels resulted in 654 yards and seven touchdowns on 66 receptions—good for a respectable TE7 finish—but he's still available in nearly half of all leagues right now.

Leaving Ertz on the free-agent pile is a mistake many managers will regret after he picks up right where he left off and starts tallying up top-10 numbers on a weekly basis.

Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (27 Percent Rostered)

The hype surrounding Okonkwo has cooled significantly after he failed to break out in either of the last two seasons. Despite the underwhelming efforts, there's still a chance the 26-year-old finally emerges as a fantasy TE1.

Okonkwo will get an opportunity to truly prove himself now that he's paired with a serviceable quarterback in Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick who may finally unlock head coach Brian Callahan's system.

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (21 Percent Rostered)

While reliable tight ends are rare outside the draft's top tiers, Strange could soon join their ranks.

With Evan Engram exiting Jacksonville, the second-year talent has a clear path to becoming Trevor Lawrence's safety valve and preferred red-area target.

The 2024 second-round pick has sky-high upside and a chance to emerge as an integral part of the Jags' passing game, making him a rare TE genuinely worthy of stashing as a lottery ticket.

D/ST

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Arizona Cardinals (36 Percent Rostered)

If you didn't get one of the top-tier defenses during your draft, scoop up the Cardinals defense as soon as possible.

They are not only ready to show out in an easy clash against the abysmal Saints quarterback platoon in the opener—a matchup that makes them a top-three streaming option for Week 1—but they also have an amazing stretch that includes dates with the Panthers, Seahawks, Titans and Colts in the first six weeks alone.

Arizona should be considered a must-add and will be rostered in nearly every league before September is over. Get ahead of the curve and pick this unit up right now.  

Washington Commanders (31 Percent Rostered)

The Commanders are gearing up for a hot start with a very winnable clash against the NFC East rival Giants in Week 1.

Washington's defense should feast against this Russell Wilson-led opponent, kicking off what should be a much better showing this year than the No. 24 finish it posted in 2024.

Cincinnati Bengals (10 Percent Rostered)

The Bengals defense took a ton of flak for its underwhelming efforts last year and was largely blamed for the team missing the playoffs, but it still finished as an average fantasy unit at No. 16.

It could rise from that significantly in 2025, especially if Cincy can capitalize on a relatively easy schedule that begins with a plus-matchup with the Browns on Sunday.