Kirk Cousins, Cooper Kupp and Top Fantasy Waiver-Wire Pickups After A.J. Brown, Sam Darnold Injuries

One game into the NFL season, fantasy football players already have reasons to worry. Our anxiety-riddled hobby is back!

Sam Darnold left Wednesday's season-opener with a hip injury suffered on the first drive of the game and didn't return. A.J. Brown suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and also didn't return. Panic ensued.

If you're rostering either player and find yourself already considering other options to pick up on waivers this week, fear not. Chances are you didn't draft Darnold to be your starting quarterback anyway, but having multiple options is always preferable (and obviously this list will probably look very different after the Week 1 games are all played).

Let's break it down.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

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Look, Kirk Cousins was awful in his two seasons in Atlanta, he doesn't have many weapons in Las Vegas and his most important target—tight end Brock Bowers—is going to miss at least a game or two after having a meniscus trim.

It's not great.

But at least Cousins has a past pedigree of fantasy relevance, which is more than you are going to get from most of the quarterbacks available on waivers. Darnold certainly looked very good in Klint Kubiak's offense—perhaps Cousins can turn back the clock as well.

Malik Willis, QB, Miami Dolphins

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Malik Willis is rostered in 41 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, so there's a chance he isn't available in your league. If he is, however, he's the guy to pursue from a ceiling perspective.

Yes, he's largely an unknown quantity as a starter, but there's a good chance Miami's entire offense this season is a whole lot of De'Von Achane touches and Willis scrambles. His rushing upside alone makes him an intriguing bet.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Seattle Seahawks

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Kupp isn't really a long-term option, given his modest 2025 production (47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns) and his age (33). Frankly, you are probably only considering him in deeper PPR leagues.

But... in Week 2 he gets the Arizona Cardinals, while in Week 3 he'll face the Washington Commanders. And Drew Lock found him on a few big plays and a touchdown pass that was called back due to an illegal shift.

With more injuries inevitably to follow this weekend, Kupp could end up being a sneaky pick if you need a short-term option given his pending matchups.

Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Somebody has to pick up some of the slack in the passing game with Bowers hurt. Why not Tre Tucker?

The Las Vegas wideout is only rostered in 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, so there's a good chance he'll be available. That number is going to change dramatically if he shows solid chemistry with Cousins in Week 1. He's very much a player who should be on your radar.