Week 1 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Advice for Preseason Sleepers Who May Be Available

It's usually not a great idea to go wild with the waiver wire before the NFL regular season has even begun. However, sometimes it's a necessity.

Oftentimes, an early fantasy draft can leave managers with a player they no longer want or who won't be available. For example, the early training camp buzz on New England Patriots running back Damien Harris likely led several managers to draft him.

However, New England recently placed him on injured reserve with a hand injury,

Harris will be out for at least the first three weeks of the season, and if that leaves you short a running back, the waiver wire is the first place you'll turn.

With this in mind, let's examine some quality waiver-wire targets who might still be available in your league.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

If you're looking for a Week 1 flex starter, it's worth checking to see if DeSean Jackson is available. The veteran wideout is likely to be the No. 1 receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles this week.

Alshon Jeffery is still recovering from foot surgery, while rookie wideout Jalen Reagor is dealing with a shoulder injury. According to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Reagor is hopeful for a Week 2 return. Jackson, meanwhile, appears to be at 100 percent.

"One thing with DeSean, he feels good, he feels healthy and he's ready to go for the regular season," head coach Doug Pederson said, per Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Getting him back in the offense is just a boost."

Jackson and the Eagles will kick off their season against a Washington Football Team that ranked 18th in passing yards and 30th in passing touchdowns allowed.

Jackson is rostered in 61 percent of ESPN leagues and just 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

If, like some fantasy managers—myself among them—you have only drafted one quarterback, and are now looking for a potential bye-week replacement on the waiver wire. Well, there's a chance that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is available, and he's worth picking up if so.

Burrow has a number of quality weapons at his disposal—including A.J. Green, Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. While he is a rookie, he's about as pro-ready as any first-year signal-caller in the last few years. He isn't going to match the 60 touchdowns he threw at LSU last season, but he could break the rookie passing touchdown record.

Expect a few growing pains from Burrow, but by midseason, he should be a viable starter and a great bye-week alternative.

While Burrow is rostered in 76 percent of Yahoo leagues, he's still available in 51 percent of ESPN leagues.

Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

If you're looking for a sleeper pick, Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson might be the player for you. He'll be backing up starter Austin Ekeler and may also share time with rookie fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley. However, it's not clear how much of a role Kelley will play.

Jackson is listed as the No. 2 back on the team's unofficial depth chart.

Melvin Gordon split time with Ekeler last season, and both were viable starters in fantasy. If Jackson fills a similar role, he could be an early waiver-wire steal. He's rostered in just 14 percent of Yahoo leagues and 31 percent of ESPN leagues.

While Jackson has been dealing with a foot injury, he is expected to be ready for Week 1.

Jackson could be a serviceable play against the Cincinnati Bengals and tremendous long-term value if he indeed sees a significant amount of the backfield workload. 

Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

On the handcuff front, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is available in more than 50 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues. If you drafted Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard is a must-get, and he might just be worth scooping up if you didn't.

While Elliott has been durable, it's foolish to think he can't miss time. If he does, Pollard is going to have a tremendous amount of trade value as Elliott's fantasy managers scramble to replace him.

In the meantime, Pollard provides a modest amount of value as an emergency flex option. He produced 562 yards, 15 receptions and three touchdowns as a rookie last season, and he could potentially see a bigger role moving forward—nothing close to a 50-50 split if Elliott is healthy, but Pollard could approach the 800-yard range this season.

Pollard isn't a high-end flex option, but you can play him in a pinch and hope for the best—he did have a pair of 100-yards games last season. His real value, though, is as a handcuff.

ESPN and Yahoo roster percentages from FantasyPros.