Some leagues (including ALL high-stakes leagues) allow you to go to the waiver wire before the season starts. This gives you a chance to get rid of injured or cut players on your roster. It also allows you to get rid of players that you have buyer’s remorse about. I have no problem spending money in pre-season FAAB, but be careful as it is a long season, and today’s WR3 might be tomorrow’s WR5.
Here are some early targets that are of interest. For the purposes of this article, I assume your league uses $1000 FAAB.
I’ve been saying all pre-season that Mayfield is worth a couple of dollars as a stash on a good offense. FAAB: $10-20
New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is going to throw the ball more than Seattle has done in the past decade. Geno should be a big beneficiary. FAAB: $10-15
When I asked for a bold prediction this season, I can’t tell you how many people mentioned Levis. His early-season schedule is very difficult, but his late-season schedule is very easy. Definitely worth the stash. FAAB: $10-20
Donald is playing in a Dome with great receivers and an excellent play-calling head coach. 3500 yards and 25 touchdowns is not out of the question. FAABL $10-15
Sean Payton just named him the starter, and I think there’s upside with both his arm and his legs. FAAB: $5-10
Danny Dimes has been a train wreck in the past, but the Giants offensive line looks improved, and now they have a true #1 receiver in Malik Nabers. FAAB: $5-10
With Elijah Mitchell out for the season, Jordan Mason will be the backup to Christian McCaffrey. Mason looked good in the preseason, and there’s a solid chance he’s out there in most leagues, as this information just happened last week. FAAB: $50-70
If you drafted a couple of weeks ago, you might have forgotten about Dowdle. Mike McCarthy just said that he’s going to be more involved in the offense, and he definitely is more explosive than any other running back Dallas has. FAAB: $50-70
Tracy was originally a wide receiver at Purdue, but he became a running back last year. With the Giants potentially in a lot of garbage-time situations, he could have value. FAAB: $20-30
There’s been a lot of talk in training camp that Tank looks a whole lot better this year than he did last year as a rookie. He’s still worth a bid as a backup running back in a good offense. FAAB: $20-30
Allen is Hall’s backup, and if he’s available in leagues, you need to pick him up right now. He’s difficult to stop when he gets a head of steam going. FAAB: $60-80 if you have Hall, $20-30 if you don’t.
I don’t think that JK Dobbins will make it to Week Eight. Once that happens, Vidal should have a chance to start and perform admirably. FAAB: $30-40
As much as I like Kenneth Gainwell, I don’t think he has the size to be in every down running back if anything should happen to Barkley. Shipley’s a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger than Gainwell, and he was an exceptional running back at Clemson. FAAB: $10-20
The big question is whether Sean Payton will finally get him on the field. If he does, then Mims absolutely has value. FAAB: $5-10
Iosivas Is going to play the Tyler Boyd role this season, and he’s already becoming one of Burrow’s more trusted targets in camp. FAAB: $25-30
I loved him at the University of Washington, and he’s already worked his way into the starting lineup for Tampa. FAAB: $25-35
With Zay Jones out for the first five weeks, look for Dortsch to come in and be an every-week starter. He has a very good rapport with Kyler Murray, so it wouldn’t shock me to see him stick in the starting lineup even when Jones returns. FAAB: $20-25
Brown just signed with the Commanders last week, and I think there’s a very good chance he might be the starter come Week 3. FAAB: $5-10
The Cowboys held Tolbert out of preseason games, knowing that he’s going to be an integral part of their offense. A lot of people are overlooking him, and that might be a big mistake. FAAB: $15-20
I would pay an extra dollar for Dotson if I already had A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith on my roster. FAAB: $15-20 if you have A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. $5-10 if you don’t.
If your league gives extra points for long-distance touchdowns, Tucker might be a great pickup. He’s got tremendous speed, and you know that Gardner Minshew is always willing to take a few shots downfield. FAAB: $5-10
He’s a veteran WR3 in a good offense with an excellent quarterback. FAAB: $10-20
Someone has to emerge in New Orleans as the third receiver. I might argue that Perry has way more value than both Olave and Shaheed in the red zone because he’s such a huge target. He might be worth an extra buck in standard and half-point PPR formats. FAAB: $5-10
Right now, he’s the WR3 for the Vikings, which gives him some value, especially if you think that Jordan Addison might miss time. FAAB: $5-10
He was a training camp darling, so it might be worth stashing him for a buck. FAAB: $1-2
I am a huge Sinott fan, and I think it’s only a matter of time before he comes into the starting lineup and thrives. Think about what Trey McBride did last year, and that’s what I’m thinking for Sinnott in 2024. FAAB: $30-50
With Darren Waller out, the Giants are in desperate need of a starting tight end, and Johnson is supremely athletic. FAAB: $5-10
Kraft will likely not see a ton of receptions, but I think he could be used in the red zone due to his size and pass-catching ability. FAAB: $5-10
With Tyler Higbee on the PUP, look for Parkinson to be the TE1 for the Rams. FAAB: $20-25
Johnson just returned to practice last week, and with Taysom Hill in more of a Swiss army-type role, I expect that Johnson should see at least 50% of snaps. FAAB: $10-15
A lot of smart people seem to think that Hurst is going to be the pass-catching tight end for the Chargers. He could be a sneaky source of 50 receptions for 500 yards and five touchdowns. FAAB: $15-20
Seattle plays Denver at home with Bo Nix, who will be making his first start. FAAB: $5
New England is projected to have the worst offense in the NFL. Definitely worth a one-week stream. FAAB: $3-5
I like Bryce Young to improve, but Week 1 on the road in the very loud Superdome feels like a bit too much to overcome. FAAB: $3-5
