It is finally football season, and with it comes time to draft your fantasy football teams and set your lineups. While you certainly can lose your leagues during your drafts, you cannot win them, which makes your Week 1 waiver wire pickups just that more important.

Plenty of players will be stepping into big roles for the first time in their careers, while household names will surprisingly see less work as the season progresses – these types of unexpected changes will force you to adapt your roster as the weeks go by, and your waiver wire is the place to make sure you have the best roster possible.

All Week 1 waiver wire pickups below are rostered in fewer than 50 percent of all ESPN leagues, increasing your chances of being able to add these players to your roster before your first matchup.

Week 1 Waiver Wire Pickups

10. Jalen Tolbert – WR
27.9% Rostered
Dallas Cowboys

With Michael Gallup still without a definite timeline to return from his ACL injury, the Dallas Cowboys will need to find another pass catcher to step up alongside CeeDee Lamb to begin the year. South Alabama rookie Jalen Tolbert has been given every opportunity to thrive in that role this offseason, and he looks to be plugged into that role to start out.

While he never really had any sort of breakout plays that solidified his role this preseason, the Cowboys need to put him in as their WR2 right out of the gate. Opening against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely force Dak Prescott into many passing situations, so Tolbert should see a lot of volume to justify picking him up.

9. Mike Davis – RB
10.2% Rostered
Baltimore Ravens

Gus Edwards is out, the status of JK Dobbins is still up in the air, and Kenyan Drake likely doesn’t have a full grasp of the playbook yet – it is Mike Davis time in Baltimore. Needing a workhorse to help lead their rushing attack, Davis could be a fantasy football week winner if you need an RB2/FLEX spot filled.

His time with the Falcons did not go the way he wanted, but Davis still has some tread left on his tires. The Ravens went through the whole week-by-week starter approach last year, and Davis likely would be a better option than most of the players they chose. Facing the Jets in Week 1, the Ravens likely will try and utilize Davis heavily on the ground, giving him a solid ceiling for the first few weeks.

8. Austin Hooper – TE
16.8% Rostered
Tennessee Titans

With Treylon Burks still needing time and Robert Woods working his way back from injury, Austin Hooper will be a solid TE1/2 safety valve for Ryan Tannehill. Needing to fill a boatload of targets vacated by the A.J. Brown trade, Hooper lands as one of the most underrated tight-end targets that is almost free.

TE is one of those positions that, outside of the top seven-ish names, people tend to punt on until the later rounds. Hooper is a cheap dart throw for your fantasy football roster that you can afford to target on your waiver wire, and he should see a safe-enough floor to justify rostering him for the majority of the season.

7. Sammy Watkins – WR
5.1% Rostered
Green Bay Packers

Will 2022 be the continuation of Sammy Watkins being a Week 1 fantasy football star? With the current status of the WR core for the Green Bay Packers, it certainly could be.

Watkins is a walking injury risk and the Packers obviously know that, but with Allen Lazard having a convoluted status for Week 1 and the other depth pieces (Randall Cobb, Romeo Doubs, etc.) not being super impactful pieces, Watkins is an excellent high-ceiling option to target. Plus, only being rostered on around 5 percent of rosters means that he likely is sitting out there, ready to be picked up and put onto your bench or into your FLEX spot.

6. Matt Ryan – QB
23.7% Rostered
Indianapolis Colts

When you hear that a team is facing the Texans, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Titans to start the season, you likely would want pieces of their offense. Well, the Indianapolis Colts are that team this year, and Matt Ryan should be on your roster.

Rave reports seemingly came out of training camp on a daily basis about Ryan being a huge upgrade over Carson Wentz, and the relationship that Ryan and top target Michael Pittman Jr. have established certainly bodes well for fantasy purposes. Outside of Jonathan Taylor, the Colts need to have other avenues to rely on for their offense, and Ryan should be able to do that for them – pick up Ryan and play him in a pinch, especially to start the season.

5. J.D. McKissic – RB
47.5% Rostered
Washington Commanders

Even before the unfortunate situation involving the shooting of rookie RB Brian Robinson, the running back situation for the Washington Commanders was murky at best. Robinson looked like the best bet to be the starter this year, with Antonio Gibson being relegated to kick return duties.

But with Robinson now out for the start of the year and the coaching staff likely still not having trust in Gibson, pass-catching specialist J.D. McKissic should be in line for more work. Outside of his third-down role, look for McKissic to earn more carries in other situations as the coaching staff irons out what they want the backfield rotation to look like.

4. David Njoku – TE
46.0% Rostered
Cleveland Browns

Besides Amari Cooper, who else is guaranteed targets in the offense for the Cleveland Browns? Looks like that is a role that David Njoku can fill.

Having always been looked to as a top fantasy option at the TE position, Njoku has failed (outside of 2018) to produce a sustainable fantasy performance, making him not relevant most years. But with Jacoby Brissett needing to rely on different weapons to keep the offense above water, Njoku represents a fantastic value that could very well be sitting on your waiver wire currently.

3. Rachaad White – RB
13.7% Rostered
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Having officially been listed as the RB2 for Tampa Bay behind Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White has the potential to have league-winning upside based on his acquisition value alone.

His value comes out in the passing game, where his collegiate metrics rank up there with Christian McCaffrey, a player you certainly want to be associated with. Tom Brady loves RBs that have receiving abilities, and White really won’t have any competition for that role, giving him a great floor for your fantasy football team.

2. Rondale Moore – WR
32.1% Rostered
Arizona Cardinals

The Swiss Army Knife for the Arizona Cardinals, Rondale Moore will have a larger role this year, solely based on how much love Kliff Kingsbury has shown him in his interviews. With DeAndre Hopkins suspended and Marquise Brown the only trustworthy WR currently, Moore should see plenty of targets.

Plus, rumors of backfield usage only raise his ceiling, something that you should be targeting in your waiver wire pickups anyways. He brings a ton of value and his early-season value should be somewhat sustainable even when Hopkins returns.

1. Kenneth Gainwell – RB
28.9% Rostered
Philadelphia Eagles

The final piece to your waiver wire pickup puzzle should be Kenneth Gainwell – and here’s why.

The Philadelphia Eagles do not seem sold on treating Miles Sanders as their lead back. Head coach Nick Sirianni has been forced into giving backs like Gainwell and BostonScott extended work due to Sanders not having a clean bill of health last season, and that led to Gainwell earning an extended run in a starting-like role.

With the Eagles being one of the easier-to-read teams based on their perceived run-first style, having multiple RBs in their offense capable of holding down big roles is crucial to their scheme being successful. As long as Sanders continues to be an unreliable starter, Gainwell should thrive in a hybrid role that should grow as the season goes on, filling a key bench spot for your fantasy football roster.