Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 1

Y'all, it's here. NFL football. On Thursday night, the Texans and the Chiefs will kick things off, which is either going to be a great or terrible start to the year for me, a Texans fan whose wife is a huge Chiefs fan and got a Chiefs Super Bowl tattoo in February.

But enough about that game. You're here to talk about wide receivers. Let's talk about wide receivers in the first waiver wire post of the season.

Not all options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster. Check here for a complete list of our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 1 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 30% owned or below.

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WR Waiver Wire - Free Agents To Consider Adding

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts - 29% rostered

The Indianapolis Colts have a new quarterback in Philip Rivers. Since 2009, Rivers has supported a WR2 with a top 40 finish at the position eight times, including the past three seasons. Heck, his WR3 has finished top-50 four times over that sample.

So, the fact that no one is hyping up the Colts receivers this year. Sure, T.Y. Hilton is getting drafted everywhere, but it seems like we're all just waiting around for Week 1 to happen to see who winds up being the No. 2 guy here.

Don't wait. Be a proactive manager and go out and get Michael Pittman Jr. He was a strong deep threat in college and should instantly fit in with what Rivers wants to do.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals - 27% rostered

Yes, the addition of DeAndre Hopkins knocks the veteran Fitzgerald down the pecking order in Arizona, but:

Fitzgerald will be on the field a lot still as part of what should be a pretty high-octane offense. There's value in having a sure-handed veteran who'll get very little pressure from the defense and can be a safe option for a second-year quarterback to throw to. There's value to be had from Fitzgerald in PPR.

Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders - 23% rostered

With Tyrell Williams done for the season and two rookies expected to play key roles, Renfrow's about to be counted on a lot out of the slot in his second NFL season. Last year, Renfrow played in 13 games, catching 49 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns while playing just 43 percent of available snaps in those 13 games. He ended the year with back-to-back 100-yard games and is somehow only rostered in 23 percent of leagues so far. Renfrow will be a popular add ahead of Week 2, so get him now.

Bryan Edwards, Las Vegas Raiders - 15% rostered

Edwards is who you should target if you're feeling too risky to target Renfrow. A rookie, Edwards looks poised to play on the outside in three-receiver sets for the Raiders. A productive receiver for four years at South Carolina, Edwards has good size and if he's healthy -- remember, he missed the Combine with a broken foot -- then he'll have a solid role on this team. I don't know how that role will work when it comes to fantasy production, which is why I prefer Renfrow, but Edwards has garnered some preseason hype, so he's worth a look.

Randall Cobb, Houston Texans - 10% rostered

While Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks will get all the shine in this receiving corps early on, I really, really like Randall Cobb. He'll be the primary slot option for the Texans, serving as the underneath safety valve for Deshaun Watson while the outside receivers operate deep down the field. Don't be shocked if Cobb leads this team in targets, though it won't translate to huge yardage numbers like it would if Fuller led them in targets. Still, potentially strong PPR flex option here.

Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills - 9% rostered

Stefon Diggs is in Buffalo now, which will hurt Beasley some, but he'll still be the main short-yardage weapon for quarterback Josh Allen. He had 106 targets last year, catching 67 of them for 778 yards and six touchdowns. The targets and touchdowns were career highs. Like Cobb, Beasley's getting really undervalued in full PPR leagues, where he projects to be a solid flex play.

Josh Gordon, Seattle Seahawks - 8% rostered

Actually, maybe we shouldn't go down this road again. Nevermind.

Steven Sims Jr., Washington Football Team - 5% rostered

Washington's team is going to struggle through the air, but their No. 2 receiver has to be rostered in more than five percent of leagues, y'all. Sims is a talented player who was targeted 29 times over the final three games of 2019, a stretch that also saw him catch four touchdowns. That hot end to the year plus the fact that this passing game is basically just him and Terry McLaurin means that Sims should be rostered in way more leagues than he currently is.

Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams - 4% rostered

Want a dart throw? Jefferson's a rookie but is reportedly in the running to be the third receiver for the Rams. While the team will likely run less 11 personnel this year after the emergence of tight end Tyler Higbee and the continued presence of other tight end Gerald Everett, Jefferson should still get opportunities on a team that'll throw more now that Todd Gurley is in Atlanta. Intriguing early pick up in deep leagues.

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