“In the Scope” is a unique weekly article that won’t solely focus on giving readers the mainstream fantasy football waiver wire pickups. Instead, our goal is to recommend the top free agents to acquire after waivers run. These players may be the top pickups next week – therefore saving you Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) and waiver priority. So whether you’re trying to grab the leftover mainstream Week 1 fantasy football waiver wire pickups or the longer-ranged free agents, below are some options to consider.
Rostership percentages are based on ESPN Points Per Reception (PPR) redraft fantasy football leagues.
Check Your Waivers; Week 1 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
• Rex Burkhead (RB, Houston Texans) | 15.8 percent
• Mike Davis (RB, Baltimore Ravens) | 10.2 percent
• Isaiah McKenzie (WR, Buffalo Bills) | 14.5 percent
• A.J. Green (WR, Arizona Cardinals) | 9.9 percent
Alec Pierce (WR, Indianapolis Colts) | 15.4 percent
Alec Pierce is one of the more overlooked rookie WRs from the 2022 class. Drafted by the Colts in the second round, Pierce has the size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), speed (4.41 40-time) and athleticism (highest Relative Athletic Score in the ’22 class) to start right away on the outside opposite Michael Pittman. The Colts have a tasty Week 1 matchup at Houston and the second-best season-long fantasy schedule for WRs. So, grab the “Pierce” who is actually still a value now while he’s still free. – Scott Rinear
Isaiah Likely (TE, Baltimore Ravens) | 5.2 percent
During a preseason where the Ravens set out to discover what receiver would step up behind Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman, it was Isaiah Likely, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end out of Coastal Carolina University, who turned heads. Likely totaled 12 receptions for 144 years and one TD on 12 targets during the preseason, showing speed and shiftiness reminiscent of Las Vegas’s Darren Waller.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec wrote that he thinks that Likely is the “closest thing to an answer that [The Ravens] have” as a third passing option. If Likely finds success with the Ravens, it is likely out of 22 personnel (three tight ends) sets. Baltimore ran it more than any other team at 14 percent of the time. At a barren position like tight end, the former Chanticleer is worth a look ahead of Week 1. – Seth Woolcock
Kenyan Drake (RB, Baltimore Ravens) | 5 percent
I certainly didn’t think we’d be here talking about Kenyan Drake ahead of Week 1 of the NFL season. Released by the Las Vegas Raiders last week in favor of running backs Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah, Drake now finds himself on a Baltimore Ravens team that needs a solid running back heading into a season-opening matchup against the lowly New York Jets.
With Gus Edwards on the reserve/physically unable to perform list (PUP) and J.K. Dobbins looking far less than 100 percent, he could see RB1 volume against a weak New York run defense. The Ravens could mirror the 2020 squad that ran the ball on nearly 55 percent of plays. Drake could have a huge week and carry that momentum on until Dobbins and Edwards are 100 percent. – Nate Polvogt
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