Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: 10 New Pickups to Start the Week (2024)

Welcome back to the early waiver report. I'm here every Sunday watching early games to find possible waiver wire targets. These players are all represented in less than 40% of leagues. Let's dive in.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Add 10 pickups to start the week

Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC)

Registered: 21.0%

Sometimes newcomers come and dominate. In other cases, it takes weeks or even years for players to break out. Quentin Johnston was drafted 21st in 2023 because of his elusive combination of size and speed. He played in all 17 games last season and caught just 431 yards and two touchdowns.

Today, however, Johnston stood his ground. He caught four passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Johnston should be a priority signing given his ceiling as a scouting profile, Justin Herbert's football throwing ability and the Chargers' lack of a dominant receiver. The reason for concern with Johnston is, of course, inconsistency. Given his big-play tendencies, you can't expect weekly dominance just yet.

Ray-Ray McCloud III (WR – ATL)

Registered: 13.3%

Drake London was sidelined with a hip injury after catching a touchdown on Sunday. Ray-Ray McCloud took advantage of the opportunity and scored a touchdown on Atlanta's first drive after halftime.

McCloud is a flex fantasy starting spot option if London misses time. I would strongly consider adding McCloud if you are playing in London and need representation. When London plays, McCloud has no problem throwing the ball back on the waiver wire.

Xavier Legette (WR – CAR)

Registered: 32.6%

Xavier Legette, the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, scored his fourth touchdown in six games before exiting with a hand injury. He returned later in the game. Assuming this injury doesn't sideline him for an extended period of time, he's still worth adding in most formats. While he's still a lower-end flex play, his potential makes him worth hiding if possible.

Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)

Registered: 9.6%

Brandin Cooks landed on injured reserve (IR) after Week 4 with a knee injury. The Cowboys' offense is struggling and the veteran receiver could have some work to do when he returns in Week 10. CeeDee Lamb briefly left today's game. It looked like his shoulder was in excruciating pain. If Cooks returns and Lamb misses at some point, Cooks could be a sneaky play.

DeMario Douglas (WR – NE)

Registered: 27.5%

It's a pretty simple equation…if Drake Maye starts, DeMario Douglas becomes startable. In Maye's three complete games, Douglas was targeted 21 times. That's quite realistic considering how explosive Douglas is as a player.

Ray Davis (RB – BUF)

Registered: 13.9%

Ray Davis caught a 63-yard touchdown pass in Week 9 en route to an 18-point fantasy day. When James Cook is active, Davis is a low-floor flex play. However, if Cook misses time (again), Davis is a must-play player. There is no excuse for him playing in less than 15% of leagues.

Justice Hill (RB – BAL)

Registered: 20.9%

Justice Hill is the third-down, change-of-pace running back in Baltimore, and he's pretty good at it. He is averaging nearly 11 yards per reception this season. The Ravens should have some closer games against the Bengals, Eagles and Chargers, meaning Hill could be on the field more often given his prominent role on passing downs.

If you're in dire need of a running back, Hill is probably one of the best you can find on the waiver line unless someone gets injured elsewhere.

Taysom Hill (TE – NO)

Registered: 26.8%

Taysom Hill recorded nine touches for 60 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Without Chris Olave for the foreseeable future and without Rashid Shaheed, the Saints are in a bad place for playmakers. Hill should see a lot of touches in the future.

Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)

Registered: 12.4%

I feel obligated to include at least one quarterback here. Daniel Jones is widely available and will face a top-10 passer in Carolina next weekend. Jones' mobility gives him a viable ceiling, but as we know all too well, his turnovers correspond to that ceiling and a dismal floor.

Atlanta Falcons Defense/Special Teams

Registered: 14.2%

The Atlanta Falcons play two games before their Week 12 bye. Those games will be in New Orleans and Denver, where they will face two offenses that score in the bottom half of the league.

New York Giants defense/special teams

Registered: 4.5%

The New York Giants are far from a dominant football force, but their D/ST is the 11th best in fantasy football heading into Week 10. They face the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. Given that this unit is represented in less than 5% of leagues, they should be an important consideration for you deep league streamers.