Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is officially in the books, and fantasy managers already have plenty of surprises to digest. Breakout rookies, veterans in new roles, and unexpected stat lines have created fresh waiver-wire opportunities. If you want to stay ahead of your league, it’s time to act fast. Here are StatChasers’ Top 10 Waiver Wire Targets you should consider adding heading into Week 2.
1. Quentin Johnston – WR, Chargers
Suggested FAAB: 8-12%
Recommendation: Add in all leagues
Quentin Johnston was basically a punchline coming into 2025. People wrote him off, laughed at his rookie season, and assumed he was buried behind Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey. Then Week 1 happened. Johnston put up 22.4 fantasy points, scoring twice on just 7 targets for 79 yards, and he ran 36 routes without a single drop. For a guy whose hands were the butt of every joke last year, that’s progress worth noting. Now, I don’t want to overreact and crown him as a weekly starter yet. He still looks like the WR3 in this offense, and there’s a chance this ends up being his best game of the season. But the talent flashed, Herbert trusted him in big spots, and when a guy this explosive shows signs of life, you don’t leave him sitting in free agency. Bottom line: Johnston might not be a sure thing, but he’s earned a real waiver claim. In 12-team leagues or deeper, I’m adding him and willing to find out if this was the start of something or just a one-week tease.
2. Daniel Jones – QB, Colts
Suggested FAAB: 3–4% (1QB); 8-10% (Superflex)
Recommendation: Add in 12-team and all Superflex leagues
If you had “Daniel Jones lights up the Dolphins” on your Week 1 bingo card, congrats — you’re the only one. In what was easily the biggest surprise of Sunday, Jones looked every bit like “Peyton Manning 2.0” running the Colts’ offense. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, then added 26 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. He spread the ball around, connecting with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, rookie TE Tyler Warren, and even Mo Alie-Cox, while dragging a flat rushing attack to a 33-point beatdown of Miami’s defense. Now, let’s be honest: this probably says as much about the Dolphins’ defense as it does about Jones. That unit looked awful, and we’ll likely see a much more “normal” version of Danny Dimes next week against Denver. But you can’t ignore this performance. Dual-threat QBs who put points on the ground have fantasy value, even if it’s just as a streamer. Bottom line: don’t go dropping 20% of your FAAB chasing this one game, but Jones deserves a roster spot in 12-team leagues and is a must-add in Superflex formats.
3. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown – WR, Chiefs
Suggested FAAB: 4–6%
Recommendation: Add in all leagues (10-team and deeper)
Hollywood Brown just stepped into the kind of spot you dream about for a waiver pickup. With Rashee Rice suspended (six games) and rookie Xavier Worthy leaving early with a dislocated shoulder, Patrick Mahomes leaned on Brown all night. The result? An absurd 16 targets (second-most of his career), which he turned into 10 catches for 99 yards. To put that in perspective, he saw four times as many targets as Travis Kelce. That probably won’t ever happen again, but it tells you where Mahomes’ trust went when he needed someone to win. Now, there are caveats. Brown isn’t going to maintain a 40% target share, and once Rice returns in Week 7 the pecking order gets murkier. But between now and then, Brown might very well be the WR1 in Kansas City, and even when Rice is back, Brown has the pedigree to remain relevant — he was a former first-round pick and caught 91 passes in 2021, the last time he played a full season. Bottom line: you don’t pass up the chance to roster Mahomes’ top wideout, even if it only lasts for a few weeks. Temper expectations long term, but right now Hollywood is a plug-and-play WR2 and should be rostered everywhere.
4. Trey Benson – RB, Cardinals
Suggested FAAB: 6–10%
Recommendation: Add as one of the best handcuff stashes in fantasy
Trey Benson came into the year as one of my favorite “handcuff” targets, and Week 1 showed why. James Conner was active and didn’t get hurt, yet Benson still carved out 40% of the RB carries and turned them into 69 yards — with a chunk of that coming on a 52-yard breakaway run. Conner did his usual thing: 12 carries for 39 yards (a sluggish 3.3 YPC) and a short shovel-pass touchdown to save the box score. The difference was obvious — Benson looked fresh, explosive, and dangerous whenever he touched the ball. The truth is, Benson probably won’t be a locked-in starter while Conner’s healthy. At best, he sneaks into FLEX consideration in certain weeks if the touches are there. But let’s be real: Conner is 30, has a heavy career workload, and has missed time every single season he’s played. If (when) that happens again, Benson instantly becomes a fantasy RB1 in this offense. Bottom line: Benson is the kind of stash that wins leagues down the stretch. Even if you don’t start him right now, he should be rostered everywhere.
5. Kayshon Boutte – WR, Patriots
Suggested FAAB: 4–6%
Recommendation: Add in all leagues (10-team and deeper)
Talk about a Week 1 curveball. All offseason the conversation around New England’s receivers circled Stefon Diggs, Demario Douglas, or rookie Kyle Williams. Instead, it was Kayshon Boutte — the sixth-rounder out of LSU back in 2023 — who stole the show. Boutte drew eight targets, tied Diggs with six receptions, and led the team with 106 yards. By comparison, Diggs needed the same number of catches just to get to 57 yards, and Douglas added a brutal drop that stalled a drive. This wasn’t Boutte’s first flash either — he was quietly second among Patriots WRs last year in targets, receptions, and yards, and tied for the team lead in touchdowns. The difference now is that he looks like the receiver Drake Maye trusts most, and that connection is worth betting on while the offense develops. Could this still prove to be a one-week mirage? Absolutely. But through four quarters, Boutte looked like the Patriots’ best wideout, and if he keeps drawing this kind of volume he’ll be fantasy relevant every week. Bottom line: Boutte should be added everywhere. Even in 10-team leagues, he’s worth a bench spot to see if this breakout sticks.
6. Brenton Strange – TE, Jaguars
Suggested FAAB: 1-3%
Recommendation: Add in 12-team leagues (streamer/TE-premium priority)
Tight end is always a wasteland early in the season, and Week 1 gave us a new name to circle: Brenton Strange. The Jaguars clearly want him involved, and he delivered with meaningful snaps, red-zone looks, and enough usage to make him stand out in a thin position group. He isn’t about to leap into Travis Kelce territory, but when you’re streaming tight ends, you’re looking for routes, volume, and touchdown equity — and Strange checked all three boxes. This might not turn into every-week consistency, but Strange has the athletic profile and role to make noise when matchups line up. In TE-premium leagues he’s a strong stash, and in standard formats he’s already worth streaming if you’re stuck in the TE carousel. Bottom line: Strange won’t be the sexiest waiver add, but in a year where tight end depth is brutal, he’s absolutely worth a look as an early-season pickup with staying power.
7. Cedric Tillman – WR, Browns
Suggested FAAB: 2–4%
Recommendation: Add in 12-team leagues
Cleveland nearly pulled off an upset of the Bengals in Week 1, and Cedric Tillman was right in the middle of it. Both he and Jerry Jeudy ran a full 45 routes, both saw eight targets, and both finished with five catches. Jeudy barely edged him in yards (66 to 64), but it was Tillman who came up big with the five-yard go-ahead touchdown late in the game. You can chalk some of it up to Cincinnati’s defense being a mess, which helped Joe Flacco pile up 290 yards on 45 attempts, but that doesn’t take away from Tillman’s role. He flashed before getting hurt last season, and now he looks like the 1B to Jeudy’s 1A in this offense. Given that Cleveland projects to be playing catch-up most weeks, those snaps and targets are going to matter for fantasy. Bottom line: Tillman isn’t a must-start yet, but he’s absolutely worth adding in 12-team leagues as a touchdown-capable WR3/FLEX who could grow into more if this role sticks.
8. Calvin Austin III – WR, Steelers
Suggested FAAB: 2–3%
Recommendation: Add in 12-team leagues (deep FLEX/bench stash)
The Steelers’ offense needed a spark in Week 1, and Calvin Austin III provided it. He caught 4 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, showing off the speed and big-play ability that makes him dangerous whenever the ball finds him. He also finished second on the team in both targets and yards, which isn’t something you can just ignore. The downside? Austin’s game still leans on splash plays. He’s not yet commanding the kind of steady volume that guarantees weekly startability, and in shallower leagues that makes him more of a stash than a plug-and-play starter. But in deeper formats, he’s a perfect bench piece — the kind of WR who can swing a matchup when he connects on one or two big plays. Bottom line: Austin isn’t going to be a consistent fantasy option every week, but his role as Pittsburgh’s WR2 gives him a real shot at value. In 12-team leagues with deeper benches, he’s worth adding now before he pops off again.
9. Wan’Dale Robinson – WR, Giants
Suggested FAAB: 6–8%
Recommendation: Add in 12-team leagues (especially PPR)
For the record — if you’re in full PPR, I’d actually prioritize Wan’Dale Robinson over Quentin Johnston. Robinson was one of my favorite PPR sleepers coming into the year after his quietly huge 140 targets and 93 catches in 2024, and he picked up right where he left off in Week 1. Against Washington, he hauled in six of eight targets, doing what he does best — cleaning up the short and intermediate game. Make no mistake: Malik Nabers is the alpha here, and Robinson is clearly the No. 2 option. But that’s not a bad place to be when your QB (Russell Wilson) is peppering his top two guys. Robinson’s average depth of target was just 3.3 yards in Week 1, which means he needs consistent volume to matter in standard leagues. But in full PPR, those little catches stack up fast, and he’s going to give you a steady FLEX floor most weeks. Bottom line: Robinson doesn’t bring the same big-play juice as other waiver targets, but in 12-team PPR formats he’s a plug-and-play option you’ll be glad you grabbed.
10. Keenan Allen – WR, Chargers
Suggested FAAB: 8–10%
Recommendation: Add in 12-team leagues
While Quentin Johnston stole the headlines, Keenan Allen quietly reminded everyone he’s still Keenan Allen. He finished Week 1 with 7 receptions on 10 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown, exactly the kind of steady line we’ve come to expect from him. No, he doesn’t have Johnston’s explosiveness anymore, but his route running, trust with Justin Herbert, and red-zone involvement aren’t going away. The reality is that Johnston’s breakout may cap Allen’s ceiling, but it doesn’t erase his value. He’s the definition of a weekly WR3 with WR2 upside in good matchups, especially in PPR where that steady target volume keeps him relevant. If someone in your league panicked thinking Allen’s washed because of the Johnston hype, that’s your opportunity to scoop him up. Bottom line: Allen is less flashy than the younger names on this list, but he gives you a reliable weekly floor. He’s worth adding anywhere he’s been overlooked, particularly if your roster could use a consistent WR3 starter.