Fantasy Football Week 1: Wide Receiver Streaming Options
After weeks of strategy articles, player ranking, projections, studying and fantasy drafts, the season is finally upon us. Congratulations! You made it to kickoff. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys tonight in the first game of the NFL season.
But wait. Maybe you drafted J.K. Dobbins a couple of weeks ago and have a hole at running back. Or perhaps you selected Cam Akers back in June or Travis Etienne a few weeks ago. Maybe you drafted Justin Fields or Trey Lance as your QB1, anticipating that they would win their respective starting quarterback competitions. If that’s the case, you will need to find an option to start in Week 1.
Perhaps you drafted A.J. Brown and are panicked that he missed practice on Wednesday. Or maybe you punted the tight end position and aren’t happy with the injured Adam Trautman or the healthy Cole Kmet as your starter.
Don’t worry. There are plenty of streamable replacements available on the waiver wire to plug into your roster. Let’s dig in and see if we can find some solid streamers heading into Week 1.
Week 1 WR Streamers
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers
I could spend a lot of time writing about how disappointing MVS has been, but I’ll choose to spend our time here writing about how much Aaron Rodgers has been raving about him leading up to the season. Valdes-Scantling has shown flashes over the last couple of years. He’s most definitely worth a flier if you’re desperate. Not every target can go to Davante Adams. MVS will have to pull his weight if he wants to remain the WR2 in Green Bay. Against a Saints team thata has Marshon Lattimore at the cornerback position, MVS may be left open more often than not. Plug him into your lineup if you need a receiver in Week 1.
Tyrell Williams, Detroit Lions
Someone has to catch the ball in Detroit, right? The 49ers are never an easy matchup but we could have a nice convergence of volume combined with game-script here. I like Amon-Ra St. Brown too, but I think it will take a bit of time before he and Jared Goff get onto the same page. It takes time to develop chemistry in the NFL. The Lions will most likely be throwing a lot so Williams could very easily see 8-10 targets this week.
Sammy Watkins, Baltimore Ravens
Seeing Watkins in your starting lineup might cause many jaded fantasy owners to curl up into the fetal position, Watkins will be one of the Ravens' top-three pass-catching options this week. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is the top option along with tight end Mark Andrews. And with Rashod Bateman injured, Watkins is the WR2 in this offense. He also has the added benefit of facing an atrocious Raiders secondary. Plus, Baltimore’s ground-and-pound offense took a massive hit with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill all suffering season-ending injuries. The Ravens are going to be forced to toss the pigskin even if they don’t want to. Look for Lamar Jackson to find Watkins in the end zone in Week 1. Watkins seems to start seasons off on a strong note.