09/14/2026
Week 1 delivered several surprising performances, creating some interesting early waiver-wire options for fantasy football managers.
Jalen Coker stood out for Carolina, leading the Panthers with 9 targets, 8 catches, 138 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Coker also played the most passing snaps among Carolina’s skill players, slightly ahead of Tetairoa McMillan.
Kaelon Black emerged as an important handcuff for Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, while Jordan James received no snaps.
Black carried the ball 14 times for 65 yards, even getting more rushing attempts than McCaffrey.
DeVaughn Vele appeared to establish himself as the Saints’ No. 2 pass-catcher behind Chris Olave.
Vele played 63 passing snaps, more than Olave, although the article notes his production may be difficult to maintain long term.
Dontavyion Wicks is highlighted as a major undervalued option, despite being rostered in only 16% of fantasy leagues.
Wicks caught 2 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown while playing more passing snaps than Makai Lemon.
Kenyon Sadiq also caught attention after the Jets’ 23–10 Week 1 win, especially with Omar Cooper Jr. expected to miss at least one game.
Sadiq caught all 3 of his targets for 21 yards and scored on a play where he reached more than 20 mph.
Overall, the article recommends these five players as early waiver-wire targets who could become valuable fantasy assets.
Credit: Thomas Carelli — Sports Illustrated