12 FREE Waiver Wire Adds Before Week 1 Fantasy Football

Fantasy sports news, analysis, and waiver wire advice.

By Fantasy Roundup · August 31, 2025

Week 1 fantasy football is finally upon us. Many people who are playing in 2025 fantasy football may think the fantasy football waiver wire isn’t super important yet.

Those people would be sorely mistaken!

It’s now that you can jump on fantasy football breakouts on the waiver wire - at a virtually free cost. Today we’ll review 12 free waiver wire adds to snag (using our automated waiver wire tool!) before week 1 fantasy football.

Most Available Running Backs

Braelon Allen (35.9% rostered on ESPN): Braelon is a young, talented back that is on an offense which has indicated all offseason using a 2, even 3-headed running back approach is apart of their plans.

While the Jets are not a high-powered offense to write home about, their offensive line is sneaky good - ranked 9th best in the NFL by PFF. While Breece likely serves as the primary back, Braelon will get enough touches to be a borderline flex play many weeks in 2025. He shouldn’t be on waivers.

Jaydon Blue (41.1% rostered on ESPN): As of now, Javonte Williams is the lead back in Dallas. In other words, Javonte is the lead back for now.

When Javonte’s lack of explosion shows, they will turn to their most explosive back for a shot of life - and that would be Jaydon Blue. He could have sneaky upside early in the season.

Dylan Sampson (19% rostered on ESPN): While the Quinshon Judkins disaster continues to play out, Jerome Ford looks like the day 1 starter. Ford also should not be on waivers, but here’s the reason I think Sampson shouldn’t be either.

The Browns almost cut Ford early in the offseason, and he agreed to a pay cut to stay on the roster. The team proceeded to draft 2 rookie running backs (1 of them being Dylan Sampson in the 4th round). If it’s not clear, this team doesn’t want Ford as their lead back.

If he isn’t as good as Chuba Hubbard was in 2024, Ford could quickly find himself riding the pine in favor of Sampson. He is a misstep away from taking the lead back role from Jerome Ford.

Woody Marks (9.5% rostered on ESPN): This is a similar situation to the Ford-Sampson one. The only difference is I believe the Texans think Nick Chubb can handle their lead back role, while I don’t believe he can anymore.

Let’s say that he does. You know what Chubb’s weakness has always been? Catching passes. It just so happens that Woody Marks is a fantastic pass catching back with tons of experience.

So at the very least, Woody may find himself a 3rd down role immediately (think Jerrick McKinnon on the Chiefs). Either way, you want fantasy pieces on the Houston Texans, and Woody Marks could be on the precipice for a breakout role.

Kareem Hunt (12.6% rostered on ESPN): While I think Kareem Hunt is past his prime and Pacheco looks similar to pre-injury form, the Chiefs did indicate throughout the preseason he may be in line for a part-time role on this offense.

While I don’t view Kareem as high-priority as the others above him in this list, it’s worth noting a potentially impactful fantasy piece on the Kansas City Chiefs is on the waiver wire before week 1 fantasy football.

Do with that information what you may.

Roschon Johnson (7.1% rostered on ESPN): A bigger-framed, young running back in a Ben Johnson offense is a piece to covet in fantasy football for goal line duties. While the Chicago Bears appear to be searching for a running back on the trade market, if it doesn’t happen, I expect Roschon to handle redzone carries for the Bears in Johnson’s 2 RB system.

Most Available Wide Receivers

Dont’e Thornton (6.6% rostered on ESPN): This is one of those pickups that people will regret not getting on top of very early into the season.

While Thornton was a 4th round pick in 2025, he has been running with the first team offense over 2nd round pick Jack Bech from the beginning. Add in a potential Jakobi Meyers sendoff and Geno Smith as your QB (he provides good fantasy WRs), this is a recipe for success.

Christian Kirk (24.9% rostered on ESPN): While I’m not the biggest Christian Kirk guy, the bottom line is you want a pass catcher in Houston on your fantasy football roster.

Outside of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were both viable fantasy options in 2024 (while they were healthy). This year, the Texans are hungry for a breakthrough alongside Nico.

While I don’t believe Kirk is great, he appears to be first in line to get the 2nd most amount of targets in this offense.

Troy Franklin (1.2% rostered on ESPN): You may be wondering why a player who’s only on 1.2% of teams is a must add before week 1 fantasy football.

To that I say, if you try to add him before week 2 fantasy football, it will be significantly harder.

Franklin appears to be the WR2 playing alongside Courtland Sutton in Denver. Similar to the Texans, the Broncos are an offense that you want wide receivers on your fantasy football roster.

Isaac Teslaa (4.6% rostered on ESPN): If it weren’t for the hype, I’d say Teslaa isn’t a must add before week 1. But the fantasy community is hyped on him, and if he performs week 1, he’ll be much more sought after than he is right now.

Ready to Beat Your Leaguemates on the Waiver Wire?

Real fantasy football league winning managers know the fantasy football season isn’t won through the draft - it’s won through the waiver wire.

The only downside of the waiver wire has always been if you wanted a priority player on the waiver wire, you have to wake yourself up right when the waiver wire opens in the middle of the night to get your guy.

Say goodbye to late night wakeup calls, and hello to the automated waiver wire tool on Fantasy Sports Roundup!

Our waiver wire tool is a first in the fantasy football world. While your leaguemates continue to burn themselves out every week on the waiver wire, you’ll be sleeping easy knowing our automated waiver tool picks up the guys you want in the middle of the night. To beat your league on waivers in 2025 fantasy football, Sign up for our automated waiver wire tool!

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