And just like that the majority of Week 1 has come and gone. We waited months for today’s action, spent countless hours perfecting our draft strategy, and after a few hours of football we’re likely ready to make some roster changes.

This article will come out on Sunday evening each week, and the goal will be to provide readers with some early waiver wire thoughts and opinions. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Remember to reach out with questions on Twitter (@toomuchtuma) anytime.

Note: Most players are less than 30% rostered in Yahoo leagues.

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Running Back

Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF): 5% rostered
It was a whirlwind day of emotions for 49ers RBs in Week 1. First, Trey Sermon was a (very) surprising healthy scratch. It then appeared as if Raheem Mostert would be in line for a wildly productive fantasy performance against Detroit. Two carries and 20 yards later, and Mostert (knee) was out of the game, never to return. Enter Mitchell, who ran 19 times for 104 yards and a TD on the ground. JaMycal Hasty also found the end zone, but he received just two total touches. Mitchell is a priority add pending the status of Mostert’s knee.

#49ers Kyle Shanahan says Trey Sermon simply was not among top 3 RBs out of camp, glad Mitchell ran well without hesitation today

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 12, 2021

Mark Ingram (RB – HOU): 19% rostered
Incredibly, the Texans are the only undefeated team remaining in the AFC South. Ingram was the RB who got the bulk of the clock-killing work against Jacksonville, logging 26 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t efficient, but fantasy football is a volume game, and Ingram appears to be Houston’s lead back on early downs. I’ll note that Phillip Lindsay mixed in for eight carries while David Johnson received three. Only Johnson received more than one target through the air. Furthermore, we still shouldn’t expect many positive game scripts in the Texans’ future. A road date with the Browns is next.

Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PHI): 8% rostered
The rookie played 25 snaps in Week 1 against the Falcons. Miles Sanders, meanwhile, played 47. Gainwell also saw far fewer touches (11) compared to Sanders (19). There’s no question who the lead back is in Philadelphia, but Gainwell has usurped the No. 2 role from Boston Scott. He’s a recommended RB stash moving forward.

Cordarrelle Patterson (RB/WR – ATL): 3% rostered
I’m adding in C-Patt simply because he appears to be the backup to Mike Davis in Atlanta. Wayne Gallman was a healthy scratch in Week 1, so Patterson is one injury away from a meaningful role. He rushed seven times for 54 yards against the Eagles, adding two receptions for an additional 13 yards.

James White (RB – NE): 33% rostered
This is cheating a bit, but White’s usage was encouraging enough to make him a standout for this article. The long-time Patriots captain caught 6-of-8 targets for 49 yards through the air, while also adding four carries for 12 yards. Of course, we mostly care about the receptions in PPR leagues. White doesn’t possess huge upside. At this stage of his career, he is who he is. But he has caught at least 49 passes in every season since 2016. His floor can be usable in a pinch.

Wide Receiver

Terrace Marshall (CAR): 20% rostered
This recommendation has less to do with what Marshall did in Week 1, and more to do with what he could become. I recently talked with Jack Miller of Establish The Run and NBC Sports Edge about how the value of rookies increases as the season rolls along. And Marshall is talented, so we can expect the fantasy production to come once he gets more settled in the NFL.

PFF’s No. 1 graded rookie wideout during the preseason, Marshall finished the summer with nine receptions for 181 yards and a score (12 targets). He often gets labeled as the Panthers’ No. 3 receiver in the “big slot” role, but his preseason usage suggests he’s a threat down the field as well. Another former LSU “big slot” WR by the name of Justin Jefferson recently made the transition to the NFL work for him. Marshall caught 3-of-6 targets for 26 yards on Sunday.

PFF’s No. 1 graded rookie WR this preseason

Terrace Marshall 🚀 🚀pic.twitter.com/JF7z0zmlbI

— Brendan Tuma (@toomuchtuma) August 28, 2021

Rondale Moore (WR – ARI): 27% rostered
The rookie didn’t find the end zone in the Cardinals’ 38-13 shellacking of the Titans on Sunday, but he still managed to haul in 4-of-5 targets for 68 receiving yards. He did this on just 20 snaps. A perfect fit with Kliff Kingsbury and the Air Raid, Moore simply needs to be rostered everywhere.

Christian Kirk (WR – ARI): 13% rostered
Another beneficiary of Arizona’s offensive explosion in Tennessee, Kirk caught 5-of-5 targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns en route to the victory. We never want to chase box score results, but Kirk was impressive in this one. The fourth-year wideout draws an attackable Minnesota secondary in Week 2.

Tight End

Jared Cook (TE – LAC): 26% rostered
Through one week, it appears as if the Donald Parham breakout isn’t quite ready to happen. He received just one target while Jared Cook hauled in 5-of-8 targets for 56 yards. The Chargers’ offense looks ready to produce fantasy-friendly box scores after an exciting win against the Washington Football Team to open the season. Cook’s upcoming matchups are against the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Raiders.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston (QB – NO): 42% rostered
We’re cheating with this one since he’s more than 30% rostered, but I can’t imagine Winston is taken in most 1QB leagues. The former Buccaneer looked sensational in a Week 1 beatdown of the Packers, completing 14-of-20 passes for 148 yards and five touchdowns. He also added 37 rushing yards on six attempts. Yes, that TD% is going to regress, but the Saints also didn’t need to throw that often since they were winning all afternoon. Winston passed the eye test in his first start under Sean Payton. The Panthers are a winnable Week 2 matchup.

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Brendan Tuma is a featured writer at FantasyPros. To read more from Brendan, check out his archive and follow him @toomuchtuma.