It’s hard to believe, but we’re finally here: It’s Week 1 of the 2025-26 NFL season. As we approach Week 1 and get our first games of the season, it’s never a bad time to start thinking about handcuffs to stash in the event of something happening.
Here, I’ll examine wide receiver and tight end stashes you may want to add to the back end of your bench just in case something happens in Week 1 or in future weeks.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets & Stashes
WR Handcuffs & Stashes
With No. 1 wide receiver Jakobi Meyers requesting a trade, his future in Vegas is still up in the air. While we’re closing in on the start of the season, if the Dallas Cowboys can trade Micah Parsons so close to the start of the season to the Green Bay Packers, the Raiders could certainly deal Meyers.
It’s unclear if this will happen, but if it does, or Meyers gets injured, or perhaps the Raiders sell him closer to the NFL’s trade deadline, Dont’e Thornton Jr. has an exciting profile that could be massive for fantasy football.
In the final preseason game, the 6-foot-4 receiver (95th percentile), who ran a 4.3 40-yard dash (97th percentile), caught two passes and a touchdown. Thornton could be used as a downfield threat in a Raiders offense that will be much better with Geno Smith under center and opposing defenses working to slow down tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.
Broncos starting wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. left practice on Wednesday, August 27th, with a groin injury. He was held out of Thursday’s practice. While head coach Sean Payton said Mims will be back at practice, this is still something to be concerned about. Any soft tissue injury, especially when one is suffered by a player like Mims, whose bread-and-butter is the downfield passing game, could rear its ugly head at any point.
With that, turning toward Pat Bryant, who Payton compared to former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, could be in play. Payton has also praised the third-round rookie for his blocking ability. He could see time on the field even with Mims active, but if he goes down, he could step right into a starting outside receiver role.
TE Handcuffs & Stashes
It’s been confirmed that Isaiah Likely won’t be placed on injured reserve (IR), which is encouraging news that he could return to the lineup in the earlier portion of the season. While it can be a tough sell to tell you to add someone who’s coming off foot surgery, Likely could be a nice add, especially in leagues with an IR slot.
In 2024, Mark Andrews scored an obscene number of touchdowns (11) on very few targets (69). He also scored in six straight games. That’s simply not sustainable, and it was the most touchdowns he’s ever scored in a season.
Last season, Likely caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns. He played 50 fewer receiving snaps than Andrews in 2024. Andrews is just about to turn 30, has a previous injury history and his touchdown numbers are likely to decrease.
Should anything happen to Andrews, Likely, assuming he’s in good health, would be a potential TE1 in the Ravens’ offense. If you have an IR spot, give Likely a shot.
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