Kickoff for the 2026 NFL season is right around the corner. Before finding a comfy chair or couch to watch the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks duke it out in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl on Wednesday, there are viable free agents to consider signing in fantasy football.
While some leagues have waiver signings decided by team records or other factors, others use FAAB (free agent acquisition budget) to award free agents fairly. Leagues tend to give $100 or $1,000 for the entire season, making it paramount that you don’t spend your FAAB recklessly.
It can be tough trying to guess how much people are going to bid on certain free agents, so within this article, we’ll be a weekly guide on which players to consider on the waiver wire and try to reveal how much you should spend on said players.
Ahead of Week 1, we’ll keep the list of players to target relatively short due to the uncertainty surrounding roles and usage. That also means this can be a time to take advantage of certain players being available in the first place.
All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. The players included in this article are rostered in 35% or fewer leagues on Yahoo.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
It didn’t take long last season for Daniel Jones and head coach Shane Steichen to create a special connection on the Indianapolis Colts. The offense came out firing, scoring at least 27 points in each of their first 10 games.
As for Jones, he was the QB7 in fantasy points per game from Week 1 to Week 11 (20.0), proving he was a steal for anyone who took a chance on him earlier in the season. Sadly, Jones suffered a leg fracture in Week 12 that led to him tearing his Achilles in Week 14.
Although Jones couldn’t finish last season, all signs point toward him being a full-go in Week 1 of the 2026 campaign. Even though Jones may not use his legs as often as in previous years, he had the fifth-most EPA/play (0.14), fifth-highest success rate (51.0%), and fourth-most yards per attempt (8.1) among QBs with 250 dropbacks in 2025.
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
Entering the 2026 season, J.K. Dobbins appears set to handle the majority of the carries while RJ Harvey gets the bulk of the passing-down work for the Denver Broncos. That being said, rookie Jonah Coleman is a worthy stash for those who are patient.
Not only does Dobbins have injury concerns and is a non-factor in the aerial attack, but Harvey was inefficient on the ground as a rookie in 2025. Along with Dobbins missing 54 games throughout his career, Harvey tallied the sixth-fewest yards per attempt (3.7) and seventh-fewest yards after contact per attempt (2.7) last season, despite running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Coleman averaged 6.4 yards per touch and totaled 79 receptions over his final three collegiate seasons. Besides being the immediate handcuff to Dobbins, there’s a scenario where Coleman becomes the clear starter for the Broncos at some point this season.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
FAAB Recommendation: 1-3 percent of budget
Upon drafting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and signing veteran Kirk Cousins to bolster their QB room, the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t do much to improve at WR this offseason. The most notable moves at receiver the Raiders made were signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Taking that into account, Tre Tucker still figures to have a starting role in the offense after setting career-high marks in receptions (57), receiving yards (696), and receiving touchdowns (5) in 2025. While Tucker had 36.9 fantasy points in Week 3 of last season, he had just three double-digit fantasy performances all year.
Tucker is expected to see significant playing time in a Raiders offense that should improve under head coach Klint Kubiak, but I wouldn’t advise spending too much FAAB on him. Don’t get it twisted, Brock Bowers is the true WR1 in this offense.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
Adonai Mitchell was essentially a throw-in player in the Sauce Gardner trade last season. However, Mitchell quickly flashed upside on the New York Jets last year as a former second-round pick by the Colts.
With Garrett Wilson sidelined down the stretch last year, Mitchell scored 14-plus fantasy points twice and saw 6-plus targets in seven of his eight games for the Jets. Although Mitchell will have to compete with Wilson for volume in 2026, New York now has Geno Smith under center.
Smith is coming off a forgettable 2025 season, and we’ve seen him struggle in below-average environments, but we also know he can sling it around when given adequate protection. Given Smith’s shortcomings last year, I’d be wary of bidding too much for Mitchell, but the upside and talent is certainly there.
Terrance Ferguson, TE, Los Angeles Rams
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5 percent of budget
Volume was tough to come by for Terrance Ferguson in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2025. Ferguson finished with only 11 receptions and 231 receiving yards a season ago, but he found the end zone three times.
Although Ferguson’s numbers weren’t overly impressive, he had the most yards per reception (21.0) on the highest average depth of target (aDOT; 18.3) among TEs with 25-plus targets. Ahead of his sophomore campaign in the NFL, Sean McVay has raved about Ferguson’s development, and he seems primed for an expanded role in an elite offense in 2026.
The Rams lack depth behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at WR, and Ferguson is capable of stretching the field and operating as a big slot option for Matthew Stafford. For those who didn’t land an elite TE in your fantasy football drafts, Ferguson is worth a flier in case he breaks out.
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