u/txrh

Providing a list of low-ADP waiver wire guys who to this point in the 2026 offseason either (a) are getting good camp hype/consistent drumbeats, (b) look like they could become relevant this season due to situation, or (c) both. Not my job, I do this for fun, so even if you disagree with these, hopefully it can still be sort of a cheat sheet to help sift through your waivers. Feel free to debate in the comments and let me know what you think.

I didn’t use AI for any of this before the comments roll in. Typed every word myself in my phone note. Took me about 2-3 hours to spill everything in my head.

Alphabetical order of “my waiver buys” by last name:

WR Cyrus Allen (23.3yo - KC - rookie tied to Mahomes? IN): Nasty route runner. Getting hyped offseason/camp reviews. Real chance to contribute at some point this year if he’s as NFL-ready as the Chiefs beat/media is making him sound during Puffpiece Season.

RB LeQuint Allen (21.8yo - JAX - probably not on waivers, but maybe): The Jags’ 3rd RB, but also happens to be their 3rd DOWN & 2-MINUTE DRILL RB. Gets pass-blocking snaps because he’s really good at it, and we know many receptions come out of the backfield on that down. ACC college producer at Syracuse.

WR Malik Benson (23.6yo - LV - someone not named Brock Bowers has to catch passes for LV): I knew nothing about this guy until I kept seeing the Raiders beat just RAVING about him. This guy is getting MASSIVE offseason camp hype so far. Definitely worth mentioning because outside of Bowers, their only other proven capable pass-catchers are Mayer, Tucker, and Nailor. Plenty of room for another WR to step up to the plate, and we know Thornton (last year’s offseason darling) & Bech both flopped as rookies and have been getting muted reviews so far in OTAs.

WR Isaiah Bond (22.2yo - CLE - post-hype breakout?): Did someone in drop him after last season? Understandable. Many mouths to feed in Cleveland now, but evidently Bond was fed the most during the offseason program. Potential to take a real-life year 2 leap while the rest of the FF community concentrates on Concepcion, Boston, and Fannin.

WR Lewis Bond (23.0yo - HOU - a QB’s safety blanket - and we know Stroud needs one): I think I remember reading that Lewis Bond has the best DEceleration in the class, meaning he can stop on a dime and lose defenders in a hurry. He has a knack for finding the soft spot in zones and sitting down (absolutely needed in today’s NFL where most defense is zone) to catch chain-movers. If he makes the team, my prediction is that Bond’s crisp route-running will help him to become a guy that Stroud relies on heavily by season’s end.

RB Chris Brooks (26.4yo - GB - opportunity knocks?): Potential GB Packers RB1 if Jacobs suspended (battling Lloyd/Martinez); great pass-blocker with 3-down skillset and the trust of the coaching staff.

RB Tahj Brooks (24.1yo - CIN - Bengals RB2?): Chase Brown has had good injury luck so far, but Cincy would be wise to spell him a bit more this season. Although Brooks wasn’t able to beat him out for RB2 last season, Perine HAS to stop at some point (you’d think?). Brooks was a solid college producer who’s evidently been working heavily on his pass-catching this offseason (on Chase Brown’s advice) to try to make himself available on all 3 downs. Could be a dynasty steal in that high-powered offense if things fall in his favor, but he was a little concerning from an efficiency standpoint last season on the touches he actually got. This is more of an opportunity play rather than an innate skillset/athleticism play

WR Deion Burks (23.4yo - IND - Blowing His Chance): Speaking of “opportunity play” & “athleticism play” rather than “skillset play”, we come to our favorite mystery man Deion Burks. Crazy combine measurables for speed and strength - a mysterious fall in the draft from the 3rd to 6th round. No one knows how he’s been doing at camp, no reports from the beat writers in months, etc.. so we know the raving reviews aren’t there. BUT we know the opportunity is there. He’s staring down (1) injured ankle surgery Alec Pierce, (2) Josh Downs hoping for a year 4 breakout, (3) TE Tyler Warren, and (4)… Ashton Dulin??? There was/is a realistic chance he starts the season as the Colts’ WR2 assuming Pierce isn’t ready, but it gets slimmer by the day as rumors of Keenan Allen to the Colts start to get louder.

WR Jeff Caldwell (23.3yo - KC - rookie tied to Mahomes? IN): At 6’5” with an incredible 4.31 40 time and massive catch radius, Caldwell is one of the most athletic and best size-adjusted WR specimens in the history of the NFL. He’s very raw, still learning the nuances of the WR position so probably not ready to contribute year 1 outside of special teams, but an intriguing taxi stash nonetheless with Mahomes at QB.

WR Efton Chism (24.6 - NEP - So you’re saying there’s a chance?!): Never dropped a pass. 3/3 for 75 yards, just sayin. Add in that rumors are popping up he’s competing with D. Douglas for the NEP WR3 role. You never know!

RB Demond Claiborne - didn’t have time to write this one up but he’s getting crazy PlayerSpeak & CoachSpeak hype lately. They’re comparing his burst to Gibbs last I heard, lol. Currently behind dusty Aaron Jones and one-dimensional Jordan Mason, so maybe the path to touches in 2026 is clearer than we think.

WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (22.8yo - MIA - Malik Benson Corollary - someone has to catch passes for MIA): Another guy getting super super hyped up based on his camp performances so far. Everywhere you look (not here of course), it’s Kevin Coleman Jr season on the Miami beat and in the analytics community. He has good hands (high college catch percentage) and runs nice routes. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him commanding slot targets early in that wide-open Dolphins WR room. He’s competing for targets with Malik Washington, Greg Dulcich, Jalen Tolbert, and Theo Wease. He’s a very strong buy candidate based on all the positive PR he’s getting from those in the know.

WR CJ Daniels (24.4yo - LAR - contested catch maven & certified dawg): Tough receiver who’s getting some camp hype. Thin WR room behind Puka & 33yo Davante Adams. Can easily see him beating out Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington for WR3. I personally like this guy to be a red zone weapon for LAR right away (like Tesla last season in DET but less acrobatic) since he’s such a demon at the catch point.

TE Oscar Delp (22.9yo - NO - Saints next 3-down TE1?): Big athletic Georgia TE; Played with Bowers but didn’t fill his shoes after he left. Used sparingly as a receiver in college, instead did a lot of blocking. Unknown ceiling/potential, but opportunity knocks in a barren Saints pass-catching corps. Assuming Olave and/or Tyson are unavailable at times throughout the season, you could be looking at Vele and Juwan Johnson as Shough’s top 2 receiving options. With that said, Delp is getting rave reviews in camp and is looking like he’ll have serious opportunity to catch passes this year for New Orleans.

RB Emari Demercado (27.4yo - KC - highest YPC for an RB in NFL history - 6.5 - on 125+ carries): Emari Demercado could potentially be the Chiefs’ RB2. Though he didn’t catch on in Arizona, he proved there that he’s explosive/efficient analytically as a runner (5 runs of 40+ yards on only 126 career carries, an insane statistic) and he catches passes. If he wins the job, he could be used significantly to spell Walker this season, and Mahomes should trust him out there as a vet in that backfield as the Chiefs are in win-now mode.

WR Tai Felton (23.2yo - MIN - Damnit Jauan Jennings!): Vikings 2025 3rd rounder (ouch) who never really got to play. Attended the Efton Chism School of “Never Dropped an NFL Pass” (3/3 for 25 yards); Was on track for MIN WR3 until Jennings signing; Good speed & hands; College dominator at Maryland; Getting some camp hype this summer, looking fast on tape but still expected to start the year as WR4

WR Ryan Flournoy (26.6yo - DAL - Cowboys WR3 Finally): Camp hype has been good for him - year 3 breakout loading? If Dak eats this year as expected, and CeeDee/Pickens/Ferg are alternating doing their thing… Flournoy could perhaps counterintuitively provide flex value as the rising tide lifts all boats in the offense. If he’s on the field more in the Cowboys 2026 offense, he has opportunity to score real fantasy points in 2026.

RB DJ Giddens (22.8yo - IND - battling for Colts RB2): Super athletic, 4-year college producer at Kansas State; 3-down skillset - should have easily won the RB2 role last season but… Curiously got very little run last year as the team pivoted instead to dust Ameer Abdullah, which was a not-great sign for Giddens’ near-term outlook. Colts brought in late-round rookie McGowan as RB2 comp, and based on a few good McGowan reports, it looks like the competition is on. Giddens still has the profile I’m banking on to be the true 3-down backup to Taylor.

TE John Michael Gyllenborg (23.8yo - KC - rookie tied to Mahomes? IN): Kelce is retiring soon and this guy is a freak athlete catch-first tight end. Potential Chiefs TE1 going into the 2027 season if he makes a good impression and if this year ends up being Kelce’s last. Very little camp buzz so far sadly - I think he may be injured or working off to the side, so I’m not reading into it

RB Eli Heidenreich (23.0yo - PIT - rookie “Swiss Navy Knife” - RB/WR listing incoming?): Glowing camp reports so far from teammates, beat writers, and coaches. Don’t be surprised if this 7th round rookie works his way on to the field this year for Pittsburgh… 6.8 college yards per carry and caught 51 passes last season - he can do it all for your PPR leagues.

RB George Holani (26.5yo - SEA - Potential Seahawks RB1/2 to start the year?): Charbonnet injured (probably PUP for the first few weeks), Price working his way in (and still a question mark as far as immediate impact); More familiar with system as than Wilson/Price; took 1st team reps in offseason activities (before Price & Wilson for drills too). Not great analytically, but seems to be a coaching staff favorite as they trusted him to take snaps in the playoffs last season. Could be a Chris Brooks-type situation where he’s more useful to the team than to your fantasy squad.

TE Theo Johnson (25.3yo - NYG - “Likely” remains a big part of NYG offense): People are overblowing the Likely to NYG move. A career time-splitter coming over with the same head coach that made him a career time-splitter. Theo Johnson js no Mark Andrews for sure, but Theo is a 99th percentile athletic freak who gets open easily down the seams. A favorite target of Dart’s last year. He struggles with concentration drops but is great with contested catches. Fully expect him to have a role at all levels of the field this season and be on the field with Likely very often when the Giants go 12 personnel, especially Nabers starts the year on PUP.

TE Justin Joly (21.9yo - DEN - the next Fannin/Njoku Flip?): Watch this dude’s tape. He’s really really good at playing catch-first TE. He’s smooth out there, gets open with ease, and was an FBS leader in MTF (missed tackles forced) during his time at UConn. Disclosure I do have this guy on my fantasy team, but I see him taking over Evan Engram’s role with ease by the end of the season. There’s no way he stays off the field for Denver this year in my opinion, especially with teams going out there with more 2-TE sets.

TE Tanner Koziol (22.4 - JAX - Future Jags TE1?): Perhaps the strongest and most consistent drumbeat of positive news coming out of any NFL camp this offseason. Mostly led by beat reporter John Shipley, but others are echoing his sentiments - Koziol will be a TE to be reckoned with in the NFL when it comes to pass-catching. Led all college tight ends in receptions last season at Houston with 74 (20 less than his 94 junior year receptions at Cincy). His counterpart Brenton Strange had 70 TOTAL receptions across his entire 4-year college career. Might not come to fruition this season (or maybe it will!), but he’s a strong play for Jags TE1 in 2027+

WR Bryce Lance (23.8yo - NO - Saints WR3/4?): Competing with DeVaughn Vele for WR3 at the moment, but we all know Olave/Tyson are likely to miss time. Lance played at a small school but was absolutely dominant, posting some insane separation metrics and standing above his peers on a lot of charts & graphs I’ve been seeing. It seems he’s a pretty polished WR prospect at this point and camp buzz has been positive, so his arrow is definitely pointing up with the uncertainty on the depth chart above him.

RB Phil Mafah (23.6yo - Cowboys’ bruising RB2?): This dude’s Cowboys career so far - 1.) Become a fan favorite as a rookie in 2025 preseason, breaking energetic runs and dragging piles … 2.) Get “shoulder injury” at end of preseason & Cowboys use loophole to “IR stash” you for the entire season … 3.) Get activated for week 18 game & immediately score a touchdown. Now we’re at step 4.) win RB2 job out of camp. Remember those early mini camp reports of Malik Davis as RB2? Yeah, you haven’t heard those in a while. Now it’s a battle between Mafah & Blue, but they’re 2 different players. Blue is more of a satellite back and will probably get 2-minute drill duties, whereas Mafah is the guy you give it to on 1st and 10 from the 12 and say “go get that TD Big Dawg!!!!” Count me in as a Mafahka for 2026 and beyond.

RB Damien Martinez (22.4yo - GB - opportunity knocks?): Potential GB Packers RB1 if Jacobs suspended (battling Lloyd/Brooks); College producer; 3-down back

RB Seth McGowan (24.6yo - IND - Battling for Colts RB2): Late-round draft pick who has a tall task competing against prototypical 3-down back DJ Giddens for one of the most valuable handcuff roles in the NFL, but McGowan seems to be up to the challenge. And it’s not as if Giddens’ role is even close to secure, given that the coaching staff rarely trusted him last year and instead turned to the corpse of Ameer Abdullah. I personally think Giddens will win out, but McGowan has been making some noise in camp. Very interested to see who wins this RB2 job behind overworked 28-year-old Jonathan Taylor.

RB Adam Randall (21.9yo - rookie King Henry): Did I just call Randall the rookie King Henry? Yes, I did. He’s huge. And a freak athlete. And a converted 3-year WR with only 1 season of running back under his belt. And he was hand-picked by the team’s owner. And he’s playing & learning behind… wait for it… Derrick Henry Himself. And 29-year-old Justice Hill. So wait… this guy is huge, athletic, catches passes well, understands the nuances of WR and now learning RB behind King Henry? Reports already out saying Randall will likely eat into Hill’s passing down work. I’m not saying it’ll happen, but there could be a seamless passing-of-the-torch in Baltimore between King Henry and Prince Randall. Adam Randall could be the 3-down back of the future for the Ravens.

WR Brenen Thompson (22.9yo - LAC - lightning in a bottle): Mike McDaniel was so excited at the idea of drafting this kid that he said he’d take his shirt off if they did - and they did. McDaniel said he plans to use Thompson in creative ways; Late break-out in college but went for over 1000 yards last season on 50-something catches. Can play all over the field, should work well with Ladd too. 4.2 speed means he’s one of the fastest in the NFL & can take the top off defenses, but runs crisp routes too; has popped on a few charts/graphs I’ve seen for the 2026 rookie WR class; good camp buzz so far.

WR Tyquan Thornton (25.8yo - epic Best Ball play): Did you know Tyquan Thornton had more air yards from Mahomes in 2025 than Rashee Rice has in his entire 3-year career? Touted as the Chiefs’ WR3 all of this offseason, he’s had time to get more familiar with the system. If he varies his route tree (as has been reported he’ll do) and improves his connection with Mahomes, we could see more of those air yards converted for big gains this season. Going to be a menace in best ball for his spike weeks.

WR DeVaughn Vele (28.5yo - NO - Clear connection with Shough): As much as we in the dynasty community want DeVaughn Vele to just go away with his slow 40 time and advanced rookie year age, it’s time to accept that he’s potentially here to stay. Saints paid up to trade for him. He showed true chemistry with Shough last season before he got injured, arguably becoming the Saints WR1 during a 4-game stretch pre-injury. Bryce Lance will come on strong as I mentioned in the other writeup, but I see Vele keeping the WR3 job this season. His being on the same page as Shough is extremely important for a young QB, and the Saints coaching staff has said themselves they play to involve Vele more this season. It’s not a flashy add, but if he even gets close to last year’s pace, DeVaughn Vele could put up some damn good numbers this season under everyone’s radar.

WR Devontez Walker (25.0yo - Ravens WR2/3? BEST BALL PLAY): Career 7-157-4 on just 11 targets; explosive big play threat; could beat out Bateman and the rookies for WR2/3 catching passes from low-key uber-efficient passer Lamar Jackson

WR Jordan Watkins (24.3yo - SFO - the “other other” Ole Miss WR): Dominated his senior season playing with Jaxson Dart; Got almost zero playing time with San Francisco last season after being drafted in the 4th round. With their WR shaping up to be Evans, Pearsall, Kirk, Stribling, and maybe even Cowing ahead of him at this point, he has a wide range of outcomes. He could be cut, but given the draft capital they used on him last year, I don’t think it’s off the table that Watkins passes a couple of those guys and wins the WR3 job during preseason.

WR Savion Williams (24.6yo - GB - Forgotten Beneficiary in Green Bay): President of the “Never Dropped a Pass Club” (10/10 for 78 yards) joined by Efton Chism (3/3) and Tai Felton (3/3); GB receivers getting hyped up heavily this offseason are Christian Watson and Jayden Reed (and even Matthew Golden to an extent), but I haven’t heard a thing about Savion Williams yet outside of an interesting tidbit from Jordan Love: Earlier this month, when asked who might surprise and make some noise this season, Love’s answer was Savion Williams. Popcorn ready.

RB Emanuel Wilson (27.1yo - SEA - Potential Seahawks RB1/2 to start the year?): Charbonnet injured (probably PUP for the first few weeks), Price working his way in (and still a question mark as far as immediate impact); Wilson is not as familiar with system as Holani, but he’s the more skilled running back (career ~4.5 YPC) and in my opinion could easily outwork Holani in preseason to win the RB2 job.

WR Colbie Young (23.9yo - CIN - unseating Iosivas as Cincy WR3?): He’s the #1 trending add on Sleeper right now due to some recent buzz that he may be taking over the Bengals WR3 job from the ever-disappointing Andre Iosivas. He’s a 6’5” WR who played sparingly at Georgia, so there may be some untapped potential here. Certainly could emerge as a valuable a red zone target for Burrow as early as this season. At this point the Bengals have to be thinking that really anything is better than Jermaine Burton.

——————
Edit 1: Removed incorrect line asserting RB coach had named Demercado RB2
Edit 2: Updated Adam Randall from “hand-picked by GM” to “hand-picked by owner”
Edit 3: Updated Jordan Watkins’ school from Missouri to Ole Miss

Just tried to mock up a trade in KTC Calculator and noticed both involved players’ ages were incorrect (one overstated by a year, one understated by a year). What’s the deal with this and why is it so wrong? You’d think they’d use a formula, so are they using the wrong birth dates or something? Geez.

Tank Bigsby age in KTC Calculator: 24.7
Tank Bigsby actual age: 23.7

Chris Rodriguez age in KTC Calculator: 25.7
Chris Rodriguez actual age: 26.7