Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 1 (2026)

Sixteen Gameweek 1 standouts to target on waivers, plus deeper-league stashes at every position.

Sixteen Gameweek 1 standouts to target on waivers, plus deeper-league stashes at every position. Sixteen players put up big scoring numbers in Gameweek 1, and every one of them sits well below 75% owned in most Top Four Fantasy leagues.

Every name below carried an Up trend from Gameweek 1 on the TFF Players page. We've grouped four priority targets per position, plus two deeper-league options for managers in bigger leagues who need to look past the obvious names.

Forwards

Forwards score here for more than goals. Shots on target, chances created and hold-up duels through contact all count, so a striker who wins his aerial battles and forces saves can matter even in a week without a finish.

Emersonn — Ipswich Town, 0% owned, 14.5 pts

Ipswich made Emersonn their club-record signing in July, paying Toulouse a reported £24m plus add-ons to land Gary O'Neil's first piece of transfer business. The 22-year-old Brazilian arrived off a six-goal Ligue 1 season and looked the part physically on his debut, holding off Ipswich's own Dan Ballard for long spells before getting his reward.

That debut produced a goal, a tap-in teed up by fellow new arrival Julio Enciso in the 2-1 win over Sunderland, on top of the crosses, dribbles and aerial duels this scoring model pays out for regardless of the scoreline. He's the most expensive forward Ipswich have ever signed and he's already first-choice. Priority add in 10-12 team leagues, and close to unfindable in anything bigger.

Why add: club-record summer arrival who scored on his Premier League debut and already looks first-choice.
Role and minutes: undisputed starting striker.
Next three: at Man United, vs Liverpool, at Crystal Palace.
Risk: the schedule toughens immediately, and his early service could dry up if the rest of Ipswich's attack doesn't back him up.

Gonzalo García — Fulham, 38% owned, 12 pts

García left Real Madrid's academy pathway for Fulham this summer and wasted no time making an impression, scoring on his Premier League debut in a 2-3 defeat to Chelsea. He's a fox-in-the-box profile rather than a target man, and Fulham have built their attack around giving him service into the areas he wants it.

The underlying numbers back the eye test: shots on target and aerial duels won on top of the goal, the kind of floor that survives a quiet week. At 38% owned he's being claimed fast. Grab him now in standard leagues before he's gone everywhere.

Why add: scored on his Premier League debut and is Fulham's first-choice centre-forward.
Role and minutes: starting striker.
Next three: at Sunderland, vs Crystal Palace, at Liverpool.
Risk: he's new to English football and Fulham's finishing was otherwise blunt in defeat, so one goal in a loss isn't proof of a repeatable role yet.

Oliver McBurnie — Hull City, 50% owned, 11 pts

McBurnie signed for Hull on a free transfer after fshowing promotion form, and he was the story of Hull's stunning 2-0 opening-day win over Manchester United without even scoring. Match data has him with more shots, more chances created and more fouls won than any other Hull player, and he won more duels than anyone on the pitch.

That's the volume-based profile this scoring model likes: a lone striker who presses, competes in the air and keeps forcing the issue, with a blocked shot setting up Hull's opener. Expect a heavy workload every week in a team that will play with the ball less than most. Priority in standard leagues, and he's already close to gone at 50% owned.

Why add: most involved attacker on the pitch in a shock win over Manchester United.
Role and minutes: lone striker, 90 minutes.
Next three: at Coventry, vs Aston Villa, at Chelsea.
Risk: Hull will see far less of the ball most weeks, and a striker leaning on duels and pressure can go quiet if the service isn't there.

Evanilson — AFC Bournemouth, 38% owned, 9.5 pts

Evanilson was the creator rather than the finisher in Bournemouth's narrow loss at Manchester City, whipping in the cross that Marcus Tavernier tapped home for the opener. He also picked up a booking, a fair reflection of how much work he puts in against the run of play.

Bournemouth play an open, transition-heavy style that should keep giving him touches in the final third, and his underlying shot and chance-creation numbers held up even in a defeat. He's a solid, every-week starting forward in 10-12 team leagues rather than a boom pick, which is exactly the profile worth adding before the ownership climbs further.

Why add: heavily involved in Bournemouth's only goal and a regular shot and chance-creation source.
Role and minutes: first-choice striker.
Next three: vs Everton, at Newcastle, vs Brentford.
Risk: Bournemouth conceded late twice at the Etihad, and if their defence keeps leaking, game states may not favour a sustained attacking platform.

Deeper leagues: Julio Enciso arrived at Ipswich from Strasbourg for around £26m and, thrown straight into the XI, set up Emersonn's goal, hit the woodwork and ran himself to cramp on his second Portman Road debut. He's not fully match-fit and is 0% owned, which makes him a pure upside swing in leagues with room to speculate. Eddie Nketiah continues to compete for minutes in a crowded Crystal Palace forward line; the underlying chance-creation and pressing numbers are there, but the shirt isn't guaranteed week to week, so treat him as a bench stash rather than an immediate starter in anything but the deepest formats.

Midfielders

Two-way midfielders are the position to prioritise in this scoring model. Tackles, interceptions and chances created give a repeatable floor, and goal involvement on top of that turns a solid week into a big one.

Jack Hinshelwood — Brighton, 50% owned, 15.5 pts

Hinshelwood scored twice in the space of a minute as Brighton put four past Aston Villa on opening day, one a header, one a low finish, either side of Villa's João Gomes seeing red. It was the standout individual performance of the Gameweek across the whole league.

Beyond the goals, he's the kind of aggressive, press-first midfielder this scoring model was built for, adding tackles, fouls won and chance creation to a Brighton side that dominates the ball. Two goals from a central midfielder won't repeat every week, but the underlying work-rate numbers should hold up regardless. Priority add in 10-12 team leagues, and arguably the strongest single claim in this whole list.

Why add: two goals in a dominant win, backed by tackling and chance-creation volume.
Role and minutes: regular starter in Brighton's midfield.
Next three: at Chelsea, vs Leeds, at Coventry.
Risk: a two-goal game from a non-penalty-taking midfielder is not a repeatable baseline. Judge him on the tackles and chances created once the sample grows.

Vitaly Janelt — Brentford, 38% owned, 14.5 pts

Janelt scored Brentford's second goal in their 3-0 demolition of Tottenham, pouncing on a rebound after Kinský could only parry Mathias Jensen's shot. He's the more defensively minded half of Brentford's midfield pair, sitting deeper to win the ball back before joining attacks.

That's exactly the profile that scores consistently here. Tackles and interceptions provide the floor, and his willingness to arrive late in the box gives him a goal threat most defensive midfielders don't have. A strong, low-variance option for standard leagues.

Why add: goalscorer in an opening-day rout, with a tackling and interception floor most attacking midfielders lack.
Role and minutes: regular starter, deeper midfield role.
Next three: at Leeds, vs Sunderland, at Bournemouth.
Risk: goals from a deep-lying midfielder are a bonus, not the baseline. If Brentford's newly rebuilt attack takes time to click, his week-to-week ceiling narrows to tackles and interceptions alone.

Issahaku Fatawu — Ipswich Town, 25% owned, 12 pts

Fatawu is the wide creator in Ipswich's rebuilt attack, and his opening numbers show it: crosses, chances created, dribbles and fouls won, without needing a goal or assist to post a strong score. That's a valuable profile in a scoring model that rewards creators as much as finishers.

He'll play in a team that's likely to see a lot of the ball taken away from it against bigger sides, which usually means more space to run into on the counter. Worth watching for now rather than an automatic priority claim, given he's still finding his footing in a newly promoted squad.

Why add: heavy creative and carrying numbers without needing a goal contribution.
Role and minutes: regular starter on the wing.
Next three: at Man United, vs Liverpool, at Crystal Palace.
Risk: Ipswich's fixtures get considerably tougher, and a winger reliant on transition space can go quiet against teams happy to sit off and let Ipswich have the ball.

Mamadou Sangaré — Brentford, 13% owned, 12 pts

Sangaré arrived from Lens for a club-record fee and made an immediate mark, setting up Brentford's opener with a driving run and cutback, then forcing the save that Kayode turned home for the third goal. He ran the game from midfield on his debut.

That's two goal involvements from a deep-lying midfielder in his first Premier League appearance, alongside the fouls won and interceptions this scoring model credits. He's a genuine box-to-box presence rather than a pure destroyer, which gives him a higher ceiling than most defensive midfielders on this list.

Why add: club-record signing who ran the game and set up two goals on his Brentford debut.
Role and minutes: first-choice central midfielder.
Next three: at Leeds, vs Sunderland, at Bournemouth.
Risk: it's one match. New signings settling into a new league and a new midfield partnership don't always sustain this level of attacking involvement.

Deeper leagues: Noah Sadiki is Sunderland's established defensive midfielder, a full 90 minutes in the loss at Ipswich with a shot, a cross and two chances created to go with his usual ball-winning brief. He's a low-ceiling, high-floor 5-8 point option best suited to leagues where consistency matters more than upside. Lewis Miley is a Newcastle academy product who could see his path open up now that Sandro Tonali has left the club for Tottenham. Nothing is guaranteed yet, so treat him as a watch-list stash in deep or dynasty-style leagues rather than an active claim.

Defenders

Full-backs who get forward and centre-backs who dominate the air or step into midfield all score consistently here. Clean sheets alone are unreliable from newly promoted or rebuilding back lines, so look for defenders producing chances, crosses and duels on top of the shutout.

Michael Kayode — Brentford, 75% owned, 16.5 pts

Kayode capped Brentford's opening-day rout of Tottenham with the third goal, reacting first to convert a rebound after Sangaré's shot was saved. He's an established attacking full-back in a system that consistently lets its wide defenders join the play, and the clean sheet, tackles and interceptions round out a genuinely elite defensive score.

At 75% owned he's already close to gone in most leagues. If he's somehow still on your wire, this is the definition of a must-add before someone else beats you to it.

Why add: goalscorer and clean-sheet contributor in a dominant defensive display.
Role and minutes: first-choice right-back.
Next three: at Leeds, vs Sunderland, at Bournemouth.
Risk: he's already heavily owned for a reason, so his remaining upside as a waiver claim is limited to leagues where he somehow slipped through.

Dara O'Shea — Ipswich Town, 13% owned, 13 pts

O'Shea was heavily involved at both ends in Ipswich's opening win, contributing chances created through his distribution, aerial duels won and tackles. Worth being upfront here: Ipswich conceded in that 2-1 win over Sunderland, so this wasn't a clean-sheet performance, and it's the defensive volume rather than the shutout that makes his case.

That volume-based profile, heavy on aerials and progressive passing out from the back, is exactly what travels well from a centre-back on a newly promoted side that will spend spells defending. Worth watching rather than an automatic top claim until the back line settles.

Why add: heavy involvement in chance creation, aerial duels and tackles from centre-back.
Role and minutes: first-choice centre-back.
Next three: at Man United, vs Liverpool, at Crystal Palace.
Risk: Ipswich's defence has early cracks, so don't bank on clean sheets. His score needs to keep coming from volume, not shutouts, particularly against the tougher fixtures ahead.

Jaka Bijol — Leeds United, 13% owned, 13 pts

Bijol was rated the best player on the pitch in Leeds' 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, making a string of well-timed interceptions alongside Joe Rodon to protect a clean sheet that was settled by a late Anton Stach free kick. He's part of a back three that leans heavily on aerial duels and interceptions rather than possession.

That's a repeatable profile in this scoring model, and a defender rated highest on the pitch in a shutout is exactly the kind of performance worth chasing before ownership climbs.

Why add: best-rated player on the pitch in a clean-sheet win, built on interceptions and aerial duels.
Role and minutes: first-choice centre-back in a back three.
Next three: vs Brentford, at Brighton, vs Newcastle.
Risk: Leeds' fixtures get harder quickly, and a back three built on interceptions can be exposed against sides that create more central chances than Forest did.

Antonee Robinson — Fulham, 38% owned, 7.5 pts

Robinson started at left-back against Chelsea and was heavily involved going forward all afternoon, missing a late chance to complete a comeback after being played clean through. He's built a track record at Fulham as one of the league's more productive attacking full-backs when it comes to crosses and chances created.

He was withdrawn late for a more attacking option, which is worth watching, but as long as he's starting, the crossing volume alone gives him a reasonable floor in this scoring model.

Why add: heavy attacking involvement and crossing volume from left-back.
Role and minutes: first-choice left-back, though see the risk note below.
Next three: at Sunderland, vs Crystal Palace, at Liverpool.
Risk: he was substituted with Fulham chasing the game, and Fulham's own summer signing at wing-back could squeeze his minutes if results don't improve.

Deeper leagues: Semi Ajayi opened the scoring in Hull's 2-0 win over Manchester United, turning home a rebound after McBurnie's effort was blocked on the line. A centre-back who scored on his side's Premier League return, at 0% owned, is exactly the kind of low-cost swing worth taking in bigger leagues. Costinhacame off the bench for Brighton in their 4-0 win over Villa, confirming he's part of the matchday squad even without regular minutes; he's a pure situation bet in deep leagues that only pays off if his role expands.

Goalkeepers

Clean sheets and save volume both count here, so a newly promoted side's keeper facing a heavy shot count can be just as valuable as an established number one, provided he's the confirmed starter.

Konstantinos Tzolakis — Hull City, 0% owned, 12.5 pts

Tzolakis kept a clean sheet in one of the results of the weekend, Hull's 2-0 win over Manchester United on their return to the top flight. He's Hull's first-choice goalkeeper and will face a heavy workload most weeks given how much of the ball Hull are likely to concede against better sides.

A completely unrostered goalkeeper who just posted a shutout against a Champions League club is the headline pickup at the position in every league but the shallowest.

Why add: clean sheet in a shock win, with regular save volume expected most weeks.
Role and minutes: undisputed starting goalkeeper.
Next three: at Coventry, vs Aston Villa, at Chelsea.
Risk: Hull will see far less of the ball most weeks, and one clean sheet against a struggling United side isn't proof it will repeat against the league's stronger attacks.

Caoimhín Kelleher — Brentford, 50% owned, 11 pts

Kelleher kept a clean sheet on his first appearance of the campaign as Brentford beat Tottenham 3-0, denying Mikey Moore late on to preserve the shutout. He's the established number one behind a defence that's shown it can dominate matches from the back.

That combination of clean-sheet equity and shot-stopping when called upon gives him a steady floor most weeks, even against sides that see more of the ball than Tottenham did on opening day.

Why add: clean sheet with a key late save behind a defence that dominated the game.
Role and minutes: undisputed starting goalkeeper.
Next three: at Leeds, vs Sunderland, at Bournemouth.
Risk: Brentford's defence will be tested more by sides that create more than Tottenham managed here, so save volume should climb even if clean sheets get harder to come by.

James Trafford — Leeds United, 13% owned, 9.5 pts

Trafford made a club-record move from Manchester City this summer and marked his debut with a clean sheet at Nottingham Forest, including a smart save to deny a close-range header before Leeds won it late through Anton Stach. He's the long-term number one at a club that just paid to make him exactly that.

A clean sheet debut with genuine shot-stopping involved, at low ownership, makes him a strong streaming option against the right fixtures and a hold in deeper leagues regardless.

Why add: clean-sheet debut for a club-record signing, with real shot-stopping involved.
Role and minutes: undisputed starting goalkeeper.
Next three: vs Brentford, at Brighton, vs Newcastle.
Risk: Leeds' fixtures get tougher fast, and one clean sheet at Forest doesn't guarantee the same against sides that create more central chances.

Deeper leagues: Antonín Kinský is Tottenham's new number one after a big summer rebuild, but his full debut was rocky. Spurs shipped three at Brentford, with two of the goals coming from rebounds off saves he couldn't hold. He's a pure speculative stash rather than an active streamer right now; the shot-stopping workload is real, the results just weren't there yet.Carl Rushworth started Coventry's 0-3 opening-day defeat at Arsenal, a rough introduction for a promoted side but exactly the kind of fixture that produces save volume against the league's better attacks. He's a matchup-only streamer in the deepest formats.

The strongest claim, and the best bet to survive

If you can only make one move this week, it's Emersonn. A club-record striker who scored on his Premier League debut, sitting at 0% owned, is as clean a waiver claim as this format produces. In leagues where he's already gone, Jack Hinshelwood's combination of goals and defensive volume makes the next-best case.

If you're stashing for value instead, Costinha is the name most likely to still be sitting on the wire in a month. He's on the fringes of a strong Brighton squad rather than a guaranteed starter, so there's no urgency to move now, but the squad situation is worth revisiting if his minutes change.