# Mike Fanelli: Fanelli names six widely available players as last-minute Week 1 waiver-wire pickups, highlighting Michael Mayer as a potential top-five tight end with Brock Bowers out, Tre Tucker as a borderline top-30 receiver, and Devaughn Vele as the Saints' No. 2 wideout. **Claimed:** Sep 11, 2026 **Pundit:** Mike Fanelli — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/mike-fanelli **Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fantasypros **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/09/6-fantasy-football-waiver-wire-pickups-injury-replacements-week-1-2026/ 9 checkable claims — 6 sleeper calls, 2 positional finishes and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one. > More importantly, Mayer has an excellent opportunity to finish Week 1 as a top-five tight end. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Michael Mayer to finish top 5 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tre Tucker to finish top 30 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Malik Willis to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Keaton Mitchell to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Keaton Mitchell, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Michael Mayer to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tre Tucker to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Devaughn Vele to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Devaughn Vele to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chris Rodriguez Jr. to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Michael Mayer — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/michael-mayer - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Tre Tucker — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tre-tucker - Malik Willis — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/malik-willis - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Keaton Mitchell — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/keaton-mitchell - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Devaughn Vele — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/devaughn-vele - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/saints - Chris Rodriguez Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/chris-rodriguez-jr ## What others said about the same people - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/760054fd-7815-4b86-a9e3-bc9bdb0a730b (scored 0) - Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's fantasy football preseason recap projects depth-chart outcomes, roster spots and fantasy value for numerous players across several preseason games, including Chig Okonkwo's expanded role in Washington, Ja'Kobi Lane as Baltimore's WR3, Malachi Fields winning the Giants' starting X job, and Zachariah Branch being a fantasy bust relative to his late-round cost. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/22a4578b-eb92-41d2-820b-1a7eaa2e4e2f (scored 0) - Fernando Alfaro-Donis on Kayshon Boutte: Argues the Raiders' weakest spot is their receiver room, expects Jalen Nailor to take a big step forward in Klint Kubiak's scheme with Kirk Cousins starting before Fernando Mendoza takes over, and suggests Las Vegas should trade a mid-round pick for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, who would immediately become their top option. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b988191f-a153-4f4b-a1b8-7b5a7a18265c (scored 0) - Brandon Carney on Stefon Diggs: Carney drafted a team of rookies he expects to make an immediate fantasy impact (headlined by Karnell Tate and Makai Lemon), predicted landing spots for the remaining big-name free agents, and gave way-too-early division winners, wild cards and award picks — Patriots, Chargers, Bengals, Jaguars, Eagles, Rams, Vikings and Saints as division champs with Joe Burrow as MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c4d477da-4fb8-4a25-a904-c5057a249a70 (scored 0) - Chad Millman on Miami Dolphins: Chad Millman said he had taken money-line positions on several Week 1 underdogs — the Texans outright over the Bills, the Giants outright over Dallas (in a money-line underdog parlay), and Miami outright at Las Vegas — and that the show's survivor pick was the Steelers to win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/bd767876-d060-44de-aa5a-3fc87ff4e749 (scored 0) - Chris Roling on Los Angeles Chargers: Roling predicts a lopsided Chargers home win over the Cardinals in Week 1, 30-10, and advises starting Justin Herbert and Omarion Hampton in fantasy while sitting Ladd McConkey. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d4c64a5c-84bf-4ed6-9779-882e9a8fb212 (scored 30.95) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Brandon Carney on Javonte Williams: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9337347d-fde9-46c9-9bb6-26ade467538b (scored 100) - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0) - Andrew Erickson on Malik Nabers: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (scored 0) - Jake Ciely on Saquon Barkley: Sealey laid out his projected first round for 2026 fantasy drafts, opening with Bijan Robinson followed by three wide receivers, then a tier of running backs, and closing with Rashee Rice, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Omarion Hampton. He also called Saquon Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b63cc1db-f999-42de-9255-55ffa7d8d29f (scored 0) - Mike Harmon on Zay Flowers: Harmon gave his Week 18 fantasy rankings — top five quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers — plus lists of 'hot plays,' 'cold sores' (players to avoid) and 'ninjas' (sneaky plays), and said Trevor Lawrence would land around a top-four fantasy quarterback finish for the season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e2e20c82-d482-48e6-90f3-929d0862fc0d (scored 100) - Adam Rank on J.J. McCarthy: Rank recommends JJ McCarthy as a Week 15 quarterback streamer against Dallas and thinks Shedeur Sanders can carry fantasy teams into the semifinals against the Bears. For the Week 15 'perfect lineup' he picks Drake Maye as the top quarterback and Christian McCaffrey as a top running back, and he expects Terry McLaurin to produce with Marcus Mariota starting. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/edbecc9c-cb9a-405e-b3d5-856af9f4e21f (scored 0) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=mike-fanelli