Every week, I gaze into my crystal football to find deep-league and dynasty waiver darlings who could emerge in the coming weeks, so you can acquire them now for practically nothing. I'm looking for players with a plausible path toward playing time for at least a few weeks. Players must be rostered in fewer than one-third of Sleeper dynasty leagues to be featured here, so we are diving deep into the waiver pool.
Even the deepest rosters don't have unlimited bench space, so look ahead for potential holes as injuries mount and bye weeks take healthy players out of your lineup as you decide whether to take a flier on these potential dynasty stashes. For Week 1, I'm highlighting a player with an immediate path to playing time, a training camp star who made his team's initial 53-man roster, and a slow developer whose team hasn't given up on him.
RB Sione Vaki, Detroit (10% Rostered)
The Lions signed free agent Isiah Pacheco this offseason to be the backup for Jahmyr Gibbs following David Montgomery's departure for Houston. Pacheco was placed on injured reserve on September 1 for a back injury, meaning he will miss at least the first four games, and he may miss more. General manager Brad Holmes wouldn't put a timetable on Pacheco's return, adding that he hopes Pacheco will be back sometime this season. His unavailability leaves Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors as the only running backs on the 53-man roster aside from Gibbs. Vaki missed time during camp due to an eye injury and a related broken nose sustained in an early practice. Saylors took advantage of significant playing time in the team's three games, and he was the league's leading preseason rusher, running for 187 yards with 40 receiving yards. Lions' head coach Dan Campbell said he was "comfortable" with Saylors as the top option behind Gibbs. Dynasty managers caught on, and Saylors is now rostered in nearly half of Sleeper dynasty leagues.
Vaki, however, remains widely available on the waiver wire. He has been listed as the RB2 behind Gibbs on unofficial depth charts, and he was held out of the third preseason game because the coaching staff felt he had already shown enough to earn a roster spot. In other words, he wasn't held out due to injury. In his absence, Saylors played the entire first half, seemingly still trying to earn his spot on the 53-man roster. Campbell prefers players familiar with his system, offensive terminology, and protection schemes. Vaki is entering his third season with the team, while Saylors is in his second. Neither has much experience in regular-season NFL games, so the backup role may still be up for grabs. The team could still sign a veteran free-agent back if they lose Gibbs for a significant period, but Campbell's preference for familiarity may keep any midseason acquisition on the bench.
Check your waiver wire for Saylors in case he is still available, and consider Vaki a cheap insurance policy with a potential path to fantasy relevance on a high-powered offense.
WR Dohnte Meyers, Cincinnati (23% Rostered)
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