Hey, congrats on the great work on your fantasy draft. Well done. It was truly a triumph of modern roster-building principles.

No matter what AI-generated fantasy football draft numbers our sinister bots gave you, know that your human friends at Yahoo Fantasy think you did a great job.

Of course, we also understand that you’ve been staring at the same bunch of names for a few days now, so you’re getting a little impatient. No matter how great your draft was, that’s in the past. Let’s maybe freshen up the roster a little bit with some additions to the opening week of the waiver wire.

In preparation for Thursday’s season opener between the Ravens and Chiefs, we’re excited to recommend a full starting lineup of prospects, all (except one) of whom are available in most Yahoo leagues…

Friendly reminder that Smith is just one year removed from a season in which he finished as the 5th overall QB in fantasy and led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8%). He didn’t quite reach the same heights in 2023, though he did manage to lead the league in game-winning drives (5) while earning Pro Bowl recognition. His receiving corps remains loaded, and he now finds himself at the controls of a Ryan Grubb offense that should offer more tempo and passing volume.

Geno certainly passed the eye test in preparation, for what it’s worth:

Smith has been an afterthought all draft season, much closer to the Derek Carr class than he deserves to be. This is a competent QB in a potentially fun system, surrounded by talent.

The Chargers have consistently told us that Dobbins and Gus Edwards are essentially co-starters, a balanced two-man running back committee entering the season. That’s how the team’s depth chart presents the situation. But for whatever reason, we’ve drafted Edwards almost universally and Dobbins only sporadically.

Of course, no one is promising you a vintage pre-injury version of Dobbins, but he remains a near-lock for significant touches in a Greg Roman backfield. He certainly deserves a spot on someone’s roster, even in shallower fantasy formats. He’s in the opening week flex interview.

Wright is a pure flyer, but he’s the kind of high-ceiling lottery ticket you should be gunning for. He’s a blazing-fast running back (4.38) who’s had a promising preseason and an impressive college career; he rushed for over 1,000 yards and averaged 7.4 YPC in the SEC last year, no mean feat. Miami’s backfield produced some exceptional fantasy running backs last season, so there’s no question Wright is in the right offense.

We can’t say for sure what Wright’s early-season play will look like, but we do know that his long-term upside is as high as almost anyone’s. He belongs on a roster in any league with 12 or more teams.

The only thing standing in the way of Wicks breaking out this season is the ridiculous depth in Green Bay’s receiving room. Talent certainly isn’t an issue for the second-year wideout. Wicks caught 67.2% of his targets last season, averaged 14.6 yards per catch and routinely embarrassed DBs at the line of scrimmage:

If he sees a serious increase in volume at some point, he definitely has the potential to become a star. Wicks is a priority bank stash.

Hill qualifies as a tight end for fantasy purposes, but he could actually be the No. 2 running back and his team’s preferred goal-line rushing option. He’s something of a glitch in the game. It seems clear he’ll be used a lot in a variety of roles. No one is promising a smooth fantasy ride, but his best plays should be matchup winners.

Hill may be a deceptive tight end, but the points count just the same. He should be on the list everywhere.

Mitchell has a good frame (6-foot-2) and insane athleticism (4.34 speed, 39.5-inch vertical), and he saw a lot of running with Anthony Richardson in preseason, including a TD catch. He’s lined up in the slot on nearly 70% of his passing snaps according to PFF, which should mean more layup opportunities than we originally expected. Josh Downs suffered a high ankle sprain in early August, giving Mitchell a path to meaningful playing time.

We wouldn’t normally make a habit of recommending kickers in this column, but we realize that many of you wait until the last possible moment to pick one from the free agent pool after the draft. Bates is a reformed football player and UFL legend who just happens to have a weapon-worthy right leg:

Now kicking for a team that averaged 27.1 points per game last year, he’s an obvious candidate to finish among the league’s top scorers. Bates is an absolute gift to those who chose to go without a kicker on draft night.

New Orleans Saints, D/ST (49%)

The Saints are noticeably underrepresented right now, coming off a season that saw them finish fourth in the NFL in takeaways (29) and tied for third in interceptions (18). This defense has a lot of talent up front and in the secondary, plus they open with a home game against Bryce Young and the Panthers.

It should be an easy and obvious start to opening week, but this D/ST is still widely available.