Fantasy Football Buy Low: Wide Receiver Breakout Candidates for Week 1

Whether you're deciding who to start in season-long, who to roster in NFL DFS, or which NFL prop bets to consider on FanDuel Sportsbook, there are still plenty of ways to buy low on players poised to bounce back from disappointing outings.

While looking ahead at the games across the NFL, which wide receivers should we buy low on ahead of this week?

All fantasy football projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Wide Receivers to Buy Low in Fantasy Football

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

The Carolina Panthers' passing attack took a step forward late in the 2024 season as Bryce Young produced two top-two weekly finishes over the final three games. After drafting Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Panthers' passing attack took another big step forward. However, Carolina traded Adam Thielen a week ago, and Jalen Coker landed on the injured list with a quad injury.

Suddenly, the buzz surrounding this passing attack has faded. Week 1 still brings a favorable matchup as the Jacksonville Jaguars gave up the most expected points added per dropback (EPA/db) and yards per passing attempt last season. There are still clear concerns about this pass D -- even with Travis Hunter joining the fold.

While Carolina as a unit could have some bumps thanks to a thin receiving corps, this should mean a large workload for McMillan. Positive reviews have circled McMillan throughout the offseason, and his average draft position (ADP) in half-PPR leagues via FantasyPros steadily rose over the last couple of weeks.

Along with plenty of targets looking imminent, McMillan is an excellent possession wideout, standing at 6'4" paired with a solid athletic profile. This should make him a promising red zone option, as well.

McMillan should bring good value to open the season between his $5,600 DFS salary paired with +175 odds to score a touchdown.

Ricky Pearsall, 49ers

Most of Week 1's buy-low options coincide with injury-riddled receiving corps. That's the case for the San Francisco 49ers, who also traded Deebo Samuel in March. Brandon Aiyuk will be out for several weeks after tearing his ACL and MCL in the 2024 season. Jauan Jennings was absent for a month from a calf injury.

While Jennings is expected to be full go in Week 1, Ricky Pearsall still has an angle to post impressive numbers. A WR1 role has essentially fell into his lap, pointing to big-time volume in Week 1.

Pearsall has a slow start to his rookie campaign but finally flashed big potential in the final two games of the 2024 season. He racked up 210 receiving yards on 14 catches and 18 targets along with two touchdowns during the span. This included an eruption of eight receptions for 141 receiving yards and one touchdown in Week 17.

Between a prominent role awaiting paired with Pearsall showing progress late in the 2024 season, the Niners' receiver is worth a swing in Week 1.

Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers

Buying into rookie hype is a common mistake for many. Most of us don't learn lessons, including myself. Emeka Egbuka is one name I cannot ignore.

From Baker Mayfield praising Egbuka to general manager Jason Licht stating, "He's everything that we thought plus some" -- how could you not believe the hype? He's been in a position to start virtually the entire offseason, and that will come to fruition in Week 1.

Injuries add to Egbuka's potential volume. Chris Godwin is expected to miss the first month of the season but was not placed on the injured list. Jalen McMillan will miss time from a neck injury. This leaves Mike Evans as Egbuka's main competition for targets.

Sunday's opponent is the Atlanta Falcons, and they gave up the fifth-most EPA/db in 2024. We know Mayfield is more than capable of taking advantage of the meh pass D as he carries the third-most projected FanDuel points for Week 1 (18.5). We can get exposure to Tampa Bay's passing attack paired with good value in Egbuka ($5,000 DFS salary).

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.