Pay attention to the top names on the fantasy football waiver wire all season long. Houston Texans running back Rex Burkhead is one of the top available players on most waiver wires. We’ll dive into Burkhead’s value against the Indianapolis Colts for Week 1.
Should you add Rex Burkhead on the waiver wire for Week 1?
Available in 92% of Yahoo leagues and 85% of ESPN leagues, Burkhead is truly a deep waiver wire addition for managers to make. The 32-year-old is the primary backup to rookie sensation Dameon Pierce after Marlon Mack was added and then cut from the practice squad. While it seems strange the team prioritized one of the oldest players in the league, Burkhead is a receiving talent who can help the Texans on passing downs.
This is great for fantasy managers in PPR leagues since the Texans figure to be trailing often. Though he only caught 25 passes last year, Burkhead saw the most playing time of his career in 2021 with Houston. He’s become a trusted veteran on this roster and will certainly see split time with Pierce after Mack’s release.
The return of quarterback Davis Mills and receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins brings stability to a unit that was finding its footing throughout last season. There’s more certainty in 2022 as the offensive line has also been bolstered and is finally healthy. This might not be a good unit relative to other teams, but it’s certainly trending upwards.
Whether Burkhead is a quality option to play against the Colts in Week 1 is another question, though. He enjoyed one breakout game in 2021, rushing for 149 yards and two scores in Houston’s shocking upset of the Los Angeles Chargers. Other than that performance, Burkhead only scored one touchdown in 16 games played.
The Colts aren’t the team for that to happen to. Only four teams allowed fewer points to RBs than the Colts did in 2021 thanks to their incredible linebacker play. The combination of Shaquille Leonard and Bobby Okereke is devastating to most passing units trying to go over the middle of the field.
There will be other games where Burkhead’s fantasy value is higher. Adding Burkhead from the waiver wire will be smart against lesser defenses where a high-scoring game is more likely. He’s still a matchup piece who can win when covered 1-on-1, but the Colts are less likely to do that.
With no bye week in Week 1 and your full roster available, we can’t recommend adding Burkhead off the waiver wire for this game. Upcoming matchups against the Chicago Bears and Chargers in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, are more interesting opportunities, though. You should consider adding Burkhead in the coming weeks if any of your backs suffer an injury.