Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buccaneers (23% Owned): It can’t be ignored, Ryan Fitzpatrick is on goddam fire and he needs to be picked up and ridden like a thoroughbred. I left him off last week’s list because I’ve had a front-row seat for Fitzpatrick at his best and his worst. Recency bias made me neglect what Fitzmagic feels like, but this man is capable of huge fantasy numbers. He’s surrounded by insane receiving talent right now, and he’s up against a wounded Steelers defense. The wheels will probably fall off at some point, but for now he’s a difference-maker and should be owned by someone in every league. Unless of course, you don’t like players with eight touchdowns and 409.5 yards per game.

Blake Bortles, Jaguars (28% Owned): Bortles makes me a little queasy, but his receiving corps has proven to be capable, and he’s running enough to bank on production in that area on a weekly basis. I would not advocate relying on Bortles every week, but given the right matchup he can blow up. This week he has the Titans on the slate, who have no one to scare him. Look for around 250 yards, and a potential rushing TD, especially if RB Leonard Fournette is going to miss more time.

Running Backs

Austin Ekeler, Chargers (44% Owned): Ekeler was kept out of the end zone this week, which is great news for you, because it keeps him somewhat under the radar. After 123 yards and a score in Week 1 on 10 touches, Ekeler touched the rock 14 times in Week 2, amassing 98 yards from scrimmage. 98 yards isn’t going to win you a week, but his role in the offense is not insignificant, and he’s proving he has the talent to produce with his limited work. If Melvin Gordon ever got hurt, Ekeler has a chance to immediately become a borderline RB1. This guy has some Alvin Kamara potential in him, and the time to snap him up is NOW.

Marlon Mack, Colts (47% Owned): Mack returned from injury in Week 2, and while he turned in an unimpressive 34-yard performance vs. the Redskins, his 10 carries show that he’s healthy and ready to be the lead back for this Colts team. Mack is a capable receiver out of the backfield, and Indianapolis once again has a crap defense that lends itself to pass-heavy game scripts. Rookie Jordan Wilkins didn’t show out in Mack’s absence, so it’s safe to use Mack as a FLEX option moving forward.

Corey Clement, Eagles (22% Owned): Jay Ajayi is a phenomenal talent, but facts are facts; most weeks he sees a frustratingly low carry total, or he’s getting hurt. Last week it was the latter, opening the door for Clement to notch six carries for 30 yards and a touchdown. If Ajayi is going to miss time, Clement becomes a rock solid RB2. Even if Ajayi’s active, though, Clement is a must-own for Ajayi owners, and a solid speculative add for everyone else.

Theo Riddick, Lions (24% Owned): Riddick’s role is unchanged from years past, which is great if you’re in a PPR format. Ridick has seen 19 targets in two games this year, continuing to dominate passing-down situations despite rookie Kerryon Johnson’s ability to catch passes as well. He hasn’t been able to find the end zone yet, and his yardage isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s caught 14 passes in two weeks, making him a high-floor PPR FLEX.

Javorius Allen, Ravens (8% Owned): Allen has seen 23 carries/targets through two games, and although he’s done very little with them, they illustrate a clear need for Alex Collins owners to also own Allen, as he’d become a high-volume player if Collins got hurt. In some ways, Allen has been the anti-Ekeler; I don’t think he’s a must-add beyond Collins owners, but if you’re in an especially deep PPR league, Allen does have some value as an emergency FLEX type based on his 13 targets through two weeks.

Wide Receivers

John Brown, Ravens (25% Owned): Staying with the Ravens, Brown, unlike Allen, is very exciting. Brown is cemented as Baltimore’s No. 2 receiver, and is clearly above Willie Snead as a favored deep threat. For the second consecutive week, Brown found the end zone. He also made a highlight-reel catch in between two defenders nearly 50 yards down the field, and he was targeted 10 times by Joe Flacco. Brown is averaging an insane 23 yards per reception, and while that’s probably a bit unsustainable, it illustrates what you can expect from him. Players like this are prone to very disappointing weeks at times, but he can also win a week with this type of regular targeting from Flacco.

DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers (50% Owned): Jackson is back! At 31, it was fair to wonder if Jackson’s prime was behind him, and his status as the league’s scariest deep threat was being ceded to the likes of Brown. I’m not convinced that Jackson is a Top 5 receiver all of a sudden, but he clearly is clicking with Ryan Fitzpatrick, catching each of his nine targets and turning them into 275 yards and three touchdowns. He will certainly slow down, but Fitzpatrick is going to keep taking shots downfield to him, and the presence of Mike Evans and even TE O.J. Howard means that defenses can’t game plan for D-Jax.

Keelan Cole, Jaguars (49% Owned): Cole and Dede Westbrook are both underowned, but Cole, in my opinion, is the Jaguars receiver you want. At 6’1, 194 lbs. Westbrook is the bigger target, and the receiver more likely to see looks in the red zone. He’s just as capable as Westbrook of making big plays down the field too, and Blake Bortles is proving that he can pad his stats vs. subpar defenses. The usage of the Jags’ receivers is going to vary, but of their motley crew I expect Cole’s usage to be the most consistent.

Phillip Dorsett, Patriots (24% Owned): Dorsett didn’t have as much statistical success this week vs. the Jaguars’ tough defense, but he saw another seven targets from Tom Brady. The signing of Josh Gordon likely spells doom for his long term value, but for Week 3 at least expect Dorsett to remain ahead of Gordon in the pecking order. The Patriots have a cake matchup vs. the Lions this week, and it’s probably Dorsett’s turn to put up stats after Chris Hogan went off last week.

Tyler Boyd, Bengals (2% Owned): Boyd is a forgotten man after a forgettable rookie campaign, but the Bengals’ offensive line was addressed this offseason, and right now he seems to have a much better grasp on being an NFL wide receiver than John Ross. He doesn’t possess Ross’ top-end speed, but he clearly has the trust of Andy Dalton, seeing nine targets in Week 2 vs. the Ravens and catching a TD. Based on this ownership percentage, it seems like you can add Boyd for close to nothing. Do so, as he looks prepared to have the target share of Brandon LaFell last year (5.5 targets per game), but the talent to actually produce with those looks.

Tight Ends

Jake Butt, Broncos (3% Owned): It’s hard to find anything appealing out there right now, as it seems we’ve figured out who the TEs worth owning actually are. However, Butt has a little upside. He’s seen four targets in each of Denver’s first two games – nothing special, but not insignificant – and his massive size (6’6, 250 lbs) mark him as a logical red zone option. There’s potential for him to become a Kyle Rudolph type, especially since the talented receiving corps around him will often leave him one-on-one with linebackers or overmatched safeties.

Jonnu Smith, Titans (22% Owned): Smith put up a damn doughnut last week, his first without Delanie Walker. I was super disappointed; Smith is a physical marvel who may wind up just not being a very good football player. I will give him the benefit of the doubt as it was his first opportunity being the primary tight end, and he did have Blaine Gabbert under center. His talent makes him worth a shot, but if he has another ass week like that it will be more than understandable to cut bait.