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 rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, Rams (35% Rostered): Stafford is healthy, he’s averaging 320.5 yards per game, and, most importantly, the young duo of Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell seem to have wrapped their heads around the Sean McVay offense and understand where Stafford wants them to be. Lighting up Seattle was nice to see, but not entirely shocking. Filling up the box score vs. the 49ers is a whole different story, so if you are possibly reeling from losing Aaron Rodgers, or needing some Joe Burrow insurance, Stafford has a long track record of success and just showed he can do it vs. the big boys.

Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (15% Rostered): Mayfield isn’t quite back to the hype he had as a rookie, but he’s shown through two games he isn’t dead. While he hasn’t exploded yet for fantasy managers, he threw two touchdown passes in Week 1, and then threw for more than 300 yards on Sunday vs. the Bears with another score. He’s taken care of the football, and, most importantly, has two stud receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to make things easier on him. This is no league-winning addition, but Mayfield is proving that he can be a pretty secure QB2 in those formats, and may be a sneaky smash streaming option in the right matchups.

C.J. Stroud, Texans (9% Rostered): If you want to take a big swing…still take Stafford. But Stroud should be your next option if you are trying to hit a home run. Through two games, the Texans have allowed him to wing it 91 times, and he’s averaging 313 yards per game through the air. He has thrown two touchdowns, which is low considering the amount of attempts, and he has yet to be intercepted which tracks from his college production. Nico Collins is an emerging No. 1 receiver who looked like he’d arrived in Week 2, and Robert Woods has been a pleasant surprise as a veteran safety blanket. There are multiple other young receivers developing too, and any of them can emerge as the season progresses as another option for Stroud. The downside is that he doesn’t run. Beyond that, the game scripts for Houston are going to involve a lot of passing more often than not, so he is definitely interesting.

Running Backs

Jerome Ford, Browns (18% Rostered): Ford was the next man up after Nick Chubb’s depressing, season-ending knee injury and he will now be the most sought-after free agent of the week. A fifth-round pick last season, Ford only logged eight attempts in 2022 for 12 yards so we really have nothing to go off of. He busted a huge run on Monday night that would’ve resulted in a long TD had he not been tripped up inches from the goal line, and he was a highly efficient rusher at Cincinnati, where he put up over 1,500 yards from scrimmage as a senior. If he keeps the lead role to himself, Ford will be a very fantasy-relevant player, but the threat of a Kareem Hunt reunion looms large. I’d be careful about blowing an inordinate amount of FAAB on Ford, but if you’re struggling and in desperate need of a RB, Ford is locked in for at least one week as a workhorse RB2 option.

Justice Hill, Ravens (44% Rostered): Hill is in a major time share with Gus Edwards, who is more widely rostered, but Hill actually was on the field for more snaps (57%) and he garnered 11 carries and three targets, all of which he reeled in. Hill finished with 53 yards from scrimmage, which isn’t anything special, and Edwards was the one who punched in a short yardage TD. Hill is not a slam dunk play in any given week, even though the Ravens are still fairly run heavy, but he is definitely a FLEX option who will not goose you, and can absolutely punch it in as well. He scored twice in Week 1 from the goal line, even with Edwards healthy and available. Dobbins’ injury robbed us of a clear lead back on the Ravens, which we’ve been pining for for years, but Hill can still be deployed and productive.

Matt Breida, Giants (2% Rostered): Breida is the next man up for the Giants, who lost Saquon Barkley to a sprained ankle. Barkley is out for three weeks, and had Chubb not gone down, Breida would’ve been the waiver darling of Week 3. Breida’s in Year 7 of his career, and at this point we know what he is. He’s fast, he’s been efficient in the past, but in this offense he’s playing behind a struggling offensive line. He’s also been injury prone, so there’s a good chance he is sharing work with Gary Brightwell, and that’s assuming the Giants don’t bring in reinforcements once they have a full picture of the injury. Breida should lead the backfield in touches on Thursday, but he should be viewed as a stopgap, even if Barkley’s injury is longer term than currently projected. I would not make any plans to rely on Breida.

Tyjae Spears, Titans (17% Rostered): Spears was on the field for fewer snaps than in Week 1, but touched the ball more. He is a handcuff at this point, and with injuries all over the place, not many rosters have room for a pure handcuff. But Spears has been seeing the field a bit more than your usual pure backup, and he is involved enough to be a pure desperation FLEX play in a deep league. Derrick Henry managers should consider scooping up Spears in the event Henry breaks down, which has happened in each of the past two seasons. Should he get the lead role, Spears is very likely to be a productive fantasy option and an instant RB2.

De’Von Achane, Dolphins (44% Rostered): Achane was active for Week 2, and while he barely saw any action, the Dolphins did lose Salvon Ahmed to an injury. If Ahmed misses time, Achane is the clear-cut RB2 for them behind Raheem Mostert, as Jeff Wilson is still on IR. That doesn’t mean big touches for Achane, but, as stated last week, Achane does not need many touches to do damage with his elite speed. I’m dying to see Achane get a crack at a decent workload, and he will be pretty much free based on his lack of usage thus far. He’s my favorite speculative add of anyone widely available.

Jaylen Warren, Steelers (41% Rostered): Warren didn’t do much vs. the Browns on Monday, but he was on the field for 43% of the snaps, put up 66 receiving yards on four catches, and overall seemed to have much more juice than Najee Harris. This is definitely shaping up to be a Ezekiel Elliott/Tony Pollard scenario where Warren will look better in limited use while Harris soaks up all the high-value touches near the goal line, but Warren is passing the eye test with flying colors. It’s hard for non-Harris managers to roster a player with a very minor standalone role, but if you do have an available roster spot Warren can really pop if opportunity finds him.

Wide Receivers

Tutu Atwell, Rams (25% Rostered): Atwell’s small stature, skillset (pure speed) and the gadgety ways he was getting in Week 1 made his big game seem unrepeatable. Week 2 showed us that he might be legit. Atwell saw nine targets in Week 2 vs. the 49ers (17 through two games), and caught seven of them for 77 yards. Atwell is certainly looking the part of a full-PPR and half-PPR asset, and he and Puka Nacua are blowing TE Tyler Higbee and WR Van Jefferson completely off the fantasy radar. And with his blazing speed, Atwell can definitely make some house calls. He’s my top WR add of the week, placing a Ram atop that list for the second consecutive week.

Kendrick Bourne, Patriots (44% Rostered): Bourne is the best receiver on the Patriots from a skill standpoint, and though he didn’t post the same big stats he did in Week 1, which some will attribute to the return of DeVante Parker, he still drew nine targets in a surprisingly pass-happy offense through two games. There isn’t any breakout star potential here, but Bourne is a fine FLEX option for managers battling some injuries, and he makes for very good depth when bye weeks start hitting us all. His role in this offense seems very secure at this point.

Skyy Moore, Chiefs (49% Rostered): I recommended giving Moore at least one more week to see how it looked with Travis Kelce in the lineup, and Moore rewarded that faith. Sure, he only had three receptions, which isn’t awesome for a small slot receiver, but anyone will take 70 yards and a touchdown. His 58% snap share is not super encouraging, but I continue to believe Moore will be the most consistently targeted Chiefs WR, and for now, I believe he belongs on benches, not on waivers.

Robert Woods, Texans (9% Rostered): The case for adding Woods is very simple. He has a proven track record of being a quality fantasy option, especially for full and half-PPR, and he’s drawn 19 targets in two games playing for a Texans team that will be behind in most of their games. He’s not winning anyone their league, but in deeper formats players like Woods are very helpful, because they can help establish a higher floor, and capably sub in when the big names are missing.

Josh Reynolds, Lions (12% Rostered): Reynolds is stepping up big time and serving as Detroit’s big play guy in the absence of Jameson Williams. Amon-Ra St. Brown is the clear alpha receiver and dominates targets, but it’s well-documented how and where on the field he thrives. Reynolds has flashed big talent throughout his career, but he’s getting massive opportunity in this offense – 70% and 80% of snaps, respectively, in the Lions’ first two games – and he’s averaging 16.2 yards per catch. It’s possible this all goes by the wayside when Williams is back, but that’s going to be a while.

Allen Robinson, Steelers (17% Rostered): Robinson took a back seat to George Pickens on Monday, and the way Pickens looked it was more like Robinson was stuffed in the trunk. He caught just two passes on three targets for 12 yards, and appeared to be an afterthought. With Diontae Johnson on IR, Robinson still has value in full and half-PPR formats because against friendlier defenses than the 49ers and Browns, Kenny Pickett will be able to produce more. Robinson’s days as a dominant outside receiver are over, but he can still put up numbers as a giant slot receiver, and that’s what he’ll be doing most weeks. Against the Raiders in Week 3, Texans in Week 4 and Ravens in Week 5, he’ll be more productive.

Jayden Reed, Packers (10% Rostered): Reed is much more speculative than the preceding names, and he’s not someone I trust yet right away. He’s been on the field about half the time though through two games, building rapport with Jordan Love with Christian Watson out. At more than 14 yards per catch, Reed is serving a chunk play need that is missing with Watson on the shelf, so it remains to be seen whether Reed can keep contributing when he returns, or if he takes a back seat. His talent makes him worth an add if your roster has a little dead weight.

Tight Ends

Jake Ferguson, Cowoboys (38% Rostered): Ferguson had a tough night in Week 1, but he proved the value of the Dallas TE role with Dak Prescott at QB in Week 2. For the second straight game he only notched 11 receiving yards, but this time he scored a touchdown, and that will happen quite often throughout the year. Ferguson is on the field a ton, and while I don’t view him as capable of breaking into the top tier of the position, he should be reliably targeted week after week.

Zach Ertz, Cardinals (10% Rostered): This summer I basically ignored Ertz because he was a veteran, slow, boring TE who might get a bunch of targets, but in a horrible offense with no big plays. Some of that’s been true, but Josh Dobbs has been much better than anyone could’ve predicted, and that’s meant higher-than-expected quality targets for Ertz. At 12 receptions for 77 yards through two weeks, that is pretty good for a position where doughnuts come from guys drafted near the top. He still does not excite me, and I still believe managers should try to get the bigger names, but if you don’t have one of the top guys adding Ertz and riding that production until you can swing a trade makes sense.

Hayden Hurst, Panthers (35% Rostered): Hurst didn’t find the end zone in Week 2, finishing with three receptions for 20 yards, but the appeal of Hurst hasn’t changed. Carolina’s receiver room has no spark, and really, Hurst doesn’t either, but he is a reliable safety valve for a rookie QB who finds himself under pressure often. Pat Freiermuth of the Steelers is rostered in 91% of leagues, but has a very similar role and has to compete with much better receivers. That’s the context to view Hurst with.

Possibly Available

·         Jordan Love, QB, Packers (61% Rostered)

·         Nico Collins, WR, Texans (61% Rostered)

·         Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (55% Rostered)

Drop Candidates – HODL or Say Goodbye?

Cam Akers, RB, Rams (90% Rostered): HODL. Wait to see if he gets traded.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Patriots (59% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Man is washed, yikes.

Samaje Perine, RB, Broncos (73% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Javonte Williams is good to go, he’s a pure handcuff.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders (71% Rostered): HODL. There’s so, so much talent here. The volume will come.

Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Patriots (66% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Slow, and in the wrong offense for his skills.

Treylon Burks, WR, Titans (61% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Raw talent, but they simply don’t pass enough, and when they do it’s to DeAndre Hopkins.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams (84% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Look at me. Look at me. Puka Nacua is the captain now.