Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire
QUARTERBACK
Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders
*Roster Percentage: 52%
We are now two games into the fantasy football season and things are going exactly as expected with Carson Wentz as the overall QB2 (insert eye-roll emoji). While he is rostered in just over 50% of yahoo leagues I decided to cheat and add him to the list again. In week two he completed 30-of-46 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. As I said last week if you attach your team to Wentz expect it to be a bit of a roller coaster ride as the Commanders trailed the Lions 22–0 at the half. But in the second half the Commanders got things rolling which payed off for those who started our top streaming QB of the week. Week 3 Washington takes on the Eagles…do we smell a revenge game coming? Probably not. I expect this match-up to be a tougher but with Wentz as hot as he has been he might be hard to sit.
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Roster Percentage: 5%
Garoppolo came in relief after Trey Lance went out with what has now been revealed as a season ending ankle injury. Garoppolo wasn’t asked to do too much as the 49ers easily beat the Seahawks. He completed 13-of-21 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. Garoppolo will now be the starter for the 49ers for the remainder of the season and is worth considering for fantasy teams who lost Lance or Prescott.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Roster Percentage: 22%
Goff has started off the season surprisingly well. In Week 2 he completed 20 of his 34 passes for 256 yards and a whopping FOUR touchdowns vs the Commanders. His connection with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has shown to be a reliable week-to-week boon for the offense. The Lions take on the Vikings in Week 3 who just got owned by the Eagles on MNF making Goff a streaming possibility.
Joe Flacco, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 2%
Is it possible the Jets have found their starting quarterback in 37 yo Joe Flacco? He has now thrown the ball a whopping 103 times for 616 yards and five touchdowns over the first two games (expect reports of arm fatique to come). In Week 2 he completed 26 of his 44 passes for 307 yards and FOUR touchdowns powering a comeback win over the Browns. He does take on a tougher match-up against the Bengals defense which has given up the 6th fewest points to fantasy QBs this season. But in the world of upside-down quarterbacks he has made it known he should be rostered in more than 2% of leagues.
Others to Consider:
Jameis Winston (49% at Carolina), Marcus Mariota (11% at Seattle)
RUNNING BACK
Darrel Williams
Roster Percentage: 4%
Starting RB James Conner went down with an ankle injury and it was Darrel Williams not Eno Benjamin who got the first opportunity. Williams rushed eight times for 59 yards and a TD while catching two balls for an additional 3 yards. While it was a pretty even committee between Williams and Benjamin it was Williams who received the goal line opportunities. Both are worthy of consideration, but Williams is the add for me.
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Roster Percentage: 43%
Chase Edmonds has once again let the wind out of his fantasy sails as we saw veteran Raheem Mostert get the start in Week 2. Mostert rushed 11 times for 51 yards and added 28 additional yards via the air. Coming into the season I was staying away from this backfield when it appeared as though it would be a three-headed monster, but now, while it’s more of a two man committee, I’m still not sure I want any part of this backfield. BUT many fantasy teams out there could do worse in their flex. I think he’s worth the pickup, but you might want to take a wait-and-see approach to see how things play out before inserting him in your lineups.
Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Roster Percentage: 41%
I mentioned Herbert in last weeks column as the top RB add of the week and I still think he is someone who should be rostered and stashed in most leagues. The usage was down in Week 2 as we saw starter David Montgomery get the bulk of the workload. But when given the opportunity Herbert did look good busting a 27-yard carry but only ended up totaling 38 yards on 4 attempts and caught his lone target for 3 additional yards.
Mark Ingram II, New Orleans Saints
Roster Percentage: 30%
Mark Ingram got the start in Week 2 with Alvin Kamara out and rushed 10 times for 60 yards vs a stout Buccaneers defense. Even if Kamara does return this week Ingram could be worthy of rostering in deeper leagues. He should continue to receive weekly carries and goal line looks. If Kamara is out again in Week 3 he can be considered a low-end RB2 against a Carolina defense which has given up the 3rd most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Others to Consider:
Brian Robinson Jr. (48%) Kenneth Gainwell (46%), Tyler Allgeier (14%), Eno Benjamin (11%), Jerick McKinnon (6%), Jordan Mason (5%)
WIDE RECEIVER
Garrett Wilson/Corey Davis, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 24/14%
This week we got a chance to see what made Garrett Wilson a first round selection in this years NFL draft. Wilson exploded in Week 2 catching 8 of his 14 targets (32% target share) for 102 yards and two touchdowns. He is still 3rd in snap count behind teammates Elijah Moore and Corey Davis but he is quickly closing that gap. Wilson is a must add in all formats after this performance.
While Davis continues to get lost in the shadows behind his flashier teammates Wilson and Moore he has been a reliable option through the first two weeks of the season. In Week 2 he caught 2 of his 4 targets for 83 yards and one touchdown. Its possible Davis is the one who gets left in the dust but he should still garner a look in deeper leagues.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
Roster Percentage: 44%
The Commanders have started the season airing it out and Jahan Dotson has been a big benefactor of that. In Week 2 he caught 4 balls for 59 yards and one touchdown. Through the first two weeks that adds up to three touchdowns on just 10 targets. That touchdown ratio is likely not sustainable while competing for targets in a crowded WR corp, but the rookie has grabbed my attention and can be considered as a WR 4/5 for fantasy teams with room to move up the ranks.
Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Roster Percentage: 44%
Well after all that offseason chatter about Burks not being ready he is showing us why the Titans took him in the first round of this years NFL Draft. Burks has looked explosive in his first two games and while I can’t say the same about the Titans its time to add this exciting rookie wideout. In what was a disgusting game for the Titans, Burks hauled in 4-of-6 targets for 47 yards. Brighter days are ahead and this is the time to add him.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
Roster Percentage: 36%
The way the Patriots are playing right now I’m not sure I want a piece of this offense but if I had to choose one of their pass catchers it would be Jakobi Meyers. In Week 2 he caught 9 of his 13 targets for 95 yards. Next week they take on the Ravens so the Pats will likely have to take to the air making Meyers worth a look as a possible FLEX.
Others to Consider:
Russell Gage (40%), Michael Gallup (27%), Sterling Shepard (11%) Greg Dortch (7%), Nelson Agholor (1%), Noah Brown (1%), Ashton Dulin (1%), Cole Beasley (0%), Breshad Perriman (0%)
TIGHT END
If available: Gerald Everett
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Roster Percentage: 14%
There seems to be a theme on adding Commanders over the last two weeks so lets keep it going with Logan Thomas who caught 3 balls for 37 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Admittedly I didn’t think we would see Thomas return this early into the season after he tore his ACL in 2021. Available Week 1 I kept my expectation in check. But after two solid weeks and the desperate state at the TE position he looks like a must add in all leagues.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 3%
Conklin was on the watch list last week but we did discuss his surprisingly high week 1 snap count (82%). This did not change in Week 2 as he was an every down player and caught 6 of his 9 targets for 40 yards. One thing we know about his quarterback Joe Flacco is he likes to check down, so Conklin should continue to see targets coming his way.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Roster Percentage: 21%
It’s no secret that I am not of a fan of Evan Engram but sometimes with the TE landscape we just have to follow the volume and the fact he is top 10 in routes run. In Week 2 Engram caught 7 of his 8 targets (17.6% target share) for 46 yards. And those targets should continue coming his way in Week 3 when the Jags take on the high-powered Chargers.
Others to Consider:
Robert Tonyan (39%), Hayden Hurst (16%), Juwan Johnson (0%)
DEFENSE
Chicago @ HOU
Minnesota vs DET
New York Giants vs DAL
Dallas @ NYG
Atlanta @ SEA
*Roster percentages based on Yahoo
