Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire
By Brandon Lane
QUARTERBACK
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Roster Percentage: 20%
Well look who is the fantasy QB5 on the season! In week 2 Jones rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown along with 249 passing yards and another TD. It would have been an even bigger day if a holding penalty hadn’t brought back a 58 yard score reverting the run to a 46 yard gain. With Saquon still limited it has been Jones who has lead the team in rushing and that is the formula we like in our fantasy QBs. Fire him up this week as he goes against a fantasy FRIENDLY Atlanta defense.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Roster Percentage: 51%
Fans have been waiting for Fields to get his chance and when Andy Dalton left the game with a knee injury he got his opportunity. He didn’t exactly light the world on fire, but rookie QBs are expected to have their growing pains. Fields would be my number one add for a team who can take a wait-and-see approach. His big arm combined with his willingness to run have QB1 upside written all over it. Fields will make his first start at Cleveland on Sunday and although its not the easiest of match-ups he has the talent to help your fantasy teams win moving forward.
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 27%
Going against the stealthy Steelers defense in week 2 I faded Carr which turned out to be a mistake. Carr went on to throw for 382 yards and two touchdowns. The week prior his numbers were even more impressing throwing for 432 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers have him leading the league in passing yards with 817 yards. He did suffer an ankle injury in week 2 but managed to play through it. Carr is currently listed as questionable to play vs the Miami Dolphins but according to coach Gruden he is expected to play.
Others to Consider: Teddy Bridgewater (18% vs NYJ) Trey Lance (39% bench stash, it shouldn’t be long before he wins the starting job), Taylor Heinicke (4% a sit @ BUF but takes on ATL in week 4 and could be a nice steamer then)
RUNNING BACK
Must adds If available:
Sony Michel (60%) Tony Pollard (54%)
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Roster Percentage: 50%
The Jets backfield is a bit of a mess but in week 2 Carter started to take hold of the messy timeshare with 46% of the running back snaps. He rushed 11 times for 59 yards and caught two of his three targets for 29 yards. The running back landscape is a mess right now and the Jets are no exception, but Carter has the upside to be a flex for most fantasy teams and if the Jets hand him the reins he has upside for even more.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
Roster Percentage: 22%
In most leagues Patterson holds a dual WR/RB availability making him a valuable asset for most fantasy teams. In week two he rushed for 11 yards and a touchdown, adding five catches for 58 yards and another score. He’s being used in the backfield and lining up as a receiver, making him a player who will continue to get valuable snaps each week.
J.D. McKissic, Football Team
Roster Percentage: 29%
McKissic caught 5 of his 6 targets for 83 yards and added 4 rushed for 10 more yards. These stats are elevated with 56 of his receiving yards coming on one play in the 4th quarter. He’s not a must add but for a running back hungry team he is certainly worth an add for bench depth.
Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Percentage: 33%
Mattison is one of fantasy’s top handcuffs and if you watched Dalvin Cook in week 2 continue to hobble around the field you would be smart to have Mattison on your roster. If Cook ever missed time Mattison would take on a bell-cow role.
Others to Consider: Zack Moss (49%) James White (43%), Kenneth Gainwell (36%) Peyton Barber (9%)
WIDE RECIEVER
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 35%
Moore lit up the Vikings secondary catching 7-of-8 targets for a 114 yards and a touchdown. One of the biggest plays of the day was Moore’s 77 yard touchdown. This rookie actually leads the Cardinals in targets through two games (YES more than DeAndre Hopkins) with 13 targets, 11 catches, 182 yards and a TD. He is a must add in all leagues.
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 22%
We recommended Patrick last week and we are doing it again after he scored another touchdown in week 2. He caught 3-of-4 targets for 37 yards and the previously mentioned score. As long as Jerry Juedy is out (another 3–5 weeks) Patrick should continue to provide WR3/4 value as one of Bridgewater’s go-to guys.
Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 35%
Ruggs went from a 9% target share in week 1 to a 19% target share in week 2 catching five balls for 113 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Ruggs is top 40 in air yards and should continue to see his target share rise after this week 2 performance.
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Percentage: 4%
Osborn was on our watch list after a strong week one finish and he picked up where he left off catching 5-of-6 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. It looks like the Vikings usage at WR is deep enough to support three wide receivers this season making Osborn worth a look if you need depth at that position.
Others to Consider: Devante Parker (40%) Sammy Watkins (21%) Emmanuel Sanders (22%) Darius Slayton (4%) Adam Humphries (1%)
TIGHT END
Jared Cook, LA Chargers
Roster Percentage: 43%
3-of-5 targets for 28 yards but would have been a much bigger day had his touchdown not been called back on a penalty. The Chargers offense is humming and he should be considered a low-end TE1 for fantasy.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Roster Percentage: 39%
Its very likely many will be seeing Kmet winding up on the waiver wire after he caught his only target for ZERO yards in week 2. So why you ask am I recommending him as an add coming into week 3? One thing history has taught us is that rookie QBs love throwing to their TE and from what we saw in preseason this surely applied to Justin Fields. With Fields starting in week 3 against the Browns I think we will see Kmet recapture the hype he received during the offseason.
Others to Consider: Jack Doyle (1%) Dawson Knox (6%) Maxx Williams (0%)
DEFENSE
Carolina @ HOU
Las Vegas vs MIA
Chicago @ CLE
New York Giants vs ATL
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