Week two has come and gone and another flock of players are ready to become fantasy football stars. I had a few bad calls with my previous article, which you can find here if you would love to mock me.
After another round of injuries and busts, many fantasy players are once again scrambling for the next big breakout. Whether you are dealing with a lingering injury from Saquon Barkley, or you are panicking from another uneventful week from Brandon Aiyuk; here are your waiver wire picks for week three. All roster percentages provided by ESPN Fantasy Football.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones NYG (10.7% Rostered) – Daniel Jones is the QB4 on the week. If this changes by Tuesday morning due to the Packers vs Lions game, please excuse me. With Jones’ rushing ability, he has every capability to be a great fantasy football quarterback this week. He rushed nine times for 95 and a score in Week 2 against Washington. Look for him to continue heating up against the Atlanta Falcons. All quarterbacks should be obtained with about 10% of FAAB or a waiver priority.
Derek Carr LV (16.6% Rostered) – Stop snoozing on Derek Carr. I admit I slept on him due to his rough early schedule, but he has clearly proven that was wrong. He is currently the QB8 on the year after scoring 24+ points in both games this season against the Ravens and Steelers. Look for the Raiders to start the year 3-0 against a roughed up Miami team that just lost 35-0 to the Bills. Start Derek Carr if healthy.
Jimmy Garoppolo SF (3.1% Rostered) – Jimmy Garoppolo has looked good this season. He is fighting to keep his starting job with Trey Lance waiting in the shadows, and has done a decent job so far. With his next three games looking very exciting, I would not be opposed to having Jimmy G in your lineup. Facing the Packers, Seahawks, and Cardinals, Garoppolo could very well be a dark horse candidate for streaming.
Teddy Bridgewater DEN (14.6% Rostered) – Normally I list only three players, and I mentioned him in last week’s piece. But Teddy Bridgewater is rostered in less than 15% of leagues and he is facing the New York Jets. He is a safe, but effective play this week.
Running Backs
Cordarrelle Patterson ATL (8% Rostered) – Cordarrelle Patterson is seeing a similar workload to Mike Davis in the Atlanta backfield. This is a 1A and 1B situation and needs to be monitored on a weekly basis. Patterson is just as likely to score as Davis, and seems to be more explosive. Patterson could very well be a match-up based flex option going forward. Use about 10-12% of your FAAB or a mid-to-high level waiver pick for him.
Michael Carter NYJ (54% Rostered) – Michael Carter looked really good against a good New England Defense. Averaging over five yards per carry, Carter might become the leader of this backfield sooner than later. He had 39% of the running back touches and only one less than Ty Johnson, who was the leader. The Jets are going to rely on playmakers to keep games close. Look for Carter to be involved regardless of game script. Use about 15% of your FAAB or a mid-to-high level waiver pick for him.
Tony Pollard DAL (38.6% Rostered) – It is very clear that Tony Pollard has a solidified role in this Dallas offense. This is not a knock on Zeke, but Pollard has his own style of play and will be worked in consistently. Pollard has a knack for the end zone and averaged 8.4 yards a carry on 47% of the running back touches. Running back waivers get thin quickly. Look for backups who either see the field often or get facilitated touches when they are on the field. Pollard is one of those guys. Use about 15-20% of your FAAB or a high waiver pick for him.
Wide Receivers
KJ Osborn MIN (1.1% Rostered) – The Vikings are known for two wide receiver sets and running the ball. As of recently, this has turned into three wide receiver sets. The third wide receiver is no other than KJ Osborn. Logging 81% of snaps in week one and 59% in week two, Osborn is on the field and getting looked his way. Catching 12 of 15 targets adding up to 167 yards and a score, Osborn is the real deal. Osborn can slide into your flex position, especially with a match-up against Seattle in week three. Use about 10-15% of your FAAB or a waiver priority to snag him.
Rondale Moore ARI (19.2% Rostered) – Rondale Moore has seen one more target than DeAndre Hopkins this season. You read that right, don’t worry. Moore is the clear WR2 on this team already and needs to be picked up. He is a weekly flex play and should supersede Christian Kirk who I mentioned in last week’s piece. He has sub 4.3 speed and hands like no other. Use about 20-25% of your FAAB or a waiver priority to make sure he is on your roster going forward
Zach Pascal IND (14% Rostered) – Two weeks in a row with 5+ targets and a score is enough for me to finally roster Zach Pascal. Two scores was great in Week 1, but we have seen these random flier games from Pascal that turned into nothing before. With two good weeks under his belt, I am ready to hop on the hype train. Pascal saw important targets even with Michael Pittman dominating the entire game. Pascal has a great match-up against the Titans next week. Use about 10% of your FAAB or a waiver priority to have a solid flex option going forward.
Quintez Cephus DET (0.7% Rostered) – Currently in the second half of Monday Night Football, Quintez Cephus currently has 14.6 fantasy points; 3 catches on 4 targets for 56 yards plus a score. With Tyrell Williams out, Cephus could see an increased workload going forward and has now produced in back-to-back weeks. He should be available once waivers clear or could be grabbed with only 1-5% of FAAB.
Tight End
Maxx Williams ARI (0.1% Rostered) – After a goose egg in week one, Maxx Williams showed out catching 100% of passes in week two. 7 for 7 and 94 yards was a step in the right direction. This is a high powered offense with a lot of weapons. Don’t put too much stock into Williams being a weekly play, but he is a desperation start with potential to see six or more targets any given week. Most of these tight ends should be available once waivers clear or for about 5% of your FAAB.
Evan Engram NYG (32.4% Rostered) – After missing weeks one and two, Evan Engram has a chance to play week three against the Falcons. Engram garners a larger target share on this team, so look for 6-8 targets immediately coming back from injury. If desperate for a tight end, it is hard to turn down a market share such as Engram’s.
Jack Doyle IND (0.7% Rostered) – Jack Doyle should serve as a serviceable tight end for the Colts QB going forward. Carson Wentz loves his tight ends and if hurt, Jacob Eason should look to Doyle as a security blanket. Most playable tight ends in fantasy football are already rostered. If you’re looking for one out of desperation, go with guys with a high chance of finding the end zone or a multitude of targets.
Defense/ST
Arizona Cardinals (30.3% Rostered) @ JAX: A sneaky pass rush against a young, inexperienced roster. Look for the Cardinals to win the turnover battle and dominate the trenches.
Carolina Panthers (13.1% Rostered) @ HOU: They shut down the Saints and aren’t traveling far to Houston. The Panthers are sneaky good on defense, especially this week.
New York Giants (9.0% Rostered) VS ATL: The Falcons need to throw the ball to win and it will be difficult against one of the most underrated secondaries in the league. Giants are a dart throw for a breakout defensive game in week three.
