Fantasy Football – Waver Wire Week 3

Week 2 of the NFL was a welcome back-to-earth moment for many teams – and fantasy football players. Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Green bay reminded division rivals who the top dogs are. Jacksonville blasted Indianapolis, and San Fransisco took Seattle behind the woodshed. The Red Rifle 2.0 kept Cincinnati winless, and Kyle Murray brought Arizona all the way to keep Vegas winless.

As much as we like things to stay the same, Week 2 reminds us that the NFL is constantly changing; and that it is time to start letting go of your priors from last year. Remember, we will only add players on less than 50% of ESPN fantasy football rosters.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds of the Week

QB – Marcus Mariota Rostered in 9% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend Up To 3% of your FAAB on Mariota.

For those who lost Trey Lance or roster Justin Fields, Marcus Mariota is the pivot. You are trading the shiny new toy for one of the original true Konami code quarterbacks. In Week 3, Mariota goes up against the Seatle defense. It’s a defense that is giving up 71 plays/game this year. That is ten plays above the league average from 2021. The Seahawks are struggling in multiple facets on defense and have an offense that is bottom of the league in plays run. That only puts more pressure on the inexperienced unit.

Mariota creates problems with his athleticism and will cause the unsound Seattle defense to struggle. Through two games, Mariota has 18 rushing attempts for 88 yards and a touchdown. The rushing element raises the floor for Mariota. In a matchup against a bottom-10 defense, it allows you a possibility to hit the ceiling outcome for Mariota in Week 3. Fire him up, as he should exceed 20 fantasy points in Week 3.

RB – Either Cardinals RBs
Darrel Williams Rostered in 3.7% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 5% of your FAAB on Williams.
Eno Benjamin Rostered in 3.9% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 4% of your FAAB on Williams.

James Conner left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and did not return. Eno Benjamin has been the RB2 behind James Conner during the offseason. When Conner went out, it became more of a timeshare between Benjamin and Williams. That may have more to do with how Arizona views both running backs; and uses each similar to 2021 when they split the work between Chase Edmonds (passing downs) and James Conner (early downs, goal line).

I prefer Darrel Williams between the two as he will see the early down, goal line, and some of the passing down work in this offense. If you prefer Eno instead, Make sure you grab him. Both players will have fantasy football value as long as James Conner is out. If Conner is expected to play in Week 3, make Jamaal Williams the top waiver priority in your league.

Jamaal Williams Rostered in 43.8% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 3% of your FAAB on Williams.

Jamaal Williams is a traditional handcuff with some stand-alone flex play each week. What works well for Williams are the upcoming matchups against the Vikings and Seahawks. Neither defense is good enough to slow down this unit. With the strength of the Lions being upfront in the trenches, Williams will again see work at the goal line and in short-yardage situations. I expect him to find his way into the endzone in the next two weeks.

Williams has seen 11+ carries each week, and will again see a considerable workload alongside Swift. If Swift were to miss time at any point in the year, Williams immediately goes into your starting lineup as an RB2. Williams is the biggest beneficiary from Detroit’s elite offensive line play that should carry on throughout the season.

WR – Micahel Gallup Rostered in 44.8% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 3% of your FAAB on Gallup.
Noah Brown Rostered in 0.8% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 1% of your FAAB on Brown.

What’s clear is that you want the WR2 in Dallas. So far this year, Noah Brown is third in snaps and second on the team in targets and routes run. Through two weeks, Brown has a 20% Target Share and is averaging five receptions for 79 yards. While he can provide some short-term production, Michael Gallup is the long-term play you should target if you can afford to wait.

Gallup is a superior player and will help take some of the pressure off of Lamb so that he does not draw the wrath of the defense. The upside with Gallup, when healthy, is another tier when compared to Brown. If you need immediate production, grab Noah Brown.

Brown can provide results in a pinch when called upon by fantasy football managers. Gallup will snatch the reigns of the WR2 role in Dallas when he is ready to return. Given that Gallup will be on a pitch count in Week 3 as he gets acclimated back, Brown is still the short-term play.

TE – Evan Engram 16.8% Rostered in ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 2% of your FAAB on Engram.    Logan Thomas 17.8% Rostered in ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues. Spend up to 2% of your FAAB on Thomas

Last, we move to the position that is once again the haves and have-nots. If you have Kelce, Andrews, Waller, or Kittle (when healthy), you feel great. On the other hand, Albert Okwuegbunam, Hunter Henry, and Cole Kmet say hello with a combined 0 receptions in Week 2 (Pour one out for our fallen soldiers).

Enter Evan Engram; the former Giants cast off, who fantasy football managers have sworn off due to disappointment from past years. In Week 2, Engram messed around and led the Jaguars in receptions and targets. With a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who looks rather capable this season, Engram is the kind of upside play we want to target at the TE position.

Anyone who can finish top 2 in targets is well worth a pickup at the discount tight-end bin. Outside of Kirk, no one else worries me in Jacksonville. In case Engram is too hot a commodity, prioritize Logan Thomas once again.

The veteran is still returning from the injury and is not quite up to a full workload yet. Each week Thomas steps closer to the full-time TE role, as he did when leading all tight ends in snaps and routes run back in 2020.  One other problem for Thomas is the talent on his team. The names of Mclaurin, Samuel, and Dotson are much stiffer competition. Outside of Kirk, neither Jones worries me. I still like the upside Logan Thomas offers, and he would be my secondary bid at the TE market this week.