Week 3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

Whether you’re looking to replace an injured starter or capitalize on a sleeper pick, making the right waiver wire moves for Week 3 can set the foundation for a successful fantasy football season. Don’t miss out on these key additions that could make all the difference in your lineups. Here are the top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 3.

Quarterbacks

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

(34% Rostered on Yahoo as of 9/16, 11 PM EST)

Despite having just one touchdown each week so far, Geno Smith has scored 17.8 or more fantasy points in back-to-back games to start the season. Last week, the veteran had 44 pass attempts. Notably, that’s nearly twice as many as he had in Week 1. The Seattle Seahawks realized that their offense is at its best when D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are heavily involved in the passing game over Tyler Lockett. Rightfully so.

Fantasy players that need a replacement for Tua Tagovailoa or Caleb Williams should make Smith their top target off the waiver wire, not named Derek Carr (20% rostered). He faces the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, the Detroit Lions in Week 4, and the New York Giants in Week 5. All three defenses have struggled to slow down opposing passing attacks since the start of last season. – Mike Fanelli @Mike_NFL2

Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints

(20% Rostered on Yahoo)

Last season, Derek Carr did not have a game with 20 or more fantasy points till Week 6. Fast forward to this season, and Carr has started with back-to-back 20-point games.

Along with putting together drives that almost always end with points, Carr has completed 76.9% of his passes to start the season. As of this writing, the Saints signal-caller is tied with Baker Mayfield for a league-high five touchdown passes.

It is hard to believe with this early season success that Carr is rostered in only 20% of leagues. Clearly Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has opened things up for Carr and now this offense will take on the Eagles who will be traveling to New Orleans on a short week. – Michael Hauff @TheFFRealist

Running Backs

Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(34% Rostered on Yahoo)

Rachaad White left Week 2’s win over the Lions with a groin injury and is considered day-to-day. This could give Bucky Irving a chance for an extended role in Tampa Bay’s upcoming game against the Broncos. More importantly, this is a great matchup for opposing running backs.

Although Irving wasn’t as efficient in Week 2 as he was in Week 1, managing just 22 yards on seven carries without a target in the passing game. Also, they faced the Lions, the top team at limiting fantasy running backs. Irving has now played at least 17 snaps and recorded at least seven touches in both games to start the 2024 season. – Michael Hauff

Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets

(10% Rostered on Yahoo)

As expected, Breece Hall has been a fantasy football superstar over the first two weeks this season. Impressively, averaging 18.4 half-point PPR fantasy points. While Allen was initially viewed as Hall’s handcuff and nothing more, the rookie running back played 72% of the snaps in Week 2, nearly what he played in his NFL debut. More importantly, he touched the ball on nine of his 20 snaps (45%), totaling 56 scrimmage yards, two touchdowns, and 18.6 fantasy points.

Will Allen score 18.6 fantasy points every week, with Hall averaging nearly 20 per game? Absolutely not. However, the New York Jets could turn into an extremely run-heavy offense, giving Allen and Hall double-digit touches each week, making the rookie a Flex option and a potential low-end RB2 during the bye weeks. – Mike Fanelli

Carson Steele & Samaje Perine, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Steele (2%) Perine (4%)

Isaiah Pacheco will be out for the next 6-8 weeks, possibly longer with a broken fibula. Now, the question is who will step up in his absence? Ever since Kansas City took Clyde Edwards-Helaire at the back end of the first round a few years ago and got burnt by it, they have been very hesitant to draft running backs. Instead, they opted for drafting Pacheco in the 7th round and then trying to hit on guys like Deneric Prince and now Carson Steele.

Furthermore, the Chiefs brought in Kareem Hunt for a visit today. It’s also possible they could bring back veteran Jerrick McKinnon. We really do not know how this backfield will shake out, so I would not go crazy about dropping a lot of FAAB or high waiver priority on these guys unless you are absolutely desperate.

Steele will likely be the early down and goal line back, while Perine will work on passing downs. However, neither running back is overly talented and it’s possible they add a Hunt, McKinnon, or somebody else. It’s always nice to get a piece of this Chiefs offense and Andy Reid does want to run the football, but I just don’t want to blow my load on any of these options. – Steve DeAngelo @FantasySavvy

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

(48% Rostered on Yahoo, 37% on ESPN)

Even after another rough day for Carolina, Chuba Hubbard showed some efficiency. He turned 10 carries into 64 yards and caught four receptions. Rookie Jonathan Brooks will be out for at least two more games, leaving the bulk of backfield work to the veteran runner.

It was announced that Dalton will be taking the reins of the offense, which should lead to a more effective passing game. Better passing could provide better rushing opportunities. Facing off with the Raiders defense is a bonus, too, as they gave up 135 rushing yards to Dobbins and 84 rushing yards to Derrick Henry in the first two weeks. With at least two more weeks of perceived high volume, Hubbard should provide a solid fantasy floor. – Benjamin Ditlevson @FFRabbitDad

Rico Dowdle, RB, Dallas Cowboys

(49% Rostered on Sleeper)

During this past off-season, it looked like Rico Dowdle was going to be the running back to own in Dallas. However, the signing of veteran Ezekiel Elliott has made this an ugly backfield that will likely be tough to figure out. So far, Dowdle has just 15 carries for 3.73 YPC while Elliott has 16 at 3.5 YPC. Needless to say, neither has been efficient. More importantly, neither of them is running away with the starting role.

At this point, neither running back has the edge. However, Dowdle is 26 while Elliot is 29. At the end of the day, this backfield may come down to who can stay on the field all year. Right now, Dowdle is available in far more leagues than Elliott is, according to Sleeper. Both might be on the waiver wire in some of your leagues, but with all of these injuries, I’d stash Dowdle at this point just to see what happens. – Aaron Schill @aaron_schill

Wide Receivers

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

(21% Rostered on Yahoo)

Downs has missed the first two games of the season due to an ankle injury suffered in training camp. If all goes well, he should debut in Week 3 versus the Chicago Bears. As a rookie, he finished as the WR43 in PPR leagues. During this time he was able to command 98 targets, bringing in 68 of them for 771 yards.

Reports in training camp boasted about the connection between Anthony Ricardson and Downs. Downs seemed to be primed for a major role in the 2024 pass game plans for the Colts. Picking him up now would be wise before fans see how the team plans to feature him in the passing game. – Pete Nova @superrnova38

Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

(7% Rostered on Yahoo)

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the heaviest run-first offenses in the NFL. Justin Herbert had 20 pass attempts in Week 2, while J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards each had at least 17 rushing attempts. However, Quentin Johnston led the team with five receptions on six targets for 51 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Notably, scoring 19.6 half-point PPR fantasy points.

The second-year player struggled as a rookie. However, he might be on his way to being Herbert’s No. 1 wide receiver. Joshua Palmer played 43% of the snaps last week after playing 81% in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Chargers will have to pass more than 23 times per game once they start facing more talented competition. Johnston and rookie Ladd McConkey (72% rostered) are worthy of stashing for the next few weeks and see how the Chargers’ offense shakes out. – Mike Fanelli

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams

(42% Rostered on Yahoo)

Demarcus Robinson is a must-add in all fantasy football formats. With Kupp slated to hit IR with another ankle injury, and Nacua already there, Robinson is slated to emerge as the WR1 on the Rams. Granted, Tyler Johnson is also in the mix for an uptick in usage and opportunity share, but the expectation is that Robinson has the veteran edge of the duo. Still, both wideouts played at least 45 snaps in consecutive games, nearly doubling Jordan Whittington.

Recently, in Week 2, Robinson was on the field for 92% of the snaps. Notably, he turned his four targets into two catches and 50 receiving yards. Additionally, Robinson is a trusted threat in this offseason.

From Weeks 13-17 last season, he managed 13.6+ PPR points in every game during that time, while playing at least 56 snaps four times. Although the Rams face challenging matchups ahead against San Francisco and Chicago, Robinson’s growing role and projected opportunity share make him a valuable waiver wire target. – Michael Hauff

Jordan Whittington, WR, Los Angeles Rams

(2% Rostered on Yahoo)

With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both out for an extended amount of time, somebody is going to need to catch the ball in Los Angeles. Demarcus Robinson who is mentioned briefly above certainly is one of them. However, the other favorite in my eyes is Whittington more so than players like Tyler Johnson or Tutu Atwell. Whittington was sort of buried at Texas behind Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. However, he’s a talented player who plays with a ton of energy and is worthy of a look at on the waiver wire for Week 3.

The sixth-round pick reminds me of Nacua with the way he plays. Personally, I think he offers a lot of upside playing in this well-schemed Sean McVay offense with Matthew Stafford throwing the football. He looked good in the preseason displaying the energy I mentioned earlier and also broke tackles showing his Yards after the catch ability.

If you are a Nacua or Kupp owner, need receiver help, or are just looking to add more talent to your fantasy squads, Whittington has a great opportunity to fit the bill. Especially in your deeper fantasy football leagues. – Steve DeAngelo

Tight Ends

Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots

(24% Rostered on Yahoo)

Recently, Henry finished Week 2 as the TE4 on the week. His 8 receptions on 12 targets totaling 109 yards was good enough for 22.7 PPR points. In addition, Henry has seen the field the most out of any skill position player in each of the first two weeks of the season (83/84%).

Surprisingly enough, the New England offense has been better than many expected to start the year. Henry will continue to be a big part of that and is worth looking at on the waiver wire for Week 3. – Pete Nova

Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

(4% Rostered on Yahoo)

Still just 28 years old, Mike Gesicki has always been a very talented receiving tight end. Unfortunately, he has been in some bad situations in the last few years. In his last hurrah in Miami, he was an outcast because he’s not really a run blocker and the Dolphins are so driven by throwing to the eliteness that is Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Not to mention, they love to utilize their running backs under Mike McDaniels. After that, he was in a wasteland with New England and Mac Jones.

Now, Gesicki teams up with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. After a slow Week 1 where he had a touchdown called back, he’s trending up. Recently, he went off in Week 2 with seven catches for 91 yards on nine targets. Keep in mind, C.J. Uzomah actually was decent a few years ago in this offense and Gesicki is certainly much more talented. With players like Jake Ferguson, David Njoku, and now possibly Taysom Hill on the mend, Gesicki is a nice bridge. Possibly more while these players get healthy. – Steve DeAngelo

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

(8% Rostered on Sleeper)

Let’s face it, the tight end position for fantasy football has been a cluster of chaos this year. Elite players are disappointing while less popular options have put up exciting numbers. Jonnu Smith fell into that second category in Week 2. Catching six of seven targets for 53 yards, Smith was tied for the most targets on the team. The journeyman tight end could serve as a reliable check-down option for a number of weeks while we await the return of Tua Tagovailoa.

When you don’t have an everyday player to lean on, getting five or more catches is all you need to stay in the game. Smith can provide that. – Benjamin Ditlevson

DSTs

Las Vegas Raiders

(8% Rostered on Yahoo)

The Las Vegas Raiders have not been great for fantasy football in the first two weeks. They went against two good offenses, the Chargers and The Ravens. Now, this team will get an opportunity to go up against possibly the worst offense in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers made a quarterback change on Monday morning. They have benched second-year QB Bryce Young for veteran Andy Dalton. In the 3 games Dalton played for Carolina last season he had taken just 2 sacks. However, he also mustered under 400 total yards. Overall, this is a safe floor play with the potential for a high ceiling. – Pete Nova

Green Bay Packers

(16% Rostered on Yahoo)

First off, the Packers defense isn’t great. However, they did a good job turning over and slowing down Richardson last week and now get Will Levis. Levis has done his best Carson Wentz impression the last couple of weeks flinging the ball desperately to the other team, much to the dismay of his Head Coach Brian Callahan who had some choice words for him last Sunday.

Maybe Levis tones it down a bit this week, but chances are he turns it over once or twice again. We may even see Mason Rudolph at some point this year. – Steve DeAngelo

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