Best available quarterbacks on the Week 3 waiver wire

Two weeks are in the books, and the quarterback position in the NFL has been taking a pounding. New Orleans Saints’ star QB Drew Brees will be out a minimum of six weeks after tearing a ligament in his thumb in Week 2, and Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season after a Week 2 injury will force him to have elbow surgery. That adds to a hefty list of QB turnover that already includes Andrew Luck (retirement), Nick Foles (collarbone) and Sam Darnold (illness).

With so much turnover already at the QB position, some fantasy rosters could be in need of a QB. Here are some QBs with under 50 percent ownership on traditional Yahoo leagues that fantasy owners can consider picking up if they are in need of a QB:

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Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (48 percent)

Garoppolo had a strong rebound performance in Week 2 after a poor Week 1, passing for 297 yards and three TDs on 17-of-25. While the passing volume was low in terms of attempts, Garoppolo had success on deep balls, completing 3-of-5 passes classified as a deep ball by air distance, a boost from just one completion on two deep balls in Week 1. Garoppolo’s boost in deep passes contributed to a rise in average air yards per passing attempt, sitting at 8.1 air yards per attempt in Week 2, a boost from a league-worst 5.2 air yards per attempt in Week 1. Garoppolo has a good matchup in Week 3 against a Steelers pass defense that has been poor.

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (40 percent)

Allen had another productive fantasy outing in Week 2, passing for 253 yards and scoring two TDs, one of which came rushing. Allen now has scored a rushing TD in each of his first two games of 2019, and his running element gives him another means of fantasy production that can help compensate for erratic passing accuracy. Allen draws a good Week 3 matchup against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that got shredded by the 49ers in Week 2, allowing 572 total yards, including a titanic 259 rushing yards, which is notable given Allen’s rushing ability.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (35 percent)

Stafford’s waiver appeal stems from a Week 3 matchup against a poor Philadelphia Eagles pass defense that heads into Week 3 allowing the second most passing yards. Stafford has thrown for multiple scores in each of his first two games under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and is a candidate for a strong fantasy performance this week against a poor secondary.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (18 percent)

Dalton has displayed elevated passing volume under new Bengals’ coach Zac Taylor, attempting 51 and 42 passes in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, both of which rank in the top 22 for passing attempts in a single game in Dalton’s career. Dalton’s 46.5 passing attempts per game under the new coaching staff is a big boost from his career mark of 33 passing attempts per game. Cincinnati’s defense was gashed in Week 2 and has poor numbers on the season, which could also force the Bengals’ offense into passing mode if they fall behind. While a Week 3 matchup against a tough Buffalo Bills defense is not ideal, Dalton’s potential passing volume makes him a candidate for fantasy rosters in need of a QB.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants (2 percent)

The Giants would not commit to naming Eli Manning their starter for a Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Manning is a candidate to someday enter the Hall of Fame for his previous body of work, he is clearly past his prime and the Giants’ offense is in need of a restart after a clunky 0-2 start. The sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Jones was highly impressive in the preseason with his accuracy and ball placement, and he is athletic enough to threaten to also contribute with rushing yards.