Every team’s fantasy football sample size has doubled since last week, giving us two weeks of data to check out as we plan for the future. Every week, several key contributors emerge from among the players who are not on rosters in most fantasy football leagues. Every week here at DK Network, we’ll take a look back at the Sunday results and pinpoint some top options to try to add to your squad moving forward. Let’s look at what we learned in Week 2 and pinpoint some top options to be Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 3.
Be sure to stay locked in to DK Network throughout the week and the rest of the season for all the latest news and fantasy impact. We’ll run down a few of the top potential waiver wire pickups for Week 3 in this post, but be sure to watch how the week unfolds and how players recover.
This post is designed to be an early look at some of the names to keep an eye on coming into your preparation for Week 3 and the rest of your fantasy football run to glory.
Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 3
| Player | Position | Team | Week 2 | Why Consider Them? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denzel Boston | WR | Cleveland Browns | 20.5 FPTS | Boston has looked like the Browns’ No. 1 WR through the first two weeks and brings very high upside with big-play ability and high volume. |
| Kaleb Johnson | RB | Green Bay Packers | 3.2 FPTS | Johnson took over work late after MarShawn Lloyd fumbled and is in a growing role in the Packers’ offense for as long as Josh Jacobs (personal) is unavailable. |
| Tyler Shough | QB | New Orleans Saints | 22.38 FPTS | Shough has shown impressive poise and led his team to two strong showings on the road. Coach Kellen Moore trusts him to air it out, which gives him a high ceiling as the Saints come home for the next three games. |
| Darren Waller | TE | Carolina Panthers | 18.3 FPTS | The Panthers are using Waller extensively in the red zone, and he has caught all five of his targets in the first two games of the season. He had a pair of touchdowns in Week 2 and another TD in Week 1 that was called back due to a penalty. |
| Saints D/ST | D/ST | New Orleans Saints | 8 FPTS | New Orleans’ defense was solid against both the Lions and the Ravens. They finished Week 2 with multiple sacks and a key takeaway, and next week, they’ll host the 2-0 Raiders at the Superdome. |
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups and Adds for Week 3
One key factor to keep a close eye on every week is new injuries. Here are some new situations to monitor moving forward:
Players with new injuries from Week 2 to watch:
- QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
- RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
- RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
- RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
- RB Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
- RB J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
- RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers
- RB Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos
- WR Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
- WR Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers
- WR Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers
- TE David Njoku, Los Angeles Chargers
- TE Charlie Kolar, Los Angeles Chargers
- TE Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
- TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets
With those injuries in mind, here are some of my early names to watch if you’re shopping on the Week 3 waiver wire.
WR Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns
The Browns offense has been waiting for Deshaun Watson (19.8 FPTS) to show up, and in Week 2, Watson was in vintage form against the Bucs. He focused on rookie receiver Denzel Boston (20.5 FPTS), who hauled in five of his team-high seven targets for 95 yards and a big touchdown.
Boston also had a score in his NFL debut, scoring the Browns’ only touchdown against the Jaguars in their 34-10 loss and finishing with two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Boston is playing like the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, and he has a very high ceiling the rest of the year as a result.
Whether Watson plays better or the Browns opt to go to Shedeur Sanders eventually, Boston has the play-making ability and the target share to be a great pickup. The Browns have had to play from behind in both games this season, and if that trend continues, he should continue to be heavily targeted. He may not be the most consistent week-to-week, but his high upside definitely makes him a priority pickup in the 2/3 of leagues where he is on the waiver wire.
Rashod Bateman (21.8 FPTS) was the other waiver wire standout in Week 2, but since his role could go back to being smaller when Zay Jones is back from injury, he’s not quite as strong an option as Boston. Tre Tucker (25.9 FPTS), Dontayvion Wicks (12.4 FPTS), and Keon Coleman (12.3 FPTS) are also names to consider if you need to add depth at receiver.
RB Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers
Week 1 didn’t have many running back injuries, but they’re already starting to mount coming out of Week 2. In Green Bay, though, there continues to be plenty of opportunity in the backfield while Josh Jacobs (personal) is on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. MarShawn Lloyd (9.6 FPTS) and Chris Brooks (2.9 FPTS) shared the workload in Week 1, and Lloyd got into the end zone in Week 2. However, Lloyd fumbled in the fourth quarter and didn’t have another touch the rest of the day.
In overtime, with Lloyd in the doghouse, Kaleb Johnson (3.2 FPTS) got the start and immediately ran for 11 yards. He finished with only 32 rushing yards on eight carries, but his 4.0 yards-per-carry average was higher than both Lloyd’s and Brooks’ averages.
Johnson was picked up via trade from the Steelers at the end of the preseason, and he’s just finding his groove in the Packers offense. He didn’t have any snaps in Week 1, but in Week 2, he played seven snaps in the first half and is clearly stepping into a larger role. Especially with Brooks and Lloyd struggling, Johnson could step forward into a significant role for the Packers while Jacobs is out, and coach Matt LaFleur definitely took notice.
Another top option to consider is Tank Bigsby (11.8 FPTS) of the Eagles, who could be golden if Saquon Barkley misses time. Braelon Allen (8.5 FPTS) of the Jets, Tyjae Spears (9.0 FPTS) of the Titans, George Holani (2.5 FPTS) of the Seahawks, Jonah Coleman (14.8 FPTS) of the Broncos, and Deejay Dallas (3.0 FPTS) of the Vikings could also be strong pickups.
QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Last week, I highlighted Bryce Young (24.08 FPTS) as a potential waiver wire pickup, and he went off again in Week 2. He and the Panthers trounced the Falcons and are heading to Cleveland in another favorable matchup. While Young definitely is still a strong option, another emerging option under center is Tyler Shough (22.38 FPTS), who helped his Saints march to a comeback road win.
Shough had 29.2 FPTS in Week 1 against the Lions, and in Week 2, he threw for 252 passing yards and a touchdown, while running for 23 yards and another score. He led the Saints to 15 points in the fourth quarter and helped knock off the Ravens in Baltimore.
Through the first two weeks, the Saints’ offense has proven that it can go on the road and put up solid points and contend with good teams. Coach Kellen Moore trusts Shough to throw with 90 pass attempts through his first two games. After two great road showings, the Saints are home for the next two weeks, taking on the Raiders and the Falcons in a pair of very favorable matchups.
Other quarterback options to consider from the waiver wire in Week 3 besides Young and Shough include Deshaun Watson (19.7 FPTS), Kirk Cousins (21.22 FPTS) and Cam Ward (20.02 FPTS).
TE Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Let’s just call it a comeback!
Darren Waller (18.3 FPTS) flashed upside last season in Miami, but he couldn’t stay healthy. This season, he joined the Panthers late in camp but has stepped into a big role right away, especially in the red zone.
In Week 1, Waller had a touchdown but it was called back due to a penalty. He finished with two catches on two targets for 28 yards against the Bears, but in Week 2, he went off for a pair of touchdowns and hauled in all three of his targets for 33 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Other options that can be solid pickups from the waiver wire in Week 3 at tight end include Oronde Gadsden II (9.8 FPTS), T.J. Hockenson (5.9 FPTS) and Pat Freiermuth (7.4 FPTS).
Saints DST
The Saints DST (8 FPTS) had three sacks and had a key interception late in the game to seal their win over the Ravens.
The Saints also had a sack and a takeaway in their close loss to the Lions in Week 1, and they’ve got some great matchups on the horizon at home. In Week 3, they’ll host the Raiders and then get the Falcons at home as well. For those two weeks, the Saints make sense as a streaming option and are almost universally available.
The Panthers DST (26 FPTS) and Bengals DST (11 FPTS) also make solid pickups after hot starts.
