Waiver Wire Targets: Week 3

We are now heading into Week 3 of the fantasy football season which means your season is going one of three ways — You are 2-0, clamoring about your destined championship. You are 1-1, confident but cautious. Or you are 0-2, panicking that your season has ended before it has even begun.

Whether you are in first or last place, there is a long season ahead of us with twelve more weeks before the fantasy playoffs are upon us. Making the right waiver wire decisions could make or break your season, so I am here to help you navigate the waters! Shoutout to Matt Ward for taking over the loaded week 2 waiver wire segment. Now let’s dive into Week 3! 

I would also like to add a disclaimer here that FAAB recommendations vary widely from league to league, roster construction, available players, etc. While I try to give a roundabout number to bid on these players, you know your leagues better than I do, so you should ultimately bid the amount that you feel is right. There is also a big difference between leagues with minimum $0 bids and minimum $1 bids that could adjust the bid amount, as well. If you want more waiver wire help, you should join patreon.com/brotofantasy for the waiver wire podcast that dives deeper into available players not mentioned in this article. You can also join the discord and ask me more direct waiver questions with info about your league so that I can give you the most informed advice that I can. Hope to see you there! 

*Players listed in order of FAAB Recommendation 

**Roster percentage based on Yahoo 

Jerome Ford (CLE RB) 

Roster Percentage: 18% 

FAAB Recommendation 50-75% 

Monday Night Football brought yet another massive injury to the NFL in Week 2 with Nick Chubb suffering what can only be described as a devastating, career altering knee injury. Chubb is basically guaranteed to miss the season. Best wishes to him in his recovery. 

After Nick Chubb went down, backup RB Jerome Ford took over a workhorse role in the backfield, showing off the burst that allowed him to earn the RB2 role in the first place. Ford was constantly getting positive yards and broke free for a 70 yard near TD, getting knocked down just shy of the goal line. While he did not score on that drive, it was simply because he was winded, not because Pierre Strong is the goal line RB. Ford ended the game with 106 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards and a receiving TD en route to a massive fantasy performance. 

Going forward, Ford should be the clear lead back in the Cleveland backfield. Yes, there is a chance that Cleveland brings in a  free agent RB like Kareem Hunt to bolster the RB room, but there is no guarantee that will happen and there is a chance the new RB simply backs up Ford, as well. Missing out on Ford in this FAAB run because of hypothetical signings is a bad idea. We are looking at a possible workhorse RB for the remainder of the season here. 

Nico Collins (WR HOU) 

Roster Percentage: 61% 

FAAB Recommendation 40-60% 

Nico Collins is off to a roaring start in 2023. While he will not be available in most leagues, he is still available enough that I felt it necessary to include him here. Through two games, Collins has seen 20 targets, producing 13 receptions, 226 receiving yards and 1 TD while catching passes from the impressive rookie CJ Stroud, who has thrown for over 600 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs through 2 career games. Collins looks like the clear #1 WR in this offense, and while there will be ups and downs, he needs to be rostered and started as a strong WR3/Flex option next week against Jacksonville. 

Zack Moss (IND RB) 

Roster Percentage: 53% 

FAAB Recommendation: 25-40% 

Quick, name an Indianapolis RB not named Zack Moss that took a snap in Week 2. No matter what name you said, you are wrong, as Zack Moss was the ONLY Colts RB to see the field in Week 2, playing 98% of snaps while garnering 18 carries and 4 targets. As long as Moss is the workhorse, he is going to be a weekly RB2. Yes, Jonathan Taylor could return in Week 5, but he could just as likely be traded, leaving the backfield in Moss’s hands the rest of the season. 

Hunter Henry (NE TE) 

Roster Percentage: 55% 

FAAB Recommendation: 10-20% 

What a difference a week makes. I was hesitant to believe in Hunter Henry after a strong Week 1 performance due to a middling target share and several consecutive seasons of mediocre production. I must bite my tongue now as Hunter Henry once again produced a very strong receiving line and found the end zone for a second consecutive game, while playing over 90% of snaps. It is clear that Bill O’Brien wants Henry involved in this offense. The TE landscape is as terrible as ever, so grabbing Henry makes a ton of sense for TE-needy teams. 

Tutu Atwell (LAR WR) 

Roster Percentage: 25% 

FAAB Recommendation: 10-15% 

While rookie WR Puka Nacua is breaking records and turning heads, Tutu Atwell has quietly been a very effective weapon for Matt Stafford, as well. Atwell has seen 17 targets through two games, totaling 13 receptions, and 196 receiving yards as Stafford’s clear #2 option. The only issue with Tutu is that Cooper Kupp could return in Week 5 and once again render him irrelevant. There is a chance that Cooper Kupp misses more than just four weeks though, and any game that he misses, Atwell looks like a strong WR3. 

Josh Reynolds (DET WR) 

Roster Percentage: 12% 

FAAB Recommendation: 5-10% 

While Jameson Williams, mentioned below, is the shiny new toy in Detroit, Josh Reynolds just continues to produce with his pal Jared Goff, who’s relationship dates back to their days with the Rams. Reynolds has started the season scorching hot, as he is likely to end Week 2 as a top 12 WR after finding the end zone twice. Reynolds has at least four more weeks without Williams active, which means he as at least four more weeks as the #2 receiving option in Detroit, meaning he can be treated as a weekly WR3/Flex play. 

Roschon Johnson (CHI RB) 

Roster Percentage: 38% 

FAAB Recommendation: 5-8% 

D’onta Foreman was a healthy scratch in Week 2, leaving the entire Bears backfield in the hands of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. While I do prefer Herbert to Johnson at the moment, the Bears offense has had about as bad of a start to the season as you can get, with third year QB Justin Fields showing signs of decline early on, rather than a third year jump. If Herbert were to get hurt, or the Bears were to continue to lose, we could see Johnson garner a bigger workload as the season progresses. He is more of a handcuff at the moment but likely should be rostered in your league. 

Robert Woods and Tank Dell (HOU WRs) 

Roster Percentage: <10% 

FAAB Recommendation: 5-8% 

Woods and Dell are getting mashed together here as secondary Houston receivers. While Nico Collins has been the WR1, we cannot ignore Woods and Dell. Woods has actually accrued just one less target than Nico Collins, while playing more snaps overall. While he does not have the flashiness of the young Texans WRs, he is a trustworthy vet for the young CJ Stroud, and has operated in this capacity through two games, totaling 12 receptions and 134 receiving yards. He can be considered a flex option albeit with a low ceiling. Tank Dell, on the other hand, was given a much larger role in Week 2 once Noah Brown was placed on Injured reserve. The third round rookie took full advantage of the opportunity, totaling 7 catches, 72 yards and his first career NFL TD on 10 targets against the Colts. Dell will likely be less trustworthy than Woods, but he has a higher ceiling and could become a weekly lineup option if his role continues to grow. 

Zach Ertz (ARI TE) 

Roster Percentage: 10% 

FAAB Recommendation: 5% 

Zach Ertz is 32 years old, on a bad team, and playing quicker than most expected after a serious knee surgery less than one year ago. Even with all the red flags, the man won’t stop being targeted. Josh Dobbs has thrown the ball Ertz’s way 18 times through two games, garnering a target share above 25% in each game. Truly elite target numbers for a TE. While the productivity has been minimal, it is hard to ignore the massive target numbers at such a weak position. Ertz looks like a low end TE1 in PPR leagues. 

Isaiah Hodgins (NYG WR) 

Roster Percentage: <5% 

FAAB Recommendation: 5% 

The Giants were about the worst team imaginable through the first six quarters of the NFL season but a complete 180 turn around at half time led to a miraculous comeback win against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. While no Giants receiver was productive until half time of this week, it was good to see Isaiah Hodgins, who had an affinity for the end zone in 2022, find the end zone once more once the Giants offense got going. Hodgins ended up with 5 targets, 4 catches and 40 receiving yards to go along with that TD. Hodgins has basically split targets evenly in the WR room with Darius Slayton and Parris Campbell, making it hard to trust any of them on a weekly basis, but if Hodgins continues to be the main red zone threat, he will likely be the most valuable of the bunch. 

Jameson Williams (DET WR) 

Roster Percentage: 29% 

FAAB Recommendation: 3% 

Every week that passes makes Jameson Williams more and more of a valuable bench piece as he waits to return from his six-game suspension. While Williams is yet to make an impact in an NFL game, he is a super talented round 1 WR on an offense that continues to prove it’s worth. As the current #2 WR, Josh Reynolds has been very productive early on with nine receptions, 146 receiving yards and 2 TDs through two games. If Williams is able to take over as the second pass catching option upon his return, he could be a nice addition to fantasy lineups later in the season. Do not go crazy bidding on him though, he could just as well sit behind Reynolds as the third option if Reynolds continues to connect with Goff. This is a risk/reward type of situation here. 

Matt Breida (NYG RB) 

Roster Percentage: <5% 

FAAB Recommendation: 3-10% 

With Saquon Barkley hurting himself at the end of the Giants much needed come from behind victory, Matt Breida finds himself in plug and play territory heading into the Giants Week 3 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Barkley is expected to miss 2-3 weeks, which means Breida is expected to take over as the lead back for the Giants, but will likely mix in with Eric Gray and Gary Brightwell. If we are being honest, Daniel Jones should be the betting favorite to lead the Giants in rushing yards in Barkley’s absence. I am not bidding too much on Breida as he is merely a desperation type flex play in Thursday’s difficult matchup against San Fran, but he could certainly be useful in a pinch for needy managers. 

Craig Reynolds (DET RB) 

Roster Percentage: <5% 

FAAB Recommendation: 1-7% 

With David Montgomery expected to miss a couple weeks at least, Craig Reynolds should step into an early down and goal line type role for Detroit. While many want Jahmyr Gibbs’ role in the offense to expand, Dan Campbell has shown restraint with the young RB and I do not expect all of Montgomery’s touches to go his way. Reynolds was given three carries, including red zone work, and a target in Week 2 after Montgomery went down. He is more of a desperation flex play, but in deeper leagues, he could be of service, especially if he is able to find the end zone. 

Tony Jones Jr. (NO RB) 

Roster Percentage: 1% 

FAAB Recommendation 1-3% 

At this point in his career, we know who Tony Jones is. He is a strong RB who will fight for extra yards but ultimately lacks the traits required of starting RBs in the NFL. Jones stepped in admirably in Monday Night’s win after Jamaal Williams left the game with an injury, rushing twelve times for 34 yards, finding the end zone twice on goal line rush attempts. The issue with Jones is that Kendre Miller is likely expected back in Week 3, Alvin Kamara is expected back in Week 5, and the extent of Jamaal Williams’ injury is currently unknown. Jones would simply be a plug and play flex option for desperate teams in Week 3 if Kamara, Williams and Miller were all ruled out. Otherwise, he is best left on the waiver wire. 

Alec Pierce (IND WR) 

Roster Percentage: <5% 

FAAB Recommendation: 0-1% 

The targets and production has not been there for the young second year WR but Pierce played every single snap in Week 2 for Indy. A 100% snap share is notable, even if the target share was disastrous.If he continues to play every snap, he could start to earn more targets. He is a stash and hold.

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By Michael Petropoulos