Week 2 in the NFL was one marked by injury to key players across the league many of which, unfortunately, will force teams to change the way they attack on offense. While some of those injuries are brutal for fantasy owners, they do also create opportunities for many week 3 pickups from the waiver wire.
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Each week, you can find the top ten pickups right here on Fansided. To help keep the list realistic, it is limited to those players available in over half of ESPN leagues. That means nice options like Donald Brown, Knile Davis, Lamar Miller, Terrance West, and Jeremy Hill aren’t on this list even though they should be your first pickup if they’re floating out there in your league. If you have any league-specific questions the fastest and best way to get them answered is to ask us @FansidedFantasy on twitter.
All references to points are based on ESPN standard scoring unless otherwise noted just so we have a common benchmark for comparison. The percentages included after the players team is their ownership percentage as of Monday. To help as many owners as possible, I’ll include at least one player from each primary position-QB, RB, WR, TE, and team defense.
This week there are a lot of returning members of our top ten from last week which means they’re extra-solid pickups going forward. Depending on your team need and scoring system, every team’s need vary, but the players on the following slides are the top ten you should target as you hit the waiver wire this week.
Ahmad Bradshaw-Indianapolis Colts (22.1%)
Bradshaw was on our list last week at number five and is still dramatically underowned. I get it that he seems like he’s been around forever and there are valid injury concerns, but he’s getting to much work in a good offense to continue to be overlooked.
Right now, Bradshaw is locked in a backfield share with Trent Richardson, but Richardson continues to struggle for the Colts since they acquired him last season from the Browns. Last night, T-Rich fumbled twice (lost one) and managed 79 yards on 21 carries for an average of 3.8 YPC (yards per carry. In contrast, Bradshaw ran for 70 yards on his 13 carries averaging 5.4 YPC and also added 26 yards on five catches while adding a pair of receiving TDs.
Bradshaw is the Colts RB you want to own and his role could continue to grow. Yes, the injury factor will always be there for him as a back that is typically banged up, but he’s shown he has plenty left in the tank and is the best option for the Colts in what should continue to be a good offense. The next few weeks, the Colts face the Jags and Titans which should be huge games for Bradshaw.
He’s definitely worth the injury risk to take a shot on and is the best RB on the wire in over half of leagues as the leader of my week 3 pickups. (In case your league still has them available–I’d take Brown, Davis, West, and Hill ahead of Bradsahw but they are owned in over 50% of leagues as noted in the opening to this post.)
Mohamed Sanu-Cincinnati Bengals (1.7%)
Sanu’s stock is rising quickly and the versatile Rutgers product will continue to be a big part of the Bengals attack going forward especially next week, but even after A.J. Green returns.
Sanu had a huge preseason and had six touches in week one even before his week 2 breakout performance. In week 2, he caught three of his four targets for a total of 84 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. He also added a highlight-reel 50-yard pass to Brandon Tate.
It looks like A.J. Green is almost certain to miss next week’s game against the Titans which would make Sanu the #1 receiver in the Bengals’ attack. Cincinnati’s offense has been very impressive in the first couple weeks and new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson looks ready to utilize the versatile WR in a number of ways which should make him fantasy relevant going forward.
Sanu tops the WR on this list only because of his short-term value and his ability to help you right away. He’s a WR3 this week with Green out and can be probably be used as a flex play in ensuing weeks as we hit bye week season.
Kirk Cousins-Washington Redskins (4.8%)
If you’re in dual-QB leagues of any kind, Cousins is a great pickup and should be a nice play in the coming weeks as he takes over for RG3. In relief of the fallen Griffin on Sunday, Cousins led the Redksins to 41 points while throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-33 passing. He achieved all that without Jordan Paul and DeSean Jackson who were not on the field due to injury. With those numbers, Cousins finished as the sixth-highest scoring QB in week 2.
At this point, Griffin is without a timetable to return although the Redskins will avoid placing him on IR in hopes he can return this season. A realistic time frame is at least six weeks, though, so Cousins still has value as a QB2 in dual-QB leagues.
Cousins and the Redskins will be on the road next week as they travel to Philadelphia who will be on a short week after Monday Night Football. Washington will be forced to put up points to stay with the Eagles up-tempo attack, so expect a solid week out of the Michigan State product. While there is a chance that Cousins will lose his job later this season to Griffin, he’s still worth grabbing as a second QB for the time being based on his grasp of new Coach Jay Gruden’s offense.
Antonio Gates-San Diego Chargers (46.5%)
In what looked like a bad matchup, Gates led all scorers in ESPN standard scoring with 96 yards on his seven catches while going for 96 yards and three touchdowns. He and the Chargers pulled off a huge upset over the previously invincible Seahawks.
Gates has put up back-to-back strong outings to open the season with a total of 13 catches for 177 yards while being the main target for Philip Rivers. Look for the volume of passes to keep coming the veteran’s way as he remains a legitimate TE1 as long as his healthy holds up.
Next week, the Chargers face the Bills before a great run of Jaguars, Jets, Raiders, Chiefs, and Broncos all of which are vulnerable to tight end attacks. Gates could challenge for the top TE spot as we near midseason, so start him with confidence if you can grab him off the wire.
Kelvin Benjamin-Carolina Panthers (49.5%)
Benjamin comes in just under the 50% threshold after a strong opening to the season. His numbers were a little down this last week, but be ready to pounce on him if an owner gives up on him too early.
Despite just two catches for 46 yards, Benjamin was targeted a team-high eight times (tied with Greg Olsen), and the emergence of other options like Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant will only help him long term.
Benjamin is still clearly the top receiver option in Carolina and Cam Newton will continue to get him the ball. The potential for growth here is absolutely huge, but he is still a rookie so there is bound to be some early season inconsistency as well. Benjamin still has huge upside and is a great bench option to own. Benjamin is below Sanu this week in the week 3 pickups, but his longterm upside is higher.
Niles Paul-Washington Redskins (0.7%)
In place of an injured Jordan Reed, Paul led the Redskins in receiving for the second straight week piling up 99 yards on eight catches with a touchdown. He showed a very nice connection with new QB Kirk Cousins finishing with more targets than any other Washington pass-catcher (11).
Granted, all those numbers came against the Jaguars who struggle to defend opposing TE’s, but Paul has shown he can make plays over the middle and is a part of Coach Jay Gruden’s offensive gameplan.
Paul would rank higher on this list if it wasn’t for Jordan Reed’s eventual return, but it looks like he’s still a few weeks away (officially week-to-week). This week, Cousins leads Washington into Philadelphia in what should be a good AFC East battle so look for Paul to be able to produce for a third straight week if Reed remains sidelined.
Bobby Rainey-Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4.7%)
In the absence of Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey rose to the challenge and lit up the Rams defense earning himself a larger role in the Bucs offense going forward. He was our #10 pickup last week, and he paid huge dividends for those owners that took a gamble on him headed into Sunday’s game.
As the Bucs primary back, Rainey ran for am impressive 144 yards on his 22 carries. Only DeMarco Murray had more yards on the ground, and Rainey added 30 yards on three catches to trail Giovani Bernard in total yards from scrimmage. Rainey looked excellent against a solid defensive front and showed he has this upside last year in a few games as feature back as well.
The only thing holding Rainey back is that he may not get nearly the workload he did on Sunday going forward. Martin’s return could put a crimp in Rainey emergence, but he should still blend in as a third-down back at least. Rainey’s exact role when Martin’s healthy makes him a sketchy start if Martin is active this week, but he’s definitely worth owning moving forward after his monster game Sunday.
Brian Quick-St. Louis Rams (3.7%)
In the Rams first two games of the year, their clear #1 target has been Brian Quick. While most people focused their deep sleeper potential on teammate Kenny Britt, Quick has shown serious potential leading the team in receiving in back-to-back weeks.
On Sunday, Quick pulled in seven catches for 74 yards after hauling in seven for 99 in week one. He hasn’t visited the end zone yet this season, but should get a boost when Shaun Hill returns potentially this week against the Cowboys.
Quick is a sleeper, but having the best receiver on a team that will trail often is a strategy that can pay off (see Josh Gordon from last year). Quick seems to be taking the famous third-year leap out of App State and makes a nice depth stash to see if he can blossom the rest of the season. He’s not a lock for production at this point, but he does have the potential which makes him worth a pickup.
Matt Asiata-Minnesota Vikings (14.3%)
Even with the Vikings Adrian Peterson expected to play this week, at some point this season, I think Peterson will face discipline from the Vikings, the NFL, or “choose” to take some time away.
Because he could be back as the main rusher, Asiata is worth holding on to after a solid week 2 against the Patriots. On his 13 rushes, Asiata picked up 36 yards and added a touchdown and 48 yards on his five catches.
Asiata doesn’t have eye-popping talent or pile up huge Peterson-like numbers, but he will most likely be a lead back at some point this season, so stashing him for that time would be a smart thing to do.
Dallas Cowboys (2.8%)
The much-maligned Cowboys defense has looked pretty solid in their opening two games and get a great matchup in week three to make them a popular streaming consideration.
In week two, they held the Titans to just 10 points while picking off a pair of Jake Locker passes and dropping him on a pair of sacks. The Cowboys defense also looked solid against the 49ers although Tony Romo’s own interceptions put them in an impossible position.
This week the Cowboys travel to St. Louis to take on the struggling Rams offense and should be able to be a solid play this week. Even though they were a laughingstock coming into the season, they’re a legit streaking consideration as one of your week 3 pickups.
Here are some of the other available players worth considering if the top ten are gone or you are playing in a deep league where more players belong on rosters. They are listed in the general order I would consider adding them as week 3 pickups, but stay tuned for more in depth looks at the best options at each position as the week goes on.
Other Options
QB: Geno Smith-New York Jets (5.2%), Carson Palmer-Arizona Cardinals (18.1%), Jake Locker-Tennessee Titans (15.1%), Ryan Fitzpatrick-Houston Texans (4.5%)
RB: Isaiah Crowell-Cleveland Browns (4.5%), Jonathan Dwyer-Arizona Cardinals (27.4%), Justin Forsett-Baltimore Ravens (13.2%), Jerick McKinnon-Minnesota Vikings (1.2%)
WR:Davante Adams-Green Bay Packers (0.5%), Andrew Hawkins-Cleveland Browns(16.2%), Markus Wheaton-Pittsburgh Steelers (29.0%), Jason Avant-Carolina Panthers (0.8%), James Jones-Oakland Raiders (25.8%), Marqise Lee-Jacksonville Jaguars (6.2%), Jermaine Kearse-Seattle Seahawks (2.7%),
TE: , Larry Donnell-New York Giants (1.3%), Travis Kelce-Kansas City Chiefs (2.3%), Derek Carrier-San Francisco 49ers (0.2%)
D/ST: Indianapolis Colts (4.2%), Buffalo Bills (39.8%), Miami Dolphins (6.5%), Baltimore Ravens (27.5%)