NFL fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 3

Fantasy football WR waiver pickups, Week 3

Allen Robinson II, Pittsburgh Steelers (12 percent rostered)

Many of us have been burned by Allen Robinson in recent years, but it is time to move past that. After two rough stints with the Bears and Rams, the Rams traded Robinson to the Steelers with two years remaining on his contract. The Rams are paying $10 million of Robinson’s salary in 2023 in exchange for the Steelers taking him off their hands. Yikes.

However, Steelers alpha wide receiver Diontae Johnson was added to the IR before the team’s game on Monday Night Football, meaning he is officially expected to miss at least the next three games. Johnson’s absence creates an opportunity for Robinson to step into a full-time role on an offense desperately in need of someone to step up and contribute.

Robinson has logged a healthy 88 percent of the Steelers offensive snaps through two games and earned eight targets in Week 1, turning them into five receptions for 64 yards. He followed it up with a disappointing Week 2, where he only saw 3 targets and pulled in two of them for 12 yards.

However, the Steelers just played against what are arguably the two best defensive units in the NFL in their first two games (the 49ers and Browns). The schedule softens up over the next couple of weeks with road games against the Raiders and Texans before the Steelers return home for a divisional battle against the Ravens in Week 5.

A former Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard campaigns to his name in his career, Robinson has a chance to carve out a role for himself and earn significant targets over the next few weeks sans Jonnson.

Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (29 percent rostered)

The main selling point for Rashee Rice is his connection to All-World quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an Andy Reid-coached offense. The Chiefs spent a second-round pick on Rice in this year’s NFL Draft – the draft capital invested in him suggests the team believes in his ability to make an impact for a receiving core lacking weapons beyond All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

Rice had an encouraging Week 1 performance against the Lions, reeling in three of his five targets for 29 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. He earned five targets despite only playing 31 percent of the offensive snaps, which shows Mahomes believes in Rice to make plays when he is on the field.

Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have struggled with drops and been limited to mostly gadget-type roles in their young careers, not to mention Toney has struggled to stay healthy in his brief time as a pro. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a capable veteran receiver, but we know what he is when it comes to fantasy football – a dart throw WR5 that you hope scores a long touchdown off a Mahomes bomb. Running back Jerick McKinnon operated as the Chiefs de facto WR2 last year, catching 56 passes for 512 and nine touchdowns.

If Rice can continue to separate himself from the rest of the pack, he could be the second option this passing game desperately needs behind Rashee Rice.