Handy Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

The pickings on the waiver wire for Week 3 seem a little slimmer than the options a week ago. Fortunately or unfortunately, the confirmed serious injuries that opened the door for players in Week 2 didn’t seem to present themselves for next week’s games. With that said, there are still a few attractive targets that fantasy players should have their eye on.

Even though the Jaguars offense didn’t play to their potential against the Kansas City Chiefs, their defense did a great job of limiting the defending Super Bowl champions. Jacksonville’s defense has performed well in fantasy in Weeks 1 and 2, and get a favorable matchup in Week 3 against the Houston Texans.

Starting running back Saquon Barkley was hurt late in the Giants’ comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals. New York has a short week to prepare for their next game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. It seems unlikely that Barkley will be ready to go on short rest, which will give Breida a chance to handle significant volume for at least one game.

Even though the Miami Dolphins had a solid offensive evening, the Patriots’ defense reminded fans of why they are one of the more talented units in the NFL. Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez made a leaping interception on a deep throw intended for Tyreek Hill on Sunday night. The Patriots face the New York Jets and Zach Wilson in Week 3, fresh off his three-interception game.

The Texans found themselves in an uphill battle against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, which dictated that they throw the ball to catch up. Houston figures to be in that position a lot this season, which means that Dell might be in line for a notable opportunity in fantasy. He was targeted 10 times in Week 2, finishing with seven catches, 72 yards and a touchdown.

We’ve seen this movie before in Los Angeles, but it really feels like the end is near for running back Cam Akers this time. It was reported that he was a healthy scratch in Week 2, and is being shopped around the NFL for a new home. This is the same sequence of events that went down last year, but Williams now has the window to run away with the job, pun intended.

WR Jerry Jeudy returned to the lineup from a one game absence in Week 2, but it didn’t appear to change Russell Wilson’s mindset. The veteran quarterback continued to spread the ball around, which allowed Mims to have a 113 yard game with a touchdown. He probably won’t get a ton of volume, but may spring a long score from time to time.

The Ravens saw Odell Beckham Jr. go down with an injury in Week 2, which opened the door for Agholor to get more playing time. He certainly took advantage, posting five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. If your fantasy team is shallow at receiver, you could do worse than stashing Agholor at the end of your bench.

Similarly, Osborn serves as another potential pass catching player to roster for teams that are desperate for wide receiver depth. He’s clearly behind many players on the Vikings in terms of priority, but Minnesota is proving that they can support fantasy relevance for many players. On six targets, Osborn produced three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Starting running back Nick Chubb went down with a gruesome knee injury on Monday night that may alter the trajectory of his career. Cleveland turned to Ford for the remainder of the game, and he ran for 106 yards in relief. There’s a possibility that the Browns will turn to old friend Kareem Hunt this week, but until that happens, rushing to the wire for Ford is the right move.