Top Players to Add in Week 3
A great draft can make a great team, but leagues are won on the waiver wire. Injuries happen, top draft picks become busts, and no names become household names. Successfully navigating the waiver wire will lead to a winning season.
As a reminder, I’ll be covering Waivers every Tuesday morning right here on football.pitcherlist.com. You can also catch me and Brian Hartman (aka @TooMuch_Brian) on the Waiver podcast every Tuesday morning and the Start/Sit podcast every Thursday morning, wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like my work, give me a follow on Twitter @marioadamojr. With that out of the way, let’s dive into it.
Here are my top five targets, as well as some honorable mentions, to help you win through the wire this week.
An important thing to consider: this article focuses on players who are rostered in 50% or fewer of leagues. There could be players rostered in over 50% of leagues that are available in your league. Be vigilant; watch your league’s Free Agency pool and look for players who were given up on too early.
1. Bhayshul Tuten – Looks like the Jaguars knew what they were doing when they traded away Tank Bigsby. Yes, this is still Travis Etienne Jr.‘s backfield for now, but this was Tuten’s first chance to split the backfield, and he looked great doing it. Tuten’s 5.3 yards per carry were the 8th highest of the week among players with at least 8 carries. The snap count still heavily favors Etienne, 47 to 18, but before that number trends any higher, we want to get in on the ground level. A point of concern is Tuten’s low pass blocking grade; his 17.8 was far, far worse than Etienne’s 81.5 or even fellow running back LeQuint Allen‘s 78.9. Tuten is my top RB target this week.
2. Blake Corum – The thoroughbred bellcow is dying off as these handcuffs sneak their way into relevant playing time. Last week, we mentioned Trey Benson (who barely sits over 54% and should be rostered in more); this week, it’s Blake Corum. If you asked me before the season started if Kyren Williams’ job was in danger, I would have called you crazy. Now I’d still call you crazy, but I’d have to acknowledge that Corum had 3 red zone opportunities this week. Last season, Corum had 8 all season! Corum’s yards per carry of 8.8 led the week among all running backs. Finally, Courm posted a higher PFF Run grade to Williams, 75.9 to 64.4. I’m not saying Corum is a plug-and-play fantasy starter right now, but as bye weeks are on the horizon, it could be an opportunity to pick up this red zone ball hawk.
3. Romeo Doubs – Normally, I stay away from Green Bay pass catchers. You hear me talk about them all the time on the Start/Sit podcast. There are too many mouths to feed in this offense. Any given Sunday could be someone’s day. Usually, it’s the one you left on your bench. With Jayden Reed set to miss 6-8 weeks with his collarbone injury, that’s one less option in this offense. When figuring out who I believe will benefit most, I’m looking for the wide receiver who was on the field for the most snaps last week and leads the team in red zone targets for the season. Wherefore art thou no longer, we’ve found our Romeo (Doubs). Doubs leads all GB wide receivers with 3 red zone targets this season and took the field for 50 of 68 snaps last week. Doubs is my top WR target.
4. Cedric Tillman – I said it last week, and I’m saying it again: Cedric Tillman is the wide receiver to roster in Cleveland. Tillman is the only Browns wide receiver to have a red zone target in both Weeks 1 and 2. Yes, this week he was saved by a touchdown, but the 7 targets he saw are a very promising sign. Some people believe Jerry Jeudy is the pass catcher to roster from the Browns, but the targets for Tillman will turn into completions. I don’t expect him to have to survive on touchdown volume alone for long. And again, only Tillman is getting these consistent red zone looks that yield touchdowns in the first place.
5. DeAndre Hopkins – Last season, from Weeks 10 through 18, DeAndre Hopkins had 2 touchdowns. This season, after two weeks, he’s already matched that. This one feels more for deeper leagues or if your injuries are already piling up, because a player averaging two targets a game is not normally someone I chase in fantasy. But Hopkins seems to have the trust of his MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. He’s caught every one of his four targets this season. Hopkins does have zero red zone targets, but his touchdowns are 23 and 29-yard plays, just outside the red zone. Not only are the targets low, Hopkins only saw the field for 10 snaps out of 56. He made the absolute most of those 10, because he posted the highest Offensive PFF grade of his team, 96.5. Again, Hopkins is not someone I drop my entire FAAB reserves on, but if the volume picks up even marginally, Hopkins can return to his younger, league-winner self. While it seems like a lifetime away, it wasn’t long ago Hopkins had finishes of WR7 (2020), WR5 (2019), WR3 (2018), and WR1 (2017).
Others Receiving Votes
Juwan Johnson, NO (48% ESPN, 44% Yahoo) – Here’s the list of all tight ends that have 20 or more targets after two weeks: Juwan Johnson. Spencer Rattler loves his tight end, and we do too. If you didn’t listen to me last week, I hope you do this week. Johnson shot up from 2% on Yahoo to 44%! It’s now or never to pick up one of the highest-scoring tight ends in fantasy. Johnson is my top TE target.
Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG (32% ESPN, 22% Yahoo) – Do I think Russell Wilson will be able to support two fantasy-viable wide receivers all season? Not likely, but Robinson’s 18 targets this season have him ahead of some WR1s like Garrett Wilson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Cedric Tillman (IYKYK), Calvin Ridley, and Terry McLaurin. Robinson has always been a solid pass-catcher and someone worthy of the roster spot in deeper leagues, which continues this season.
Kayshon Boutte, NE (26% ESPN, 28% Yahoo) – I’m hopping on the Boutte train. Although his targets plummeted from 8 down to 1, Kayshon Boutte made the one count by finding the end zone. Boutte was the highest-graded wideout for the Patriots according to PFF. In deeper leagues, Boutte is worth a roster spot.
Daniel Jones, IND (21% ESPN, 17% Yahoo) – Hope you picked up Daniel Jones last week when we mentioned it, because Dimes have become Dollars. Luckily, Jones is still available in most leagues, but act fast. The Burrow, Tua, and Fields managers are all ready to pounce.
Mac Jones, SF (1% ESPN, 3% Yahoo) – For as long as Brock Purdy is out, Mac Jones is fantasy relevant. When your job is to get the ball to playmakers like Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian McCaffery, you’re often in line for a good day.
Spencer Shrader, IND (1% ESPN, 3% Yahoo) – The number one kicker after two weeks is available in 95+% of leagues. If you play with a kicker, scoop him up. Set and forget double-digit points every week. If you’re 2-0, Shrader is my number one waiver target this week.
Defense Wins Championships
Seattle Seahawks (24%). Another week we’re targeting the Saints. The Seahawks were the beneficiaries of a unique D/ST touchdown when Steelers return man Kaleb Johnson let the ball sit in the end zone, allowing the Seahawks to recover. The Seahawks’ 4 interceptions are the second most across the National Football League and only rostered in about a quarter of all leagues.
Green Bay Packers (55%) travel to Cleveland. While Flacco and co. can put up yards, I don’t see them scoring lots of points. Green Bay’s 8 sacks are the second-highest in the league.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on IG & Threads, @kuwasemiller on Bluesky)