Waiver Wire Watch: Week 3

Sep 19, 2016

Editor's Note: We're happy to have Brandon Niles on the Waiver Wire Watch this year. He'll work in conjunction with Senior Editor John Paulsen to compile the weekly list of pickups and generate recommended prices for FAAB leagues.

Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 3. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 50% or fewer Yahoo leagues, though we’ll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. We’ll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets (FAAB). Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs. Players are listed by position in order of importance. For extremely shallow or extremely deep leagues, be sure to review our Rest-of-Season Rankings (updated every Tuesday) to get an idea of how to value players not on this list.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford, QB, Minnesota Vikings ($4)

Bradford had a great debut for the Vikings, putting up 286 yards, a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Most importantly he won the game against the division-rival Packers and the Vikings are now 2-0 to start the season. Bradford has a tough schedule up ahead, but with a nice first start, there’s no reason to think he won’t at least be a streamable option when that schedule softens up after the Week 6 bye. He may even put up borderline QB1 numbers at some point, so he may not be a bad guy to swap your backup out for now.

Next up: @ Panthers, Giants, Texans

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys ($4)

Count me among those who think Prescott is just going to keep getting better. He wasn’t able to throw a touchdown pass in Week 2, but he ran in a six-yard score, came away with a big victory over the division-rival Redskins, and didn’t turn the ball over on his way to 292 yards passing. Prescott may only have value if until Tony Romo comes back, but with matchups against the Bears and 49ers the next two weeks, he should be a very popular streaming option.

Next up: Bears, @ 49ers, Bengals

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens ($3)

Flacco rallied the Ravens to a comeback victory over the Browns in Week 2, putting up 302 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions in the process. Flacco is an inconsistent fantasy QB in general, but is a nice low-cost streaming option and is a solid QB2 in leagues that use two passers. Flacco has excellent matchups the next three weeks, including a Week 3 game against the Jaguars who just got lit up by Philip Rivers. If you’ve got QB woes, Flacco is a great short-term rental.

Next up: @ Jaguars, Raiders, Redskins

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets ($3)

Fitzpatrick had a better game against the Bills than he did in Week 1, putting up 374 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He added 21 yards rushing for a solid fantasy day. Fitzpatrick should be a steady guy throughout the season as a backup option in most fantasy leagues, but he has limited upside as a starter. He’s a very good streaming option during good matchups, but his schedule the next couple of weeks is a bit rough to bank on him now.

Next up: @ Chiefs, Seahawks, @ Steelers

Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles ($3)

Wentz had another nice outing, getting a win against the Bears in Week 2, but he hasn't yet put up big fantasy numbers. He finished his second start with only 190 yards and a touchdown, adding another 10 yards rushing. Wentz isn't a great pickup against the Steelers next week, but a matchup with the Lions in Week 5 after the bye week is tempting. Wentz looks like he's coming along well, so he should be targeted in all keeper/dynasty leagues. In regular redraft leagues, he's a QB2 or streaming option right now.

Next up: Steelers, Bye, @ Lions

Brock Osweiler, QB, Houston Texans ($3)

Osweiler had 268 yards, a touchdown, and two picks against the Chiefs in Week 2. He needs to cut down the turnovers, but he looks to have a nice handle on the offense overall and has developed a nice rapport with rookie Will Fuller already. Osweiler faces a beat-up Patriots defense this week and the Titans in Week 4, making him a sneaky streaming option in large leagues. He should at least be good for QB2 numbers in most weeks and isn’t a bad backup option as a player very unlikely to lose his job.

Next up: @ Patriots, Titans, @ Vikings