🎯 Add These 6 Players In Week 3 + Injury Report

Injury Report

New Injuries:

QB Joe Burrow (toe) - out a minimum of 3 months, per Adam Schefter.

QB Jayden Daniels (knee) - day-to-day, uncertain for Week 3, per HC Dan Quinn.

RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) - unlikely to play in Week 3, per HC Kevin O’Connell.

WR Jayden Reed (collarbone) - expected to be out 6-8 weeks, per Ian Rapoport.

QB Justin Fields (concussion) - in concussion protocol, HC Aaron Glenn says it would be “hard” to start Fields if he doesn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday.

RB Austin Ekeler (Achilles) - out for the season, per Ian Rapoport.

QB JJ McCarthy (ankle) - expected to miss Week 3 and is considered week-to-week, per Ian Rapoport.

WR Jauan Jennings (ankle) - day-to-day, per The Athletic’s David Lombardi.

Existing Injury Updates:

WR Xavier Worthy (shoulder) - “looking good to play” in Week 3, per Ian Rapoport.

WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) - Expected to play in Week 3, per HC DeMeco Ryans.

TE Isaiah Likely (foot) - limited practice on Friday, “potentially a Week 3 debut” per Ian Rapoport.

6 Priority Pickups For Week 3

My waiver wire writeups are geared towards deeper, more competitive leagues, so I focus on players rostered in 30% or fewer of Yahoo fantasy leagues. If there is a player that you are surprised is not on this list (Bhayshul Tuten, Cam Skattebo etc.), it is likely because they are above that rostership threshold. 

Additionally, there are dozens of players you could justify adding off the waiver wire on any given week. However, we typically only have 1-3 open bench spots, meaning we need to choose which players to prioritize. My waiver wire writeups are designed to help you sort through the clutter and are focused on the players I believe can be true difference-makers on your fantasy rosters. 

Lastly, if you play in leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets (FAAB), I’ve included FAABLab’s “Recommended” bid range for each player. While it is incredibly important to know your league’s tendencies when it comes to bidding on players, I’ve found that FAABLab is a great tool for getting a general ballpark idea for what players might be going for each week.

Without further ado, here are my 6 priority waiver wire pickups for Week 3:

Wide Receivers

WR Troy Franklin (4% rostered)

In Week 2, Franklin led all Broncos pass-catchers with 9 targets, good for a 30.0% target share. The next closest receiver was Courtland Sutton with 4 targets and a 13.3% share, per FantasyPoints. Franklin was efficient with his opportunities, converting those looks into a career-best 8-89-1 statline, building on his 6-4-44 performance in Week 1. 

Among the 63 wide receivers with at least 9 targets through 2 weeks, Franklin is 11th in Yards Per Route Run with 2.38, per PFF. Additionally, Franklin ranks 6th out of 93 qualifying receivers in Targets Per Route Run (0.29) on the season, per FantasyPoints. Whenever a Year 2 player starts to make noise with promising underlying usage, I want to be quick to react, despite Sean Payton’s tendency to roll out a maddening rotation at the position. 

Franklin’s 55.8% Week 1 Route Share jumped to 84.4% in Week 2, while no other Broncos pass-catchers, including Courtland Sutton, eclipsed the 60.0% Route Share mark this week.  According to Matt Harmon, that was just the 3rd time since Week 1 of last season that a non-Courtland Sutton Broncos pass-catcher cleared the 80% mark. In addition to the strong usage, the Broncos have plenty of pass attempts to go around - they rank 7th in Pass Rate Over Expectation (+7.5%) through 2 weeks, per FantasyPoints.

Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon liked what he saw from Franklin in Week 2, noting that his film was impressive, adding “I think we should leave the door open for him to become one of those off-the-radar fantasy producers to an offense that has some viability with Payton at the controls.” 

While we could be falling for another Sean Payton usage mirage here, I’m willing to take a shot on Franklin, whose PlayerProfiler comp is Jameson Williams due to his explosive skillset as a vertical threat. His growing role in an ascending offense are the necessary ingredients for a potential Year 2 breakout.

FAABLab recommended range: 20-29% of initial budget

WR Wan’Dale Robinson (23% rostered)

Are we witnessing a true Wan’Dale Robinson breakout with Russell Wilson at the helm? It’s looking more and more like it. While Wan’Dale’s 8-6-55-0 Week 1 statline was in line with his typical 10-12 PPR point output, Robinson exploded in New York’s Week 2 overtime loss to Dallas to the tune of a monster 8-142-1 performance on 10 targets (24.4% target share). With the caveat that this was an insane game in which Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards, it’s the second straight week that Robinson has eclipsed a 21% target share with Russ under center. 

Robinson was PFF’s 6th-highest graded receiver this week (87.3) and is 13th on the season (79.4). Among the 63 wide receivers with at least 9 targets, he ranks 4th in Yards Per Route Run (2.74). Additionally, Robinson’s 0.25 Targets Per Route Run is good for 22nd among 93 qualifiers through two weeks. Furthermore, the Giants are intent on getting him the ball - Robinson’s 32.0% of the Giants’ 1st Read and Designed Targets through two weeks ranks 14th among 93 qualifiers, per FantasyPoints. Entering Week 2, Robinson had just 3 deep receptions in his career, but caught 3 of 4 deep targets against the Cowboys, according to Next Gen Stats. Furthermore, his 16.1 Air Yards Per Target were 5.6 more than any other game of his career. 

Whenever we see increased wide receiver production and improved utilization following a quarterback change, we should take note - Russ’ play style could just suit Robinson’s better than Danny Dimes’ ever did, and it appears that Robinson is being utilized downfield more, rather than as a mere PPR scam. 

Plus, through two weeks, the Giants have the 5th-highest Pass Rate Over Expectation (+8.4%) in the league, per FantasyPoints. Given that behind Nabers (30.5%) and Robinson (23.1%), the next target earner in the pecking order is TE Theo Johnson with a distant 10.3% target share, we could see Robinson reach his full potential in Year 4.

FAABLab recommended range: 16-24%

WR Elic Ayomanor (8% rostered)

Last week, I wrote about how Ayomanor’s usage was incredibly promising in Week 1, and that the production should follow soon after. In Week 2, Ayomanor tied with Calvin Ridley and Chig Okonkwo for a team-high 6 targets, good for an 18.2% target share. This time, Ayomanor hit paydirt, posting a 4-56-1 statline as Tennessee’s clear WR2. There’s still meat on the bone here as Ayomanor has a Route Share of just 64.0% through 2 weeks (partially due to him losing snaps in garbage time this week), per FantasyPoints. 

Through two weeks, Ayomanor has the 14th-highest WOPR among all wide receivers with 64%, per FantasyLife. WOPR stands for Weighted Opportunity Rating and is a metric created by Josh Hermsmeyer that combines a player’s air yards share with their target share. Additionally, through two weeks, Ayomanor ranks 16th among 93 qualifying wide receivers in Targets Per Route Run (0.27), per FantasyPoints. Ayomanor’s Weighted Targets Per Route Run (0.70), a metric created by Ben Gretch that layers Air Yards into TPRR, ranks 10th among 85 qualifying wide receivers.

Already receiving strong utilization, I’d expect Ayomanor’s role to continue to grow throughout the season in addition to his chemistry with Cam Ward. If this offense can start to find its rhythm, he has immense upside as a rookie who has earned a starting role out of the gate.

FAABLab recommended range: 8-16%

Quarterbacks

QB Daniel Jones (19% rostered)

Through the first 2 weeks of the 2024 season, the New Orleans Saints were the hottest team in the league and Derek Carr was an MVP candidate. So, take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt - it’s still very early. But so far, Daniel Jones looks GOOD. He’s averaging 26.16 Fantasy Points Per Game and is QB2 on the season, behind only Lamar Jackson. Additionally, he’s PFF’s 7th-highest graded quarterback (79.9). Through two weeks, Jones and Jalen Hurts are the only two quarterbacks with a 70% completion percentage and 0 turnovers, per StatMuse. 

Despite being blitzed on a career-high 71.1% of dropbacks in Week 2, Jones stayed composed, logging the 4th-most passing yards against the blitz in any game in the Next Gen Stats Era (since 2016). And while we could certainly see the wheels fall off at any point, it’s entirely possible that we’re finally seeing Jones blossom behind a strong offensive line with great weaponry at his disposal after escaping the Giants’ organization. 

I wrote about Jones as an add last week, but it feels like this is your last chance to get him in competitive leagues. With several injuries to starting quarterbacks this week, there will be a frenzy to add Jones off the waiver wire. Fight your instincts - we simply cannot ignore Danny Dimes, who is a fantasy asset until proven otherwise. 

FAABLab recommended range: 17-25%

Running Backs

RB Woody Marks (6% rostered)

If you’re looking for plug and play production, Houston’s rookie running back may not be for you. However, if you’re in need of an upside stash at the position, Marks fits the bill as a pass-catching specialist who is beginning to make his…mark. 

Following Dameon Pierce’s surprise healthy scratch before Houston’s Week 2 MNF game, Marks made the most of his limited opportunities. He logged just 3 carries for 14 yards, but converted his lone target into a 37 yard gain, showcasing his receiving ability out of the backfield. 

As Marks continues to earn more opportunities, he should completely ice Dare Ogunbowale as the Texans’ pass-catching back and could begin to earn early-down opportunities as well. Keep in mind that Houston liked Marks enough to trade a 2026 3rd-round pick in order to move up and draft him in Round 4. Given that Nick Chubb’s best years are behind him (it’s entirely possible that the Bucs let him score to guarantee their offense another possession) and he has little to offer as a pass-catcher, there is a wide range of outcomes for Woody Marks in his rookie season, including becoming Houston’s lead back. Plus, Head Coach Demeco Ryans referred to Joe Mixon in the past tense a few days ago - it’s looking increasingly unlikely he plays this season. I want Marks on any roster where I need a little more juice/ long-term upside in my RB room.

FAABLab recommended range: 6-10%

Tight Ends

TE Isaiah Likely (12% rostered)

Through 2 games, Mark Andrews has 2 receptions for 7 yards on 4 targets (8.3% target share). At best, Andrews has not been featured in Baltimore’s passing attack, and at worst, he might just be completely washed. 

Enter 4th-year weapon Isaiah Likely, who has been out since camp with a foot injury, but got in a limited practice on Friday. Last season, Likely finished 7th among all tight ends in Yards Per Route Run (1.71), 8th in PFF Receiving Grade (77.1), 6th in Yards After Catch Per Reception (6.1), and 7th in Missed Tackles Forced (11), per PFF. 

When healthy, Likely could quickly carve out a role for himself in an offense that has scored 81 points through the first two weeks of the season. If you missed out on Juwan Johnson and Harold Fannin and are looking to add an upside tight end to your roster, Likely is a sneaky addition before news of his impending return goes mainstream.

FAABLab recommended range: 8-12%

Thanks for reading, and happy bidding!

-Stephen

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