Attack your fantasy football waiver wire entering Week 3 by picking up these players, including Cardinals WR Rondale Moore and many more.
The more you play fantasy football, the less it feels like you know. That’s not actually the case, of course, if you’ve done your research and know your stuff. But there’s only so much fantasy managers can do when injuries, changes in roles and gameplans, and the simple unknown elements of any give year all start to take shape. Thus, that’s why managers have to be active on the waiver wire.
Getting on the waiver wire and picking up the players who are clearly emerging or set to earn more touches is critical throughout the season. However, it’s even more important early in the year for fantasy football. So after two weeks of action, we’re starting to see some potential league-winners emerge who should be available on the waiver wire.
Before we get into that, we’re only looking at players who are rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues. Sony Michel doesn’t hit that threshold but, if your league is one of the 30+ percent in which he is available, pick him up now amid Rams running back injuries. Now, here are a number of players you should be targeting on the fantasy football waiver wire entering Week 3.
Note: All rostered percentages and scoring via ESPN Fantasy.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire targets entering Week 3
Rondale Moore, WR, Cardinals (19.2 percent rostered) – Rookie wide receiver Rondale Moore exploded for the Cardinals in the wild win over Minnesota, going for 114 yards on seven receptions with a touchdown, registering 24.4 fantasy points for the week.
Yes, Moore was helped by a 77-yard touchdown but he still had four receptions for 68 yards in Week 1 as well. The rookie is a big-play threat who can get open deep and take a screen to the house and the Cardinals know that, hence why he’s gotten 13 targets over two games. He needs to be rostered in all leagues at this point.
Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys (38.6 percent) – Not just the “Ezekiel Elliott handcuff” anymore, Tony Pollard looks like he’s in a bonafide timeshare with Zeke in Dallas. In fact, Pollard has been the better back so far, ranking as the RB9 in PPR leagues so far after a 23.0-point performance in Week 2.
Is he going to get 16 touches every week for the Cowboys? It’s still to early to say. But he’s clearly the more explosive pass-catcher and outside runner in the offense right now, which means he has a much higher floor than expected coming into the year for fantasy.
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Falcons (8 percent) – Go figure that the Cordarrelle Patterson breakout season might be happening when he’s essentially the third-down back for the Falcons.
Patterson only has 14 carries for 65 yards over two games but he scored two touchdowns this past week and had six targets in the passing game, going for 58 yards. With his pass-catching ability and big-play speed, he’s someone that should definitely be picked up in PPR leagues to see if his role continues to grow.
Justin Fields, QB, Bears (48.4 percent) – I’m fully aware Justin Fields didn’t wow when he took over for Andy Dalton, throwing for 60 yards with an interception, though he did rush for 31 yards. But that was without a gameplan in place for the rookie quarterback. And with Dalton’s status uncertain, FIelds could be the starter. With his talent and rushing upside as well, he’s worth rostering and having on your bench in case we have a real breakout candidate on our hands.
Panthers D/ST (13.1 percent) – Through two weeks, the Panthers have the No. 1 ranked defense in fantasy football as they’ve averaged 12.5 points per game and have put up double-digit fantasy points in each week. More importantly for Week 3, they’re a perfect streaming defense as they get to play the Texans starting rookie Davis Mills on a short week for Thursday Night Football.
K.J. Osborn, WR, Vikings (1.1 percent) – As the Vikings are running more three-wide sets with their injury issues at tight end, Osborn has broken out in each of the first two games, combining for 12 catches on 15 targets for 167 yards and a touchdown, good to be the WR19 in PPR leagues.
If this continues, the fact that he’s available in 98.9 percent of fantasy football leagues isn’t going to last, so you should get ahead of the curve and pick him up now as he appears to be a big part of the Minnesota passing offense.