Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups: Bolster Your Battered RB Room With Jerome Ford, Zack Moss, Roschon Johnson

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire pickups, where we give you the players to start immediately, stash at the end of your bench, or stream for a week or two.

Let’s look back at the destruction we witnessed in Week 2 and dissect the prospects for the Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire.

Week 3 Bye Weeks: None

Note: Roster % based on Yahoo leagues and should hover around 55% or less

Check First: Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Gus Edwards, Rashid Shaheed, Jordan Love

WEEK 3 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

START

1. Jerome Ford, RB Cleveland Browns (15% rostered)
2. Zack Moss, RB Indianapolis Colts (53%)
3. Tank Dell, WR Houston Texans (5%)
4. Tutu Atwell, WR Los Angeles Rams (25%)
5. Justice Hill, RB Baltimore Ravens (43%)
6. Josh Reynolds, WR Detroit Lions (12%)
7. Hunter Henry, TE New England Patriots (55%)

Unfortunately, Nick Chubb’s gruesome knee injury ended his season, making Jerome Ford the next man up in the Browns’ backfield for now. The Browns’ depth was already thin, but Ford could see a heavy workload depending on Cleveland’s future moves. Will they look to re-sign Kareem Hunt? Will they trade for disgruntled Cam Akers? Will it be a gross committee with Ford and Pierre Strong? We aren’t sure yet, but Ford showed his wheels on MNF with a nice 69-yard rush after Chubb exited and finished the game with 106 yards on 16 carries. Ford is full of question marks, but he can make plays in this run-heavy offense behind a very solid offensive line.

Zach Moss took full control of the Colts’ backfield after returning from a broken arm. With Jonathan Taylor still on the IR and Deon Jackson playing just one snap on special teams, Moss is a clear RB1 in Indianapolis. In fact, Moss took every single running back touch in Week 2. He will have immense value while Taylor remains out, and there’s no guarantee Taylor will even return once eligible.

It was a coming-out party for Texans rookie Tank Dell who finished the day with 7-72-1 on ten targets. Dell was sub 50% in both snaps and routes run in Week 1 but saw those numbers spike this week to 79% and 82%, respectively, which were higher than Nico Collins’. He seems to be a staple in two receiver sets with Noah Brown on IR, and it seems like he’ll be out there on the field very often moving forward.

In terms of usage, Tutu Atwell was the WR1 for the Rams, as he played the most snaps and ran the most routes. Production-wise, King Puka still dominates, but Atwell is not someone to overlook. He had nine targets this week, catching seven for 77 yards. He seems to be a clear WR2 in Los Angeles at the moment while Cooper Kupp remains out and has expanded his game vertically.

In the wake of JK Dobbins’ injury, the Ravens used both backs evenly. With Gus Edwards rostering out of this article, Justice Hill remains in the fold as he out-snapped Edwards this week and was much more involved in the passing game. Edwards might have the ‘sexy’ RB1 title when the offense trots out there for the opening drive, but Hill is getting valuable touches.

The Lions’ passing attack has been firing through two games, and Josh Reynolds has been a huge benefactor. His snap share went up compared to last week, and he took on a bigger role after Amon-Ra St. Brown was impacted by a turf toe injury that could linger. Reynolds responded with 5-66-2 on six targets. There’s plenty of aerial pie to go around in Detroit, and Reynolds currently has himself a significant slice of that pie.

New England shifted towards two tight ends in its gameplan this week, with Hunter Henry bumped up to over 90% in snaps and routes run. Despite still trailing Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker in targets, Henry is a consistent security blanket for Mac Jones and is the lone end-zone threat in an offense that’s still trying to find consistency.

STASH

1. Roschon Johnson, RB Chicago Bears (38%)
2. Jaylen Warren, RB Pittsburgh Steelers (41%)
3. Tyjae Spears, RB Tennessee Titans (17%)
4. Kareem Hunt, RB Free Agent (12%)
5. Kendrick Bourne, WR New England Patriots (44%)
6. Skyy Moore, WR Kansas City Chiefs (49%)
7. Tank Bigsby, RB Jacksonville Jaguars (39%)
8. Marvin Mims Jr, WR Denver Broncos (23%)
9. Robert Woods, WR Houston Texans (9%)

While the Bears continue to stink as a team, rookie Roschon Johnson is slowly working his way up the depth chart. He bumped D’Onta Foreman off the depth chart and has secured the RB2 job behind Khalil Herbert. It may not be long until he leapfrogs Herbert if they choose to deploy a full-on youth movement.

We thought a healthy Najee Harris would be in for a bounce-back season, but after two weeks, we might have to admit it’s not happening. Jaylen Warren is the more complete back of the two, and although he’s struggled on the ground so far, he’s caught 9 of 12 targets for 78 yards. It seems only a matter of time until Warren starts to see early-down rushing work to give this anemic running game a jolt. Either way, he’s a top handcuff.

Tyjae Spears saw his snap percentage decrease mostly due to the game script. The Titans played ahead this week, allowing them to bang Derrick Henry between the tackles. Still, Spears saw eight carries and recorded 49 yards on the ground. We know he can catch the ball and play on third downs, making him an intriguing handcuff if the King were sidelined.

The Browns could bring back free agent Kareem Hunt in the wake of Nick Chubb’s injury. Plus, there are many RB1 openings across the NFL. Expect a team to sign Hunt soon.

If you had to name Mac Jones’ favorite receiver, it would likely be Kendrick Bourne. While his usage numbers did take a hit, he still led the team with nine targets. The Patriots have had a tough schedule to start and have found themselves playing from behind for two straight now, forcing more pass attempts.

Have the Chiefs receivers underwhelmed as a whole? Yes. Can they still be valuable? Also yes. Skyy Moore is still one of the top two receivers for Kansas City and is out on the field more often than not. The opportunity is there as the WR2 for Mahomes, and he still carries high draft capital. Patience is key here.

While Etienne still has a stronghold of the RB1 role, Tank Bigsby is still a valuable handcuff for this Jaguars offense. His usage numbers dropped a bit this week after a bad fumble in Week 1, but Bigsby remains the RB2 for the Jags. Etienne dealt with cramps last week and hasn’t always been the most durable back on the planet.

Broncos rookie Marvin Mims had very limited action, playing only 16 snaps and drawing two targets. Somehow, he caught those two targets for 113 yards and a score in that light work. He’s not getting enough usage to start, but the talent is there, and he should eventually work his way into Denver’s offense.

Again, it’s a very unsexy pick, but Robert Woods continues to see high usage and opportunity numbers. Playing the most snaps and running the most routes, Woods’ eight targets were third on the team this week. Houston seems to go with many three-receiver sets, and Woods stays on the field. He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling guy in an offense that keeps throwing.

STREAM

1. Craig Reynolds, RB Detroit Lions (0%)
2. Matt Breida, RB New York Giants (2%)
3. Tony Jones Jr, RB New Orleans Saints (0%)
4. Jayden Reed, WR Green Bay Packers (10%)
5. CJ Stroud, QB Houston Texans (9%)
6. Kansas City Chiefs D/ST (39%)
7. Chase Claypool, WR Chicago Bears (2%)

I feel gross typing this name. Mostly because we know Jahmyr Gibbs will remain in Dan Campbell’s dog house, while Craig Reynolds will get double-digit carries if David Montgomery is out for what could be a “couple of weeks.” However, Campbell said he is “day-to-day.” So, we may need to wait for clarification. But, following Montgomery’s exit, Reynolds played ten snaps in the fourth quarter and saw three carries to Gibbs’ one. Fantasy owners should expect a similar role to Montgomery’s if RB1 remains out of the lineup. In his first career start in 2021, Reynolds had a 26-carry game for 112 yards against a strong Cardinals’ run defense.

The injury to Saquon Barkley for the Giants’ offense leaves Matt Breida as the RB1 in New York. The only problem is Breida’s not very good anymore, and the Giants’ offense is struggling. To make matters worse, they get the 49ers on a short week, followed by the Seahawks and the Dolphins. He’s not the most ideal streamer at running back.

Jamaal Williams left the Saints game early with a hamstring injury, putting his status for next week in question. While Alvin Kamara remains suspended, that would leave Tony Jones Jr. as the lone back remaining for the Saints. He stinks as a runner, but somehow fell into the end zone twice in Williams’ absence.

With Christian Watson still sidelined, rookie receiver Jayden Reed has really stepped up in his absence. Watson could return next week, but may not be at full strength, leaving an opening for the Packers’ WR2 role. Jordan Love and the Packers have had a surprising start to the season airing it out thus far.

Easily turning in his best game thus far, rookie CJ Stroud threw for 384 yards and two scores against the Colts this week — looking good in the process. In what could be another high-volume passing game, he’ll get another divisional foe in the Jaguars this week.

So far, the Chiefs D/ST have limited two high-powered offenses, and now their defense is getting the broken Chicago Bears. Justin Fields looks lost, and the play-calling is not helping him play to his strengths. Expect several sacks and turnovers for the Chiefs’ defense in Week 3.

Bears receiver Chase Claypool got some extended work with Darnell Mooney’s knee injury that kept him sidelined. Claypool caught a touchdown after a harsh and critiqued opening game. Against the Chiefs, the Bears will probably need all the help they can get.