After a week full of fireworks to kick off the season, scoring was tough to come by in fantasy football this week.
Ahead of SNF, just three running backs have eclipsed 20 PPR points in Week 2.
Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Drake Maye all scored fewer than 17 points. Oh, we also lost Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels to seemingly serious injuries.
Not great, but in fantasy football, you need to have the memory of a goldfish. It’s on to Week 3 and the upcoming waiver wire window.
Even if you jumped on players like Tyler Shough after reading our Early Week 3 Waiver Wire Stashes article on Saturday, here’s an early look at the next group of players worth targeting on the Week 3 Waiver Wire.
Note: Only players rostered in roughly <50% of ESPN leagues will be considered.
Note: This article will be updated as data and news become available.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 3 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
BRYCE YOUNG, CAR PANTHERS (34.3% ROSTERED)
Bryce Young has seemingly found his groove in year four. 31.44 points in Week 1, 24.08 points in Week 2.
The Panthers’ offense has been humming as a result, eclipsing 340 yards and 30 points in both games.
The biggest change from last season is that OC Brad Idzik, who’s in his first year as the offense’s playcaller, is allowing Young to put his talents on display.
Young has recorded 37 and 36 pass attempts in his last two games. He eclipsed 35 attempts just twice last season. The 5.8% PROE (Week 1 only) is a stark difference from the -4.0% we saw in 2025.
Again, that approach has led to an offense that looks entirely different.
Looking ahead, Young and the Panthers get the Browns and Lions before a Week 5 bye. In those matchups, Young will be flirting with QB1 status.
QBs to Consider in Superflex Leagues: Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, Tyson Bagent
RUNNING BACK
TANK BIGSBY, PHI EAGLES (15.2% ROSTERED)
What a strange game for both Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles narrowly pulled off a win against the lowly Titans, while Barkley was in and out of the lineup with what’s being described as a stinger.
In Barkley’s place, we saw some strange and generally unexpected usage for the Eagles’ depth RBs.
At the end of the game, Will Shipley led the way with 39 snaps, while Tank Bigsby logged 26. Shipley saw nine opportunities (seven carries, two targets) and Bigsby received 15 (13 carries, two targets).
It seems that Shipley will play a bigger role in Barkley’s absence than most expected, but the thesis of Bigsby operating as the primary ball carrier behind Barkley remains intact.
Monitor Barkley’s health this week.
If Barkley misses additional time, Bigsby will be in line for a spot start against a suspect Bears defense. With Caleb Williams also dealing with a hamstring injury, this could very well be a game script that allows him to pile up carries.
JONAH COLEMAN, DEN BRONCOS (22.2% ROSTERED)
Last week, Jonah Coleman landed on the list of “Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering” and headlined our “Early Week 2 Waiver Wire Stashes.” It seems that he could be well on his way to realizing his value as a handcuff.
RJ Harvey missed Week 2 with a hamstring issue and J.K. Dobbins picked up a hamstring injury of his own during Sunday’s game.
Should both of them miss Week 3, Coleman immediately becomes an exciting start against the Rams.
If Dobbins in particular is absent, there’s reason to believe Coleman could lead the backfield in carries while also fighting for some pass-catching work and inside-the-10 usage.
Even if the veterans in the Broncos’ RB room are able to suit up, Coleman remains a priority handcuff. He’s worth rostering while evaluating how this backfield shakes out.
Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering: Emmett Johnson (15.7%), Ray Davis (9.7%), Emari Demercado (1.9%)
WIDE RECEIVER
ADONAI MITCHELL, NY JETS (17.0% ROSTERED)
Those who have been a part of the Adonai Mitchell hive mind since he entered the NFL in 2024 have known that he’s never had an issue creating separation and drawing targets. It’s been everything else: playing time, drops, game-breaking mistakes.
Well, with a full-time role in the Jets‘ offense, things are starting to come together for the third-year receiver.
In Week 1, he flashed his downfield playmaking ability with a 40-yard reception. In Week 2, he showed his status as a legitimate target earner, drawing 12 targets, good for the team lead and a 33% target share.
The Jets’ offense hasn’t been the prettiest through two weeks (they averaged just 4.0 yards per play in Week 2), but they’ve shown signs of life. If Mitchell can maintain his status as the clear-cut No. 2 pass catcher behind Garrett Wilson, and the offense can be just okay, Mitchell can prove to be a viable Flex option.
KEON COLEMAN, BUF BILLS (1.7% ROSTERED)
Could Keon Coleman be… not terrible? It’s the time of the year for massive overreactions, right?
Jokes aside, Coleman is fresh off a six-catch, 63-yard performance on Thursday Night Football. His 12.3 PPR points were his third-most since the beginning of last season.
His underlying usage was also fairly encouraging. He posted a route rate of 60.5%, drew a target on 23% of his routes, and was responsible for 19.4% of the team’s targets.
Nothing flashy, but with the Bills looking like an absolute wagon, a frothy matchup against the Chargers on the way, and DJ Moore dealing with a shoulder issue, Coleman deserves some attention on the waiver wire.
Although his season-long value is likely quite limited, he could prove to be a viable Flex option for teams dealing with injuries at WR if Moore remains sidelined.
DENZEL BOSTON, CLE BROWNS (26.4% ROSTERED)
Look, I get it. Burning a roster spot on a member of the Cleveland Browns’ offense seems like a waste.
But Denzel Boston has shown the juice and explosive playmaking ability necessary to stash him on benches in deeper leagues while evaluating the situation.
Last week, he hauled in a 46-yard bomb in garbage time for a touchdown. This past Sunday, it was a 55-yard score in which he put some YAC skills on display.
He also nearly had a second score, just barely failing to complete the process of a catch on a fade.
To achieve week-to-week relevance in fantasy, Boston will need to prove that he can consistently earn targets. His 18.2% and 23.3% target shares over the last two weeks are strong, but the path to consistent fantasy relevance in this offense will require him to be regular threat to hit 25%.
However, the early returns are encouraging. If your bench is deep and you’re looking to take a swing at WR, Boston is certainly intriguing.
RASHOD BATEMAN, BAL RAVENS (24.2% ROSTERED)
Rashod Bateman was covered in my Week 2 Waiver Wire article:
“If one or both of them are unable to suit up in Week 2, Bateman would face an incredibly low level of target competition against a rather uninspiring Saints defense. Bateman should be a pickup for teams in desperate need of WR or Flex production in Week 2.”
Bateman indeed made his mark alongside a lackluster group of wide receivers. He played a full-time role, running 94.7% of routes, while finishing the day with a team-high nine targets (31.0% target share) and 21.8 PPR points, thanks to a 22-yard touchdown catch.
Bateman’s fantasy viability in Week 3 is highly dependent on the health of Zay Flowers, so keep an eye on the reports coming out of Baltimore.
If he remains the Ravens‘ de facto WR1 next week, a matchup against the Cowboys makes him a reasonable start.
KALIF RAYMOND, CHI BEARS (10.3% ROSTERED)
Kalif Raymond has done it again. After leading the Bears‘ receiving corps in nearly every relevant receiving metric in Week 1, he went 5/40/0 on the back of five targets in Week 2.
At this point, he deserves a write-up. But I’m quite skeptical of this sticking over the course of the season.
However, if he’s going to be a factor in this offense in some fashion, he’s worth a look in deeper leagues.
That’s it (I still think Raymond is a flash in the pan).
TIGHT ENDS
ORONDE GADSDEN, LA CHARGERS (2.0% ROSTERED)
They said Oronde Gadsden wouldn’t see the field. They said he couldn’t pass block.
Does it matter?
The Chargers‘ TE room was eviscerated in Week 2. David Njoku (knee) was carted off and Charlie Kolar picked up a forearm injury.
Will Gadsden ever be a tight end who plays upwards of 80% of snaps? Probably not. But it’s hard to deny that there is a clear path to him running a meaningful number of routes.
Perhaps the Chargers‘ offense broken. Still, I’d like to buy into this offense at the price of a waiver pickup, especially when it’s a tight end who hit 664 yards and 132.4 PPR points as a rookie.
DALTON SCHULTZ, HOU TEXANS (21.4% ROSTERED)
Not much needs to be said about Dalton Schultz. He is the epitome of a routes and volume-driven TE1 option in fantasy.
We saw that play out to a T in Week 2. With Nico Collins (hamstring) out of the lineup, Schultz became the focal point of the Texans’ passing attack, racking up 14 targets and turning them into 12 receptions for 140 yards.
Obviously, this is an outlier game for Schultz. C.J. Stroud isn’t going to attempt 55 passes very often. It would be no surprise if that’s a season high. Still, for as long as Collins remains sidelined, Schultz can be expected to command the volume necessary to finish as a top-12 TE.
Even when Collins makes his return, the lack of other true target-earners in Houston will keep Schultz in starting consideration.
