Entering the conclusion of the first quarter of the fantasy football season, managers will need to continue looking to the waiver wire in order to navigate what has been a chaotic campaign thus far.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
Priority Free Agents
1. WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
Without Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, it was the Jennings show in Week 3. The veteran popped off for an insane 11-175-3 receiving line on 12 targets against the Los Angeles Rams. Expecting that type of production every week is fool’s gold, but he’s the top addition considering the fact that Samuel and Kittle could miss more time. On top of that, upcoming matchups against the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals make him a solid flex option.
Availability: 69%
FAAB: 15%
2. RB Braelon Allen, New York Jets
We’re calling our shot a little bit here. Breece Hall is still one of the top running backs in fantasy, but Allen continues to prove he can have sustained standalone value as a deeper option. He has double-digit opportunities in each of the last two games, including an 11% target share during that span. He’s still an RB4, but Allen needs to be rostered.
Availability: 64%
FAAB: 10%
3. RB Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs
We had our first glimpse of the Chiefs backfield without Isiah Pacheco, and it turned out mostly as expected. It was a split between Steele and Samaje Perine, but the former led the way in snaps (46 vs. 28), routes run (24 vs. 15) and carries (17 vs. 6). Things could get muddy with Kareem Hunt joining the fray and Clyde Edwards-Helaire potentially returning soon as well. For now, though, Steele has some solid value.
Availability: 37%
FAAB: 10%
4. RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Following the benching of Bryce Young, the Panthers offense exploded in a 36-22 win led by Andy Dalton. Also leading the way was Hubbard, who took 21 carries for 114 rushing yards while adding five receptions for 55 yards and a receiving touchdown. Sustaining that production is unlikely, but the workload is what’s appealing. Hubbard is a fringe RB2 with upside right now, though rookie Jonathon Brooks is eligible to come off the PUP list in two weeks.
Availability: 52%
FAAB: 10%
5. RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Irving is still not rostered in enough leagues. Though the backfield still belongs mostly to Rachaad White, this is the second time in three games Irving has been the more productive player. Even in a negative game script, Iriving still produced 70 rushing yards on nine attempts while seeing three targets in the passing game. He’s not quite start worthy yet, but Irving has the type of upside and spot-start value that deserves to be rostered in most leagues.
Availability: 65%
FAAB: 10%
6. RB Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys
It’s been rough trying to sift through the Cowboys backfield, and Dowdle hasn’t given managers much to be excited about. With that said, he saw a season-high 62% running back rush share while adding a 10% target share in Week 3. There will be a maddening split for the majority of the season, but Dowdle appears to be taking on a larger role, so we should probably pay attention.
Availability: 58%
FAAB: 8%
7. WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
Trusting the Titans offense is certainly a gamble, but Hopkins seems to be increasing his workload as he comes back from a knee sprain he picked up during training camp. He ran the third-most routes for the first time this season and led the offense with a 21.2% target share, which resulted in a 6-73-1 receiving line. Hopkins is still best viewed as a WR3 option at best right now, but he’s starting to show some life.
Availability: 44%
FAAB: 5%
8. WR Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
While Malik Nabers will rightfully dominate the headlines, Robinson put together another solid outing in Week 3. He logged a 24.2% target share, resulting in seven receptions for 61 yards. That’s not going to jump off the page, but Robinson is clearly the second option in this passing attack. He’s a WR4, but he has deeper flex value in PPR formats.
Availability: 80%
FAAB: 5%
Grab-n-Stash
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals: His opportunities decreased in Week 3, but Benson is still a high-priority handcuff for those who can afford it.
Availability: 61%
FAAB: 3%
WR Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams: It’s too difficult to plant a flag on any Rams wideout right now, but Atwell was explosive in Week 3. At least keep an eye on him.
Availability: 98%
FAAB: 1%
RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs: Who knows what his role will be whenever he’s active, but he’s at least worth a look if you have an extra bench spot.
Availability: 67%
FAAB: 3%
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: Brown has been frustrating given he had expectations of standalone flex value, but he’s still a high-priority handcuff at worst.
Availability: 38%
FAAB: 3%
RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings: It was a rough outing in Week 3, but Chandler should still be stashed given his role as the 1B to Aaron Jones‘ 1A.
Availability: 62%
FAAB: 3%
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants: He took over the backup role in Week 3 so at least keep an eye on him.
Availability: 97%
FAAB: 1%
WR Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys: He came through with a touchdown and while he’s not startable yet, Tolbert is trending in the right direction.
Availability: 96%
FAAB: 3%
WR Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals: The second-year receiver had a 26% target share in Week 3, so monitor his usage moving forward.
Availability: 91%
FAAB: 1%
Streamers of the Week
QB Sam Darnold at Green Bay Packers: While Green Bay has a stout defense, Darnold is on fire right now with eight touchdowns in three games. Given the other options, Darnold is arguably the best available.
Availability: 71%
QB Justin Fields at Indianapolis Colts: Fields is expected to get another week as the starter, and he gets to take on a Colts defense that just allowed Caleb Williams to throw for 363 yards and two touchdowns.
Availability: 84%
TE Cole Kmet vs. Los Angeles Rams: Chasing tight end points is never fun, but managers may not have a choice. Kmet had a 10-97-1 line on 11 targets, and the Rams have allowed the fifth-most PPR points per game to the position this season.
Availability: 60%
TE Mike Gesicki at Carolina Panthers: We’ll see how Monday night goes with the return of Tee Higgins, but Gesicki has shown some life while Carolina has allowed the third-most PPR points per game to tight ends this season.
Availability: 60%
Miami Dolphins D/ST vs. Tennessee Titans: Even with getting blown out, the Dolphins still managed a solid fantasy game defensively. The Titans are currently the best matchup for opposing defenses, allowing 16.3 fantasy points per game.
Availability: 53%
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST vs. Cleveland Browns: The Raiders laid an egg in Week 3, but this is a signal of confidence that they will bounce back against a Browns offense that ranks as the second-best matchup for fantasy defenses.
Availability: 56%
PK Blake Grupe at Atlanta Falcons: Grupe takes on a Falcons team that has allowed the most field-goal attempts and fantasy points per game to the position this season.
Availability: 83%
PK Chase McLaughlin vs. Philadelphia Eagles: He didn’t have many opportunities in Week 3, but McLaughlin has been solid this season. The Eagles have allowed the third-most field-goal attempts to kickers this season.
Availability: 92%
