Week two of the 2020 NFL season is in the books and everyone one is dead. Christian McCaffery? DEAD! Saquon Barkley? DEAD! Your hopes of a fantasy championship? Lucky for you, those are still very much alive because fantasy football leagues are won on the waiver wire. We’re going to provide you with the best options available after week two. If I don’t mention someone whom you think I should be talking about, just know there are many reasons why I overlooked them. Maybe they are owned in most leagues. Maybe they are so bad I don’t even consider them. Or maybe it’s because your opinions cannot be trusted. After all, you are here. So let us examine what our best options are on the week three waiver wire…
Week Three Waiver Wire QBs
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (41% rostered)
Last week, I predicted that the Tennessee Titans would rush all over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Because Ryan Tannehill is a spiteful man who wants to make me look dumb, which admittedly isn’t hard, so he threw for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. Through two weeks, Tannehill has been a low-end QB1. I’m not sure I believe in it yet, but he is playing a Minnesota Vikings team in week three that might have the worst secondary in football. You could do a lot worse than riding the hot hand.
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars (26% rostered)
Speaking of hot hands and hotter staches, have you met my BFF Gardner Minshew? Let me tell you a little something about him. He has thrown for 3 touchdowns in each of his last two games. He is currently the QB9 in standard fantasy formats. Oh, and his next four games are against the Miami Dolphins, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Houston Texans, and the Detroit Lions. If you need quarterback help and you haven’t picked up Gardner Minshew, you probably aren’t serious about winning.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (10% rostered)
Last week, I warned you against Mitchell Trubisky. This week, Mitch might seem like an interesting week three play. Mitch plays an Atlanta Falcons team that has given up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks through two weeks. Granted, those quarterbacks were Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson, so that might be slightly skewed. The lesson we learned about Mitch in week two is that if he makes one mistake, the Bears are going to shut him down. Not exactly what you are looking for in a fantasy quarterback. My fantasy is quarterbacks who might help me win games. That doesn’t sound like Mitch Trubisky.
Justin Herbert, San Diego Los Angeles Chargers (3% rostered)
With an unexpected injury to Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert got his first NFL start against the Kansas City Chiefs and he definitely showed some flashes. Throwing for 311 yards and getting 2 total touchdowns, he might seem like an interesting flyer. But you might want to ask yourself if you really want to put your fantasy team in the hands of a rookie quarterback. Just like with the NFL, it doesn’t end well. Also, considering that Anthony Lynn said he would pull the rug out from under Herbert at any time, it’s not a wise investment.
Jeff Driskel, Denver Broncos (0% rostered)
When Drew Lock went down with a shoulder injury in week two, Jeff Driskel decided he would shoulder the burden of mounting a Broncos comeback. Unfortunately, he was unable to win the game, but he did put up some nice numbers, throwing for 256 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. It looks like Lock is going to miss multiple weeks, so Driskel will be starting next week. Having said that, you probably weren’t starting Drew Lock in standard leagues, so why would you grab the guy who can’t beat out Lock. Driskel only has value in 2 QB leagues, and even there, not much. It’s worth noting that last season he put in some good QB2 games thanks to his rushing. Oh and he is, as the kids say, thicc.
Week Three Waiver Wire RBs
Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams (39% rostered)
Last week, Malcolm Brown was the running back to own in Los Angeles. This week, it is Darrell Henderson Jr. Last week, I told you that Brown only holds short-term value. This week, I’m going to tell you why Henderson might actually have long-term value. Whereas Brown was a fifth-year player with no draft pedigree, Henderson is a second-year player that the Rams drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Rams are just as invested in Henderson’s success as they are in Cam Akers’ success. The only difference between them right now is that Henderson is healthy.
Henderson looked really strong closing out the game against the Eagles. Henderson is definitely worth taking a flier on because he is an athletic guy who, if he continues to run the way he did in week two, could find himself running away with the starting job in Los Angeles.
Joshua Kelley, San Diego Los Angeles Chargers (34% rostered)
Last week, I told you that Joshua Kelley was gonna be inconsistent for a few weeks, but if you grabbed him on the waiver wire and waited it out, he was going to be really good. In turns out, you didn’t have to wait that long for Kelley to be good, as he had 113 all-purpose yards in week two on 25 touches. It looks like Anthony Lynn saw what I saw, as Kelley’s snap count went up from 27% in week one to 52% in week two. If you don’t put in a claim for Joshua Kelley this week, you won’t have the chance in week three. And you will probably really regret it. Kelley is my number one running back pick for the week two waiver wire.
Jerrick McKinnon/Jeff Wilson, San Francisco 49ers (22%/0% rostered)
Jerrick McKinnon is one of the most interesting waiver options in week three. First off, Raheem Mostert has a mild MCL sprain, which means he will likely be out for week three. If Mostert is unavailable, the next man on the depth chart is Tevin Coleman. That might make you want to grab Coleman on the waiver wire, but he is rostered in 53% of leagues, so you might not be able to get him. This is a good thing, as Coleman is also the worst of the running backs on San Francisco. Which brings up to McKinnon.
McKinnon only had three carries in week two, but they were for 77 yards and 1 touchdown. What keeps me up at night about McKinnon is that he hasn’t played for the 49ers in two years after signing a very big contract, yet the 49ers haven’t cut him, despite having options. This makes me think that they still believe in him and he has the talent to take over that starting job. While McKinnon isn’t my favorite waiver wire acquisition at running back, he’s someone I would definitely target. He’s in for a big week three against a bad Giants defense after every other 49er running back died. He is a priority add.
Tevin Coleman will be out several weeks, and Raheem Mostert will be out an undetermined amount of time. The 49ers love to use multiple backs, which makes Jeff Wilson Jr. a speculative add, as well.
Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins (15% rostered)
For the second week in a row, Myles Gaskin has dominated the snap count in Miami, being on the field for 63% of the team’s offensive plays. Also for the second week in a row, for all that time spent on the field, his numbers are just kinda meh. Gaskin had 82 all-purpose yards in week two. The problem is he is in a time-share on a mediocre running team. If you have a roster spot and can’t find anything better, he might be worth holding. Odds are that you can do better.
Devonta Freeman, Free Agent (11% rostered)
Freeman feels like a lottery ticket. He’s a guy you can maybe grab and get a starting running back with fantasy pedigree. Here’s what you need to remember: if you use a waiver on him, there is a non-zero chance you will have burned a waiver on a guy who isn’t playing football. Probably when there are better options out there. The thing about the lottery is that it is a long shot and so is Devonta Freeman.
Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers (4% rostered)
It feels like every year in fantasy football, someone tries to convince me that Mike Davis is worth rostering and every year I want to put a screwdriver in my ear. I get wanting to grab him if you are rostering Christian McCaffrey, but remember that Mike Davis is not CMC. CMC is actually good at football.
Dion Lewis/Wayne Gallman, New York Giants (4% rostered/1% rostered)
I am only bringing up Wayne Gallman because he is technically a back-up to Saquon Barkley. He was also inactive in week two, meaning you should definitely not burn a waiver on him. The Giants will probably bring in Devonta Freeman, so this thing is going to be a big mess, anyway.
Dion Lewis, on the other hand, was technically active for the Giants in week two, if you can call 56 all-purpose yards active. The problem with burning your waiver on Dion Lewis is that the Giants are working out Devonta Freeman, which means that you could spend a waiver on Lewis and find out 24 hours later that he won’t be the starter. The other issue is that Saquon Barkley wasn’t producing numbers on the Giants before he got hurt, so what hope does Dion Lewis have? If Freeman doesn’t sign a contract or you feel comfortable taking the chance, go ahead and grab Lewis. Just don’t expect too much for him.
Week Three Waiver Wire WRs
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (42% rostered)
I am not sure I can maintain an unbiased outlook on Corey Davis, given how much he has hurt me in the past. However, there is no denying that through two weeks of the season, he has been a WR2. There is no denying his talent, as he was a top ten draft pick, but his consistency has always been an issue. Corey Davis is an interesting flier if you need help at wide receiver, as I am always a fan of guys who start doing well in a contract year, as they are playing to get paid.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling/Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers (36%/47% rostered)
Last week, I asked the question who is the number two receiver in Green Bay? This week, I still have no idea what the answer is. Marquez Valdez-Scantling had 3 catches for 64 yards in week two, whereas Allen Lazard had 3 catches for 45 yards. This week, Lazard was on the field for more offensive snaps, but MVS had more targets. The way the Packers offense looks through two weeks, it seems more than likely that one of these guys will break out and run away with the second wide receiver spot in Green Bay. It also feels like we all thought this would happen last year. I think both of these receivers are rostering. Lazard seems like he has a higher floor, whereas MVS has a higher ceiling.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons (23% rostered)
Last week, I worried Russell Gage would not be able to sustain his week one production. After week two, I am definitely higher on him for multiple reasons. First, he had a solid week two, with 6 catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Second, the lingering hamstring injury Julio Jones has could create more opportunities for Gage to be successful. Finally, and most important of all, Atlanta has such a trash defense, their offense is going to have to throw for 400 yards a game just to keep up with opposing teams. Gage is in a high-powered offense that is fueled by desperation, which means he is going to have a lot of opportunities to be great. If you need a receiver, you need Russell Gage.
Laviska Shenault, Jacksonville Jaguars (15% rostered )
Last week, I recommended Laviska Shenault as a deep stash in your leagues. In week two, he had 72 all-purpose yards. Like I said last week, by the end of the year, he will have clearly entrenched himself as the Jaguars number two receiver. He was a favorite in fantasy football circles before the year started and his first week in the NFL shows he is on a clear trajectory towards being a receiver you will want on your roster. Even if you don’t grab him, make sure you keep an eye on him.
Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers (7% rostered)
Steelers rookie Chase Claypool had a nice week two outing, catching 3 passes for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. However, 84 of those yards came from one pass. It is hard to burn a waiver on a rookie who got all his week two fantasy points on one play.
Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars (3% rostered)
Two weeks into the season, Keelan Cole is the leading receiver on the Jaguars. Over the span of two weeks, he has 11 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’m not fully convinced he is worth a waiver claim in week two, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on him next week to see if he continues this streak of fantasy relevance.
Week Three Waiver Wire TEs
Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers (7% rostered)
Remember all those weeks over the past three years when you thought Jordan Reed was gonna be amazing and then he just let you down? Reed hasn’t been relevant since 2016 and George Kittle will probably be back next week. So enjoy your Jordan Reed sighting and for the love of God, don’t pick him up on waivers.
Dalton Shultz, Dallas Cowboys (2% rostered)
Now you might look at Dalton Shultz’s week two performance of 9 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown and think that he will be able to replicate everything you hoped Blake Jarwin would do for you before he died. A couple of things to bear in mind. First, Mike McCarthy has a history of producing tight ends in fantasy that will let you down. Second, Shultz did this against an Atlanta defense that, in a league that has teams like the Lions and the Bengals, is redefining ineptitude. Third, and most important of all, he’s a tight end, so he is almost assuredly be terrible if you pick him up.
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