Waiver Wire Week 3: Best Fantasy Football Pickups & Adds

Getty Rondale Moore and Cordarrelle Patterson headline the top waiver wire adds for Week 3.

Week 3’s fantasy football waiver wire is dominated by a number of injury replacements and familiar names resurrecting their fantasy value.

A knee injury suffered by Andy Dalton opened the door for rookie Justin Fields in Chicago to get some run under center. Darrell Henderson’s rib injury in the Rams’ victory over Indianapolis allowed Sony Michel to crack double-digit touches. Speaking of Michel, his former teammate in New England, James White, appears to be resurfacing as a viable weekly play in PPR-scoring formats after a down 2020 campaign. Plus, a number of young intriguing pass catchers around the NFL continue to produce.

Below we break down some of the most notable names to target after an exciting Week 2, while also supplying you with a full list of the top waiver-wire additions heading into Week 3.

* All owned percentages are based on Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues.

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Notable Waiver Wire Targets for Week 3

Rondale Moore, WR, ARI
Rostered: 32%
Week 3 Matchup: @ JAC

• Moore has been exhilarating thus far, topping 68 receiving yards and seeing at least five targets in each of the first two weeks of play. In Week 2, Moore hauled in all five of his receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown — in the first half. Moore’s field time in Week 1 was a slight concern as he played just 29% of the team’s offensive snaps (ranked fourth among Cardinals receivers). However, he’s far too explosive to keep off the field. That number should continue to skyrocket and eventually give AJ Green and Christian Kirk a run for their money as the Cardinals’ second-most used receiver. The Kyler Murray pass-happy offense should easily be able to hold two-to-three viable fantasy receivers on a weekly basis, and chances are Moore will be one of those players more times than not. A matchup with Jacksonville in Week 3 puts Moore on the starting radar for fantasy owners, as two receivers have already eclipsed 131 receiving yards against them this season.

Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR, ATL
Rostered:  13%
Week 3 Matchup: @NYG

• For all those long-time Cordarrelle Patterson truthers, this may finally be your time to gloat. The Mike Davis RB1 hype that consumed fantasy owners over the summer has flatlined. Davis has averaged 3.7 yards per carry thus far — not sexy but also not a surprise, as he’s averaged 3.7 yards per carry over his eight-year NFL career. Patterson won’t get the job done like your typical running back, but with RB/WR flexibility in fantasy, he’s a must-add as he’s clearly a top-three weapon for Atlanta’s offense alongside Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley. The Giants have allowed an opposing running back to eclipse 100 yards from scrimmage in each of their first two games. In Week 2, JD McKissic hauled in five of his six targets in the passing game for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Justin Fields, QB, CHI
Rostered:  51%
Week 3 Matchup: @ CLE

• Name power and upside will likely make Fields the top add at the position this week — even if players such as Sam Darnold and Derek Carr are arguably more deserving.  The rookie quarterback didn’t do much through the air in Week 2 but did tout the rock 10 times vs. Cincinnati. Mobile signal-callers will always stay afloat from a fantasy perspective. As for Dalton, the Bears don’t believe their starting quarterback suffered an ACL injury via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. With that said, head coach Matt Nagy reiterated to reporters following the game that Fields is further along than they expected him to be at this point (h/t Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. of Windy City Gridiron).

James White, RB, NE
Rostered:  42%
Week 3 Matchup: vs. NO

• In standard formats, Damien Harris is the back to own. However, if you’re operating in some sort of a PPR scoring format — as most are nowadays — White is the Patriots back who should be in your lineup. The duo played essentially the same number of snaps in Week 2 (Harris – 51%, White 49%). However, White saw six targets on the day while Harris received just one. White has now seen 13 targets over two weeks of play and gets a Saints defense this coming week that allowed six targets and 65 receiving yards to running backs in Week 2.

Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG
Rostered:  57%
Week 3 Matchup: vs. ATL

• This one is pretty simple. Do you want a No. 1 wide receiver? Because that’s what Shepard has become in PPR leagues. Henry Ruggs and Marvin Jones are both also worth adds, but Shepard’s consistency sets him apart from the pack of waiver wire pass catchers. Dating back to last season, the Oklahoma product has averaged 10.3 targets, nine receptions, 99 receiving yards and 24.5 points per game over his last four contests. He’s also totaled four touchdowns over that span.

Top Waiver Wire Targets  for Week 3

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