Pigskin Papers Waiver Wire- Week 3

Don’t Laugh - Wentz (7 TDs) Can Help Your Team

(Published September 19, 2022)

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Welcome to the Waiver Wire, Week 3. Hopefully, you know the drill by now. Each week, I’ll identify the top Waiver Wire targets and I’ll evaluate the short and long term prospects of those players. I’ll also do my best to identify which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold.

****SEE OUR WEEK 2 “TAKE 3” RECAP COLUMN HERE: https://www.thepigskinpapers.com/posts-1/pigskin-papers-take-3-2022-week-2 ****

Some of the players mentioned in this column won’t be available in your league. As a general rule, I talk about players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10 team league with 6 bench spots will have a much larger pool of available players than what I’m used to which is a 14 team league with 8 bench spots. It’s like night and day. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This is unfortunately not “one size fits all.” So if you’re wondering why I’m not listing Tua this week, that’s why. He should already be rostered in every league.

I’ll also remind you again that your FAAB dollars are worth more now than later in the season, because you’re potentially getting players for many more weeks when you get them early. That doesn't mean you should waste your money now - but it does mean that if you really want or need a guy and think he can make a difference, bid a few extra dollars to get him now, since you’ll hopefully have him for most of the season.

That Was Quick - Jimmy G is Back in the Saddle

QB

Two weeks in, and we’ve lost 2 QBs that were in most cases drafted to be fantasy starters. Dak will be back at some point this season, but Trey Lance won’t. Justin Herbert might also miss time with his rib injury. So there might be some QB-needy teams out there. You’re in luck, as there are some decent options on the wire. If Tua is available for some reason, I’d start there.

Carson Wentz made the column last week and after putting up good fantasy numbers again this past week, hopefully he’s still available. The Commanders can score, and they also give up plenty of points - that means plenty of high scoring games. Wentz has good weapons and isn’t afraid to sling it. He’s a decent QB2 in Superflex leagues and a viable streaming option in 1 QB leagues.

Just about everything that I said about Wentz also applies to Jared Goff. He’s another solid #2 QB if you need help. The third QB I’ll mention is Jimmy G. He won’t give you monster weeks, but he does get the occasional rushing TD (as he did on Sunday), has good weapons, and is a proven commodity. He’s another decent add if you’re looking for a playable QB2.

Grab Raheem if You Can

RB

I’m not especially excited about the RBs on the Wire this week. But still, this is a position where you always need to be looking for depth. I doubt Raheem Mostert is available in many leagues, but he’s my top pickup if he is. He’s getting a lot of the early down work for a Miami offense that can score in bunches. His issue is staying healthy - when he plays, he sports a ridiculous 5.6 YPC average for his career. At a position of need, he’s a good option for your roster.

We don’t yet know if James Connor’s ankle injury is going to cause him to miss games. We also don’t know who would get the bulk of the work in his stead - Eno Benjamin or Darrel Williams. I’d give a slight nod to Benjamin.

Two other names I’ll mention as bench stashes: Tyler Allgeier, now that Damien Williams is on IR, and Kenneth Walker, who I doubt is available in many leagues.

Garrett Wilson’s Jet Has Arrived on Time

WR

This is the one position where you can get a lot of help from Week 3 waivers, so I’m going to throw a bunch of names at you..

Josh Dotson and Curtis Samuel both scored again this week. My guess is that both got scooped up after Week 1.

While Dotson and Drake London are 2 rookies who are surely rostered everywhere, fellow rookies and college teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave might not be. Both announced their arrival this week and should be rostered in all leagues. The production won’t be consistent, and especially with the Jets switching QBs soon, but these guys are both very talented receivers who are already pretty involved, and who should see increasing snap and target shares in the coming weeks. Of the 2, I prefer Wilson, because I think his team will need to throw more to stay in games. His 14 targets this past week is very encouraging.

With all of the WR injuries in Tampa, and Mike Evans suspended for a game, Breshad Perriman is an intriguing short-term add, if you need a replacement for Evans or if you’re worried about Michael Pittman or Gabe Davis for Week 3. Just don’t expect a lot of long-term value.

Josh Palmer is another name that made this column last week. If he’s still on your wire, grab him. Even when Keenan Allen comes back, Palmer has long-term value in a high-volume passing offense.

Cooper Rush has a good rapport with Noah Brown. I have a little trouble trusting this one, and especially with Michael Gallup likely to return soon. Gallup is the Dallas WR I’d aim for first, but it’s hard to argue with Brown’s production the first 2 weeks. Plus, Dalton Schultz injured his knee on Sunday and if he misses time, it will mean more target opportunities for all of the Dallas receivers and backs.

I have a hard time recommending any New England pass catchers. Nelson Agholor is coming off of a big game (6-110-1), and has flashed in the past. I just don’t think any receiver on this offense is going to be at all consistent or reliable for fantasy. With that said, in full PPR, Jakobi Meyers is an OK add, as he should end up leading the team in targets and catches. The same is true of Sterling Shepard on the Giants, who appeared in this column last week also.

Two other names you might see thrown around this week are Ashton Dulin on the Colts, and Greg Dortch on the Cardinals. Both are getting opportunities due to injuries, but I can’t really recommend either player at this point, other than in very deep leagues or for those who are truly desperate for help.

It’s a New Start for Engram in Jacksonville

TE

I’ve got 5 names for you to consider, in this order: Gerald Everett (who I also recommended last week, and who had another good game, at least for fantasy purposes), Logan Thomas, Evan Engram, Isaiah Likely, and Tyler Conklin. None will set the world on fire, but at a weak position with a number of notable underperformers so far this season, these guys are all serviceable, with upside. Importantly, each has carved out a defined role on his team’s offense. Likely would obviously skyrocket in value if anything was to happen to Mark Andrews, but as it is, the Ravens run a lot of 2-TE sets and he’s gotten 9 targets in the first 2 games, which is more than some starters at the position.

Good luck with your waiver claims!

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