With stars like Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp and 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel all joining the injured ranks last week, setting your Week 3 Fantasy football lineups is sure to be your toughest test yet if you have any of those players rostered. However, Fantasy football injuries like those often yield opportunities on the Fantasy football waiver wire. So who is poised to step into a larger role and might be able to make a Fantasy impact this week?
Rams wide receivers like Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson should all see a growing target share with Kupp and Puka Nacua on injured reserve. But who will be Matthew Stafford's top target, and who else on Week 3 Fantasy football waiver wire should pique your interest? Before making any Week 3 Fantasy football waiver wire claims, be sure to see what SportsLine Fantasy football analyst Scott Engel has to say.
An inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame, Engel has contributed to many outlets during his 25 years in the industry, including The Athletic, SiriusXM FantasySports Radio, ESPN.com, NFL.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, the New York Post, USA Today, RotoBaller, and of course, CBSSports.com.
Now, he's revealed his top waiver wire pick from among the widely available Fantasy football free agents entering Week 3. You can see his top Fantasy NFL waiver wire picks and full analysis over at SportsLine.
Top Fantasy football waiver wire picks for Week 3
One player Engel is advising Fantasy players to target on the Week 3 waiver wire: Chiefs running back Carson Steele. After two years at Ball State and one at UCLA, Steele was signed as an undrafted free agent this offseason and quickly became a fan favorite by doing a little bit of everything during the preseason.
He carried the ball 11 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns, returned kicks and played special teams for Kansas City. Andy Reid has trusted him so much that he's used him as a short-yardage back even with Pacheco in the lineup. Now that Pacheco is heading to injured reserve with a broken fibula, early indications are that Steele will see a lot of the early-down work in the coming weeks. Engel is recommending spending up to 39% of your remaining free agent acquisition budget to see if you can land Kansas City's next featured back.
Engel is also strongly recommending Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston. The offseason departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams created a target void in Los Angeles and Johnston is starting to fill it in his second season. He had five catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns last week in a win over the Panthers and he's been targeted at least five times in each of the first two games of 2024.
"Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers will remain heavily committed to the running game. Yet when Justin Herbert looks downfield, the 2023 first-round pick may be a frequent target for him this season. Johnston's statistical floor may not be high in certain weeks, yet the ceiling can be satisfying enough in his spike weeks," Engel said. See who else to target on the Fantasy football waiver wire at SportsLine.
How to set your Week 3 waiver wire claims
Engel is also all-in on a wide receiver who is likely to see his role increased. This player is widely available and could be a huge boost to your Fantasy football lineup. You can only see who it is at SportsLine.
So which players should you target on the Fantasy football waiver wire before Week 3, and which wide receiver is a must-add? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning Fantasy football free agents entering Week 3, all from a Fantasy football hall-of-famer with 25 years of experience, and find out.
