Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 3 pickups feat. Rashid Shaheed, Carson Steele, and more
The fantasy football season-long grind continues at Sportskeeda after an eventful and painful Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. It's time to pivot, update some key fantasy positions, find replacements for our injured stars, and stash the best available players before Week 3 kicks off again Thursday night in New Jersey.
We'll take you through three options at each position to assist you in optimizing your roster for this week and beyond. The primary goal is to utilize your bench spots to put yourself in the best possible position each week and give your future self the flexibility to achieve fantasy greatness.
We cast a wide net of possible additions as we consider all players under the 70% threshold on popular sites like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. Each player will be accompanied by an FAAB (Free-Agent Acquisition Budget) to show you how much money to consider spending on a free agent this week.
Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire pickups for Week 3
Waiver Wire Wide Receivers for Week 3
1] Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
45% ESPN | 62% Yahoo! | 15-20% FAAB
Rashid Shaheed continued to shine last Sunday, this time against one of the most feared pass defenses in fantasy football, the Dallas Cowboys. Shaheed again displayed his big-play threat with a 70-yard bomb from Derek Carr as the Saints offense put up 44 points against a usually stout Dallas defense.
Last week, Shaheed was our No. 1 waiver priority at the wide receiver position heading into Week 2 and will be our No. 1 priority in any position this week.
The fantasy community needed more convincing to consider the third-year receiver for their fantasy teams. Unsurprisingly, managers showed incredible respect for the Cowboys' defense last week, but Shaheed remained criminally under-owned at 45% in ESPN leagues and 62% in Yahoo! leagues.
The Cowboys came in as the No. 1 ranked pass defense in DVOA after Week 1 and finished 7th in pass defense DVOA in 2023. After breaking out for 16.3 fantasy points against the lowly Panthers, Shaheed surely wasn't going to have a repeat performance against stiffer competition on the road... or so we thought.
Shaheed topped that return with 20.9 fantasy points while catching a 50-plus-yard touchdown for the second consecutive game this season. Shaheed has six touchdowns of 40-plus yards or more in nine career receiving touchdowns.
What is encouraging is star teammate Chris Olave also turned in a serviceable performance, with four receptions for 81 yards on the day.
Can Carr carry both receivers to being consistent fantasy assets in 2024? It might be too early to make sweeping conclusions, but the Saints passed a considerable litmus test in Big D on Sunday and will look to keep it going next week against a Philadelphia defensive unit on short rest.
2] Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams
14% ESPN | 42% Yahoo! | 15-20% FAAB
We have yet to make it to October, but these are scary times in Los Angeles. The Rams have experienced a nightmarish start to their season by losing their breakout star from last year in Puka Nacua and two starting offensive linemen after just one game to injured reserve.
Los Angeles took another body blow to its already shaky offense by losing former Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp to an ankle injury at halftime in Week 2. We expected quarterback Matthew Stafford to lean heavily on the two stars this season but the veteran will likely be without both star receivers against another stout defense in San Francisco in its home opener on Sunday.
During Sean McVay's weekly press conference, the Rams head coach said Kupp is a candidate for injured reserve and will miss "an extended period of time." With Kupp out for the foreseeable future, opportunity knocks for veteran Demarcus Robinson as he will be elevated to Stafford's No. 1 receiving option until Kupp can return to the lineup.
As mentioned in Week 2's waiver article, Robinson excels in McVay's offense with spatial awareness and timing with the structure of the route concepts. Robinson earned a role last year in McVay's predominately 11-personnel, filling in for an injured Kupp and Nacua, and the Rams rewarded him with a contract in the offseason.
Given the increased usage, Robinson should be in the flex conversation again this week, even with a tough matchup. We recommended teammate Tyler Johnson last week, and we could see his workload increase even more with the confirmation of Kupp's injury status.
3] Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
4% ESPN | 7% Yahoo! | 5-10% FAAB
The Chargers rushing attack has been a pleasant surprise after two weeks of the fantasy season. Los Angeles started the Jim Harbaugh era at 2-0 overall behind J.K Dobbins' excellent performances on the ground. Dobbins was our No. 1 waiver priority in any position last week, and he delivered massive fantasy points for managers. His 135 rushing yards set a Chargers franchise record for a debut in Week 1, and he followed that up with 131 yards against Carolina last Sunday.
With the success of the newfound run game, Los Angeles has been much less reliant on the passing game compared to previous years. Quarterback Justin Herbert has attempted just 43 passes through the first two weeks of the season but threw for two touchdowns to second-year receiver Quentin Johnston last week. Johnston turned six targets into 51 yards, leading the team on Sunday.
On Monday, the Chargers received good news when Herbert's X-rays returned negative on an injury he suffered during the 26-3 win against the Panthers.
Harbaugh's philosophy of a solid rushing attack and strong defense immediately changed the Chargers' history of being a pass-happy offense paradigm. When, not if, NFL defenses adjust to Los Angeles' tendencies, you might have the Chargers' No. 1 receiver for future lineup decisions or trailing situations.
Waiver Wire Running Backs for Week 3
1] Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
62% ESPN | 69% Yahoo! | 15-20% FAAB
As soon as Seattle's starter Kenneth Walker was listed as doubtful last Friday, it wasn't surprising to see second-year back Zach Charbonnet take on lead-back duties on Sunday. Still, Charbonnet remained below the 70% threshold despite the uncertainty of Walker's status with an oblique strain heading into Week 2.
Fantasy managers might've shied away from Charbonnet due to his inefficiency in the run game during the season opener against Denver. Playing behind Walker, he turned eight carries into 12 rushing yards but did score on a receiving touchdown in a 26-20 win over the visiting Broncos.
On Sunday, Charbonnet paid off his new fantasy managers with an increased workload to 14 totes for 38 yards and a touchdown. His five catches for 31 receiving yards gave him a top-10 PPR finish in Week 2. Charbonnet's value should remain viable in PPR leagues, even when Walker is ready to return to the lineup.
With Walker's status still murky as we head into Week 3 action, Charbonnet should find rosters in all fantasy formats with a matchup with the Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins.
2] Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs
2% ESPN | 3% Yahoo! | 10-15% FAAB
Besides Patrick Mahomes, Isiah Pacheco might be the most critical player in the Chiefs offense.
Following a loss to perennial contender Buffalo in 2022, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid needed to find a solution to tame the gunslinger mentality of Mahomes. That's when he started leaning on a feisty seventh-round running back from Rutgers and changed the paradigm of the Chiefs offense for the better.
Pacheco gave stability to the run game and returned the gameplan to a more balanced attack throughout the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl victory. He maintained his role in Reid's offense in 2023 and helped limit Mahomes' turnover-worthy plays for back-to-back championships.
The formula didn't change this season as Pacheco continued to trend toward heavy usage for the first two weeks. Now, the Chiefs will have to learn to live without their valuable underdog back since Pacheco could be out six to eight weeks with a fibula injury he suffered late in the Week 2 victory against the Bengals.
Pacheco was on his way to another monster fantasy day with 90 yards rushing and five receptions for 21 yards before the injury. Now, the Chiefs need to find another way to balance the offense and may have to turn to another unlikely source - undrafted rookie Carson Steele.
Before the Pacheco injury, Steele had already carved out a role as a short-yardage, early-down situational back in Reid's offense, including two rushes inside the five-yard line. Steele did lose a fumble early in the contest, but Reid didn't shy away from the rookie back. He was given two of the most critical rushes late to set up Harrison Butker's 51-yard game-winning field goal.
If it wasn't for a big man touchdown, Steele could've had more waiver wire attention heading into Week 3. This situation is fluid and must be monitored closely throughout the week as Kansas City is scheduled to bring former star Kareem Hunt for a workout on Tuesday. Stay tuned.
3] Braelon Allen, New York Jets
8% ESPN | 10% Yahoo! | 3-5% FAAB
At 20 years old, rookie Braelon Allen has already opened some eyes in the fantasy football community. Allen is still a clear handcuff to star Breece Hall. Still, he made the best of his opportunities with 33 rushing yards and a touchdown while turning four targets into two catches for 23 yards and another touchdown in the 24-17 victory over the Titans on Sunday.
His nine touches in Week 2 should place him squarely on fantasy benches as a premiere stash for future fantasy weeks. If your Hall manager continues to sleep on his handcuff, you could have an instant RB2/Flex option to swap in your lineup if Hall goes down for any reason.
Shame on you if you are the Hall manager and Allen is available. Insure your assets.
Waiver Wire Tight Ends for Week 3
1] Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
11% ESPN | 24% Yahoo! | 3-5% FAAB
You can get lost in analytics for skill position players in fantasy football, but for tight ends, it comes back to one stat: targets. Volume is king. There weren't many better options for fantasy tight ends than New England's Hunter Henry. The veteran turned in a monster day catching passes from Jacoby Brissett and turned 12 targets into 109 yards in an overtime loss to Seattle on Sunday.
Henry was the only Patriots pass catcher to receive double-digit targets against the Seahawks, as he mainly worked in the intermediate areas of the field.
In Week 1, Henry was only targeted three times for two catches and 18 yards in an upset over the Bengals. The Patriots seem to be adopting a run-heavy scheme under new head coach Jerod Mayo, so it will be interesting to see how consistent Henry can be in fantasy football this year.
He finished 2023 with six touchdowns and could be helpful in good matchups in the future.
2] Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
1% ESPN | 50% Yahoo! | 3-5% FAAB
Los Angeles took a giant step back last week with a 41-10 shellacking to divisional rival Arizona. The Cardinals came in as one of the worst-ranked pass defenses in DVOA last year and started this season with a whooping by Josh Allen and the Bills.
Heading into this game, McVay was 12-2 overall against the Cardinals in his six-year coaching career and outscored Arizona 401-213 since he took over in 2017. But it just wasn't there last Sunday. After the Rams lost Puka Nacua, Tyler Higbee, and two starting offensive linemen, Kyler Murray and Co. buried the Rams early in the desert.
As mentioned above, the Rams also lost All-Pro Cooper Kupp for an unspecified amount of time and will have to lean on secondary options very soon. One of those players is Colby Parkinson. Parkinson caught four balls for 47 yards in the opening night loss to Detroit and could produce similar stat lines in regular game scripts than what happened last Sunday.
3] Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
2% ESPN | 4% Yahoo! | 1-3% FAAB
The NFL is a copycat league. There is no better example than how the Cincinnati Bengals tried to attack the Kansas City defense last Sunday. The Chiefs escaped with a 27-20 win on opening night but not before giving up 111 yards and a touchdown to Isaiah Likely.
The Bengals similarly tried to utilize the tight end position in Week 2, and the primary benefactor was Mike Gesicki. The veteran turned nine targets into seven catches and 91 receiving yards. Gesicki bounced back from his Week 1 performance where he had four targets and three catches for 18 yards.
As long as Tee Higgins continues to miss time due to his hamstring injury, Gesicki could be a helpful fantasy option starting this week on Monday Night Football against a bottom-tier Washington pass defense.