Week 3 Waiver Wire | Top Fantasy Football Pickups (2026)

by Wolf Trelles-Heard · Featured
Week 3 Waiver Wire

Each week throughout the 2026 season, Wolf Trelles-Heard brings you the “must-adds” every Tuesday. In this week’s Week 3 edition, he highlights players who are worth rostering from the waiver wire if you’ve got the room.

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Week 3 Shallow League Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will primarily apply to most home leagues and those with shorter benches, with players available in at least 25% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

Jordan Love, Packers (59% rostered) | $3-5

Holy smokes; get a load of Green Bay’s upcoming schedule: vs. Atlanta, at Tampa Bay, vs. Chicago, vs. Dallas, at Detroit, vs. Carolina. Not exactly a Murderers’ Row of defenses.

Jordan Love is coming off a weird game against the Jets. He threw for just 145 yards, but he did toss a pair of touchdowns in their narrow 20-17 win.

If you drafted Justin Herbert or just lost Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels as your QB1, Love looks like a great play through Halloween. With that schedule, he should be the top target for fantasy managers needing help at the position.

Other options: Kyler Murray, Vikings (57%)

Running Back

Rachaad White, Commanders (63%) | $4-6

If Rachaad White landed on waivers after a lackluster Week 1, make sure you scoop him up during this bid cycle. He looked much better against the Cowboys, averaging 6.1 yards per carry on seven rushes. He also caught all six of his targets for 40 yards.

Marcus Mariota is going to be the starting quarterback in the interim, which could work in White’s favor. It should mean less rushing from the QB position and more dump-offs. We know White is a prolific pass-catcher out of the backfield, and he should see more opportunities while Jayden Daniels is sidelined.

It won’t always be pretty, but in PPR, those catches matter. White finished as an RB1 for the week because of them, and should be a usable FLEX option going forward.

Other options: Woody Marks, Texans (53%)

Wide Receiver

Devaughn Vele, Saints (39%) | $7-10

Devaughn Vele was featured in last week’s waiver wire article. If you didn’t pick up the 6-foot-5 wideout, then make sure you do it this week.

Vele followed up his productive Week 1 with another solid outing, catching five of seven targets for 64 yards. He’s now up to 16 targets through two weeks and is clearly New Orleans’ No. 2 receiver after playing more than 90% of the snaps in both games.


At this point, Vele looks like an every-week starter in three-WR leagues, especially with upcoming contests against the Raiders and the Falcons. Vele should take precedence over all other options for managers in full-PPR leagues.

Other options: KC Concepcion Jr., Browns (68%), Romeo Doubs, Patriots (64%)

Tight End

Dalton Schultz, Texans (41%) | $3-5

I was surprised to see Dalton Schultz rostered in fewer than half of leagues. Facing a TE-funnel defense with Nico Collins sitting out, Schultz was set up for a smash week — and he didn’t disappoint those who played him.

In PPR scoring, Schultz finished as the TE1 on the week, thanks to 12 grabs for 140 yards. He’s now the TE5 through two weeks and has commanded a robust 23.6% target share.

Schultz is a must-start as long as Collins remains sidelined. That’s especially true this week against an Indianapolis defense that’s given up over 1,000 yards in two games and just got shredded by Travis Kelce. Beyond that, he appears to be headed for another top-10 fantasy season, something he’s accomplished in five of the last six seasons.

Other options: Juwan Johnson, Saints (56%)

Week 3 Standard Bench Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will primarily apply to most leagues with standard benches, with players available in at least 50% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

Bryce Young, Panthers (30%) | $3-5

Alright, maybe it’s time we start taking Bryce Young and this Carolina offense a little more seriously. The Panthers have the second-most points (71), behind only the Bills (77), and Young is the QB2, behind only Josh Allen.


The former No. 1 overall pick is off to a hot start, with seven total touchdowns and only one interception thus far. Young is also first in adjusted air yards per attempt (18.3), second in fantasy points per dropback (1.58), and eighth in EPA (+12.1), per PlayerProfiler data.

The good times should continue in the short term as well. Before Carolina’s Week 5 bye, Young gets the Browns this week and the Lions after that. If you waited on quarterback and ended up with Justin Herbert or Baker Mayfield, now is a good time to rectify that mistake and add Young, who’s playing as well as ever.

Other options: Tyler Shough, Saints (49%)

Running Back

Jonah Coleman, Broncos (32%) | $15-20

When Denver drafted Jonah Coleman in the fourth round, popular thinking was that he would serve as insurance against a J.K. Dobbins injury. It didn’t take long for that to come to fruition. On a day when RJ Harvey was already sidelined with a hamstring injury, Dobbins also hurt his hamstring and missed the rest of the game against the Jaguars.

Coleman took over and looked the part. He finished with 39 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries while chipping in three receptions for 19 yards. His 14.8 fantasy points were good for a top-10 finish at the position.


With both guys ahead of him dealing with bum hammies, Coleman should be a priority add for everyone. Don’t be afraid to drop some serious FAAB on this rookie.

Other options: Tyjae Spears, Titans (44%), Alvin Kamara, Saints (38%), Tank Bigsby, Eagles (26%)

Wide Receiver

Denzel Boston, Browns (35%) | $5-7

It’s only been two games, but Denzel Boston is producing like a borderline WR1 for fantasy. A garbage-time score propped him up in Week 1, but he looked awesome against the Buccaneers last week.

Boston was targeted seven times, reeling in five for 95 yards and a touchdown. He scored on a ball over the middle, breaking three tackles and outracing Tampa Bay’s secondary for a 55-yard trip to the house.

With so many receivers on the mend right now, Boston can be plugged in as a starter in three-WR formats. The touchdowns won’t happen every week, but the second-round pick appears to be Cleveland’s  No. 1 wideout after earning a 24% target share in Week 2.

Other options: Tre Tucker, Raiders (27%)

Tight End

Oronde Gadsden II, Chargers (14%) | $1-2

After a highly successful rookie campaign, Oronde Gadsden II seemed destined for a Year 2 leap. The team threw cold water on that idea, though, when they signed Charlie Kolar and David Njoku. Well, both of those guys left Sunday’s game with injuries, opening the door for Gadsden to make an impact. He only saw two targets, but he snagged both for 18 yards and a score.

With how dreadful the Chargers have looked through two weeks, they should be trailing a ton during a brutal upcoming slate. Gadsden will see a bump in playing time and targets now that Njoku and Kolar are on IR, making him an intriguing add for tight end-needy fantasy managers.

Other options: T.J. Hockenson, Vikings (47%)

Week 3 Deep League Waiver Wire Targets

Note: This range will apply to leagues with deeper benches and more experienced managers, with players available in at least 75% of leagues. Each player is listed with their current rostered percentage and a recommended FAAB bid range for a $100 budget. All values are in reference to six-point per passing touchdown leagues with PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.

Quarterback

Marcus Mariota, Commanders (1%) | $0-1 ($10-15 in Superflex)

It looks like Marcus Mariota is on the fantasy radar again, at least for the next several weeks. Unfortunately, Jayden Daniels suffered another injury to his left elbow, which will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. Mariota took over after halftime against Dallas and played well, completing 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.

You’re not playing him this week against the Seahawks, but he has softer matchups after that against the Colts and the Giants. In single-QB leagues, you should have much better options on the waiver wire, but in Superflex, Mariota might be a viable QB2 beginning in Week 4.

Other options: Jameis Winston, Giants (1%), Michael Penix, Falcons (3%), Tyler Bagent, Bears (1%)

Running Back

Braelon Allen, Jets (17%) | $2-3

While he’s not putting up a ton of fantasy points, Braelon Allen continues to be involved. He opened the season with 10 carries for 40 yards. This past Sunday, he managed only 15 total yards on six touches against Green Bay, but he did score a touchdown.

Breece Hall is undoubtedly the lead back; nothing to worry about there. But Allen did get two of the three red-zone opportunities, including the only carry inside the 10, which he converted into the aforementioned score.


With New York’s offense performing better than expected, there’s a chance Allen ends up being Zach Charbonnet-lite as a goal-line threat. He’s worth a couple of bucks, especially if you need some RB depth.

Other options: Emmett Johnson, Chiefs (24%), Chris Brooks, Packers (17%)

Wide Receiver

Keon Coleman, Bills (3%) | $0-1

Keep an eye on injury reports concerning DJ Moore. If he’s going to miss any time, then the much-maligned Keon Coleman deserves some consideration in deeper leagues.

After just one catch for one yard in the season opener, Coleman came up big on a night where Moore left with a shoulder injury. He caught all six of his targets for 62 yards and was a chain-moving machine, with four of those receptions resulting in first downs.

In an offense led by the hottest quarterback in the league right now, Coleman might provide some FLEX-worthy output if he sees his role expand in the interim.

Other options: Dontayvion Wicks, Eagles (22%), Rashod Bateman, Ravens (22%), Adonai Mitchell, Jets (15%)

Tight End

Darren Waller, Panthers (5%) | $1-2

As long as Bryce Young keeps slinging it around the yard, Darren Waller needs to be rostered in deeper leagues. The 34-year-old hasn’t seen a ton of volume — just five targets through two games — but he’s caught all five for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Waller is also leading the tight end position in EPA per target (1.38), per Dynatyze data.

With favorable matchups against Cleveland and Detroit the next two weeks, there’s a decent chance Waller finds pay dirt again. You probably only need to spend a buck to add him, and he makes for a decent plug-and-play option, especially in standard and half-PPR formats.

Other options: Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (18%), Terrance Ferguson, Rams (17%)

Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for PlayerProfiler.

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