• Bucky Irving leads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in rushing attempts: It seems like only a matter of time before he is the team's primary early-down running back.
• Jauan Jennings scores three touchdowns: The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver put up one of the best games of the season at the position.
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Estimated Reading Time: 26 minutes
With Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season nearly complete, here are the key players to target on the fantasy football waiver wire. Here, we'll cover options for smaller and deeper leagues and also highlight the players to avoid.
Jump to a position group:
QB | RB | WR | TE
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered in 24.2% of leagues on ESPN)
Fields went 25-for-32 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown while also running for a touchdown as the Steelers remained undefeated. The first important point is Pittsburgh's record; the more Fields wins, the less likely it is Russell Wilson will take the starting job.
Fields' performance was good enough to make him QB9 on the week. The biggest difference between Week 3 and his first two outings is he scored twice. The fact that he gained only six yards on six carries is also notable because, if anything, his rushing production should increase.
He’s among the top four quarterbacks in rushing attempts. If Fields combined his new passing efficiency with his rushing efficiency of past seasons, he would be a top-five fantasy quarterback. Even if that doesn’t happen, he should remain a fantasy starter in the right matchups.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (16.1%)
Darnold has finished as a top-six fantasy quarterback in each of the past two weeks. He completed 17 of his 28 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns in the Vikings' blowout Week 3 victory. His chance of rushing production is minimal, which is why he is below Fields for waivers, but Darnold could play even better. He hasn’t had Jordan Addison in the past two weeks, and star tight end T.J. Hockenson should return from injury at some point.
Darnold should be rostered over most quarterbacks who were drafted to be fantasy backups.
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (27.5%)
Smith remains a top-12 quarterback in fantasy points so far this season despite having a down Week 3. He completed more than 75% of his passes for nearly 300 yards but threw for one touchdown and two interceptions.
Even though the touchdowns haven’t always been there, Smith ranks third in passing yards in the Seahawks' new pass-friendly offense. All of his receivers have had at least one good week this season, and the offense should even improve with more time together. Smith can be put in fantasy starting lineups when the matchup is right.
Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (1.4%)
Dalton made his season debut in Week 3 and was the first quarterback this season to record 300-plus passing yards and three touchdowns in the same game. Most of the Panthers' skill players had their best game of the season. Carolina achieved this in a decisive victory, but there will also be weeks where the offense needs to throw a lot to play from behind. Dalton may be a one-week wonder, but it’s not often a quarterback who scores nearly 25 fantasy points is available in more than 95% of fantasy leagues.
Running Back
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32.7%)
Irving led the Buccaneers in rushing yards and yards per carry in each of the first two weeks, and he paced the team in rushing attempts in Week 3.
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