Here’s a look at our waiver wire rankings, along with feedback from our experts, Dan Harris, Kyle Yates, Joe Pisapia, and Pat Fitzmaurice.
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Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?
I’m just going to assume that this is the final straw that forces fantasy managers to pick up Rondale Moore because, if not, it’s a lost cause. When you have a player like Moore – who is routinely heavily involved despite a limited snap share – then you can and should have strong confidence that he’s going to be a consistent fantasy asset for the remainder of the year. Moore played just 46% of the snaps on Sunday against the Vikings and yet led the team in targets and yards, and tied for the lead in receptions and touchdowns. When Moore is in the game, Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray plan for him to get the ball. He’ll succeed at his current snap percentage, he’ll be even better as he continues to increase his role, and he could be dominant with an injury in front of him.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
Throughout the entire off-season, we had talked frequently about Darnell Mooney being a late-round value. This wasn’t necessarily because of how he was going to perform with Andy Dalton at QB, but more about what he could be with Justin Fields at QB. With Fields looking likely to step in as the starting QB for the Bears in relief of the injured Andy Dalton, Mooney should skyrocket up Rest-Of-Season Rankings. We saw him put together a very solid performance in week two against the Bengals and there was certainly the potential for an even bigger game with some just missed receptions. It’s not a huge gap from Mooney to my No. 2 option on my Waiver Wire Rankings for week three, but he’s someone I’d be going after and trying to get onto my team.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Rondale Moore has now seen 13 targets over the first two weeks of the season and hauled in 11 of them for 182 yards and a TD. Best of all, he faces the Jaguars in Week 3. Moore has emerged as the upside WR we had hoped for in an offense led by one of the top 5 QBs in the league. Rostered in just 26% of leagues, Moore should go from free agent to starter in many lineups this week.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
NFL fans are starting to realize what Purdue and other Big Tens fans have known for a few years: Rondale Moore is special. This 5-9, 180-pound stick of dynamite had his first professional touchdown and first 100-yard game in Week 2, and he already has 11 catches in two games. The TD was a 77-yarder, and that sort of explosiveness is Moore’s stock-in-trade. He has sub-4.4 speed and seems to play even faster. The kid is a blur. Ignore the snap counts here. Moore isn’t on the field for every down, but when he does get on the field, Kliff Kingsbury schemes up ways to get him the ball. Adding to Moore’s value is that he plays with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Q2. Which high-end waiver wire option for Week 3 was the most difficult to rank?
Cordarrelle Patterson landed at No. 4 overall in my waiver wire rankings and that doesn’t necessarily feel great. We’ve seen this before from CP, where he’s had some bigger performances here or there and then disappears, but he seems to be a key part of this offense in Atlanta. The reason he lands at No. 2 overall is because of his positional versatility. The majority of fantasy football platforms have Patterson listed as a WR, but he’s being used primarily as an RB in this scheme. This is a major advantage for fantasy football and he should continue to see plenty of touches moving forward. However, he also has the potential to disappear again next week because we’ve seen this play out before.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Ty Johnson “looked the best” of anyone in the Jets backfield, but he received zero love in the receiving game. Granted, Zach Wilson‘s turnovers didn’t help with those opportunities. The other difficult part is the Jets travel to Denver next week, a tough defense and environment for opposing running backs.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Henry Ruggs. He was being shut out for much of the Raiders’ Week 1 game against the Ravens, then made a couple of big catches down the stretch and followed up with a big day in Week 2. The speed and athleticism are appealing, but it’s taken Ruggs a long time to get traction, and we know Darren Waller is going to suck up a lot of oxygen in that passing game. Ruggs might not even be the best second-year receiver on his own team — Bryan Edwards is pretty intriguing, too. Ruggs has a boom-or-bust profile, and I’m not sure which way to bet.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Q3. For managers renting a D/ST in Week 3, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?
The clear answer here is the Carolina Panthers. They’ll be most likely taking on Davis Mills – a rookie QB out of Stanford – that is probably good for an interception or two. Additionally, the Panthers have been playing extremely well so far this year and they just shut down the Saints offense that threw for five passing touchdowns the week prior. Carolina’s at the top of my list.
– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
The Cardinals gave up a lot of points and big plays to the Vikings in Week 2, but in Week 3 they play the Jaguars, so I am going to roll with that matchup and hope Chandler Jones can have a day against that below-average Jacksonville offensive line.
– Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
The Panthers’ defense has been a well-kept secret, but Carolina’s smothering of the New Orleans offense in Week 2 was an attention-getter. A week after the Saints hung 38 packers on the Packers, they were held to seven points and just 128 yards by a swarming Panther defense. Brian Burns, Shaq Thompson, Haason Reddick and DaQuan Jones aren’t household names, but they’re part of one of the best front sevens in the league. The Panthers also happen to get a dream matchup Thursday night with the Texans, who’ll be quarterbacked by rookie Davis Mills.
– Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
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Notable Week 3 FAB Recommendations (in %)
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Q4. Which Week 3 waiver wire option carries the biggest risk of being a waste of FAB dollars?
There are going to be plenty of people that see that Zack Moss scored multiple touchdowns in week two and go after him on the waiver wire. However, you need to exercise caution with acquiring Moss in fantasy football. He was a healthy scratch in week one and he still only received eight total carries in this game. He got that work because the Bills were up by multiple scores and they were just attempting to run out the clock on the Dolphins. With Devin Singletary still involved, Moss isn't going to be ranked higher than a low-end RB3 in my weekly rankings, so don't go overboard and think that you can expect this type of production week in and week out.
- Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios both had moments for the Jets in Week 2 in a tough matchup. However, Denver in Week 3 is another tough one for Zach Wilson, so the upside of both will be capped by Wilson's growing pains as a starter in the NFL.
- Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Spending FAB dollars on 30-year-old Cordarrelle Patterson feels counterintuitive, but he may well be the best running back on the Falcons' roster, and he's certainly the most explosive.
- Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Thank you to the experts for naming their top waiver targets. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you're not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.
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