The first few weeks of the NFL season are when fantasy managers go to school. We find out which players might have been higher on team depth charts than we thought, who might be seeing more or fewer snaps, and which defenses are good or bad against the pass, the run, etc. With that said, it’s in these early games where we’re going to see the most action on the fantasy waiver wire. After all, no one wants to miss out on the next Puka Nacua!
Here's 10 players you should be looking to add off the waiver wire heading into the Sunday night game, including their roster percentages on a few different platforms. For a complete list of waiver adds at the conclusion of the week, be sure to tabs on Jen Piacenti’s list of fantasy free agents to target coming out on Tuesdays. Also, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt with me and Lindsay Rhodes five days a week!
1. Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints (ESPN – 9.5%; Yahoo! – 19%; Sleeper – 20%)
Derek Carr has been in the driver’s seat to open the season, scoring 43.1 points in his first two games. That includes a 21.8-point performance in a surprising, blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys. With new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak calling the shots, this unit has now scored 91 points in just two contests. Carr will have a plus matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles next.
2. Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN – 32%; Yahoo! – 20%; Sleeper – 33%)
Justin Fields hasn’t put up huge fantasy totals, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are winning games with him at the helm. As a result, head coach Mike Tomlin could decide to keep Fields as his starter, ahead of Russell Wilson, who has missed the first two games with an injured calf. Fields, a former top-10 fantasy quarterback, should be added even if it’s just as a backup, this week.
3. Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts (ESPN – 13.5%; Yahoo! – 28%; Sleeper – 23%)
Alec Pierce has opened the season on fire, scoring a pair of touchdowns and a combined 38.1 fantasy points. He’s also playing a full complement of snaps, seeing 53 in Week 2 (the most among Indianapolis Colts wideouts). I’m not sure he’ll keep up this level of consistent production, but it’s hard to ignore his numbers. Pierce will match up against the Bears in Week 3.
4. Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots (ESPN – 10%; Yahoo! – 24%; Sleeper – 22%)
The tight end position is a dumpster fire in the middle of a burning room, so when anyone shows signs of being useful in fantasy leagues, we have to take notice. Enter Hunter Henry, who played 57 snaps, saw 12 targets, caught eight passes for 109 yards and scored 18.9 points in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With those kinds of totals, Henry needs to be added.
5. Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings (ESPN – 46.7%; Yahoo! – 29%; Sleeper – 41%)
I liked Chandler as a deep sleeper in the preseason, so I was interested to see that he saw more carries than Aaron Jones in a win over the San Francisco 49ers. He had 10 attempts for 82 yards on the ground, averaging a bananas 8.2 yards per rush. Jones did see more snaps and targets, but I’d grab Chandler now. Remember, Jones isn’t the most durable back in the NFL.
6. Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings (ESPN – 5.6%; Yahoo! – 13%; Sleeper – 20%)
Sam Darnold looked good in Week 2, throwing for 268 yards with two touchdowns in a win over a solid San Francisco defense. In all, the USC product scored 19.9 points. In what is a high-octane pass attack under head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold should at least be rostered in fantasy leagues as a backup or matchup-based starter. He has the Houston Texans up next.
7. Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams (ESPN – 33.7%; Yahoo! – 42%; Sleeper – 54%)
The Los Angeles Rams won’t have Puka Nacua for at least another five weeks, and Cooper Kupp hurt his ankle in a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals. That leaves Robinson as a candidate to see a lot of targets from Matthew Stafford moving forward. I can also add Tyler Johnson and Tutu Atwell to this list, but Robinson is my preferred add especially if Kupp is forced to miss time.
8. Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (ESPN – 6.9%; Yahoo! – 6%; Sleeper – 17%)
Quentin Johnston had his best game as a pro in Week 2, scoring two touchdowns and 22.1 points in a win over the Carolina Panthers. One of the few healthy Los Angeles Chargers Chargers wideouts, he played 48 snaps (up from 37 last week) and led the team with six targets. I’m not sure what will change when the Bolts get D.J. Chark back and Josh Palmer isn’t limited, but Johnston is worth a look.
9. Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN – 2.5%; Yahoo! – 4%; Sleeper – 10%)
Mike Gesicki, who had a touchdown called back because of a penalty in Week 1, put up seven catches for 91 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. He led the Bengals in targets (9), believe it or not, and ranked in the top 10 in points among tight ends. You can also put in a claim for his teammate, Andrei Iosivas, but tight end is a far bigger need in most fantasy leagues.
10. Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets (ESPN – 7.4%; Yahoo! – 9%; Sleeper – 20%)
Braelon Allen didn’t play a ton of snaps (20) this week, but he did score a couple of touchdowns in a win over the Tennessee Titans. If nothing else, this performance should make anyone who has Breece Hall on their roster look to add the rookie as insurance. Should anything happen to the Jets No. 1 running back, Allen would instantly be on the RB2 radar in most leagues.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Early Fantasy Football Waiver Targets for Week 3 (Derek Carr, Justin Fields Move Up).