There’s a good chance you might need to hit the waiver wire this week after one of the most injury-filled weeks of NFL football in recent memory.
The following players suffered various ailments we'll either need to monitor or whose production needs to be replaced pronto: Julio Jones, Sammy Watkins, Tyrod Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Will Fuller, Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Davante Adams, Breshad Perriman and Parris Campbell.
Fantasy teams have the potential to look barren ahead of next week when accounting for all these injuries, which is why we need to know exactly how to navigate the Week 3 waiver wire.
I've limited the list to players rostered in around 50% of Yahoo leagues or less, with deep league options at every position as well, while also including my thoughts on FAB (Free Agent Budget) bids and how much to spend on each player accordingly.
QUARTERBACKS
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars – 32% Rostered, 10% of FAB
The second-year quarterback headlined my Week 2 waiver wire column, but clearly none of y’all got the memo considering his rostered percentage only went up by 7%. This needs to be the week to go and get Gardner Minshew.
He had another outstanding fantasy performance (32.46 fantasy points) in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans and is currently the QB11 just behind reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.
His next four games are all against bad defenses — Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions — further cementing Minshew as a priority add and a startable fantasy asset for the next month before his bye week in Week 7.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans – 46% Rostered, 10% of FAB
It’s been two straight weeks of elite production for Ryan Tannehill, who is currently the QB9 in fantasy land. His numbers are likely to continue an upward trajectory with the team facing off against a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed the fifth-most passing yards and touchdown passing percentage (7.2%).
Part of Tannehill’s success through the first two weeks has come from the fact that he has not been pressured much — he's faced just a 27.8% pressure rate per dropback, which ranks 18th through the first two weeks.
Tannehill won't likely see much pressure against the Vikings, who rank bottom-four in total pressures (16) so far. And even if Minnesota can generate pressure, the Titans’ quarterback is performing extremely well under pressure once again — he trails only Josh Allen (four) in touchdown passes on passing plays under pressure. Last season, Tannehill posted the second-highest passer rating under pressure (98.4).
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