Working the Fantasy football waiver wire early in the season is one of the biggest challenges a manager can have, but it’s critical to season-long success and there are few things more satisfying than landing a week-in, week-out starter on waivers. Jordan Mason has already become that after back-to-back games with at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown filling in for injured 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. With Fantasy football injuries mounting, there are several Week 3 Fantasy football waiver targets worth consideration, but how much free agent acquisition budget should you be willing to invest?
Derek Carr, Jauan Jennings, Hunter Henry, Samaje Perine and Tutu Atwell are just a handful of the players who will be on the radar. So how can you use the Fantasy football waiver wire and free agency to improve your Week 3 Fantasy football lineups? Before making any Week 3 Fantasy football waiver wire claims, be sure to see what SportsLine Fantasy football analyst Scott Engel has to say.
An inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame, Engel has contributed to many outlets during his 25 years in the industry, including The Athletic, SiriusXM FantasySports Radio, ESPN.com, NFL.com, the Associated Press, Yahoo Sports, SI.com, the New York Post, USA Today, RotoBaller, and of course, CBSSports.com.
Now, he’s revealed his top waiver wire pick from among the widely available Fantasy football free agents entering Week 3. You can see his top Fantasy NFL waiver wire picks and full analysis over at SportsLine.
Top Fantasy football waiver wire picks for Week 3
One player Engel is advising Fantasy players to target on the Week 3 waiver wire: Chiefs running back Carson Steele. After two seasons where he generated at least 1,000 scrimmage yards at Ball State, Steele transferred to play his final collegiate season at UCLA and racked up 1,000 more scrimmage yards in the Pac 12. He finished his career with 3,780 scrimmage yards and 30 touchdowns and now he’s in line for a featured role after Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken fibula against the Bengals last week.
“Published reports have indicated that the undrafted first-year pro may get a shot at being the main ball carrier while Pacheco is out and Clyde Edwards-Helaire is also unavailable (illness),” Engel told SportsLine. “He landed a roster spot after carrying 11 times for 87 yards and two TDs in the preseason. Listed at 6-foot and 228 pounds, Steele may get the initial edge on inside running and goal-line opportunities while the Kansas City RB situation is more firmly figured out on the fly.”
Engel is also strongly recommending Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston. The offseason departures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams created a target void in Los Angeles and Johnston is starting to fill it in his second season. He had five catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns last week in a win over the Panthers and he’s been targeted at least five times in each of the first two games of 2024.
“Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers will remain heavily committed to the running game. Yet when Justin Herbert looks downfield, the 2023 first-round pick may be a frequent target for him this season. Johnston’s statistical floor may not be high in certain weeks, yet the ceiling can be satisfying enough in his spike weeks,” Engel said. See who else to target on the Fantasy football waiver wire at SportsLine.
How to set your Week 3 waiver wire claims
Engel is also all-in on a wide receiver who is likely to see his role increased. This player is widely available and could be a huge boost to your Fantasy football lineup. You can only see who it is at SportsLine.
So which players should you target on the Fantasy football waiver wire before Week 3, and which wide receiver is a must-add? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning Fantasy football free agents entering Week 3, all from a Fantasy football hall-of-famer with 25 years of experience, and find out.
