Thankfully, the injury bug didn’t bite anywhere near as hard as it did in Week 2. However, there still were several shifts and changes across the NFL landscape this past week.
We dig deep every week in our waiver wire advice. Below you’ll see recommendations for shallow, regular and deep leagues. Players are listed in order of priority and the suggested auction budget percentage is in parentheses.
Keep in mind that some leagues may be more aggressive or conservative in terms of bidding, so know your league tendencies. Regardless of the size of your league, it’s suggested that you work your way down the list and prioritize the top players in your waiver claims for this week.
Shallow leagues (8-10 teams)
Quarterback
1. Jameis Winson, Tampa Bay (7%) — Quarterbacks are plentiful in shallow leagues, but those hurting at the position will want to take a long look at Winston. Only Trevor Siemian outscored him in Week 3, and that was his second top-five fantasy week of the season. Winston will be inconsistent at times — he also gets tough matchups in the next two weeks — but he’s worth a roster spot with the bye weeks starting up.
Running back
1. Christine Michael, Seattle (50%) — He’s likely owned, but break the bank for Michael if he isn’t. With Thomas Rawls set to miss multiple weeks, Michael is in the driver’s seat in the Seattle backfield. He should be considered a front-end RB2 with weekly RB1 upside.
2. Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota (25%) — Another player who isn’t likely to be available, but should be owned in all formats. It wasn’t a huge week for McKinnon, but to be fair, the matchup against the Panthers was far from optimal. The important thing is he out-touched Matt Asiata 17-7. McKinnon is an RB2 going forward.
3. Jordan Howard, Chicago (15%) — With Jeremy Langford out the next four to six weeks with an ankle sprain, Howard is the best bet to be the Bears’ lead back. The rookie has a three-down skillset, and should be involved as both a runner and receiver with Langford out. He’s in the back-end RB2 conversation.
4. Dwayne Washington, Detroit (15%) — Theo Riddick proved woefully ineffective as a between the tackles runner in Week 3, so Washington’s early-down role should expand. He projects for some healthy workloads in positive game scripts where the Lions get out to a lead.
Wide receiver
1. Terrelle Pryor, Cleveland (25%) — The converted quarterback is playing darn good football right now and is coming off an eight-catch, 144-yard performance despite Cody Kessler being under center for the Browns. Pryor is rapidly trending up and will retain a big role in the Cleveland offense even when Josh Gordon returns.
2. Tyrell Williams, San Diego (20%) — Still available in some shallow leagues, Williams needs to be added after another healthy workload. He saw nine targets in Week 3, catching six for 69 yards. Williams should be considered a WR3 with big play upside.
3. Kevin White, Chicago (15%) — It wasn’t a big statistical day for White in Week 3, but he saw his first double-digit target game and racked up five deep-ball targets. He very likely was dropped at some point in the first two weeks, and is worth adding in all formats.
Tight end
1. Jimmy Graham, Seattle (15%) — Guess who’s back? Graham posted 100 yards for only the third time in the last three years, and looked good in the process. He’s back on the TE1 radar and should be 100 percent owned across all league sizes.
2. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota (10%) — Rudolph continues to be a big part of the Vikings offense, catching 7-of-10 targets for 70 yards and a score in Week 3. Through three weeks, only Greg Olsen and Jordan Reed have seen more targets among tight ends. Rudolph is now a fringe TE1.
Regular leagues (12 teams)
Quarterback
1. Dak Prescott, Dallas (5%) — Prescott is a priority streamer this week against the 49ers. He hasn’t racked up touchdown passes, but the rookie has been very consistent and efficient under center. Last week, only Aaron Rodgers had more fantasy points per dropback.
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