Yahoo Fantasy Sports posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to express how the fantasy football realm hasn't gone quite how many people expected through the first two weeks:
Players who weren't even being drafted in fantasy football leagues such as Packers quarterback Jordan Love, the Rams tandem of running back Kyren Williams and rookie sensation Puka Nacua, in addition to Patriots tight end Hunter Henry all rank within the top three of their respective positions in fantasy points scored through two weeks.
With waivers processing on Wednesday mornings in most leagues, there is a chance someone in your league already claimed these players. But these players are still rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy football leagues, so make sure to scoop them as quickly as possible for Week 3 if you can.
Fantasy football QB waiver pickups, Week 3
CJ Stroud, Houston Texans (15 percent rostered)
CJ Stroud has looked the part of an NFL quarterback in his first two starts, delivering the ball accurately and making several well-timed throws. The Texans have been much pass-happier than anyone expected with Stroud attempting 44 and 47 passes in the past two weeks and they now head to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in Week 3, where they're 9.5-point underdogs.
The Texans are expected to welcome Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil back into the mix after he missed Week 2 with a knee injury, which should only help Stroud. They also have capable pass catchers surrounding Stroud such as veteran wideout Robert Woods, ascending third-year receiver Nico Collins, talented rookie receiver Tank Dell, and a reliable tight end target in Dalton Schultz.
Stroud was playing with a sore shoulder in Week 2 and still managed to throw for nearly 400 yards in Week 2 (384) and added two touchdowns. While it has yet to result in additional fantasy production, he has attempted at least three rushes in each of his first two games. Any added points he could provide with his legs would be a boon to his fantasy value.
Stroud looks to be in command of the Texans offense and should only continue to improve as time goes on this season.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18 percent rostered)
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has looked solid through his first two games as a member of the Buccaneers after signing a one-year prove-it deal this offseason. He has 34 pass attempts in both of his two starts as a member of the Buccaneers while also recording eight and six rush attempts in each game.
Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales played a major role in Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith turning around his career in Seattle last year (he was the quarterback coach) and now he is working his magic with Mayfield, who continues to look more comfortable in the offense with each drive.
Mayfield is forming a strong connection with stud wide receiver Mike Evans, who has accounted for 237 of Mayfield's 490 passing yards thus far. In addition to Evans, Mayfield also has another premiere receiving option in Chris Godwin, who has proven to be a reliable alternative in the middle of the field for the Bucs signal-caller.
The Bucs will host the reigning NFC Champion Eagles on Monday Night Football in a battle of two 2-0 teams, where they are five-point road underdogs. If the spread is any indication, Week 3 should make for a great fantasy environment for Mayfield and the Bucs offense to continue their productive start to the season
Fantasy football RB waiver pickups, Week 3
Tony Jones Jr., New Orleans Saints (12 percent rostered)
It wasn't the most inspiring fill-in performance for Tony Jones Jr. when running back Jamaal Williams went down with a hamstring injury, but it got the job done. Jones logged 12 carries and two receptions, scoring two touchdowns along the way in Week 2 after Williams left the game. Despite the inefficiency of Jones Jr. sans Williams, the volume is noteworthy.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara is still suspended for one more game before being set to return for the Saints in Week 4 and Williams is set to miss "some time" according to head coach Dennis Allen. Rookie running back Kendre Miller has been nursing a nagging hamstring injury of his own that has kept him sidelined to start the season but has a chance to return in Week 3.
Even if Miller returns to the lineup, he is still a rookie who was sidelined throughout training camp due to lingering knee and hamstring injuries. While the Saints would love to give their dynamic third-round rookie plenty of work in his first taste of NFL action (especially without Williams/Kamara), he may not be ready to handle that type of workload.
Jones is a veteran running back who is familiar with the system after spending four of his five NFL seasons with the Saints, paving the way for him to potentially step into a large workload in Week 3.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (19 percent rostered)
Tyjae Spears continues to play nearly as many snaps as All-World running back Derrick Henry and Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has even shown a willingness to have both backs on the field at the same time. In Week 1, Spears outsnapped Henry 34 to 30 but the pendulum swung back in Henry's favor for Week 2 when Henry played 46 snaps to Spears' 24. Spears still managed to earn 10 touches in Week 2 despite the larger gap in snap totals.
Spears is a talented third-round rookie who shined in his final season at Tulane. He ran for 1,581 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry, scoring 19 touchdowns through the ground. He added 22 receptions for 256 yards and two more touchdowns through the air en route to earning 2022 AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Given his draft capital and skillset, he is a running back worthy of a flier in the event anything were to happen to Henry, but also has a chance to offer standalone value if he continues logging snaps at this rate.
Fantasy football WR waiver pickups, Week 3
Allen Robinson II, Pittsburgh Steelers (12 percent rostered)
Many of us have been burned by Allen Robinson in recent years, but it is time to move past that. After two rough stints with the Bears and Rams, the Rams traded Robinson to the Steelers with two years remaining on his contract. The Rams are paying $10 million of Robinson's salary in 2023 in exchange for the Steelers taking him off their hands. Yikes.
However, Steelers alpha wide receiver Diontae Johnson was added to the IR before the team's game on Monday Night Football, meaning he is officially expected to miss at least the next three games. Johnson's absence creates an opportunity for Robinson to step into a full-time role on an offense desperately in need of someone to step up and contribute.
Robinson has logged a healthy 88 percent of the Steelers offensive snaps through two games and earned eight targets in Week 1, turning them into five receptions for 64 yards. He followed it up with a disappointing Week 2, where he only saw 3 targets and pulled in two of them for 12 yards.
However, the Steelers just played against what are arguably the two best defensive units in the NFL in their first two games (the 49ers and Browns). The schedule softens up over the next couple of weeks with road games against the Raiders and Texans before the Steelers return home for a divisional battle against the Ravens in Week 5.
A former Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard campaigns to his name in his career, Robinson has a chance to carve out a role for himself and earn significant targets over the next few weeks sans Jonnson.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (29 percent rostered)
The main selling point for Rashee Rice is his connection to All-World quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an Andy Reid-coached offense. The Chiefs spent a second-round pick on Rice in this year's NFL Draft – the draft capital invested in him suggests the team believes in his ability to make an impact for a receiving core lacking weapons beyond All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
Rice had an encouraging Week 1 performance against the Lions, reeling in three of his five targets for 29 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. He earned five targets despite only playing 31 percent of the offensive snaps, which shows Mahomes believes in Rice to make plays when he is on the field.
Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have struggled with drops and been limited to mostly gadget-type roles in their young careers, not to mention Toney has struggled to stay healthy in his brief time as a pro. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a capable veteran receiver, but we know what he is when it comes to fantasy football – a dart throw WR5 that you hope scores a long touchdown off a Mahomes bomb. Running back Jerick McKinnon operated as the Chiefs de facto WR2 last year, catching 56 passes for 512 and nine touchdowns.
If Rice can continue to separate himself from the rest of the pack, he could be the second option this passing game desperately needs behind Rashee Rice.
Fantasy football TE waiver pickups, Week 3
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys (40 percent rostered)
Per Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, Jake Ferguson leads the NFL in red zone targets and is the only player with more than five targets in the red zone. He is also tied with Sam LaPorta, Dalton Schultz, and Logan Thomas for the fourth most targets amongst tight ends (11) thus far through the first two weeks of the season.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has had a propensity for targeting his tight ends throughout his career. Former Cowboys legend and tight end Jason Witten was on the back nine of his career when Prescott emerged as the Cowboys starting quarterback, but he still had fantasy relevance and Dalton Schultz just finished as a top-10 tight end in 2022 in PPR leagues and earned himself a big payday with the Texans.
Prescott targeted a tight end on 25.1 percent of his dropbacks last season and Schultz had a 31 percent endzone target rate according to 4for4. The bar for being a fantasy-relevant tight end isn't very high nowadays.
Ferguson has played 65 percent of the Cowboys offensive snaps through two weeks and has already established a connection with his quarterback and a prominent redzone role. Ferguson could easily turn into a weekly touchdown-dependent TE1 by the season's end.
Durham Smythe, Miami Dolphins (1 percent rostered)
Durham Smythe may not be the flashiest name on your waiver wire, but he is a full-time player (has played on 99 percent of the offensive snaps) and starting tight end on what may be the most high-powered offense in the NFL. The Dolphins are currently ranked third in the NFL in points per game, averaging 30 points per contest.
This is a very concentrated offense, which is good for fantasy purposes. They rely on their two stud wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle with a little help from Smythe and their running game. Smythe currently ranks fourth amongst tight ends in routes run thus far through the first two weeks of the season according to Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life.
Unfortunately, Waddle is currently in concussion protocol, which could potentially create additional opportunity for Smythe, who has recorded three receptions in consecutive games to start the 2023 campaign. Smythe posted seven targets in Week 1 and now faces a defense that allowed the Commanders tight end trio of Logan Thomas, John Bates, and Cole Turner to combine for seven receptions, 89 yards, and a touchdown.
Even if Waddle manages to clear concussion protocol in time for Sunday's game, Smythe is worthy of a flier.