Week 3 Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Adds: Carson Steele or Samaje Perine?

We had our first big running back injury of the season (not counting Christian McCaffrey’s preseason injury) this week, as Isiah Pacheco is set to be out for six to eight weeks with a fractured fibula. Unfortunately, the Chiefs are not one of the teams with a clear handcuff to step right in as this week’s obvious top waiver add. 

In this article, I’ll break down which of KC’s backs is my preferred target, as well as some other running backs to add to your team this week. Let’s get started!

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Week 3 Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Adds

Carson Steele (2.6% Rostered) & Samaje Perine (3.7% Rostered), Kansas City Chiefs

I’m grouping these two together because they are inextricably linked. One of these two will be the Chiefs’ lead back, barring a triumphant return by Clyde Edwards-Helaire from the NFI or Kareem Hunt from retirement/washed-ness.

Perine, a former Bengal and Bronco who only joined the Chiefs just before Week 1, is certainly more of a passing-down back than Steele. But Steele, a UDFA rookie out of UCLA, has nine carries to Perine’s zero so far this season. 

Unfortunately, I think that splits points to the most likely outcome, which would be a disappointing one for fantasy managers: Steele and Perine are going to split time. Both will be involved, with Perine playing more as a pass-catcher and Steele seeing more early down work. In that scenario, although both are still must-add players, neither is likely to be more than a flex play. 

As for which to prioritize on waivers this week, that depends on your league format and situation. Perine has a higher ceiling, as Steele is very unlikely to ever have a three-down role. But, assuming the split plays out as anticipated, Steele will be the better weekly play, except perhaps in full PPR leagues. If you need an RB to plug into your roster for Week 3, I recommend Steele. If you want to swing for the fences, especially in a full PPR league, there’s an outside chance Perine becomes a league-winner as a three-down back in the Chiefs’ offense.  

D'Onta Foreman, Cleveland Browns (1.9% Rostered)

After playing just one snap in the Browns’ Week 1 game, Foreman started in Week 2 and easily led the team in carries. Foreman turned his 14 carries into 42 yards, also catching his only target for nine yards. 

On the positive side, Foreman has quietly been a very efficient rusher over the last few years, so he should hold on to an early-down role. On the negative side, he still saw five fewer snaps than Jerome Ford and is unlikely to ever see more than marginal receiving work. He’s worth adding, but is still just a desperation flex play for now.   

Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans (4.1% Rostered)

Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury on Sunday night, returning to the game briefly but eventually exiting for good. In his absence, Cam Akers took over as the Texans’ lead early-down back, but Pierce is actually the better pickup. 

In Week 1, Pierce served as Mixon’s backup, while Akers was a healthy scratch. Pierce missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury but should reclaim the RB2 spot when he returns, especially given that Akers fumbled on one of his seven carries on Sunday. However, if both Pierce and Mixon are trending toward not playing, Akers becomes a priority add as the primary early-down back in an elite offense. Otherwise, Pierce is the pickup as the handcuff for an already-injured Mixon. 

Braelon Allen, New York Jets (8.9% Rostered)

In a week full of massive RB performances, Allen finished as the Half-PPR RB7. The rookie finished with 56 total yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and four targets, making the most of his opportunities when spelling Breece Hall. He also looks like the real deal, with a very solid 71.9 PFF Rush Grade through two weeks. 

With that said, there’s a very good chance this was the best week of Allen’s rookie season. He is not going to steal enough touches from Hall to have standalone value in anything but the deepest of leagues. He has shown the situation and talent to be a top-tier handcuff, but don’t add him expecting anything more than that. 

Antonio Gibson, New England Patriots (29.4% Rostered)

Another AFC East backup running back, Gibson is in a similar situation to Allen. He performed well this week, finishing with 96 yards on 11 carries, including an impressive 45-yard gain. But his role is too limited to start him on a weekly basis. 

However, if Rhamondre Stevenson were to go down, Gibson would immediately be a weekly RB2, at least. Backup running backs sometimes actually see more volume than a team’s original starter following an injury, and this looks like one of those cases (the Patriots’ RB3 is JaMycal Hasty). New England’s offense isn’t great, so Gibson isn’t a truly top-tier handcuff, but he’s worth stashing in deeper leagues. 

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers (17.8% Rostered)

Lloyd appeared in last week’s article, but he merits another mention after making his NFL debut on Sunday. In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Lloyd carried the ball six times for 15 yards as the Packers did all they could to keep Malik Willis from throwing the ball. He is the handcuff to Josh Jacobs, with the potential to carve out a role in this backfield even with Jacobs healthy. 

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25.9% Rostered)

Irving also featured in last week’s article, but he once again outperformed Rachaad White in terms of efficiency in Week 2. White also picked up a minor groin injury, which could help the rookie’s role grow faster than expected. He should absolutely be rostered in more than just a quarter of leagues, as he is one of the few backup RBs with both handcuff upside and a real chance to eventually claim his team’s RB1 job.