Week 3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire FantasySP Expert Tips: Derek Carr, Quentin Johnston, Demarcus Robinson and More

The waiver wire is one of the most important things in fantasy football. The draft is obviously huge: You need to grab the right superstars and have a good stable of talent to carry you for most of the season. Late-week free agents are also key to building your lineup week to week, as you will often grab a defense and kicker at that time (and probably an injury fill-in along the way).

On waivers, though, is where you generally get the biggest impact players and those primed for expanded roles after an injury or benching. Given its importance, the experts at FantasySP gathered to ponder a few questions related to the waiver wire and player acquisition heading into Week 3.

Mark Morales-Smith, Morgan Rode and Daniel Hepner answered five questions about player additions before we fully get into Week 3 of the fantasy football season.

Who is your favorite waiver pickup heading into Week 3?

Morgan: There aren’t many great ones this week, so I’m going to say Derek Carr. He’s been great through two weeks and has a favorable matchup in Week 3 to try to take advantage of.

Daniel: Carson Steele may take over something close to a bell cow role in Kansas City with Isiah Pacheco out, and running back is the hardest position to fill. While more roster moves might be coming, Steele is currently positioned for a lot of touches.

Mark: Demarcus Robinson is the guy here. With both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua out for an extended length of time, I don’t see how the new WR1 in a Sean McVay offense isn’t the top pickup. 

Who will be a hot name on the waiver wire but will ultimately fail to match the hype?

Morgan: I’ll say Quentin Johnston. He was good in Week 2 but hasn’t shown much else in his career so far. Johnston is worth an add on a down waiver wire week, but I wouldn’t even trust him going into Week 3.

Mark: I’m with Morgan here. Johnston is the right answer. What will make him so disappointing is that he will be viewed as a guy with a shot to be the WR1 for a great quarterback. Instead he’ll be an afterthought in a mediocre offense with an overrated QB. 

Daniel: Carr might be seen as a potential weekly fantasy starter, but he’s playing so far above his career work that he just has to regress. The degree to which he regresses will determine his fantasy value moving forward, and I’m betting Carr eventually plays like his old self (that means some good games and some bad, not that he will bottom out).

Is there a name you’ve been watching since Week 1 who might finally be worth picking up this week?

Morgan: Hunter Henry. I thought he had a chance to be a decent fantasy asset this season given the Patriots’ QB situation, and after his strong showing in Week 2, I’m ready to give him a shot in Week 3.

Daniel: Jerry Jeudy is owned in about half of leagues. He’s a former first-round pick and leads the Browns with 98 receiving yards and their only receiving touchdown. Deshaun Watson’s continued struggles will limit Jeudy some weeks, but he’s worth a spot on a roster if you need wide receiver depth.

Mark: Ty Chandler is a guy I drafted a lot late in drafts this year. He’s had double-digit touches in both games so far, and Minnesota is a clear committee. With Aaron Jones’ age and injury history, Chandler is a guy I wouldn’t let sit on waivers any longer. 

How about a defense that might be free and is worth a waiver claim?

Morgan: Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ defense gets the Denver Broncos in Week 3, and Bo Nix and the offense have shown me nothing in two weeks. Tampa Bay’s defense should be the D/ST you covet the most this week.

Daniel: The Raiders against Carolina might be the matchup of the week. Andy Dalton will be playing instead of Bryce Young, but how much are we really expecting out of Dalton in 2024? A defense who gets after the quarterback is a good play against maybe the worst team in the league.

Mark: I’m going with the Seahawks. I’ve seen the Skylar Thompson show before, and it isn’t good. 

Do you have a trade target who is probably on a roster and has underwhelmed for two weeks but is ready to break out?

Morgan: Travis Kelce, who is definitely on fantasy rosters. The injury to Isiah Pacheco should make the Chiefs a pass-first team even more so than they already were. Kelce has struggled so far, but with one less guy to feed, I expect Kelce to return to his top form.

Daniel: So many quarterbacks have put up low fantasy totals that owners might be getting fed up. Dak Prescott is a good example of a guy who has mostly underwhelmed but still has weapons and a history of high-level fantasy play. Grabbing a good quarterback for a low-level skill player could be a savvy move depending on your roster.

Mark: Frustrations seem to be growing with Garrett Wilson. That’s a guy I wouldn’t mind going after, but he still probably won’t come cheap. Another name I wouldn’t mind targeting is Tee Higgins, who fantasy owners may be fed up with. If you ask me this question in two weeks, my answer will probably be Jaylen Waddle, though.