Monday, September 20, 2021

Fantasy Football Week 3 WR Waiver Wire

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be rostered in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

With that said, here are some wide receiver waiver-wire options to consider heading into Week 3 (Yahoo! % rostered in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by our preference to add.]

1. Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals (33%)

Fantasy managers can't always count on 77-yard touchdowns, but Moore showed off his elite speed in Sunday's win. It wasn't just one big play for the rookie, however, as he actually led the team in targets (eight) in Week 2 and finished with seven catches for 114 yards and a score.

Moore now has solid performances in back-to-back games. He finished with 4/68 in Week 1. The Cardinals get a soft matchup in Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have now lost 17 consecutive games.

2. Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears (45%)

One of my favorite sleepers heading into this season, Mooney has a chance to build upon his impressive rookie season. The former fifth-rounder out of Tulane had a 61/631/4 line last season and Matt Nagy talked up Mooney earlier this offseason by saying that he "has a rare element of speed, combined with route-running, hands and passion. And commitment."

The second-year receiver led the team in receptions (six), yards (66) and targets (eight) in Week 2. With Allen Robinson commanding much of a defense's attention, Mooney has the talent and potential to develop into a WR3/flex option.

3. Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos (22%)

Patrick had three catches for 37 yards and a score against the Jaguars on Sunday and has now scored in back-to-back games. While both Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant had more targets than Patrick (four), he was more targeted than fellow wideout K.J. Hamler (three). With Jerry Jeudy (high-ankle sprain, IR) out, Patrick and the Broncos get another favorable matchup in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

4. Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons (13%)

A RB/WR hybrid in fantasy, Patterson now has seven carries in back-to-back games. Even though he gained only 11 yards on his seven carries this week, he added five catches for 58 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns against the Buccaneers.

Mike Davis has had at least 16 touches in each of the team's first two games this season, but C-Patt has a total of 21 touches through two weeks. With Wayne Gallman a healthy scratch, the only other back to get touches this season has been Keith Smith (seven).

On his fifth team since entering the league in 2015, Davis has career averages of 3.7 YPC and 6.5 Y/R. Through his first two games as a Falcon, he's averaging just 3.63 YPC and 4.8 Y/R. Patterson may never be the team's RB1 as long as Davis is healthy, but if he continues to be much more efficient than Davis, it's not an impossibility either.

5. Elijah Moore, New York Jets (31%)

It was a brutal performance by the offense as Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson threw four interceptions on Sunday. Targeted eight times (24.24% target share) on Sunday, Moore finished with four catches for 47 yards. The Jets have a tough matchup in Denver in Week 3, but there are some softer pass defenses on the schedule after that as they face the Titans and Falcons in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.

6. Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders (34%)

While few, if any, started Ruggs in Week 2, he posted a big game (5/113/1 on seven targets) against a difficult defense (Steelers). Given his rare speed, there's always the potential for the big play (61-yard TD on Sunday), but it was encouraging to see the seven targets. The first receiver off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, Ruggs is worth the bench stash for now to see if he's able to earn consistent volume in his second season.

7. K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings (2%)

Osborn is now two-for-two in strong performances this season. After a 7/76 outing in Week 1, the second-year receiver had five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

Even if he's clearly a distant third behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen in rest-of-season expectations, Osborn has 12 catches on 15 targets for a team-high 167 yards and a touchdown through two games. Osborn should be rostered in deeper leagues and the Seahawks-Vikings matchup has an early 55-point total in Week 3.

More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 3:

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