Marcus Mariota, Kirk Cousins and 2 Other Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks
The scenery of the NFL is always changing. Jayden Daniels is out, Caleb Williams may be out, and so on. I know that many owners need a quarterback for the coming week(s). That is what the waiver wire is for. Find yourself some high-upside options, all four of which are listed below.
All ownership data is per Sleeper.
All fantasy points data is per Fantasy Data.
Marcus Mariota — Nearly 100% Available
Mariota takes over for Jayden Daniels for at least a month of football, and it could be the entire season. That all depends on whether Daniels opts for surgery to permanently repair his left elbow.
In 2025, Mariota was the QB23 on a points-per-game basis when starting in place of Daniels. 4 of his 8 starts, Mariota achieved at least 250 total yards. 4 of his 8 starts also went for at least 2 total touchdowns.
Mariota is a fringe top-20 quarterback in Week 3 against the Seahawks. Given his rushing ability, Mariota will be deemed a safer option rather than a player with supreme upside.
Malik Willis — 70% Available
Willis is the QB21 after Week 2, and he has done that while far from his ceiling in rushing. Willis has 45 yards and a touchdown on 8 rushing attempts. He is expected to eventually be a top-5 rusher at quarterback.
The Dolphins quarterback is passing for 208.5 yards per game. The Dolphins are the worst team in the NFL, and while you may think that is a bad thing, it is not. Rather, Willis will be in late-game pass scripts, thus accumulating garbage-time fantasy points.
CJ Stroud — 67% Available
Stroud is playing above preseason ADP as the QB14 in fantasy football. Stroud ranks 3rd in the NFL in passing yards with 627, trailing Bryce Young and Tyler Shough. Stroud has yet to throw an interception.
The hope is that Nico Collins is back soon from injury. Despite being out in Week 2, Stroud managed to pass for 353 yards against a Bengals defense that was 3rd-best against wide receivers in 2025 fantasy football.
Kirk Cousins — 90% Available
The 2-0 Las Vegas Raiders? Am I hearing that correctly? The NFL is an unpredictable environment. With the Raiders undefeated, the Chargers defeated, and so on, the case proves itself.
Cousins is a QB1 in 12-team formats and a QB12 in fantasy football. He has thrown for 6 touchdowns on 413 passing yards. The Saints play host to Cousins in Week 3, who I rank as the 15th-best defense. Brock Bowers may also be added to the active roster, adding a top-2 tight end to Cousins' options.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.