Daniel Jones, 2 More Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks To Consider
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Two weeks down, and fantasy football managers should have a good idea of whether their team is a contender or pretender to make a title run. Additionally, managers should know what their team needs at each position, and for the moment, we’re talking quarterbacks.
As stated in previous iterations of this article over the last two weeks, player selection when adding a quarterback off the waiver wire depends on what your team needs. Do you need a full-time replacement because Joe Burrow or J.J. McCarthy is out? Do you need a streaming play? Do you need a bye-week fill-in? Each situation deserves its own solution, whether we’re aiming for a safe floor or that elusive upside or ceiling.
These quarterbacks are rostered in 50% or fewer of Yahoo fantasy football leagues.
Week 3 QB waiver wire pickups
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (19% rostered)
At this point, the New York Giants must be cursed, as Daniel Jones, now free from that franchise, has found a second wind in his career, just as former Giant Saquon Barkley did a year ago with the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, Jones isn’t that big of a slam dunk, but he is the safest quarterback you can likely add off the waiver wire.
The 28-year-old signal caller has at least 270 passing yards and a touchdown in each week so far. Best of all, he’s already on pace for a career-best season in rushing, gaining 28 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Perhaps most importantly, the Indianapolis Colts are 2-0 and Jones’ steady direction has the team looking revitalized. That kind of job security goes a long way for fantasy managers if you’re hitting the waiver wire this early. However, don’t expect the good times to last. Jones is the QB2 overall, depending on your scoring system, just a point or two behind Lamar Jackson, and a more realistic finish would be closer to QB12.
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (1% rostered)
Flying in the face of what Jones is doing in Indianapolis, the better long-term play may be Jake Browning, who will get the Week 3 start for the Cincinnati Bengals because of Burrow requiring toe surgery, which will keep the prolific passer sidelined for three months.
Fantasy managers should interpret that as out for the season since a three-month absence puts him at a Week 15 or 16 return. In 2023, Browning played about half the season and had a decent year when called into action after Burrow was hurt. Browning averaging 16.7 fantasy points per game. That translated to being a mid-level fantasy backup, but for those fantasy managers tasked with replacing Burrow in Week 3, a mid-level fantasy backup doesn’t sound so bad.
It also doesn’t hurt that Browning has Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Noah Fant and Mike Gesicki running routes every week.
Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings (0% rostered)
The sneakiest play of them all may be Carson Wentz. Look, if you believe Sam Darnold’s 2024 success was more a product of coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, Wentz is your guy. We haven’t seen too much of the 32-year-old field general over the years. Now with the Minnesota Vikings, this is Wentz’s sixth team over the last six years.
While I wouldn’t pencil him in for a repeat of his 2017 season, where he averaged a career-high 21.7 fantasy points per game. That was the year Wentz was injured late, was replaced by Nick Foles, who then led the franchise to the “Philly Special” and a Super Bowl win.
Here in the present, Wentz will have Justin Jefferson available to him and Jordan Addison will return from his three-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy in Week 4. J.J. McCarthy is set to be sidelined for a few weeks and more than likely will slide right back into the starting lineup as soon as possible. However, for those who want to save a few FAAB bucks with a $1 bid, Wentz is the move.
Other quarterbacks to consider: Spencer Rattler, NO; Bryce Young, CAR; Mac Jones, SF; Russell Wilson, NYG
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Matt De Lima has been covering fantasy sports for more than 15 years, contributing to top outlets such as Sports Illustrated, DraftKings, GiveMeSport and The Game Day. Known for his straightforward, actionable analysis, Matt specializes in start/sit calls, waiver wire pickups, IDP, and season-long strategies. His work has reached millions of readers and listeners through articles, podcasts, SiriusXM radio appearances and social media. Respected across the fantasy sports community, Matt combines deep football knowledge with a sharp editorial eye, delivering insights that help players win their leagues.
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