Inside: Players to add before Week 3, PFF’s best players in Week 2, and why J.J. McCarthy will miss the Vikings’ next game. Rankings guru Jake Ciely will be along in a minute, too.
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Week 3 waivers, targets
Last Tuesday’s newsletter rewarded your fantasy team with Saints TE Juwan Johnson (15.9) and Titans WR Elic Ayomanor (15.6), among other starters.
Here are five players to add before Week 3 begins, assuming Browns RB Quinshon Judkins and Ayomanor are already rostered in your leagues.
(But first a note: Please don’t drop any highly drafted rookie receivers, especially the Packers’ Matthew Golden or Texans’ Jayden Higgins, until after Week 3. Click here to read why. Drop these guys instead.)
No. 1: Giants RB Cam Skattebo.
It seems the rookie already surpassed Tyrone Tracy as the team’s top running back, as Skattebo (11 carries, 45 yards and a touchdown) played more snaps and took more carries than Tracy (five carries for 15 yards). A talented pass-catcher with a three-down skillset, Skattebo received PFF’s second-highest grade as a runner in Week 2.
Skattebo is by far the top add this week. Waiver spend: 35 percent of your budget.
No. 2: Jaguars RB Bhayshul Tuten.
It’s worth checking to see if Tuten is available in your league after he took 10 touches for 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Second in the NFL in running back rushing success rate, he should continue to see low-double-digit touches as the clear No. 2 behind Travis Etienne.
He has week-winning potential if Etienne misses time, and is worth 20 percent of your waiver budget.
No. 3: Broncos WR Troy Franklin.
Sean Payton’s receiver room is designed to frustrate me personally. Still, I’m willing to bet on Franklin’s breakout. His connection with his Oregon Ducks quarterback, Bo Nix, was obvious Sunday, when the Oregon product caught 8 of 9 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Importantly, Franklin led Broncos receivers in snaps, routes and targets after an offseason that stood out to our Denver beat reporter.
He’s the top priority if you need a receiver, worth 20 percent of your budget.
No. 4: Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson.
Robinson’s made his career on underneath receptions, with his 5.4 air yards per target ranking 188th of 192 receivers since 2021. But this is Russell Wilson’s New York now, which has nearly doubled Robinson’s air yards per target (10.4), which combines with his nine targets per game to lead to significant value.
Robinson now displays a rare combo of abilities in a system that lets him run deep. Worth 5 percent.
No. 5: Colts QB Daniel Jones.
As The Athletic’s Michael Salfino wrote in his fantasy Week 2 takeaways, Jones was excellent against the Broncos, who field one of the league’s best defenses. “Is it surrounding talent? Is it coaching? A QB’s environment is obviously very important. Whatever the reason, Jones has to be started every week now.”
If you’ve lost a quarterback to turf toe, or might lose Jayden Daniels to a knee injury, Jones should be your top target behind Skattebo. Only Lamar Jackson has more fantasy points this season.
Deeper leagues:
Texans rookie RB Woody Marks looked good in limited action and is the obvious future passing-down back in Houston.
Ravens TE Isaiah Likely practiced last week and could quickly replace Mark Andrews (7 yards in two games) in Baltimore’s receiving order.
Commanders RB Jeremy McNichols should see an Austin Ekeler-lite role with the latter out for the season.
Now, I texted The Athletic’s Jake Ciely to help you determine whether to buy low or sell high on three controversial players.
All In with Jake Ciely: Buying low, buying high
Jacob: It’s still early, but it’s tempting to panic about underperforming players like Jaguars sophomore WR Brian Thomas Jr. or Packers rookie WR Matthew Golden. You worried about either?
Jake:I rewatched every target of Thomas’ this year and saw mistakes from the sophomore receiver, but more missed throws from Trevor Lawrence and good coverage from the defense. As I covered in depth in my Week 3 waivers column, I’m buying low here. Similar story for Golden, but the worry could increase significantly if Dontayvion Wicks sees a big bump in usage with Jayden Reed out. If the Packers use Golden as the No. 2 now, it’s stock up. If Wicks leapfrogs him, it’s a major panic.
Jacob: After Week 2 last season, Rhamondre Stevenson’s 19.3 PPG average had him looking like a league-winner. He averaged 4.3 points across Weeks 3 and 4. Could Cowboys RB Javonte Williams’ hot start — 22.7 PPG — fade as quickly, or might Williams continue to be a true league-winner? I can’t tell.
Jake: I believe Williams’ production can continue, but I also wouldn’t call him a league winner. My hesitancy on his being an RB1: his fantasy scoring is largely based on his three rushing touchdowns, which are typically less sustainable than yardage totals. The Cowboys offensive line is a concern, as is Williams’ ability to stay this effective all year. It’s great seeing him back near his pre-injury form, and this is all coming from someone who believed Williams was a terrific RB3 flier. However, I see him more as a mid-RB2, which is still great.
For more: Read my Week 3 Waiver Wire column. Back to Jacob.
Seamless QB transitions? Maybe, actually
The ripple effects of injuries to Joe Burrow (turf toe), Brock Purdy (turf toe), Jayden Daniels (knee), Justin Fields (concussion) and J.J. McCarthy (ankle) are still shaking out, though they appear to have influenced The Athletic’s Week 3 Power Rankings.
Each of their teams took hits, but these injuries are less concerning than you’d think:
No. 9: 49ers (-3). Mac Jones did his best Purdy impression in Week 2, ranking eighth among quarterbacks in passer rating (113.1). The slight drop for the 2-0 49ers is due more to impressive weeks by the risers than to any concerns about SF, which got strong performances from rookies.
No. 11: Commanders (-6). Head coach Dan Quinn said the team will take the decision of whether Daniels will play up to Friday. If Daniels sits, Washington turns to Marcus Mariota, who was stellar when called upon in 2024 (131.2 passer rating in two wins).
No. 12: Bengals (-3). The latest injury to Burrow has Jake Browning in the starting role after his comeback victory in Week 2. A capable backup, the 29-year-old went 4-3 during his seven starts for Burrow in 2023, and had a QBR (60.8) that ranked between Geno Smith and Jalen Hurts for 13th among passers that season.
No. 22: Vikings (-10). Should backup Carson Wentz have been the Week 1 starter? We’ll find out Sunday against the Bengals, as J.J. McCarthy’s ankle injury pushed Wentz into the starting role just one month after he joined the team. “He was really impressive last week (in practice) stepping in,” Kevin O’Connell said of the 32-year-old. “You felt the veteran presence and the command.”
No. 26: Jets (-1).Fields struggled in Week 2, leading the Jets to just 78 yards of offense until late fourth-quarter concussion forced him from the game. Enter the perpetually underrated Tyrod Taylor, who led the Jets offense to more yards (86) in two series than Fields had in the prior three quarters. The 36-year-old might be an upgrade for New York.
The full Power Rankings kept the Chargers fourth after their dominant defensive performance held the Raiders to just 3.4 yards per play last night, as L.A. won 20-9.
Extra Points
🦁 Bounce-back Lions. In the chart above, you’ll notice two of Detroit’s stars among the league’s best Week 2 performers. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (115 yards, three touchdowns) and safety Brian Branch (team-high six tackles, one sack) are featured often in Colton Pouncy’s film review on what the Lions fixed.
📈 Underrated Jalen Hurts? Always. Jeff Howe’s latest QB Stock Report explains why Hurts remains under-appreciated.
🚩 Tom Brady’s return? The Raiders’ minority owner will quarterback a flag football team in the “The Fanatics Flag Football Classic” in Saudi Arabia, because … money he loves football?
👕 Free Rashee Rice? Many Chiefs players wore a shirt suggesting as much, with Andy Reid saying that it was simply to show support for the suspended receiver. A bit out of touch?
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: What is turf toe? Saad Yousuf explains the injury sidelining two of the NFL’s star quarterbacks.
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(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)