Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire: Jerome Ford and More Breakout Free-Agent Pickups
The first two weeks of the 2023 fantasy football season are now in the books, and it's starting to become clear which potential breakout stars are for real and which just had a flash-in-the-pan showing in the season opener. Managers should capitalize on the consistent performers who are still available in their league by placing waiver wire claims ahead of Week 3.
This is also a great time to take stock of your roster and start trimming the fat. If you took a chance on some high-upside players to stash and they have hardly seen the field, it's probably time to say goodbye to them. Roster spots are a precious commodity, and having players who aren't contributing taking up that valuable space is a good way to ensure you'll lack depth when you need it most.
Bye weeks will begin in Week 5 and will continue all the way through Week 14, making it critical to have a solid bench to get through that two-plus-month stretch.
With that in mind, here are five of the best potential waiver wire pickups who are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo! fantasy leagues. These guys won't remain on the wire for long, so make sure you get a claim in now to ensure they're contributing for you and not your opponents in Week 3 and beyond.
Fantasy points and rankings are based on FantasyPros' PPR data.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans (9 Percent Rostered)
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The Houston Texans have started the season 0-2, but there's finally reason to believe they have a bright future thanks to No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud. The rookie quarterback has played well to start his career despite a limited supporting cast, and it's beginning to translate to quality fantasy production.
Stroud finished as the No. 22 quarterback in Week 1 after he failed to find the end zone on any of his 44 passing attempts, but he moved up to No. 13 this past week after throwing his first two NFL touchdowns. The Ohio State product has now completed 58 of his 91 passing attempts for 626 yards and still hasn't been picked off yet.
Fumbles have been an issue, as he's lost two of the three he's coughed up. However, that should improve as Stroud grows more comfortable with the speed of the game and gets more in sync with his receivers.
The Texans do have some decent wideouts for their young quarterback to look for. Nico Collins is enjoying a breakout campaign thanks to Stroud—he's caught 13 of his 20 targets for 226 yards and a score so far—while veteran Robert Woods has hauled in 12 catches on 19 targets for 131 yards. Rookie Tank Dell is a waiver wire claim candidate in his own right after posting a breakout 7-72-1 stat line and led the Texans with 10 targets in Week 2.
With Houston's running game struggling—top backs Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary have combined for only 98 yards and zero touchdowns on 37 totes—Stroud and the passing attack should continue to carry this offense going forward. After averaging 45.5 throws over his first two games and putting up 21.5 fantasy points in Week 2, the first-year signal-caller clearly has the trust of this coaching staff with a green light to air it out.
If you aren't satisfied with your current starter, lost someone like Aaron Rodgers to injury or need a good backup to get through the bye weeks ahead, give Stroud some serious consideration as a high-end QB2 with weekly QB1 upside.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns (18 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800
Jerome Ford is the new starting running back for the Cleveland Browns and should be considered a must-add in every fantasy league he's available in. The second-year talent will be stepping into a vastly increased role due to the season-ending injury suffered by superstar Nick Chubb during a Monday Night Football clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chubb went down with a gruesome knee injury—the broadcast team refused to air the replay—in the first half of an eventual 26-22 defeat. He was carted off and did not return, with head coach Kevin Stefanski confirming after the game that the 27-year-old would be out for the year.
Ford fared well in his first crack at assuming the hefty volume left vacant by Chubb. He finished the Week 2 contest with 106 yards on 16 carries and added a touchdown and 25 yards on his three receptions. That showing represented a massive improvement over his middling performance in Week 1—Ford gained just 36 yards on 15 totes in the season-opener—and his disappointing rookie campaign in 2022, when the fifth-round pick amassed just 12 yards on eight carries across 13 contests.
There's a chance the team brings in a veteran to compete for the volume left vacant by Chubb, but for now Ford is in line to get the lion's share of work. Third-stringer Pierre Strong Jr. saw limited action against the Steelers—gaining just 1 yard on his two carries and failing to haul in his lone target—but he did vulture a goal line touchdown from Ford. Strong may be worth an add in deeper leagues as a handcuff, but Ford is a must-add while monitoring Cleveland's roster moves closely in the coming days.
Matt Breida, RB, New York Giants (3 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400
The New York Giants' incredible Week 2 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals was soured by a concerning injury to star running back Saquon Barkley in the waning moments. With Barkley limping off the field and eventually carted to the locker room to have a hamstring injury evaluated, the team was forced to turn to the little-used Matt Breida to close out the game. Breida answered the call with a 16-yard rush to setup a game-winning field goal and may now take on a much bigger role going forward.
Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com was told by a source that Barkley suffered low ankle sprain with a "week-to-week " prognosis. It still remains to be seen how long Barkley will be sidelined for, or if he even misses any time at all, but it feels almost certain he'll be ruled out for Week 3 due to the short turnaround time between contests. Big Blue is scheduled to visit the San Francisco 49ers for a Thursday Night Football clash, giving Barkley precious little time to recover before the primetime matchup.
If Barkley can't go, Breida immediately becomes a strong fantasy play for Week 3. Although he's only seen 18 offensive snaps this season—compared to Barkley who saw 66 snaps in Week 2 alone—the veteran backup could be heavily involved in New York's offensive gameplan against the Niners. He drew his lone start for the G-Men in Week 18 last year and went on to rush four times for 28 yards. Breida was far more active as a pass-catcher in that game, reeling in seven of his eight targets for 12 yards.
While managers shouldn't expect Breida to match the elite production Barkley is capable of on a weekly basis, he has a high floor—especially in PPR leagues—in any contest the starter is absent for.
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Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens (44 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800
Justice Hill should have been rostered everywhere following J.K. Dobbins' season-ending injury in the opener, but the Baltimore Ravens back is still surprisingly available in 56 percent of Yahoo leagues. That percentage should tick up drastically after Hill saw some respectable volume for the second consecutive week and turned in another decent fantasy performance.
Hill drew the start in a win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals, turning in 41 yards on 11 carries. He even got involved in the passing game for the first time this season, catching all three of his targets for 12 yards. While he didn't find paydirt against Cincinnati after punching in two touchdowns last week, he's getting the type of workload that should result in a consistently high fantasy floor with upside for much more.
It's obvious that the Ravens want to pound the rock—only two teams have run on a higher percentage of their offensive plays this year—meaning this offense should be able to support both Hill and Gus Edwards in fantasy. Edwards saw slightly less volume in Week 2 but was a tad more productive, gaining 62 yards and a touchdown on his 10 carries.
With Hill likely to receive double-digit touches most weeks and a good portion of the goal-line work, there's no reason he should remain on the waiver wire moving forward. Put a claim in for him if you need a low-end startable running back or a high-end backup at the position.
Tutu Atwell, WR, Los Angeles Rams (25 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $5,200
The Los Angeles Rams offense has not shown any signs of slowing down without superstar wideout Cooper Kupp in the lineup. Tutu Atwell is one of the key reasons for the team's strong offensive production to start the 2023 season, as he's already racked up an impressive 196 yards on 13 catches.
Atwell was off the fantasy radar going into the year after he caught only 18 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown last season. However, managers were forced to take note of the third-year wideout in Week 1 after he diced up the Seattle Seahawks' secondary for 119 yards on just six catches.
Atwell showed that wasn't an anomaly against a much tougher San Francisco 49ers defense on Sunday, posting a seven-catch, 77-yard stat line that makes him a must-add going forward.
While Puka Nacua has been the Rams' breakout star after posting the second-most PPR points of any wide receiver so far, Atwell is a strong No. 2 who is seeing more than enough volume to be a reliable fantasy starter for now. He's generated 17 targets in two games, ranks 15th in scoring at the receiver position and could see a double-digit number of looks come his way in Week 3 against a beatable Cincinnati Bengals defense.
Cooper Kupp's potential return in Week 5 could drastically shift the Rams' offensive pecking order. But for now, pick up Atwell and deploy him with confidence if you need some receiving help.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Detroit Lions (11 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $4,200
The Detroit Lions were one of the NFL's top offenses last year, and they haven't shown any signs of slowing down in 2023. One reason for the squad's continued success on that side of the ball is the surge of production from veteran wideout Josh Reynolds.
Now in his third season with Detroit and seventh overall, Reynolds is on par for his best campaign ever after snagging nine of his 13 targets for 146 yards and two touchdowns over the first two weeks.
Reynolds had some big games early in the 2022 season, but he ultimately fell off and finished with a middling 479 yards and three touchdowns on 38 receptions. He missed three weeks with a back injury and never seemed to be fully healthy upon his return.
Based on his blistering start, that now appears to be behind the 28-year-old.
Reynolds made a strong case to be the Lions' No. 2 receiver next to superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown and should continue to produce at a high level—he's No. 12 in scoring at his position heading into Week 3—for at least another month-plus. He should remain a quality fantasy option until at least Week 7, which is when Jameson Williams is eligible to return from his six-game gambling suspension.
It remains to be seen how the offense will be impacted by Williams' presence. But given the way Reynolds has been piling up yardage, catches and touchdowns over the first two weeks, it may be tough for Williams—a second-year talent who has only one catch on nine targets across his first nine NFL games—to unseat his counterpart despite his first-round pedigree.
A Week 3 matchup with a revamped Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed only 267 yards through the air this year presents a tough test for Reynolds and the rest of the Lions offense, but the veteran should be able to answer the call and continue his red-hot play. Don't be afraid to take a chance on Reynolds if you need a shot in the arm at wideout.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers (25 Percent Rostered)
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DraftKings DFS Value: $3,300
The outlook for free-agent fantasy tight ends is bleak right now, but managers who need reinforcements at least have some high-upside options to explore. Luke Musgrave has been showing plenty of signs that he's ready to break out, but the Green Bay Packers have not been throwing enough thus far for him to put up big numbers over his first two career games.
The rookie has caught five of the seven targets that have come his way for 75 yards, but he's yet to score his first NFL touchdown. That will change if he continues his current usage trends. He played 88 percent of the offensive snaps and had a 96 percent route participation rate in Week 2, according to Pat Fitzmaurice of FantasyPros.
The Packers have some strong receiving talent for Musgrave to compete for looks with—including fellow rookie Jayden Reed, who scored a pair of touchdowns on Sunday—but the athletic, 6'6", 253-pound tight end should soon become a favorite target for young quarterback Jordan Love.
Love has been one of the surprise fantasy standouts at his position despite having completed only 29 of 52 passes across two games. He's racked up 396 yards and a whopping six touchdowns on those throws, and it's only a matter of time before Musgrave is reeling in one of those scores.
Put a claim in on Musgrave as a long play. Don't expect to use him right away—especially not in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, who are notoriously stingy against tight ends—but you'll be glad you rostered him when he's ramping up his production and becoming consistent later in the campaign.
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