Fantasy Football Week 3: Best Waiver Pickups Guaranteed to Shine

If there's one thing fantasy football owners know, it's that you better pay close attention to the waiver wire because there are going to be times it will save your team. That has rarely been more true following the rash of key injuries in Week 2. 

In the span of a few hours, Robert Griffin III, Jamaal Charles, A.J. Green, DeSean Jackson, Ryan Mathews and Mark Ingram all left their games with an assortment of injuries. Some may return this weekend, while others are looking at a longer road to recovery. 

Fortunately, the door has been opened for many players to shine who weren't even registering on the fantasy radar when the season started. As you start filling out your roster for the week, these are the names to grab late on the waiver wire. 

Note: Owned percentage in ESPN.com leagues.

Bobby Rainey, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images

Owned Percentage: 15.4

After waiting for Doug Martin to find what made him so valuable as a rookie in 2011, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally found a running game in Week 2 against St. Louis. Of course, it came from the legs of Bobby Rainey, who exploded with 144 yards on 22 carries. 

The problem with recommending Rainey is the Buccaneers don't have a clear plan at running back. Martin was officially listed as questionable on the team's website prior to Thursday's game against Atlanta. 

Bucs head coach Lovie Smith said prior to the game against St. Louis, via Pat Yasinskas of ESPN, that they want to use all their running backs. 

“We want to play more than one running back, two, maybe three,’’ Smith said. “That’s why we’ve had three (active) every time we could. That’s just making our running back position stronger.’’ 

Despite Martin's status, Rainey would still be a worthwhile fantasy addition because of the matchup this week. The Falcons defense has been terrible through two weeks this year, allowing 154.5 yards per game on the ground, 472 total yards per game and 29 points per game.

There's also precedence for Rainey to have a big game against Atlanta. The best game of his young career came on Nov. 17, 2013 with 163 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons. Not much has changed for the Falcons run defense in the interim. 

Until Martin earns more carries through his performance, or gets 100 percent healthy, Rainey should be the lead back for this team. That makes him a star-level running back for fantasy owners who already have him and those who will grab him on the waiver wire. 

Brian Quick, WR, St. Louis Rams

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Percentage Owned: 13.4

Boasting one of the worst collections of skill position talent in the NFL, the Rams appear to have found someone who is at least capable of making plays on the outside. Brian Quick is still a tenuous grab for fantasy owners, but after consecutive games with seven receptions and a total of 173 yards, he's worth a look. 

Adding to Quick's value is a favorable Week 3 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. The numbers say that Dallas' defense isn't as bad as we thought, ranking 10th in points and 12th in yards allowed, though linebacker Rolando McClain is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury, according to Nick Eatman of the team's official website:

Dallas does get a boost with the return of Orlando Scandrick, though head coach Jason Garrett was noncommittal about how much of a role the cornerback would play this week when speaking to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas:

"

We're going to see how he does in practice today. We believe in competitive situations. We don't have any doctrines about if a guy's a starter when he gets hurt, does he come back as starter? We look at the guys, see who can help and what role they can help us in. He's certainly been a good player for us. The other guys have played well in his absence. Excited to have him back.

"

Despite that defensive boost to the Cowboys secondary, someone has to catch passes from Austin Davis. No one has done it better than Quick thus far, and no team allowed more passing yards in the NFL last year than Dallas. 

While the end zone is still going to be elusive because the Rams don't have a running game that anyone respects, Quick will still be a valuable addition to any PPR league and should approach 80-90 yards once again. 

James Jones, WR, Oakland Raiders

Beck Diefenbach/Associated Press

Percentage Owned: 42.9

If you don't feel comfortable adding an unknown commodity like Quick to your roster, there is another talented, albeit slightly more in-demand wide receiver in Oakland. James Jones has a track record of success from his days in Green Bay, racking up 37 touchdown catches in seven years. 

Moving away from Aaron Rodgers could have hurt Jones' production drastically, but he's actually been terrific through two games. He had the hiccup in Week 2 with two fumbles on one play, though nine catches for 112 yards and one touchdown earns you some wiggle room. 

It's not a surprise that Derek Carr trusts Jones more than any other wideout in Oakland. You can see the difference in the rookie quarterback's performance targeting the big-play threat, as evidenced in this stat from Pro Football Focus, via Josh Dubow of The Associated Press:

This week's matchup against New England figures to present the Raiders with plenty of opportunities to throw the ball since they figure to be trailing by a lot most of the game. If that turns out to be the case, don't worry about the fact Jones will be matched up with Darrelle Revis. 

Eventually, the Patriots will play off-coverage just trying to keep everything in front of them. That will lead to some cheap catches and yards for Jones, who is capable of creating big plays in space. He's also got two inches in size on Revis and great leaping ability to go after jump balls. 

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