Week 3 Waiver-Wire Pickups: Sleepers Available in Majority of Fantasy Leagues

Do you remember that sleeper option who crossed your mind last week? Perhaps you left him on the waiver wire because it was too soon to hit the add button.

How much more production do you need before making a move? Week 3 should bring urgency for some popular options still available. 

It's hard to overlook two weeks of solid production. Sometimes, owners have to trust their eyes despite a player's unimpressive track record in fantasy terms. Several talents have put up strong numbers and remain available in more than half of Yahoo leagues. 

The list below features 10 sleeper picks who remain free agents, owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

If you spot a familiar name from the list on your waiver wire, put in a claim to add an asset capable of cracking your starting lineup for Week 3.

Waiver-Wire Sleepers

1. WR Brandon Marshall, Seattle Seahawks (47 percent owned) 

2. RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (36 percent owned)

3. WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (36 percent owned)

4. TE Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks (32 percent owned)

5. RB Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (30 percent owned)

6. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25 percent owned)

7. TE Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (17 percent owned) 

8. WR Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars (17 percent owned)

9. DEF Dallas (14 percent owned)

10. WR Antonio Callaway, Cleveland Browns (8 percent owned) 

*Note: Percent owned as of Tuesday 9:50 p.m. ET

RB Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (30 percent owned) 

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According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon will miss two-to-four weeks, which means he could be sidelined one-to-three games on the schedule following arthroscopic knee surgery. 

It's a short-term plan, but owners should pick up running back Giovani Bernard. He's next in line on the depth chart and possesses the dual-threat versatility to log big fantasy numbers. 

On paper, the Carolina Panthers have a strong defensive line featuring Kawann Short, Dontari Poe and Mario Addison, but the front seven allowed 170 rushing yards to the Atlanta Falcons last week without their top running back Devonta Freeman. 

The Panthers rank 25th against the run, which bodes well for Bernard in the feature role at running back for the Bengals. The sixth-year veteran has a career 5,011 yards and 24 touchdowns from scrimmage.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25 percent owned)

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Don't wait until the magic wears off to jump on Ryan Fitzpatrick's bandwagon. He's still available in approximately 75 percent of Yahoo leagues after logging eight touchdown passes and just one interception. 

While it's fair to question the New Orleans Saints defense because of their poor track record over the years, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't have an answer for Fitzpatrick either. The 35-year-old signal-caller completed 82 percent of his passes against the defending champions in Week 2. 

Here's another fun fact; Fitzpatrick leads the league in passing yards (819) and yards per completion (17.1), which shows he's not just dinking and dunking downfield. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an explosive passing offense that features an accurate quarterback and a plethora of pass-catching weapons including, Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard.

Lastly, the Buccaneers haven't committed to Jameis Winston as the starter once he returns from his three-game suspension in Week 4:

The Buccaneers would make a huge mistake in benching Fitzpatrick with his hot hand. As long as he's dealing the ball at an exceptional rate, Fitzmagic will be the gift that keeps giving in fantasy leagues.

WR Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars (17 percent owned) 

In terms of fantasy production, there's a clear separation between wideouts Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook and the other pass-catchers on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. 

When you look at targets, quarterback Blake Bortles spreads the ball across the field. Five Jaguars receivers have at least 10 targets. However, Cole and Westbrook are the only pass-catchers to eclipse 100 receiving yards through two games. They also have a touchdown apiece.

Cole doesn't qualify for the list above since he's owned in exactly 50 percent of leagues, but most fantasy owners can pick up Westbrook who's on 83 percent of Yahoo waiver wires. 

Bortles looks comfortable in his second full year under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. As a result, the receivers benefit when they're running good routes and creating separation downfield.

According to John Oehser of the team's official website, Westbrook flashed throughout training camp. Thus far, the second-year wide receiver's hard work during the summer has paid dividends. Fantasy owners should pick him up as a WR3 or flex option.