Week 3 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates

Two veteran quarterbacks went down with injuries and didn't return in Week 2. Before you put in a claim or allocate some of your free-agent acquisition budget to their backup quarterbacks, consider other options.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury, and Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger exited because of his right elbow. Teddy Bridgewater and Mason Rudolph checked into the huddle for their respective teams.

A pair of rookie wide receivers in the NFC West have emerged as solid targets with long-term appeal. Based on target volume in their team passing offenses, owners shouldn't hesitate to scoop them off the waiver wire. 

The 10 players below are owned in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues as of 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday. All of them should land on your acquisition radar for Week 3.

Week 3 Waiver-Wire Pickups

QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (40 percent owned)

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (56 percent owned)

RB Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills (8 percent owned)

RB Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans (43 percent owned)

WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers (13 percent owned)

WR DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks (48 percent owned)

WR Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs (4 percent owned)

WR DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (12 percent owned)

TE Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks (3 percent owned)

DEF Green Bay Packers (16 percent owned)

QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills 

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After a rough outing in Week 1 with two lost fumbles and two interceptions, quarterback Josh Allen looked composed, extending plays and running in for a score against the New York Giants. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 253 yards and a touchdown in a 28-14 victory.

Allen isn't Lamar Jackson in terms of fantasy production, but he's a dual-threat quarterback with long-term value. The Buffalo Bills upgraded their wide receiver corps, and that's paying off early in the season. The second-year signal-caller has formed a solid rapport with Cole Beasley and John Brown; they combined for 11 receptions and 155 yards Sunday.

After opening the season with two road games, the Bills will host the Cincinnati Bengals, who allowed 572  yards to the San Francisco 49ers at home.

If you're looking for a quarterback with upside, Allen's arm paired with an improved wide receiver corps and a favorable matchup should yield a strong fantasy output in Week 3.

RB Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans 

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The Houston Texans acquired running back Duke Johnson Jr. via trade with the Cleveland Browns, but Carlos Hyde leads their backfield in carries with 30. The latter logged 20 on Sunday, compared to six for the former. 

Despite the timeshare in the backfield, Hyde seems to have the edge in rushing touches going into Week 3, finishing with 90 yards against a tough Jacksonville Jaguars defense Sunday.

Keep in mind that Johnson made the most of his contributions as a pass-catcher through four seasons with the Browns; he may revert to that role with the Texans. Managers should pick up Hyde but temper fantasy expectations for him to a solid flex play in most weeks.

WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

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After struggling in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 49ers offense had a crisp showing from beginning to end in Sunday's contest with the Bengals. More importantly, managers should pay close attention to the target distribution in the aerial attack.

Wideout Dante Pettis didn't see a single look in the passing game—his most notable play occurred on a 16-yard pass to running back Raheem Mostert. Rookie second-rounder Deebo Samuel led the team in targets (seven), hauling in five receptions for 87 yards and a score. 

Through two weeks, Samuel has converted 10 targets into eight catches for 104 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Looking at his Week 2 performance, the South Carolina product should continue to see the ball at a moderate volume in the coming weeks.

With Pettis essentially nonexistent in the aerial attack (one target in two games), Samuel could finish the season as the 49ers' top wideout in receptions and yards.

WR Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs

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Perhaps Demarcus Robinson's 172-yard, two-touchdown performance occurred as a direct result of the Oakland Raiders' poor pass coverage, but he's worth a pickup because of the Kansas City Chiefs' free-flowing offense.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, wideout Tyreek Hill will miss 4-6 weeks with a collarbone injury, which gives rookie second-rounder Mecole Hardman and Robinson a chance to shine for about a month.

In Sunday's outing, Robinson had a more impressive showing than Hardman. He's a safer acquisition as a fourth-year veteran in the league with one full year of experience playing alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

With Mahomes under center last year, Robinson hauled in four touchdown passes. Now, in an expanded role, he's worth a look in the WR3 and flex spots.

TE Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks 

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Through six games, Will Dissly has four touchdowns. After a pair of receptions for scores in last year's season opener, he tore his patellar tendon and landed on injured reserve.

Dissly caught one pass for 12 yards last week and followed up with five receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. He saw the third-most targets (five) in the passing attack.

Don't expect to see quarterback Russell Wilson throw for 300-plus yards much this year, but he's built a solid rapport with Dissly, especially in the red zone. The Washington product has reliable hands, converting seven targets into six catches for 62 yards and two scores in his career.

If Dissly stays healthy, he could develop into a fantasy option at tight end with upside when playing against defenses that struggle to cover the middle of the field and seam areas.