Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections: Best Streaming Options to Target

The injury news concerning Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees may have dealt a blow to your fantasy football lineup, but the waiver wire provides some hope for managers who need a solid starter at the quarterback position.

We'll go over the top streamers. Some of the selections could stick to rosters for the long term, which may appeal to Roethlisberger owners. Nonetheless, opportunistic managers who hope to fill a weak starting spot just want the best matchup for a high point total. 

Let's take a look at who's available in at least 40 percent of Yahoo pools as of Tuesday 1 a.m. ET. Beyond the quarterbacks, several players at each position should cross your waiver-wire radar.

The top three selections at the positions below are listed with Yahoo's Week 3 point projections, percent owned and upcoming opponent. The calculations reflect the time listed above.

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, 19.80 (40 percent owned) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers, 19.44 (49 percent owned) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, 18.03 (55 percent owned) vs. Oakland Raiders

Kirk Cousins

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Kirk Cousins hasn't looked sharp in the first two weeks of the season, completing just 52.4 percent of pass attempts for 328 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. 

However, the Minnesota Vikings signal-caller could have his "get-right" game against the Oakland Raiders, who gave up 28 points in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cousins isn't comparable to Patrick Mahomes in arm talent, but he has two high-end wide receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs—both eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards last season.

The Vikings have flipped the script, transitioning from last year's pass-heavy offense to a physically imposing unit over the last two weeks; Minnesota ranks fourth in carries and last in pass attempts.

Offensive advisor Gary Kubiak and play-caller Kevin Stefanski should consider a relentless attack on the Raiders pass defense with their top two wideouts and running back Dalvin Cook out of the backfield.

Running Backs

Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills, 8.97 (8 percent owned) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks, 8.30 (60 percent owned) vs. New Orleans Saints

Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans, 6.49 (43 percent owned) vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Rashaad Penny

Don Wright/Associated Press

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson lost two fumbles in the last outing. As a result, he could lose carries to Rashaad Penny in the next contest. If not, the second-year tailback should still see his fair share of touches in a run-first offense that ranks 10th in rush attempts.

Penny registered 10 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers—a slight increase from his six-carry workload in the season opener. He has a favorable matchup facing the New Orleans Saints, who allowed 115-plus rushing yards in their first two contests.

Averaging five yards per carry, the 23-year-old has a chance at a productive week lining up across from a defensive front that's giving up 5.6 yards per rush attempt. He's a solid flex play in Week 3.

Wide Receivers 

DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks, 9.62 (49 percent owned) vs. New Orleans Saints

Randall Cobb, Dallas Cowboys, 7.90 (24 percent owned) vs. Miami Dolphins

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers, 6.42 (14 percent owned) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Randall Cobb

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Dak Prescott carved up two division opponents, the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, in his first two games. He's thrown for 674 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception while completing 82.3 percent of his passes. 

As a result, his wide receivers have benefited from his stellar performances—none more than Michael Gallup who leads the team in receptions (13) and yards (226). Unfortunately, though, he'll miss multiple games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Without Gallup, Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb will probably see an uptick in targets. The latter has converted 11 targets into nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown with an 81.8 percent catch rate. 

Dallas will play the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, which is a dream matchup for the Cowboys. In-form Prescott will take aim at a defense that has allowed 1,024 yards and 102 points this season.

Tight Ends 

Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks, 6.91 (4 percent owned) vs. New Orleans Saints

Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings, 6.86 (57 percent owned) vs. Oakland Raiders

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys, 5.34 (15 percent owned) vs. Miami Dolphins

Jason Witten

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Someone forgot to tell Jason Witten to take it easy in his return to the NFL. After a year in the Monday Night Football booth, he's playing 71.74 percent of offensive snaps and caught a touchdown pass in both games. 

The 37-year-old isn't racking up a lot of yards (40), but he's secured seven of his eight targets for receptions. In a contest with a subpar defense, he could turn the clock back a few years for a solid outing to keep his scoring streak alive.

Managers should scour the waiver wire for leftover Cowboys in an advantageous matchup. If Cobb isn't available, take a shot with Witten, who's only owned in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Defenses

Green Bay Packers, 8.64 (18 percent owned) vs. Denver Broncos

Tennessee Titans, 7.91 (35 percent owned) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

San Francisco 49ers 7.70 (19 percent owned) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The San Francisco 49ers will have an opportunity to feast on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in his first NFL start. Roethlisberger will undergo season-ending elbow surgery, which thrusts the second-year signal-caller into the spotlight.

The 24-year-old completed 12-of-19 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns and an interception Sunday against the Seahawks; the 49ers will go into Week 3 prepared for him at home.

Furthermore, San Francisco's defense has played well in the first two weeks, ranking eighth in points and yards allowed with two defensive touchdowns.