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

Injuries have forced fantasy football owners to scour the waiver wire for a number of replacements ahead of Week 3. 

Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger headline the list of injured players that already included Tevin Coleman and Tyreek Hill. 

Since it could be hard to trust the fill-ins in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, experienced signal-callers are likely the hotter commodities on the waiver wire. 

At running back and wide receiver, players who stepped up to fill an injury void in Week 2 might be worth going after with more success on the horizon. 

Waiver-Wire Sleepers

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati 

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Andy Dalton ranks first in completions and second in pass attempts and passing yards. 

With the slew of quarterbacks going down due to injuries, the Bengals signal-caller may be your best bet on the waiver wire. 

Dalton's numbers suggest he is adapting well to the offense of first-year head coach Zac Taylor, with a victory being the only thing missing from his strong start. Dalton is readily available, as he is owned in 29 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros. 

Cincinnati's schedule is not the most promising for a fantasy quarterback, as trips to Buffalo and Pittsburgh await in Weeks 3 and 4. 

But the 31-year-old proved against San Francisco and Seattle that he could put up big numbers in defeat. 

While Daniel Jones, Teddy Bridgewater and Mason Rudolph could become reliable options later in the season, none of them have a large enough sample size to put confidence behind. 

For now, Dalton appears to be the best player to claim at the position, and if he continues to sling the ball, he may turn into one of the better producers in the pocket. 

Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Raheem Mostert posted a single-game career high in total yards in Week 2 with Tevin Coleman absent from the San Francisco backfield. 

He was one of three 49ers running backs to record double-digit carries, and he hauled in three receptions for 68 yards and a score. Mostert's influence in the passing game makes him stand out ahead of Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr. as a Week 3 pickup. 

In five of his last six games, the 27-year-old has at least seven carries and 40 rushing yards. Three of those totals have been over 80 yards. 

The fifth-year player is owned just under 20 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you want to take a chance on him, now is the time. 

On Sunday, the 49ers oppose a Pittsburgh team that gave up 151 rushing yards to Seattle at home in Week 2. The Steelers have also conceded the third-most receiving yards to running backs. 

If San Francisco exploits the flaws in Pittsburgh's defense, Mostert should be the better pickup than Breida or Wilson due to his pass-catching ability. 

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Kansas City 

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Demarcus Robinson took advantage of Tyreek Hill's injury by making six catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns. All three of those totals were single-game bests for the 25-year-old wide receiver. 

Since Patrick Mahomes has displayed trust in Robinson, he is someone to look at for Week 3, even if Kansas City plays Baltimore. 

A year ago, Mahomes put up 377 passing yards and two scores at Arrowhead Stadium versus the Ravens. 

With Hill expected to be out for a few weeks with a collarbone injury, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher, Robinson should receive more opportunities to shine in Kansas City's offense. 

In the next four games, the Chiefs face Detroit and Indianapolis, who both rank in the bottom third of passing yards conceded. 

Robinson is owned in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you like what you saw in Week 2 between him and Mahomes, he should be available for a pickup.

If you wait another week to see how consistent Robinson is, he might be gone if Mahomes feeds him while putting up another set of strong numbers against Baltimore. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.