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Dan's top quarterback Week 3 fantasy pickups (2026). The best QB fantasy waiver wire pickups to add and Week 3 QB streamers for 1QB, 2QB and superflex leagues.
It was glorious to have football back in our lives during Week 1. Unfortunately, Week 2 reminded us of this game's harsh realities.
Both the Chicago Bears (Caleb Williams) and Washington Commanders (Jayden Daniels) lost their third-year quarterbacks for an undetermined amount of time. Thankfully, there have been a lot of quarterbacks performing at a high level that can replace them in your fantasy lineup.
In this article, I will focus on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 2 below. All roster percentages will be from Yahoo fantasy leagues.
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Single-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Yahoo: 48% rostered
Tyler Shough has become a quarterback that must be rostered in all leagues and formats. Shough has scored at least 17.0 fantasy points in nine straight games dating back to the 2025 season, surpassing the 20-point mark six times, including five straight contests.
Shough was impressive against a talented Baltimore Ravens’ defense in Week 2, completing 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown while adding nine carries for 23 yards and a touchdown on a game-winning quarterback sneak.
Tyler Shough sneaks it in for the lead!
NOvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1hkVCDfSDB— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
More importantly, the Saints continue to operate as a fast-paced, pass-first offense, which gives Shough one of the highest floor and ceiling combinations in fantasy thanks to his passing volume and mobility. The second-year quarterback has averaged 35 pass attempts per game in his 11 career starts.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Yahoo: 58% rostered
Kyler Murray played just 11 snaps in his Minnesota Vikings debut in Week 1 before suffering a concussion. Murray was able to practice ahead of Week 2, but was ultimately ruled out to have extra time to heal.
Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz has led the Vikings to consecutive wins in Murray’s absence, but he hasn’t looked impressive enough to take ownership of the starting job when Murray is fully healthy, completing 23 of 39 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Murray is expected to be the starter in Minnesota as soon as Week 3, and his rushing ability alone is enough to make him worth rostering in fantasy. He will have three excellent matchups (at Tampa Bay, vs. Miami, and at New Orleans) before a Week 6 bye.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Yahoo: 32% rostered
Bryce Young continued his hot start to the 2026 season, completing 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns in a Carolina Panthers’ win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Young has now thrown for 648 yards, six touchdowns, and an interception (with one rushing touchdown) in two games.
Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan has the Panthers in scoring position 🗣️
CARvsATL on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9Aau1bGsul— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
More importantly, Young has been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks this season. He’s one of three signal callers (Josh Allen and Shough) to score 20+ fantasy points in his first two games.
There will be bigger challenges ahead for the Panthers’ offense than the Bears and Falcons’ defenses, but they won’t come until after the team’s Week 5 bye. Young has positive matchups against the Browns and Lions over the next two weeks, which should allow him to continue his strong start.
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Yahoo: 36% rostered
Malik Willis has yet to have a game-breaking fantasy performance, but has still put up at least 14.0 fantasy points per game in his first two starts with the Miami Dolphins.
Willis was able to sustain his fantasy production as a rusher in Week 1 (six carries for 39 yards and a touchdown), but hit the double-digit fantasy points mark throwing in Week 2, completing 14 of 23 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown in a big loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
There are volume concerns with the Dolphins’ passing attack, but Willis’s rushing ability should remain a weapon that can help him maintain a high floor in fantasy. He’s worth rostering, even if it’s just as a bye week or streaming option.
He can have massive fantasy weeks if the offense can settle and find its footing, but should still be a consistent producer thanks to his legs and big-play ability.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Yahoo: 3% rostered
Michael Penix Jr. logged another full week of practice before Week 2, but was ultimately ruled out once again. However, there has been consistent optimism that Penix would be ready to make his 2026 debut in Week 3.
Meanwhile, the Falcons haven’t had another quarterback emerge as a starting-caliber option this season. Tua Tagovailoa had an underwhelming training camp before suffering a back injury during practice in Week 1. That has forced him to miss the first two games.
Cooper Rush has made two starts in his absence, but completed just 56.4% of his passes for 229 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions before being benched for UDFA Jack Strand. Strand was just eight of 15 for 59 yards and an interception against the Panthers in relief.
Penix will be under center for the Atlanta Falcons if he is healthy enough to start. He’s worth rostering in an offense that has three weapons (Drake London, Kyle Pitts Sr., and Bijan Robinson) that can take any touch to the end zone.
Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
<1% rostered
Jayden Daniels suffered another gruesome-looking elbow injury on the final play of the first half against the Dallas Cowboys. The injury was on the same arm and looked identical to the dislocated left elbow that limited the third-year quarterback to just seven games in 2025.
Time will tell how many games Daniels misses in 2026 with the newest iteration of this injury, but for the short-term we can expect to see Marcus Mariota under center again. Mariota was 11 of 16 passing for 111 yards and a touchdown in the second half against the Cowboys after Daniels was hurt.
Geno Smith, New York Jets
Yahoo: 5% rostered
Geno Smith hasn’t provided much as a fantasy quarterback through his first two games with the New York Jets, but he has shown a higher level of competency than he did in 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Through two games, Smith is completing 70.8% of his passes for 462 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. More importantly, the Jets let the veteran quarterback throw the ball 41 times in a close Week 2 loss against the Packers after attempting just 24 passes in Week 1.
Smith isn’t a big runner, but his 11 attempts over two games suggest that he could have some touchdown upside in red zone situations if needed. More importantly, his next three matchups (Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland) all feature defenses that can be exploited through the air.
Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears
Yahoo: <1% rostered
Williams suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. There were initial concerns that the injury would sideline him for a considerable amount of time, but early reports were more optimistic that Williams suffered a manageable injury.
Regardless, that injury will likely earn backup quarterback Tyson Bagent one, if not multiple, starts. Bagent doesn’t have the physical tools that Williams does under center, but he’s capable of getting the ball to Chicago’s pass-catching weapons to produce fantasy points.
His Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t ideal, but potential matchups against the Jets, Packers and Falcons are far more fantasy-friendly if Williams is unable to return.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Yahoo: 2% rostered
Deshaun Watson has done enough to retain his starting job with the Cleveland Browns over the first two weeks, completing 76.9% of his passes for 443 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and leading the team to a 1-1 record.
The veteran quarterback has back-to-back weeks with 16.0+ fantasy points, but faces a difficult stretch of fantasy defenses in Pittsburgh (twice), the New York Jets, Baltimore, and Houston in the seven weeks before the team’s Week 11 bye.
Watson’s leash feels longer than it did at the start of the season, but he will need to maintain a high-level of play to remain the starter with Shedeur Sanders waiting behind him on the depth chart. However, that doesn’t hurt his short-term appeal with a matchup against the Panthers on the horizon in Week 3.
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