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Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Bryce Young, Tyler Shough, Marcus Mariota in Week 3 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Quarterback is one of the few positions that you can completely punt in fantasy football and still have a solid chance of picking up a top-8 fantasy player at their position from the waiver wire later in the season.
This year is already no different. Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough, and Washington Commanders signal-caller Marcus Mariota are already showing major upside as potential starting QBs in fantasy football.
All three were drafted very low or completely ignored in most fantasy football redraft leagues this season, meaning they have reasonable availability in those leagues ahead of Week 3. So should you pick any up as waiver wire pickups now? Let's dive in.
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Bryce Young Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 42% of leagues
After three straight inconsistent seasons to start his career, things finally appear to be looking up for Young. Perhaps Panthers head coach Dave Canales giving up his play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is a big reason. Perhaps it's the easy schedule they've faced so far.
The Panthers played the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. Both have abysmally bad defenses, with the Falcons being so inept on offense that they benched their starting quarterback, Cooper Rush, during the contest.
Bryce Young vs. Chicago All-22 (Week 1, 2026) pic.twitter.com/g4Hai8BtNR
— Justin Dolloff (@JustinDolloff) September 15, 2026
Perhaps my analysis was too harsh on Young's long-term potential. He struggled at times last season, but he's looked much improved this year. Poor offensive play calling can truly squander a QB's potential, as we saw with Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence in his first few years as a pro. The emergence of Tetairoa McMillan and No. 2 wideout Jalen Coker has significantly raised his floor.
Young's performance can't be ignored, and he should be added in all leagues ahead of Week 3. Tougher matchups are ahead, though, so we should see a production regression; he plays in the worst division in football, the NFC South, so it's not all doom and gloom.
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Tyler Shough Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 49% of leagues
If Shough isn't rostered in any of your leagues at all, that's a mistake that needs to be quickly corrected. Despite him not being a high draft pick and entering the NFL at the age of 26, he's been one of the best-performing quarterbacks in the NFL this season.
He's helped lead an effective offense, despite missing his rookie first-round draft pick, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), since the start of the season. Eventually, he should come back, though there's always a chance he re-injures his hammy again.
3rd down? The answer is Devaughn Vele
📺 #NOvsBAL on CBS pic.twitter.com/p87suiRnvD
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 20, 2026
The Saints headed to Baltimore and absolutely stunned a team considered a Super Bowl contender: the Ravens. They were missing WR Zay Flowers (hamstring), but the result was still shocking, as they have one of the better defenses and offenses in the league most years.
Shough should be viewed as a top-8 QB moving forward. He has just over 47.5 PPR fantasy points through two games and has shown impressive rushing upside.
Add in All Leagues
Marcus Mariota Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 0% of leagues
With Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) having been healthy and back for the start of the season, Mariota was nearly universally ignored in fantasy football drafts. That's changed yet again, as Daniels dislocated the same elbow that he injured last season.
Daniels opted not to have surgery to correct the issue, but that may have been a mistake. There is no timetable for him to return, meaning Mariota should have at least a few weeks as the starter coming up. The veteran threw for 111 yards and a touchdown and rushed one time for three yards in limited action in the Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Marcus Mariota ➡️ Stefon Diggs to add six more on the board for the Commanders!
WASvsDAL on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/GTDA09lrTx— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
Mariota is unironically set up well in this offense, at least as a pass-catcher. With his selection of WRs Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and Antonio Williams to throw to, he has plenty of talent to help him produce as a passer. And he still has rushing upside despite being 32 years old.
In superflex and 2QB leagues, he's an absolute must-add. In 1QB leagues, not so much.
Add in 2QB Leagues
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Bryce Young, Tyler Shough, Denzel Boston, Emmett Johnson, Jonah Coleman, Adonai Mitchell, Marcus Mariota. We are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Bryce Young, Tyler Shough, Marcus Mariota. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Bryce Young, Tyler Shough, Denzel Boston, Emmett Johnson, Jonah Coleman, Adonai Mitchell, Marcus Mariota:
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