Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire: Deeper League Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE)

September 22, 2026

Dan's top fantasy football Week 3 waiver wire pickups, sleepers, stashes for deeper leagues for 2026. His waiver targets include Michael Penix Jr., Jonah Coleman, Pat Freiermuth, and more.

Week 2 of the fantasy season reminded us that football can be brutal. Major injuries took out several quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Jaxson Dart), running backs (Jadarian Price and Saquon Barkley), wide receivers (Malik Nabers, Mike Evans, and Alec Pierce), and tight ends (Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, and Eli Raridon).

Those injuries could significantly impact fantasy lineups, but the season must go on. Thankfully, there are plenty of under-the-radar options available on waiver wires that can fill in for the injured players listed above.

This article will focus on fantasy football players who are at or below a 30% roster rate on Yahoo -- and can be considered deeper-leagues waiver wire options. We'll cover a few players from QB, RB, WR, and TE. Let's get to it!

Quarterback Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All QBs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Las Vegas Raiders- 5% rostered

Kirk Cousins is making the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to start him over 2026 first overall pick Fernando Mendoza look like the right choice through his first two games. Cousins has completed 67.8% of his passes for 413 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while leading the Raiders to a 2-0 record.

Things haven’t been pristine for Cousins, but he’s a borderline QB1 in points per game (18.5) over his first two games despite missing his best pass-catching weapon (Brock Bowers). Bowers has a chance to return in Week 3, which elevates Cousins’s ability to score fantasy points.

Cousins doesn’t have the rushing ability to consistently be a top-10 fantasy quarterback, but he’s proving to be a reliable high-end QB2 and will see a boost to his passing production with Bowers back on the field.

There will always be a risk of Cousins being benched for Mendoza at some point (unless the Raiders keep winning), but for now he’s worth rostering as a floor raiser on your fantasy team.

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons- 3% rostered

Michael Penix Jr. fully practiced in Week 2 and has been working toward a return to the field in Week 3. The Falcons confirmed on Monday that Penix would be their Week 3 starter after terrible performances from their available options to start the season.

Tua Tagovailoa has yet to see a snap after suffering a back injury before Week 1 and was bad during the preseason. Cooper Rush has made two starts, but was benched thanks to his subpar game in Week 2. UDFA Jack Strand relieved him in that game, completing 53.3% of his passes for 59 yards and a pick-six.

We don’t know if Penix will fare any better than any of the other quarterbacks on the roster, but we do know that the Falcons have a cast of pass catchers capable of generating big plays when given an opportunity. Penix is worth a shot, especially with matchups against the Packers and Saints on the horizon over the next two weeks.

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All RBs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less.

Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia Eagles- 29% rostered

Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger early in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. He returned later in the game, but finished with four carries for nine yards and one reception for 22 yards.

That led Tank Bigsby to have his biggest game of the season. Bigsby registered 13 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for five years, scoring 11.8 PPR points.

Bigsby won’t have a consistent role as long as Barkley is healthy, but Week 2 showed that he will be the lead running back any time Barkley is unable to play. That could be a league-winning player on an offense that wants to use its running game to set up the passing attack.

Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos- 27% rostered

Denver Broncos’ rookie running back Jonah Coleman was a popular late-round sleeper, even if his early-season path to playing time was unclear. We saw his path to fantasy relevance play out in Week 2.

Second-year running back RJ Harvey missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury, and veteran rusher J.K. Dobbins went out during the game with a hamstring injury of his own. Their absence allowed Coleman to record 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 19 yards. Coleman still split time with veteran Tyler Badie but outproduced him handily (one carry for one yard and two receptions for 28 yards).

Time will tell if Harvey and Dobbins will miss time going forward, which will inform how much of a role Coleman has for the Broncos. Still, he’s worth rostering now that we have seen the impact he will have if one or both backs are injured.

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs- 27% rostered

Kenneth Walker III is the unquestioned lead running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, but rookie Emmett Johnson has looked good in his limited opportunities through two games.

Emmett Johnson DANCIN' out there

INDvsKC on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/X7YXNw6QVs

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2026

Johnson has recorded 10 carries for 39 yards and two receptions for 64 yards in his first two professional games, operating strictly as a breather back for Walker. There isn’t much standalone value for Johnson at this point, but he is one of the more valuable handcuffs in football given Walker’s considerable injury history.

The rookie running back may fly under the radar for now, but has potential to become one of the biggest waiver additions if Walker is hurt. It’s better to be proactive and stash him on your bench now instead of waiting for that day to come.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All WRs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less.

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders- 29% rostered

The Las Vegas Raiders needed somebody to step up with Brock Bowers sidelined. Fourth-year wide receiver Tre Tucker was up to the challenge in Week 2.

Tucker was targeted seven times, catching five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Through two games, Tucker leads the team’s wide receivers with a 76.2% route participation rate and an 18.6% target share. His 3.04 yards per route run is fourth among all wide receivers with at least 25 routes run in two weeks.

Kirk Cousins with a rocket to Tre Tucker for a Raiders TD 🚀

LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YztxEx5znr

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

The eventual return of Brock Bowers will likely siphon targets away from Tucker, but he’s clearly the top wide receiver in Las Vegas and should continue to have a role going forward. That, combined with his speed, makes him a worthwhile waiver addition in fantasy.

Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets- 16% rostered

Adonai Mitchell’s strong training camp has translated to the field through two weeks of the regular season. Mitchell leads the Jets in targets (15) and is second in targets (9) and receiving yards (123) through two games.

Garrett Wilson is the unquestioned top receiver with the Jets, but Mitchell is earning a steady diet of targets as defenses work to take Wilson away in the passing attack. Mitchell’s role in the passing attack is also insulated with 2026 first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr. on short-term injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Mitchell has been inconsistent to start his NFL career, but may have finally found himself in a position that could lead to a role that produces fantasy points in 2026.

Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins- 14% rostered

The Miami Dolphins’ pass-catching group was one of the biggest questions coming into 2026. Through two weeks, we don’t have many answers. Malik Washington, De’Von Achane, and Caleb Douglas all have at least 10 targets and seven receptions to start the season. Only Washington, Douglas, and veteran Ryan Miller (one reception) have over 50 receiving yards.

The passing production will get even more concentrated in Week 3 now that Douglas has suffered a potential high-ankle sprain in Miami’s Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Miami’s 2026 third-round pick was seen in a walking boot after suffering the injury in the fourth quarter.

His absence will make Washington the unquestioned WR1 in Miami while the Dolphins work to get rookie Chris Bell, who suffered a torn ACL in November, back to full speed.

Miami’s passing attack has struggled to get off the ground, but Washington is a strong target on the waiver wire thanks to the target volume he should receive with Douglas sidelined.

Tight End Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

All TEs are rostered in 30% of leagues or less.

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers- 13% rostered

Pat Freiermuth has started his 2026 season with 10 targets, nine receptions, 78 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The veteran tight end is third on the Steelers in target share (12.3%) but ranks second behind only Michael Pittman Jr. in yards per route run (1.37) and team yards share (19.1%).

Freiermuth isn’t the flashiest tight end option, but he’s seeing a steady diet of targets from a quarterback who will throw the ball short to avoid getting hit. Among 32 quarterbacks with 10 or more dropbacks, Aaron Rodgers ranks 31^st in yards per attempt (5.16), 19^th in average depth of target (7.73), and 17^th in time to throw (2.58).

Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers- 6% rostered

Oronde Gadsden started the season buried behind David Njoku and Charlie Kolar on the Chargers’ depth chart, but he’s set to see a massive role increase after both players landed on the injured reserve after Week 2.

Gadsden has caught all four of his targets this season for 50 yards and a touchdown on a 33% snap share. However, his rookie year showed the dynamism he could bring as a receiver (69 targets, 49 receptions, 664 yards and three touchdowns) when given a chance.

The second-year tight end likely won’t be a full-time player out of the gate thanks to his subpar blocking, but he’s set to see an increase in snaps as a pass catcher in Week 3. He must be added in all league formats, even if fantasy managers choose to stash him on the bench until his role materializes.

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