High-Upside Bench Stashes: Sneaky Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Before Week 3

September 25, 2026

Andy's must-have bench stashes and sneaky fantasy football waiver wire adds, sleepers ahead of Week 3 in 2026. Pick up these high-upside players before Week 3.

Hey RotoBallers! Welcome to the third edition of our High-Upside Bench Stashes series. Week 3 of the NFL season kicked off last night, but that doesn't mean we can't scan the waiver wire for any potential lottery tickets.

This week, we will look at an emerging rookie running back in Tennessee who could find more opportunities this weekend and a high-end "handcuff" wide receiver. For this column, we will spotlight only names with less than 30% rostered on Yahoo.

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High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Running Backs

Nicholas Singleton, Tennessee Titans

2% rostered

The first running back we will spotlight was not on the fantasy radar until injuries hit his backfield this week. Entering Thursday night's contest, Tennessee's top running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are both in question to sit out on Sunday. Per the team's injury report, Pollard couldn't practice Wednesday due to an injury and was only upgraded to limited participation Thursday.

Spears has been a non-participant in practice each of the past two days, which opened the door for the No. 3 back on the roster.

Singleton was once viewed as a high-end running back prospect at Penn State but took a step back in his final seasons, which significantly hindered his draft stock. In 2024, Singleton ran for 1,099 yards at an elite 6.4 YPC. However, in 2025, Singleton averaged just 4.5 YPC with a total of 549 yards on 123 rushing attempts.

So far, Singleton's NFL career has not gotten off to the most impressive start, as he was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and took only four carries this past weekend.

While the sample size is small, Singleton could immediately slide into a lead role if these injuries linger. Managers needing an upside running back should consider stashing Singleton, as he could have viable plug-and-play upside if both Pollard and Spears remain on the shelf.

Emari Demercado, Dallas Cowboys

4% rostered

While Emari Demercado has minimal standout value, the running back could be a lottery ticket if Javonte Williams misses time this season. Entering the 2026 season, Demercado was not even on the Cowboys but joined them as a late addition when Jaydon Blue was released.

However, Demercado got onto the fantasy radar once Malik Davis suffered an injury ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants. With Davis now on the injured reserve, Demercado faces no competition to take the lion's share of opportunities if Williams were to miss time this season.

So far, Williams has led the backfield as expected. The veteran back has taken 24 carries over two games while drawing nine total targets. During this stretch, Demercado has taken only five carries while not drawing a single target in the passing game.

Although the former Arizona Cardinal doesn't have the strongest track record in the NFL, he has shown flashes of potential. Last season, Demercado averaged an impressive 7.1 YPC over 44 carries. Through the air, he also averaged 7.8 YPR and found the back of the end zone once.

Demercado would immediately join a high-octane offense that projects to finish near the top of the sport by the end of the campaign.

The final running back to consider stashing is one for those in deeper 14+ team leagues. Jonathon Brooks underperformed this week and is slated to miss at least the next six weeks, putting him in danger of being an on-field factor for most of the fantasy season. While Chuba Hubbard will carry borderline low-end RB1 upside in some matchups, the No. 2 job is now open for the taking.

Enter AJ Dillon. Earlier on Thursday, HC Dave Canales said the veteran has a "great opportunity" to serve as Hubbard's top backup. So far this season, Dillon has had a limited role (while operating as the No. 3 option), taking only eight carries for 25 yards, but his opportunity share should be much larger going forward.

Earlier in his career, Dillon was a reliable red-zone threat in Green Bay, punching in at least five rushing scores in back-to-back years with a season-high of seven during the 2022 season.

While much of his upside wouldn't come unless Hubbard misses time, the lead back has missed two games in each of the last two campaigns, which puts Dillon high on the stash radar.

AJ Dillon to get increased role behind starter Chuba Hubbard with Jonathon Brooks out

(Joe Person)

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 23, 2026

Other RBs to stash - Last Week's Recommendations (Demond Claiborne, Samaje Perine)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Wide Receivers

Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys

8% rostered

While most wide receivers do not possess the same "handcuff" value that running backs do, Ryan Flournoy may be the exception. Flournoy is currently the No.3 option on the depth chart but would become a weekly FLEX play if CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens miss time this season.

So far, Flournoy has brought in seven passes (10 targets) for 45 yards and no touchdowns. After a quiet rookie season, Flournoy enjoyed a productive sophomore season despite operating as the No. 3 option, catching 40 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns.

Looking up to the 2026 season, Flournoy was drawing impressive buzz in camp and was even credited with building trust with his quarterback, Dak Prescott.

Despite this, Flournoy's short-term stock remains limited, as Lamb, Pickens, and even tight end Jake Ferguson demand nearly all of the targets in this offense.

However, Sunday's victory over the Commanders further shows how much upside Flournoy could have if he steps into a major role. Prescott attempted 31 passes and threw for 279 yards with four scores. Last season, the Cowboys attempted the third-most passing yards, which allowed Prescott (and his wideouts) to enjoy massive fantasy seasons.

Those in three-WR formats should keep a close eye on Flournoy, as he could be a lottery ticket later in the season.

Malachi Fields, New York Giants

12% rostered

Following the season-ending injury to Jaxson Dart (knee), some managers may not view Fields as the high-upside stash he once was. However, with Jameis Winston sliding under center, this Giants offense could remain quite productive (from a fantasy standpoint) for much of the season.

So far, the Notre Dame product has been heavily involved in the Giants' passing attack, leading the entire wide receiver room in total snaps. However, that snap share has yet to show up in the box score, as he has caught only four passes for 55 yards.

In Week 1, he drew four targets and saw that number increase to six in Week 2. While Winston's pass-happy approach should benefit this offense, Fields could quickly operate as the WR1 given Malik Nabers' recent injury concerns.

While he did not miss time due to his ACL injury to begin the season, Nabers exited early on Monday night with a dislocated shoulder and now has yet another ailment managers need to worry about. Additionally, Darnell Mooney (the No. 3 option) has caught just four passes in two games and remains far behind both Nabers and Fields on the pecking order.

The last time Winston was a full-time starter (Weeks 8 through 15 in 2024), he averaged 291.1 passing yards per game with a 12:12 TD:INT ratio. Fields could very well hold legit high-end FLEX upside once Winston finds his rhythm and holds further upside if Nabers faces a further setback.

Other WRs to stash - Last Week's Recommendation (Pat Bryant), Antonio Williams

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Tight Ends

Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers

19% rostered

Unlike most names in this piece,  the tight end we will spotlight is one of the few "upside stashes" you can actually consider putting into your Week 3 lineup. The Chargers tight end room took many injuries last weekend, as both David Njoku and Charlie Kolar exited early. Njoku was carted off and subsequently placed on the IR, while Kolar has already been ruled out for Week 4 but won't be placed on the IR.

This leaves second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden as the clear TE1 in the short term and for the foreseeable future. The 23-year-old was a waiver-wire hero at times during his rookie season, but saw his fantasy stock take a major hit in camp as he was listed as the No. 3 option on the team's depth chart.

In 2025, Gadsden caught 49 passes for 663 yards and three scores over 15 games. From Weeks 3 through 11, Gadsden averaged 11.1 PPR points per game and was a weekly low-end TE1.

While his 2026 season has gotten off to a slower start, he has a clear path to once again emerge as a viable option for Justin Herbert. Expect him to quickly regain the lead role on Sunday, facing a weak Buffalo secondary.

Those who punted the tight end position should prioritize Gadsden, as he may not hold top-12 upside this week, but for the next month of action.

Oronde Gadsden Now the Chargers' Clear TE1 https://t.co/mXnyBu8sZs

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 24, 2026

Other TEs to stash - AJ Barner

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Quarterbacks (QB)

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

5% rostered

The QB we recommended last week (Geno Smith) would still be a top stash option with plug-and-play upside like Gadsden, but to avoid repeating, let's spotlight Jacoby Brissett. Brissett flashed weekly top-12 upside at times in 2025, and while he does not have a favorable matchup this weekend, he could carry sneaky streaming appeal over the next month.

From Weeks 6 through 17 last season, Brissett was the QB7 in terms of total fantasy points and was tied for the QB8 in terms of a per-game basis, which shows the upside he has. While the potential for him to be that dominant may be limited, as the Cardinals now have a formidable rushing attack, Brissett could find himself in high-scoring affairs.

Following their difficult tilt against the 49ers this weekend, Brissett and the Cardinals will face the New York Giants and Detroit Lions in Weeks 4 and 5, both of which line up as elite streaming matchups for the 33-year-old. He faces the Rams in Weeks 6 and 7 but then has another plus matchup in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Those in deeper 12+ team leagues looking to find some upside at the position and pivot off of underperforming options like Baker Mayfield or even Drake Maye should consider stashing Brissett this weekend, as he could provide top-12 upside in Weeks 4 and 5.

Other QBs to stash - Last Week's Recommendation (Geno Smith)

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