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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire pickups and fantasy football sleepers for Week 3. His top free agent options for 14-team fantasy leagues or deeper.
Only two weeks of the 2023 NFL season are complete, meaning the waiver wire still has some value ahead of next week's matchups. This won't last long in deep leagues, so picking up the right streamer or lotto-ticket bench stash is important early in the season.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 3 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk pickups like Kyren Williams and Nico Collins in this article.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 3, including Elijah Mitchell, Tyjae Spears, Marvin Mims Jr., Jalin Hyatt, Luke Musgrave, and C.J. Stroud.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Elijah Mitchell is going to be dropped by the masses after totaling just five touches through two weeks. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said giving Christian McCaffrey the entire backfield workload is not the plan. The 49ers have a quick turnaround and face the New York Giants in Week 3. Expect Mitchell to be much more involved in that outing.
Roschon Johnson handled just six touches in Week 2, but he turned his limited workload into 42 yards. Veteran running back D'Onta Foreman was a healthy scratch, and Johnson's workload could see an uptick as the season moves along.
Tyjae Spears has 14 touches and 83 yards through two NFL games as Derrick Henry's backup. The rookie is averaging 6.9 yards per carry so far and looks explosive as the team's change-of-pace back. Not only could Spears begin to have standalone value, but he could also be moved into a workhorse role in Tennessee's physical offense if anything happens to Henry this year.
Damien Harris and Latavius Murray both scored rushing touchdowns in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither back can be trusted in fantasy lineups just yet, but they are high-end handcuff running backs in one of the league's premier offenses.
Note: Any backup running back in a good offense should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Darnell Mooney did not see a target and got banged up in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he's reportedly fine and was the Bears' best receiver in the Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers. If Justin Fields can improve as the season rolls along, Mooney could have value in deep formats.
Marvin Mims Jr. caught two passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in his second NFL game in Week 2. He only saw two targets, which won't get it done consistently in fantasy football, but he could ascend to Russell Wilson's preferred deep option moving forward.
DeVante Parker has rarely been a fantasy superstar throughout his career, but after drawing eight targets in Week 2 and looking like the team's go-to receiver, he at least entered the fantasy radar.
Robert Woods has hauled in 12 of his 19 targets for 131 yards through two games with the Houston Texans. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looks impressive through two weeks, and while Nico Collins is trending in popularity, Woods has the veteran acumen to maintain value in PPR formats.
Josh Downs has 12 targets through two weeks and looks like the sure-fire No. 2 wide receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr. in Indianapolis. If Anthony Richardson (concussion) can put his injury troubles behind him, the rookie duo could find a nice connection in 2023.
Michael Wilson led the Cardinals with 56 receiving yards in Week 2, so he should at least be monitored, if not picked up, ahead of Week 3.
Jalin Hyatt flashed his deep-play upside in the New York Giants' comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals. The speedster from Tennessee caught two passes for 89 yards in his second NFL game. He should be able to command more playing time in a weak wide receiver room consisting of Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, and Parris Campbell.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Jake Ferguson saw seven targets in Week 1, then caught three of his four targets for 11 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Dak Prescott has continued to talk him up and will get him more involved when the Cowboys are in more pass-happy game scripts moving forward.
Irv Smith Jr. has nine targets through two weeks. When the Cincinnati Bengals offense led by Joe Burrow inevitably turns it around, the veteran tight end can do a lot with a minimal target share as a part of a high-powered unit.
Luke Musgrave has hauled in five of his seven targets for 75 yards so far this season. Could the return of Christian Watson (hamstring) open up the field for him in the intermediate area? He's worth picking up to find out.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues/2-QB Leagues
Jordan Love has six touchdowns to zero interceptions in his first two games as the Packers' new franchise quarterback. His competition percentage (55.8%) has room for improvement, and Green Bay's young cast of weapons might help him continue to post big fantasy outings.
Baker Mayfield has completed just under 70% of his passes in his first two games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to work with. Need I say more?
C.J. Stroud has quietly had a strong start to his NFL career. Despite playing behind a shaky offensive line, the rookie from Ohio State has thrown for 626 yards and two touchdowns to zero interceptions through two career starts. With Houston likely playing from behind for much of the season, he could have real fantasy value as a high-volume passer. When tackles Leremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard return from injury, his ceiling could be even higher.
Ryan Tannehill threw for three interceptions and zero touchdowns in Week 1 but bounced back against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. The 35-year-old completed 20 of his 24 passing attempts for 246 yards and one touchdown. As he gels with Treylon Burks, DeAndre Hopkins, and Chigoziem Okonkwo, he could become a reliable QB2.
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