Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 3 - Jaylen Warren, Tank Dell, Taysom Hill and More!

September 24, 2023

Michael Florio's fantasy football sneaky starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 3. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.

Injuries suck. There is no other way of putting it. And they are piling up currently and having a great impact on this game we love to play. 

If your team has escaped the first two weeks relatively unscathed, then kudos to you. Enjoy it, because it will not last all season. But with so many players injured, many fantasy managers are looking for options to plug into their Week 3 starting lineup. I got you covered. 

Each week you will find sneaky starts and injury pivots to help get your starting lineup in tip-top shape! 

Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Pivot options to replace Aaron Rodgers or in case you don’t like your QB's matchup…

Don’t look now but Russell Wilson may be back. Last week Wilson threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns while running for a team-high 56 yards. That is a vintage Russ appearance. He now has five touchdown passes through two games. And a matchup against Miami and their high-powered offense means the Broncos will have to put up points. Wilson is in play as a strong streaming option this week and if he can keep running like last week he could quickly become a must-start option again. 

yards per pass att on 1st down

13.2 - Jared Goff
11.6 - Ryan Tannehill
10.7 - Brock Purdy
10.2 - Tua Tagovailoa
9.7 - Daniel Jones
9.2 - Russell Wilson
8.9 - Lamar Jackson
8.7 - Jimmy Garoppolo
8.6 - Trevor Lawrence
8.5 - Dak Prescott
8.1 - Zach Wilson
7.9 - Geno Smith
7.9 -…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 20, 2023

Brock Purdy has put up two solid performances, but his Week 2 numbers would have been even better had a passing touchdown not been changed to a rushing one for Deebo Samuel. He gets a solid matchup against the Giants this week who just allowed 25 fantasy points to Joshua Dobbs last week. As always, you get all the production from the best cast of weapons in the league, all baked in with Purdy. 

Sam Howell threw for 299 yards and two scores last week going for over 21 fantasy points. He has yet to run for many yards yet this season, but that always remains a possibility for him. He also has a rushing touchdown. This week Howell and the Commanders will need to put up points to keep up with the Bills. He is a strong streaming option this week. 

C.J. Stroud is one of two QBs to attempt over 90 pass attempts in the first two weeks of the season. The Texans' offensive line is in shambles and they cannot establish the run at all. That has led to Stroud having to air the ball out and honestly - he has looked very good doing so. He scored over 21 fantasy points throwing for 384 yards and two scores last week. There may be inconsistencies with Stroud but the volume is there. That makes him a streaming option for fantasy purposes. 

Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Pivot options to replace Nick Chubb or in case Saquon Barkley, and Austin Ekeler, don't play … 

Jerome Ford was the big waiver wire target of the week and if you landed him, you likely have to start him even in what is a tough matchup against the Titans. Last week, Ford filled in for Nick Chubb and saw 16 carries, four targets, and turned them into 131 yards and a touchdown. He nearly had a second TD as he was tackled on the one-yard line after a long run. He is certainly in play. The Browns also signed Kareem Hunt, who knows the offense and could contribute immediately. He is purely an option in deep leagues though until we see how much run he gets. 

Jaylen Warren is an excellent sneaky start in Week 3. He has played around 40 percent of the snaps consistently for the Steelers since the preseason. He will get mixed in on the groundwork but has been the preferred option out of the backfield in the passing game. He is also far more explosive than Najee Harris, meaning he could have a good fantasy day despite seeing less volume. Plus, it's a great matchup. The Raiders have allowed the third most rushing yards to running backs so far this season (271). They have also allowed the second most receptions (17) and eighth most receiving yards (86) to running backs. That is after allowing the fourth-most receptions (98) and third-most receiving yards (790) to the position last season. 

Six RBs have scored 15+ PPR fantasy points from purely receiving production this season:

Bijan Robinson (23.5)
Saquon Barkley (19.1)
Kyren Williams (17)
Jaylen Warren (16.8)
Aaron Jones (16.6 - in one game)
Rhamondre Stevenson (16.4)

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 20, 2023

Matt Breida is an option if you are desperate. Saquon Barkley is not going to suit up which means the bulk of volume should go Breida’s way. The issue is he is facing the 49ers who have been the toughest matchup for running backs since the start of last season - regardless of what Kyren Williams just did to them. If you are starting Breida I think you are hoping for catches and maybe a touchdown. Still, if you are in a deeper league he may be the best option out there. You got to do what you got to do in some spots. 

Tony Jones and Kendre Miller are both in play for one week. With Jamaal Williams suffering a hamstring injury, it looks like it’ll be these two manning the backfield for the Saints against the Packers, who have allowed the third most rushing yards so far this season. Jones looked solid on Monday Night scoring a pair of touchdowns. He is the safer bet of the two, while Miller is the upside swing. Still, expect a good amount of Taysom Hill running the ball this week. The two are deeper flex options until Alvin Kamara returns in Week 4. 

Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Pivot options in case Christian Watson, Jerry Jeudy, and Diontae Johnson, don’t play… 

Rashid Shaheed was only targeted four times against the Panthers in Week 2, but he was able to turn that into 63 yards and double-digit fantasy points. He has shown us a ceiling game, going for 100 total yards, a touchdown, and 19 fantasy points in Week 1, and that floor game in Week 2. He brings a lot of upside each week as he is a great vertical threat and will always get some downfield targets. He is one of my favorite weekly pivots if you need a receiver or flex option. 

Tank Dell had a team-high 10 targets in Week 2 and turned them into seven catches, for 72 yards and a touchdown. That is good for 20.2 fantasy points in a PPR league. Plus, he had a second touchdown that was called back due to holding. Don’t let his size fool you. He led the FBS in touchdowns last year and had five more red zone touchdowns than any other player. He is explosive and can get open very quickly. Dell is a strong pivot option on a Texans team that will be forced to throw the ball plenty. 

Every target from Tank Dell's 7-72-1 game against the Colts on 79% of the offensive snaps

If the Texans continue to let Stroud air it out while they lose games, Dell can continue to produce startable fantasy stat lines weekly.

Short king summer continues! pic.twitter.com/05bIwjOCAk

— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) September 20, 2023

Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed have seen more runs with Christian Watson sidelined. Last week Reed led the Packers with eight targets, catching four of them for 37 yards and two touchdowns. That's after he tied for the team lead in Week 1 with five targets. Reed is my preferred option as he has been the best volume earner - and I also just believe he is the better receiver of the two. But, Reed has been limited to three receiver sets, so Doubs will be on the field more. He is also in play as a deeper flex option this week. 

Marvin Mims ran just five routes last week and was still able to lead the Broncos with 113 yards and a touchdown on two targets. Mims is the ultimate boom-or-bust play. It's possible he does not connect on a long ball and gives you very little, or even no, fantasy points. But, him connecting on one of those and having a big day is also a possibility. Especially this week as they have to put up points to keep up with that high-powered Dolphins offense. Mims should see more runs, but it's no guarantee he does. He brings a very high ceiling for those swinging for the fences, just understand the floor is non-existent as of now. 

Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Pivot options in case Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and Greg Dulcich don’t play…

Hayden Hurst was shut down last week in the toughest matchup for a tight end. However, we saw him go off in Week 1, catching five of seven targets for 41 yards and a touchdown. He played the role of safety blanket for Bryce Young and I think he can return to that in a much better matchup this week. He faces the Seahawks who have allowed the third most yards to tight ends this season, after allowing the most fantasy PPG to the position in 2022. 

Zach Ertz has seen too much volume to ignore. No tight end has more targets than Ertz through two weeks. He saw 10 in Week 1 and followed that up with eight last week. He has scored at least eight fantasy points in each game and is the TE7 of the year currently. The Cowboys are a tough matchup but if they are getting pressure on Joshua Dobbs, it probably means a lot of short, quick passes, which could go Ertz's way. He is not the sexiest play, but consistent volume is more than most tight ends can offer. 

Ready to have some fun? Taysom Hill is a sneaky tight-end play if he has the eligibility on the site that you play on. Last week Hill ran nine times for a team-high 75 yards, He was also targeted twice. Hill is not going to do a whole lot as an actual tight end, but given how banged up the Saints are at running back, it feels like a safe bet that we will see him come in and run a lot of QB-designed runs again. The floor is not steady, but Hill brings upside as a real sneaky TE streamer in Week 3.

Designed runs for Taysom Hill worked extremely well for the Saints last night. Blocking was great, Carolina had no answer. pic.twitter.com/Xh6aEhiiTN

— Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport) September 19, 2023

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.

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