Waiver Favors™: 2020 Week 3 Fantasy Football Pickups

September 27, 2020

By Ha Kung Wong Week 6 Fantasy Football Pickups

As I do every year over the last 8 years, I’m here to help with waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors article! And I’m assuming if you’re a returning reader, you won your fantasy football championship last year, so congratulations!

But it’s a new year, so I’ll make a couple suggestions for after Week 3 of the 2020 fantasy football season. You’re welcome. Again.

As usual, all pickups are available in at least 50% of Yahoo standard fantasy football leagues (with some minor exceptions) as of Sunday evening.

Nick Foles

QB – Chicago Bears – 2% Owned

Well, he’s the comeback kid himself, ole’ St. Nick. And I’m not talking about Christmas, I’m talking about the the Super Bowl LII MVP, Nick Foles. After an uninspiring first half and falling to a 16 point deficit, Matt Nagy pulled the plug on the Trubisky Experiment and put in the $8 million (per season) man. And Foles didn’t disappoint completing 16 of 29 passes for 188 yards, 3 TDs and an INT in a stirring 4th quarter comeback to beat the Falcons 30-26. And that’s not to mention having two other TDs called back after review. Coach Nagy didn’t commit to a starter in Week 4, but it would be shocking to go back to Trubisky after what we just saw. He’s a solid pickup in 14-team leagues or deeper, or in any two QB leagues.

Myles Gaskin

RB – Miami Dolphins – 46% Owned

We all wondered about the starting RB in Miami, and looks like Myles Gaskin is that guy. He played 75% of snaps in Week 3, up from 60% in the first two Weeks, and if nothing else, volume helped him goose his numbers. He had 22 carries for 66 yards and 5 receptions for 29 yards. Not efficient, but we’ll take it. He’ll likely continue to be vultured by Jordan Howard at the goal line, but he’s worth a pickup as an RB4/Flex in 12-team leagues or deeper.

Jeff Wilson Jr.

RB – San Francisco 49ers – 22% Owned

The 49ers really didn’t need much out of their new RB duo of Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson to beat the New York Giants, but they got plenty out of them anyway. I recommended McKinnon next week and mentioned Wilson, but I think Wilson deserves his own entry this week, as he managed to rush 12 times for 15 yards and a TD and catch all 3 targets for 54 receiving yards and a TD. Sure, a good amount was in garbage time with the 49ers just trying to run out the clock, but he was pretty effective throughout. McKinnon appeared to have a rib injury, so Wilson may get some additional snaps in Week 4. He’s worth your consideration in 14-team leagues or deeper.

Carlos Hyde

RB – Seattle Seahawks – 18% Owned

Carlos Hyde has barely been involved with the Seahawks weekly game plans, totally only 16 total carries over 3 weeks. But Chris Carson was injured late in the 4th quarter and it looked like a serious knee/upper leg injury. He was ruled out quickly in a close game, which probably is indicative of the severity, but we likely won’t know more until tomorrow. So, for now, grab Hyde as a speculative stash in all 12-team leagues or deeper, and definitely for any Carson owners in any league.

UPDATE (9-28-20) – Looks like Chris Carson has a first-degree knee sprain and could be back as soon as this weekend. Either way, we all know how knee injuries go, and Hyde is still a decent speculative stash, particularly for Carson owners.

Pete Carroll said on ESPN 710 radio this morning that Seahawks' RB Chris Carson had a first-degree knee sprain, he could be back soon, but they "just have to see how that goes."

About the play in which Trysten Hill hurt Carson, Carroll said, "I was really pissed about that."

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 28, 2020

Brandon Aiyuk

WR – San Francisco 49ers – 27% Owned

Rookie Brandon Aiyuk, finally healthy, had his break out catching 5 of 8 targets for 70 yards along with rushing for 31 yards and a rushing TD. Apparently, Nick Mullens likes him as he led the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards. He showed off speed and agility in spades and should continue to get looks, though may have to fight for targets as the 49ers get healthier. For now, though, he’s worth your consideration in 12-team leagues or deeper as an upside stash.

Justin Jefferson

WR – Minnesota Vikings – 29% Owned

Speaking of rookies, Justin Jefferson also finally got his groove on catching 7 of 9 targets for a whopping 175 yards and a TD against Tennessee. A big chunk of that was a 71 yard TD in the 3rd quarter, but they all count the same. And honestly, even without it, he’d have 6 of 8 for 104 yards, which would still be a huge day for the rookie. He’s looking to be gaining Kirk Cousin’s trust and could be on the upswing as the Vikings look to be playing catch up a lot this season. Feel free to grab Jefferson in all 12-team leagues or deeper.

Tee Higgins

WR – Cincinnati Bengals – 4% Owned

And on we go with the rookie parade. Tee Higgins also had his break out game catching 5 of a whopping 9 targets for 40 receiving yards and 2 TDs. His usage went from 15 plays in Week 1 to 60 plays in Week 2 to essentially every play in Week 3. Joe Burrow trusts him targeting him 3 times in the red zone, and Higgins didn’t let him down. It’s unclear how all the targets will pan out as the season continues, but he’s a great speculative stash now in all 12-team leagues or deeper.

Chase Claypool

WR – Pittsburgh Steelers – 14% Owned

Chase Claypool didn’t turn many heads catching just 1-of-4 targets for 24 yards in Week 3, but Claypool is an exceptional receiver (trust me, I’ve watched a lot of him at Notre Dame), had 4 targets which is up from Weeks 1 and 2 and Diontae Johnson exited early with a concussion. If you’re looking for a lottery ticket at WR, look no further. If Johnson doesn’t suit up in Week 4, there’s some significant upside here.

UPDATE for Monday Night Football

Check back for updates!

And here’s who I’ve recommended in previous weeks that I still think deserve a look:

10-Team Leagues

None

12-Team Leagues

QBs – Derek Carr, Justin Herbert, Gardner Minshew

RBs – Mike Davis, Devonta Freeman, Darrell Henderson, Jerick McKinnon

WRs – Robby Anderson

TEs – Mo Alie-Cox, Dalton Schultz

14-Team Leagues

QBs – None

RBs – Malcolm Brown, Nyheim Hines (PPR), Joshua Kelley

WRs – Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault

TE – Jordan Reed (subject to injury), Drew Sample

16-Team Leagues