Waiver Favors™: 2024 Week 3 Fantasy Football Pickups
By Ha Kung Wong Week 3 Fantasy Football Pickups
Twitter: @FBGarbageTime
As I do every year over the last 12 years, I’m here to help with waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors™ article! And I’m assuming if you’re reader right now, you’re in your fantasy football playoffs, so congratulations!I’ll make a couple suggestions for after Week 3 of the 2024 fantasy football season that hopefully will keep your team running. 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.
And don’t forget that I have my previous recommended pickups this season at the end of the article, categorized by which leagues I would still pick them up in.
Last week, I made a number of suggestions for pickups, and many of those still stand if their available in your league, such as Cam Akers, Jauan Jennings and Quentin Johnston. Here are the new waiver wire suggestions:
Andy Dalton
QB – Carolina Panthers – 4% Owned
Let’s not get carried away, but Andy Dalton just completely revitalized the Panthers offense in a single week by completing 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards and 3 TDs. Remember that over the first two weeks, the Panthers totaled just 13 points with Bryce Young totaling 245 yards and 3 interceptions. Yeah, I don’t think that plans to reinstate Young is coming anytime soon. Dalton also managed to efficiently target the Panthers WR1 off-season acquisition Diontae Johnson and almost effortlessly move the Panthers up and down the field. Next week, who knows, maybe he turns back into a pumpkin, but if you need a backup QB in 14-team leagues or deeper, or in any two QB leagues, you could do worse.
| Season | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | CIN | 16 | 300 | 516 | 58.1 | 3398 | 20 | 13 |
| 2012 | CIN | 16 | 329 | 528 | 62.3 | 3669 | 27 | 16 |
| 2013 | CIN | 16 | 363 | 586 | 61.9 | 4293 | 33 | 20 |
| 2014 | CIN | 16 | 309 | 481 | 64.2 | 3398 | 19 | 17 |
| 2015 | CIN | 13 | 255 | 386 | 66.1 | 3250 | 25 | 7 |
| 2016 | CIN | 16 | 364 | 563 | 64.7 | 4206 | 18 | 8 |
| 2017 | CIN | 16 | 297 | 496 | 59.9 | 3320 | 25 | 12 |
| 2018 | CIN | 11 | 226 | 365 | 61.9 | 2566 | 21 | 11 |
| 2019 | CIN | 13 | 314 | 528 | 59.5 | 3494 | 16 | 14 |
| 2020 | DAL | 11 | 216 | 333 | 64.9 | 2170 | 14 | 8 |
| 2021 | CHI | 8 | 149 | 236 | 63.1 | 1515 | 8 | 9 |
| 2022 | NOR | 14 | 252 | 378 | 66.7 | 2871 | 18 | 9 |
| 2023 | CAR | 3 | 34 | 58 | 58.6 | 361 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 Y | 14 Y | 170 | 3408 | 5455 | 62.5 | 38511 | 246 | 144 |
| 17 G | 17 G | 17 | 341 | 545 | 62.5 | 3851 | 25 | 14 |
| CIN | CIN | 133 | 2757 | 4449 | 62.0 | 31594 | 204 | 118 |
| CAR | CAR | 4 | 34 | 59 | 57.6 | 361 | 2 | 0 |
| NOR | NOR | 14 | 252 | 378 | 66.7 | 2871 | 18 | 9 |
| DAL | DAL | 11 | 216 | 333 | 64.9 | 2170 | 14 | 8 |
| CHI | CHI | 8 | 149 | 236 | 63.1 | 1515 | 8 | 9 |
Braelon Allen
RB – New York Jets – 36% Owned
Breece Hall is the lead back for the Jets, but rookie Braelon Allen is catching up quickly. In Week 1, he had just 2 touches, but in Week 2 he had 11 touches and Week 3 he moved up to 14 touches, rushing 11 times for 55 yards and catching all 3 targets for 13 yards. He’s been incredibly efficient with his opportunities and is becoming a regular part of the Jets’ offensive plan, so he should probably be part of your plan as well in all 12-team leagues or deeper.
Bucky Irving
RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 35% Owned
Looks like a changing of the guard may be coming in Tampa. Bucky Irving managed to rush just 9 times for 70 yards and caught all 3 targets for 14 yards in week 2, which easily out-touched and out-performed Rachaad White. I don’t think White is going anywhere, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Irving starts commanding a 60-40 split of RB opportunities in the very near future. He’s worth stashing in all 12-team leagues or deeper, and definitely for all White owners.
DeAndre Hopkins
WR – Tennessee Titans – 56% Owned
There he is! DeAndre Hopkins finally came to play catching 6 of 7 targets for 73 yards and a TD in Week 3, pacing the Titans in targets, catches, and receiving yards. Hopkins is recovering from a knee strain, so perhaps he’s finally healthy, or maybe the negative game script helped. Either way, it wouldn’t take much for him to become WR1B to Calvin Ridley‘s WR1A in Tennessee, so go ahead and stash him if folks in your league dropped him from his first two weeks.
Jalen Nailor
WR – Minnesota Vikings – 11% Owned
Jalen Nailor stepped up in Week 2 with Jordan Addison out with an ankle injury, and did so again in Week 3 catching 3 of 4 targets for 31 yards and a TD. That’s a TD in every week so far. Addison looks close to returning, so Nailor might not have as many opportunities moving forward, but he’s worth stashing for now in all 14-team leagues or deeper.
Tutu Atwell
WR – Los Angeles Rams – 2% Owned
With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp out, I recommended picking up Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson last previously. But it was Tutu Atwell that stepped up in Week 3 catching 4 of 5 targets for 98 yards, after a promising 3 of 4 for 48 yards in Week 2. Matt Stafford is looking for him, so you should probably look for him too in 14-team leagues or deeper.
Calvin Austin III
WR – Pittsburgh Steelers – 0% Owned
Justin Fields is starting to look comfortable in Pittsburgh, but it was Calvin Austin that managed to bail out the Steelers offense by taking the football 55-yards for a TD in the 4th quarter. In all, he caught 4 of 5 targets for 95 yards and a TD in Week 3. He also had two punt returns for 20 yards. I’m not sold yet, even though he got 4 targets in Week 2 as well, but Austin is worth a lottery stash in 16-team leagues or deeper to see whether Fields continues to start and whether he continues to target Austin.
UPDATE for Monday Night Football
Check back after Monday Night Football!
Here are pickups that I’ve discussed in previous “Waiver Favors” and where I think they should be picked up:
10-Team Leagues
RB – J.K. Dobbins, Jordan Mason
12-Team Leagues
QB – Derek Carr
RB – Cam Akers (subject to Joe Mixon injury), Carson Steele
WR – Jauan Jennings, Jerry Jeudy, Quentin Johnston, Tyler Johnson, Darnell Mooney, Alec Pierce, Demarcus Robinson, Rashid Shaheed
14-Team Leagues
RB – Samaje Perine
WR – Brandin Cooks, Allen Lazard, Wan’Dale Robinson
TE – Hunter Henry, Isaiah Likely
16-Team Leagues or Deeper
WR – Greg Dortch, Devaughn Vele
Check back every week for more Waiver Favors!