I would be remiss if I didn’t take this time to mention the absolute thrashing the Miami Dolphins did to the Denver Broncos. Until this past Sunday, only 3 teams had eclipsed the 70 point threshold, the last time being in 1966. 10 total touchdowns were scored and over 700 yards were put up. Mike McDaniel, a former Broncos ball boy, got his revenge on a team who didn’t even offer him a head coaching interview. You love to see it. With that said, here are my top waiver wire targets after week 3.
Waiver Wire Targets:
De’Von Achane (Rostered in 16.1% of ESPN leagues)
I mean… holy sh*t. Achane went from 1 carry for 5 yards in week 2 to 18 carries for 203 yards and 4 total touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 receiving) in a historic win in week 3. The Dolphins offense has shown it is the best offense in the league and everyone is getting a piece of the pie. Tougher run defenses are ahead so expect Achane to come down to Earth a bit. However, Achane is a no-brainer addition in all leagues.
Tank Dell (Rostered in 23.3% of ESPN leagues)
One thing is clear with the Texans, win or lose, they will be throwing the ball often. Dell has exploded in back to back weeks alongside Nico Collins notching a touchdown in both outings. I don’t think many saw a lot of fantasy value in the Texans offense but that is quickly changing. Dell is likely the top WR pickup going into week 4.
Quentin Johnston (Rostered in 46.2% of ESPN leagues) and Joshua Palmer (Rostered in 0.7% of ESPN Leagues)
The injury bug has bitten again, this time with Chargers WR Mike Williams who went down late in Sunday’s win against the Vikings with a season-ending ACL injury. Johnston and Palmer stand to get more work with both making a case for being the next man up. Last year, with injuries to Allen and Williams, Palmer stepped up for fantasy managers by scoring double digit points in 5 outings. He saw 8+ targets in each one of those performances.. For Johnston, the Chargers invested heavily by selecting him with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2023 draft. I view Palmer as more of the short term option behind Allen but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chargers take a bit longer to work Johnston in a bit more and eventually have him start to take over that number 2 role.
Romeo Doubs (Rostered in 27.1% of ESPN leagues)
While watching the Packers play the Saints, it felt like every throw from Jordan Love was headed Doubs’ way. Doubs had 12 total targets on the day, reeling in 5 for 73 yards and a score. That amount of targets is encouraging and shows Love and Doubs clearly have a connection. With Christian Watson still out, expect Doubs to continue to play the WR1 role.
Matt Brieda (Rostered in 26.2% of ESPN leagues)
A repeat to this list from last week, Brieda managed to have some fantasy relevance in a Thursday night game against the 49ers that was largely one sided. I’m sure fantasy managers felt some relief after he punched in the Giants only touchdown for the evening. Brieda faces a softer Seattle run defense in week 4 warranting a flex play.
TyjaeSpears (Rostered in 15.7% of ESPN leagues)
Spears could be one of the sneakier waiver wire pickups moving forward. In Sunday’s loss to the Browns, Spears was on the field for 56% of the Titans offensive snaps compared to Derrick Henry’s 38%. In all fairness, the Titans were not in a position to run the ball so I’m not giving up on Henry yet, but the Titans willingness to try and get Spears involved in both the rushing and passing attack is encouraging. Consider Spears an elite handcuff moving forward and definitely worth a stash on your bench.
CJ Stroud (Rostered in 11.3% of ESPN leagues)
Even bad teams have their day. In a surprise victory over the Jaguars, CJ Stroud threw for 2 touchdowns in back to back weeks. Whether they are ahead in games or not, they will be throwing the ball a ton which gives a lot of value to the rookie. The upcoming schedule for the Texans before their week 7 bye isn’t the most favorable for Stroud (Week 4 vs Pittsburgh and Week 6 vs New Orleans). However, coming out of the bye week, Stroud has a pretty clear path the rest of the year outside of a matchup with the Browns. If you are in need of a QB or need a quality backup, Stroud might be your guy.