2026 NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 3: RB Jonah Coleman, QB Bryce Young among top targets
Two Sundays of fantasy football in the books. Time for the Week 3 waiver wire.
Some of the names listed below might end up winning leagues. At the very least, several of them could be difference-makers in the immediate future. Do not take the waiver wire for granted -- this is where the rubber meets the road in our imaginary game.
I’ll be here every week from now until fantasy championships. Hope to have you along for the full ride. Let’s win some hardware.
NOTES:
- Players must be rostered in less than 60% of ESPN leagues to be eligible for the column.
- All statistics come courtesy of Next Gen Stats, unless otherwise noted.
TOP 15 OVERALL WAIVER-WIRE TARGETS
| Waiver Wire Priority Rankings | Next opponent |
| 1) RB Jonah Coleman, Broncos |
vs. Rams |
|
at Browns |
|
| 3) WR Devaughn Vele, Saints |
vs. Raiders |
|
at Bears |
|
|
vs. Panthers |
|
| 6) RB Kaelon Black, 49ers |
vs. Cardinals |
| 7) TE Juwan Johnson, Saints |
vs. Raiders |
| 8) WR Tre Tucker, Raiders |
at Saints |
|
vs. Raiders |
|
|
at Giants |
|
|
vs. Eagles |
|
| vs. Jets | |
| 13) Panthers D/ST |
at Browns |
| 14) Packers D/ST |
vs. Falcons |
| 15) Bengals D/ST |
at Steelers |
And here are my top waiver-wire targets by position:
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 34%
On the one hand, Young typically goes off against the Falcons, like he did on Sunday. On the other hand, Young's 8.9 yards per attempt, 8.0% completion rate over expected, 113.3 passer rating and several other numbers through two weeks are elite, or borderline elite. If your starting QB is struggling or injured, Young might be the best available pickup and a viable starter until further notice.
ROSTERED: 50%
Through Sunday, five quarterbacks have scored 20-plus fantasy points in each of the first two weeks: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Bryce Young … and Shough. I'm a little worried about the sophomore signal-caller's upcoming schedule, but as of Monday morning, Shough is the NFL leader in passing yards and a strong streamer, at the very least.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough's best plays against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.
ROSTERED: 3%
Don't look now, but Cousins has thrown three touchdown passes in back-to-back weeks -- and he doesn't even have Brock Bowers yet. The 38-year-old is playable in good matchups.
ROSTERED: 3%
Looking for a brave one-game play in Week 3? Lock just threw three touchdown passes and scored 21.4 points against Arizona, and Seattle gets Washington's porous defense next Sunday. If Lock starts in place of the injured Sam Darnold (glute) for another week, he'll likely be a top-15 QB (again).
RUNNING BACKS
Washington Commanders RB Rachaad White is rostered in 65% percent of leagues -- above the 60% threshold of eligibility for this file -- but he was exceptional on Sunday, both on the ground and as a receiver, and should be scooped up if available.
ROSTERED: 22%
Coming out of Sunday's action, both J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey have hamstring injuries, while Coleman scored a touchdown and flashed a versatile skill set in Week 2 relief work. There's a chance the rookie simply takes the job in Denver and should be highly prioritized as a result.
ROSTERED: 50%
It was a strange game in Santa Clara, as 49ers running backs totaled just 21 carries despite the home team blowing out Miami, 35-13. Still, Black received seven of those totes -- with Christian McCaffrey getting 10 -- another sign that the rookie will be meaningfully involved in one of the league's best rushing attacks, regardless of game script. He's also the top handcuff in fantasy. Black should be too highly rostered to be eligible for this column.
ROSTERED: 49%
While Tony Pollard remains the lead back in Tennessee, Spears played 37% of offensive snaps and posted 70 scrimmage yards on just nine opportunities (carries + targets) on Sunday. He could carve out a larger role as the more efficient and diverse RB in Nashville.
ROSTERED: 23%
Through two games, the backup B. Robinson in Atlanta has put together 82 rushing yards on 20 carries. While he has no stand-alone value with Bijan healthy, Brian should be one of the more highly rostered handcuffs in the league.
ROSTERED: 3%
Green Bay's backfield is a bit of a disaster for fantasy, with Chris Brooks logging the most snaps, MarShawn Lloyd the most fantasy points and Johnson the most carries in Week 2. Still, the chance that Johnson rises to the top of the depth chart makes him a consideration in deeper leagues.
ROSTERED: 0%
Hyped rookie Jadarian Price exited Sunday's game with a chest injury, and Wilson ended up with 92 yards on 21 carries against a struggling Cardinals defense. Consider the Seattle backup a deeper stash, pending Price's status going forward.
WIDE RECEIVERS
San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel Sr. is already rostered in 68% of leagues -- above the 60% threshold of eligibility for this file -- but he might be worth adding in the other 32% with De'Zhaun Stribling out for multiple months.
ROSTERED: 54%
Through two weeks without Jordyn Tyson, Vele has 12 catches on 16 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. While Chris Olave unsurprisingly has dominated the overall target share in New Orleans, Vele has been the clear No. 2 -- and a productive one at that.
ROSTERED: 26%
As I write this on Sunday evening, Wicks' impressive figure of 2.8 yards per route run ranks seventh among wide receivers with at least 50 routes. Furthermore, Wicks narrowly trails Makai Lemon for the second-most routes run in Philadelphia (behind DeVonta Smith) ... but currently outstrips Lemon in fantasy impact.
ROSTERED: 26%
Dontayvion Wicks may be seventh in yards per route run … but this Browns rookie ranks sixth on that same list AND has a long touchdown in each of his first two NFL games. Boston likely will be boom or bust early this season -- more so than Wicks -- but the ceiling is clearly worth rostering.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston burns Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for long score in Week 2.
ROSTERED: 25%
While Tucker was a non-factor in Week 1, he went bonkers in Sunday's win over the Chargers, racking up five catches for 119 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown snag. It could be like this all season in Vegas -- inconsistent -- but Tucker has FLEX appeal in the right matchups.
ROSTERED: 10%
In an offense with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland … it's Raymond who leads the team in targets (14), catches (13) and yards (124). This isn't a joke. It might correct in future weeks, but the veteran probably should be added in the meantime.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 53%
Johnson hit double-digit fantasy points for the second consecutive week, catching all four of his targets for 66 yards in the Saints' 24-17 upset of the Ravens. He's been extremely efficient with his usage and should remain a viable streamer as one of Tyler Shough's top targets in New Orleans.
ROSTERED: 3%
While Waller is likely to be an extremely touchdown-dependent streamer, he caught two of them on Sunday and had another one nullified by penalty in Week 1. I'd only consider playing him in a pinch in deeper leagues, but that scenario probably applies with some of you.
ROSTERED: 21%
Schultz's 26.0 fantasy points in Week 2 can at least partially be attributed to the opponent -- Cincinnati is an absolute sieve against tight ends -- but he was extremely involved and highly targeted in the absence of Nico Collins (hamstring). Schultz is worth adding as a high-floor tight end if you don't have a trustworthy starter.
ROSTERED: 22%
Freiermuth has seen five targets in each of the first two weeks, but this is mostly about the streaming matchup against the Bengals in Week 3 (see: the Dalton Schultz note just above). If you need a one-week play, the Steelers' top tight end is your guy.
ROSTERED: 6%
Yes, Barner is a legitimate streaming consideration in Week 3. Why? He gets to face the Commanders defense, which just allowed 20.3 fantasy points to Jake Ferguson and has been one of the softest matchups for the position since last year.
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DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 52%
In the Lions' one game not against the Bills -- who field the NFL's scariest offense right now -- their defense scored 10 fantasy points with five sacks and three takeaways. Now, Detroit hosts Geno Smith and the Jets at Ford Field. This D is probably also playable against the Panthers and Cardinals in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.
ROSTERED: 4%
In a 34-3 beatdown of the Falcons, the Panthers' defense scored 24.0 fantasy points -- most by a D/ST in Week 2. Carolina draws Cleveland in Week 3. That's a week-winning combination (again).
ROSTERED: 20%
The Packers' defense has seven sacks through two weeks and should feast on the Falcons -- and whoever they start at quarterback -- in Week 3.
ROSTERED: 8%
The Bengals reset their defense in 2026, and so far, it's working. They're getting pressure and forcing turnovers, and we can now trust them in fantasy lineups -- especially against a rudderless Steelers offense in Week 3.
ROSTERED: 2%
The Raiders' new-look defense has been impressive through two weeks, and while those games came against the lowly Dolphins and currently-inept Chargers, the Week 3 tilt against the Saints doesn't look a whole lot tougher, especially with injuries mounting in New Orleans.