Lemonsiders Fantasy Facts | Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

From Patrick Mahomes’s SIX touchdown performance, Vontae Davis retiring during half time, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s post-game swag to Keenan Cole’s ridiculous one handed catch, week two provided plenty of excitement. Of course, though, there were some disappointments. Once again, my streaming DST didn’t pan out for me. Last week I got burnt by the Saints and this week it was the Texans. Other let down’s for me were TJ Yeldon replacing Fournette as the main back, yet failing to hit double digits in scoring. Greg Zuerlein injured his groin and put up a goose egg. To top it off, Alex Smith, with a very favorable matchup at home against the Colts, as well as the entire Redskins team, let down all fantasy owners on both sides of the ball. LeSean McCoy suffered a crack rib and is questionable for the Bills’ upcoming game against the Vikings. Todd Gurley was sidelined for the 4th quarter with cramps, but seems to be alright. No word yet on Antonio Brown’s, Melvin Gordon’s, and Larry Fitzgerald’s respective injuries as of now.Heading into Week 3, here are some waiver wire pickups you should target:

QB: Blake Bortles, Jaguars – Say what? Blake Bortles? Yes folks, Blake freaking Bortle Kombat. With the uncertainty of Fournette’s health, Bortles is line for more work. Even if Fournette were to return, Bortles should provide a very safe floor for the next few weeks going against the Jets Week three, Chiefs Week four, and the Cowboys Week five.

RB: Javorius Allen, Ravens – No doubt about it, Alex Collins is still the running back to own on the Ravens, but Javorius Allen is a smart stash on your bench. In negative game scripts, Buck Allen’s catching ability will get him more snaps and opportunities, which has proven true in weeks one and two. In closer games, where the Ravens have to pound the ball, they’ll lean more on Collins though.

RB: Giovani Bernard, Bengals – Joe Mixon had a successful knee procedure this weekend and the timetable for his return is uncertain, but he is expected to at least miss one game. Reports have mentioned a possible 1-4 game absence for Mixon, which will make Giovani Bernard the lead back for those games. This is a small patch for your running back depth. It’s not a long term pick up, but definitely worth the add.

WR: Geronimo Allison, Packers – Geronimoooooo!! Such a fun name to say, but also a pretty fun player to watch, alongside Aaron Rodgers. Even as a WR3 on the Packers, you’ll still receive steady work. Coming off a tough opponent in the Vikings Week two, Washington is also a tough matchup in Week three, but the schedule lightens up afterwards. If you’re in a deep league, Geronimo Allison is a decent flex play.

WR: Antonio Callaway, Browns – This is one of those “flier” pick-ups with upside appeal. Josh Gordon being traded to the Patriots creates a lot of opportunity for the rookie WR from Florida. Despite the offseason mishap with the law, the Browns kept Antonio Callaway on the squad, so they believe in his potential, and so do I. Especially if the Browns turn to Baker at some point of the season, his field stretching abilities make him an interesting player to plug into your lineups.

TE: Eric Ebron, Colts – Andrew Luck being back does not mean his shoulder is 100% (stating the obvious I know). He has not slinged it downfield as much this year, and it seems like he’s trying to keep passes short. The Colts run two-TE sets, and Eric Ebron has one of the best early season Red-Zone usage for a TE. Let’s be honest, TE’s are a dumpster fire and probably will always be for fantasy purposes this season, so if you could have a player who actually gets red zone usage, a few catches, and one touchdown, making him a top 10 TE, take him!

K: Dan Bailey, Vikings – With Greg Zuerlein injured, Dan Bailey is a solid replacement for those who will be without a kicker in the next few weeks. Unless you have a top kicker, I’d look to add Bailey, who is one of the NFL’s all-time most accurate kickers, and is now on a great Vikings offense, so he WILL get weekly opportunities to deliver you some fantasy goodness.

Be sure to check with us each week where we will discuss not only start, bust alerts, and sleepers for that particular week, but also who you should be adding to your roster and who you should be dropping.

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