Find These Week 3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets
Two weeks of the 2026 fantasy football season are now in the books, giving fantasy owners a better idea of which early-season breakouts are sustainable. The Week 3 fantasy football waiver wire is an opportunity to add players whose roles are becoming clearer before their values rise further.
This week’s waiver wire features several players who have shown meaningful changes in usage. Bryce Young is operating in a more aggressive Carolina passing attack, while Drew Lock has streaming appeal if Sam Darnold remains sidelined. At running back, Jonah Coleman and Woody Marks are seeing their workloads increase. Denzel Boston and Dontayvion Wicks have emerged as intriguing wide receiver targets, while Juwan Johnson and Dalton Schultz are becoming increasingly involved in their respective passing games.
With two weeks of evidence available, fantasy owners can start placing more emphasis on consistent usage rather than one-week box-score production.
Here are the fantasy football waiver wire targets worth considering.
Quarterbacks
Bryce Young (Panthers)
Bryce Young has quickly moved from an intriguing sleeper to one of the more interesting quarterback waiver wire targets.
Through two weeks, Young has shown legitimate breakout signals while operating in a much more aggressive Carolina passing attack. He’s near the top of the league in both deep completion rate and yards per attempt, suggesting his production isn’t simply coming from short, high-percentage throws.
That aggressiveness gives Young a higher weekly ceiling than he has typically offered in fantasy football. The combination of downfield passing and improved efficiency creates a path toward consistent QB1 production while still making him a viable QB2 in leagues that start multiple quarterbacks.
Fantasy owners shouldn’t treat his Week 1 or Week 2 numbers as an isolated hot streak. The underlying change in how Carolina is using him is what makes Young one of the more appealing fantasy football waiver wire additions.
Waiver outlook: Priority quarterback target with weekly QB1/QB2 upside.
Drew Lock (Seahawks)
Drew Lock is one of the highest-upside quarterback streamers on the Week 3 waiver wire, provided Sam Darnold continues to miss time.
Lock showed his fantasy potential against Arizona, throwing three touchdown passes while taking advantage of an offense capable of creating explosive plays through the air.
The matchup gets another boost in Week 3 when Seattle faces Washington. That gives fantasy owners another favorable spot to deploy Lock if he’s again behind center.
The biggest concern is obviously his playing time. If Darnold returns, Lock’s fantasy relevance could disappear quickly. But as long as Lock remains the starter, his combination of passing volume, matchup, and touchdown upside makes him an attractive short-term option.
Waiver outlook: High-upside streamer if he remains the starter.
Running Backs
Jonah Coleman (Broncos)
Jonah Coleman is one of the biggest priorities on the fantasy football waiver wire after breaking out with an expanded role in Week 2.
The most important development isn’t simply his fantasy production. His touches and high-value opportunities are trending upward, suggesting Denver is increasingly comfortable giving Coleman meaningful work.
That type of usage is exactly what fantasy owners should target early in the season. Running backs who see their workload increase can quickly move from waiver-wire speculation to weekly fantasy starters.
Coleman’s combination of growing opportunity and involvement in valuable situations makes him one of the top overall waiver priorities this week.
Waiver outlook: Priority running back addition.
Woody Marks (Texans)
Woody Marks is another running back whose underlying usage makes him particularly appealing heading into Week 3.
Marks saw an increased snap share and route share in Week 2 while earning six targets in the passing game. That involvement gives him a path to standalone flex value even before considering what could happen if he takes over more of Houston’s backfield.
The receiving work is especially important. Running backs who can contribute through the air have more ways to produce fantasy points and remain useful even when the rushing workload fluctuates.
Marks also carries significant contingent upside. If he eventually takes on lead-back duties, his fantasy value could increase substantially.
Waiver outlook: Strong flex option with major contingent upside.
Wide Receivers
Denzel Boston (Browns)
Denzel Boston has quickly established himself as an explosive option in Cleveland’s passing game.
Boston has caught a touchdown in each of his first two games, but the touchdowns aren’t the only reason to pay attention. He’s also ranking near the top of the league in yards per route run, a strong indicator that he’s creating meaningful production when he’s on the field.
The combination of explosive ability and early scoring production gives Boston legitimate fantasy upside. While his target volume will be worth monitoring as the season progresses, his efficiency makes him a player fantasy owners should consider adding before his role potentially grows.
This is the type of early-season breakout worth getting ahead of rather than waiting for a massive target total to arrive.
Waiver outlook: High-upside wide receiver stash.
Dontayvion Wicks (Eagles)
Dontayvion Wicks has become increasingly interesting as Philadelphia’s passing offense opens up.
With DeVonta Smith regularly drawing top defensive coverage, Wicks has found opportunities to work in more favorable situations. He’s also generating a high target-per-route rate and receiving high-value targets within the Philadelphia offense.
That combination gives Wicks a path to fantasy relevance even in an offense with several talented receiving options.
Fantasy owners should be particularly interested in his efficiency and role rather than focusing solely on his raw target totals. If his route participation and target rate continue trending upward, Wicks could become a reliable weekly option.
Waiver outlook: Strong upside stash with potential weekly flex value.
Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson (Saints)
Juwan Johnson has quietly become one of the better tight end streaming options available on the fantasy football waiver wire.
Johnson has scored double-digit fantasy points in consecutive weeks, giving him a level of consistency that is especially valuable at a volatile position.
His connection with Tyler Shough is another reason for optimism. Johnson is functioning as a primary target in New Orleans’ uptempo passing game, giving him access to the type of volume that can sustain fantasy production.
Fantasy owners shouldn’t overlook the importance of target priority at tight end. A player consistently involved in his quarterback’s first reads can provide a much safer weekly floor than a touchdown-dependent option.
Waiver outlook: Strong tight end streamer with increasing weekly value.
Dalton Schultz (Texans)
Dalton Schultz has emerged as a major target for C.J. Stroud and deserves serious consideration on the Week 3 waiver wire.
Schultz commanded double-digit targets in Week 2 while producing significant yardage, giving fantasy owners both volume and efficiency at a position where reliable targets are difficult to find.
Houston’s willingness to lean into heavy passing scripts further strengthens his outlook. If that approach continues, Schultz has a realistic path to immediate TE1 production.
The biggest appeal may be his floor. A tight end consistently receiving significant target volume doesn’t need to rely exclusively on touchdowns to produce fantasy value.
Waiver outlook: Priority tight end target with immediate TE1 upside.
How to Approach the Week 3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
The fantasy football waiver wire is where fantasy owners can start separating legitimate breakouts from one-week surprises.
After two games, look beyond fantasy points and focus on the underlying usage that is driving them.
Track workload: Increasing touches, routes, snaps, and targets are often more meaningful than a single big performance.
Prioritize high-value opportunities: Targets, red-zone touches, downfield targets, and passing-game involvement can reveal players with sustainable fantasy ceilings.
Look for changing roles: A player moving up the depth chart or becoming more involved in the offense is often more valuable than a player who simply scored two touchdowns.
Consider both floor and ceiling: Players such as Schultz and Johnson can provide immediate tight end stability, while Coleman, Marks, Boston, and Wicks offer the potential for their fantasy value to grow.
Don’t ignore quarterback opportunity: Young and Lock illustrate two different types of waiver targets — one whose role is expanding and another whose value is tied closely to starting status.
At this point in the season, fantasy owners should be willing to spend more aggressively on players whose underlying usage suggests their opportunity is real.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets: Final Thoughts
The fantasy football waiver wire is an important checkpoint for fantasy owners. With two games in the books, there is enough information to identify meaningful changes in player roles without overreacting to a single performance.
Bryce Young’s aggressive passing approach makes him an intriguing quarterback addition, while Drew Lock offers short-term streaming upside if he remains Seattle’s starter. Jonah Coleman and Woody Marks are two running backs whose increasing workloads could quickly translate into fantasy relevance.
At wide receiver, Denzel Boston and Dontayvion Wicks have shown enough efficiency and opportunity to warrant attention. Meanwhile, Juwan Johnson and Dalton Schultz are becoming increasingly attractive tight end options because of their involvement in their respective passing games.
The best waiver additions aren’t necessarily the players who scored the most fantasy points over the first two weeks. They’re the players whose opportunity is growing, whose role is becoming clearer, and whose production has a path to continuing.
That should be the focus when attacking the Week 3 waiver wire.
