Waiver Flavor: Week 3 FAAB Report

Week 3 starts tonight and there are likely many owners who will be scouring the waiver wire for some help after Week 2 saw numerous fantasy starters get banged up with the biggest blow coming to Tony Romo owners after the quarterback suffered a broken clavicle and will be sidelined for the next eight weeks.  In this addition of the FAAB Report I will take a look at some players who will be stepping into starting roles due to injuries as well as some players who had some big games in Week 2 and could be heading towards a breakout season.

Quarterbacks

Blake Bortles, JAX- Bortles turned in a solid Week 2 performance against the Dolphins, throwing for 273 yards and two touchdowns.  In Week 1 Bortles struggled but was without his top receiver Allen Robinson for the majority of the contest but with Robinson healthy in Week 2 they connected on six passes for 155 yards and two scores.  Bortles has a few favorable matchups coming up starting in Week 3 against a Patriots secondary that has allowed solid passing performances to both Ben Roethlisberger and Tyrod Taylor in each of the first two games.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Brandon Weeden, DAL- With Tony Romo out for the next eight weeks the Cowboys have turned to Brandon Weeden as their starting QB.  Weeded was an impressive 7-for-7 for 73 yards and a touchdown off the bench in Week 2 and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has put his faith in Weeden in being capable to lead the Cowboys in Romo’s absence.  There is obviously some concern with Weeden as he has never shown to be a good NFL quarterback and the Cowboys just went and traded for Matt Cassel incase Weeden struggles but for now he is quarterbacking a solid offense with a great offensive line so there is some fantasy appeal here.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ- Fitzpatrick has been great for the Jets through two weeks, completing 63.8% of his passes for 423 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.  Head Coach Todd Bowels following the Jets win over the Colts named Fitzpatrick the team’s starter for the season regardless of Geno Smith’s health.  Fitz has developed a great chemistry with receiver Brandon Marshall through two games and they both should continue to help drive their value.  The Jets No.2 receiver Eric Decker went down in Week 2 with a sprained knee but is considered day-to-day.  A favorable matchup in Week 2 against the Eagles awaits Fitzpatrick and it’s not inconceivable to think he puts up his third straight multi-touchdown performance on Sunday.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Running Backs

David Johnson, ARI- Johnson continues to show burst and playmaking ability in his limited role with the Cardinals to the point that Head Coach Bruce Arians is reconsidering his initial statements that heavy workloads are not good for rookie running backs.  Following the Cardinals Week 2 win which saw Johnson return the opening kick 108 yards for a touchdown and average 8.4 yards per carry on five touches out of the backfield it was reported at Johnson will have a bigger role in the offense heading into Week 3 which is great news as Andre Ellington is still sidelined leaving just a punch less Chris Johnson in his way for owning the backfield.  This will likely be your last chance to own Johnson and he is worth the price.

FAAB Bid- $25-$30

Matt Jones, WSH- During the preseason many were speculating that Jones would push Alfred Morris for the Redskins lead role in the backfield after he was seen practicing with the first team offense.  In Week 1 Morris dominated the touches but Week 2 was the Matt Jones coming out party as he carried the ball 19 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 23 yards.  The Redskins will likely use a both Morris and Jones in a timeshare for the time being but Jones is the more explosive player and with another good game in Week 3 could take over the starting role completely.

FAAB Bid- $25-$30

James Starks, GB- Starks turned in a great game on Sunday night, carrying the ball 20 times for 95 yards and added four catches for 11 yards against the Seahawks.  He saw this increased workload as Eddie Lacy went down with an ankle injury that forced him to miss the rest of the game.  Lacy is questionable for Week 1but with the Packers playing on Monday night he gets the extra few days to get game ready.  Lacy owners will want to own Starks in the event that he gets the start but given that this injury seems to be at most a one week injury its worth tempering your bid on Starts.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Devonta Freeman, ATL- Tevin Coleman suffered a rib fracture in the Falcons Week 2 contest which will keep him sidelined for the next few weeks.  With Coleman out the Falcons will turn to last year’s fourth round pick Devonta Freeman who has struggled this season, averaging just 2.0 yards per carry on 22 attempts.  Freeman will hold greater value in PPR leagues given his role in the teams passing attack which has included seven catches on 12 targets for 63 yards over the first two weeks.  As a rookie Freeman averaged 3.8 yards per carry so there is a possibility that with more consistent playing time he will improve upon his early struggles.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Wide Receivers

Travis Benjamin, CLE- Benjamin has been making big play after big play through the first two weeks of the season and has been in impact on the DFS circuit because of it.  For seasonal play however his value is much more of a risk as he has been targeted just seven time over the first two games and has had all of his success with Johnny Manziel at quarterback.  The Browns have decided to start Josh McCown in Week 3 so it’s unknown whether or not that will impact Benjamin’s productivity but even so it’s difficult to rely on a player who is purely a deep threat for consistent production.