Last week, we held back on some of our Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB), as many of the primary targets were upside adds and not necessities. But you will have to be more aggressive this week to ensure you get who you want. This is especially true at quarterback, where many people drafted Drew Brees as a starter. You’ll have to overspend a bit from your FAAB to make sure you get your guy. The typical Ben Roethlisberger owner did not draft him as a starter, but will likely also bid for the best available QBs in your league so he can either replace him as a streamer or as a backup. Even if you do land who you target, you may ultimately decide what is on the free agent list is not satisfying enough, and a trade is what may truly make you feel better about your situation.
At running back, there are a few fill-in RB options that will draw healthy bids, so you will have to spend healthy amounts to get one or two guys. At wide receiver, the bidding will be very heavy for one particular Kansas City WR, and in high stakes leagues, some competitors may use the majority of their budgets on him.
We operate with a projected $1000 FAAB budget for our recommendations, and for those with $100 budgets, you can simply assume to utilize 10 percent of what we advise here. If you use standard waivers without monetary increments, you can easily look at the recommended amounts and deduce who we see as the most important adds. Always add a few extra dollars to what we suggest here to assure yourself of winning a close bid competition.
Make sure to also check out our Week 3 Waiver Wire Recommendations!
WEEK 3 FAAB GUIDE
Quarterbacks
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati (51 percent owned in FanTrax leagues): After posting career numbers in the season opener at Seattle, Dalton threw for 311 yards in Week Two. He has totaled 729 passing yards and four TDs in two games in a newly energized Cincinnati offense. The Bengals may throw to stay in games or will pass often to play catch-up, so Dalton may be more reliable for Fantasy purposes than ever before. Recommended FAAB Bid: 35 percent of your budget will easily land Dalton in most cases. That may be a bit of an overspend but will help you gain assurance that you can acquire him.
Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis (41 percent owned): He has five TD passes in two games and has gone from maybe the best backup QB in the game to a respectable starter. Brissett has a strong offensive line that will give him ample time to throw and a deep pass-catching crew. Recommended FAAB bid: 20 percent of your budget should do it.
Case Keenum, Washington (30 percent): He has looked pretty good so far, with 601 passing yards, two TDs and no interceptions in the first two games. Washington should continue to utilize the passing game heavily, as the running attack is unreliable and the team will often play from behind. Recommended FAAB Bid: 10 percent. No one else really wants him and you know you don’t believe in him. He has to keep proving it for a few more weeks before anyone else starts to buy in. You will likely continue to seek a trade for someone else if you lost Brees and add Keenum.
Running Backs
Darwin Thompson, Kansas City (60): He may be more widely available on some other sites, as a lot of people in mainstream leagues dropped him when the Chiefs acquired LeSean McCoy. But Damien Williams has a knee injury, which could push the preseason star back into the mix at RB. He could inject some needed life into a running back situation that needs a jolt. Recommended FAAB Bid: 30 percent of your budget. There may be some longer term upside here.
Frank Gore, Buffalo (42): He carried 19 times for 68 yards and a TD in Week Two, which is a feat considering he did not rush for a score in 2018. Devin Singletary has a hamstring problem that could ensure the ageless one remains in a role where he can log 15 to 20 carries. Recommended FAAB Bid: Not more than 15 percent of the budget. Gore has no perceived upside and you may not want to play him unless your RB depth is shaky.
Jeff Wilson Jr. (4): He was elevated from the practice squad and scored twice on Sunday in a blowout win at Cincinnati. Wilson did much of his work when the game was well decided, but we have seen injuries decimate the San Francisco backfield before, and if Matt Breida goes down again, Wilson could be back in the main picture. Recommended FAAB bid: Eight percent of the budget should easily nail this interesting stash. San Francisco is improved and may need to turn to him in the future.
Wide Receivers
Demarcus Robinson (17): When Tyreek Hill went down, most owners naturally went after Mecole Hardman as the natural add. But the more experienced Robinson outplayed Hardman, who performed pretty well too, in a win at Oakland. Robinson became the hottest possible add in Fantasy Football with six catches for 172 and two TDs. But before you blow all of your FAAB dollars on him, remember Tyreek Hill could return in a month-plus or so. Recommended FAAB bid: It could really take about 80 percent of your budget to win the Robinson bidding war. With Hill returning and a lot of season ahead, I would personally not go above 65 percent and concede that I can’t have everyone I go after. Hardman is a great add for a month or so, but I cannot use most of my budget for the entire season on him. Sammy Watkins and Hardman will outshine him in some weeks, too.
D.J. Chark, Jacksonville (54): The second-year man is off to a fine start, with scores in each game so far, one 100-yard outing and a seven-catch performance. He certainly has promise, and rookie QB Gardner Minshew has already identified him as a playmaking type. Recommended FAAB bid: Nine percent. You won’t have to spend much to get him, as most Fantasy players won’t move heavily towards a Jaguars WR.
Preston Williams, Miami (27): You should grab him to plug a hole during the upcoming bye weeks. The undrafted rookie showed some potential during the preseason, caught a TD pass in the opener, and then totaled 62 receiving yards in Week Two. He could actually emerge as the best Fantasy WR option on a team that will always be playing catch-up. Recommended FAAB bid: Four percent. Some will laugh at the idea of acquiring any Dolphin right now, but Williams is actually a viable add for depth.
Tight End
Will Dissly, Seattle (19): He caught five passes for 50 yards and two TDs in Week Two, and once again flashed some possible appeal as he did early last season. Russell Wilson may look for him enough in TD situations to warrant an add. Recommended FAAB bid: If you are still searching for a Hunter Henry replacement, bid eight percent of your budget on him. You won’t likely have much competition to get him. But that amount should sew it up.
Scott Engel is an inaugural member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame and a four-time award winner. He was one of the driving content forces in the rise of RotoExperts.com and was the lead host on the RotoExperts in the Morning for six years on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. He was also instrumental in the launch of the FNTSY Sports Network. Scott was the first-ever Senior Writer and Managing Editor at CBS SportsLine and won a company Hall of Fame Award. He was also an Associate Editor and Fantasy analyst for ESPN.com. He has been the featured Fantasy Writer on Seahawks.com since 2012 and his work has been syndicated to the Associated Press, NFL.com, New York Daily News, New York Post, Yahoo Sports, Bloomberg Sports, Sports Illustrated and many others. He is a credentialed media member who won an FSWA award in 2016 for his Insider Fantasy Reporting. Known as “The King”, Scott is on Twitter @scotteTheKing
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