Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: In Need Of A QB? Andy Dalton Could Be Your Answer
Matt Citak
(CBS Boston)- The first two weeks of the NFL season have not been kind to many quarterbacks.
Nick Foles was put on IR after breaking his clavicle in Week 1, which was followed with serious injuries suffered by Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2. These injuries not only affect the quarterbacks but also the playmakers in all of those offenses, as they will all now turn to their respective backup quarterbacks.
While injuries have derailed some teams' seasons, it has also helped open the door for other young players to make a name for themselves in the NFL. As the old saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens.
Without further ado, here are the top waiver wire adds for Week 3.
QB Teddy Bridgewater, New Orleans Saints- Bridgewater did not look spectacular by any means in Week 2. However, keep in mind that he was thrust into action after preparing as the backup all week. With a whole week of preparation under his belt, I expect Bridgewater to put up a much better performance in Week 3 against Seattle, who gave up 418 passing yards to Andy Dalton in Week 1. I wouldn't pick him up and roll with him as my starter in a one-QB league, but if you're in a two-QB league and you're looking for another signal-caller, I'd roll the dice on Bridgewater.
QB Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals- Dalton has looked significantly better in his first two contests under new head coach Zac Taylor than he did in 2018. Through two games, the 31-year-old has thrown for 729 yards, four touchdowns and one interception against the Seahawks and 49ers. Next week, Dalton faces off against a tough Bills defense, but following that, he has easy matchups against the Steelers and Cardinals. Considering all of the injuries to the quarterback position already this season, Dalton could be a nice fill-in for at least the next few weeks.
RB Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers- I mentioned Mostert in this column last week, and I hope you listened. The back carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, while adding three catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Matt Breida is still the starter for the 49ers, but Mostert has proven to have standalone value in Kyle Shanahan's offense as well, as he looks to have carved out a solid role in both the run and passing game. And considering how injury-prone Brieda has been throughout his career, Mostert is definitely someone you should be targeting this week before he becomes owned in most fantasy leagues.
RB Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills- The ageless veteran back is truly one of the marvels of the NFL. At 36-years-old, Gore has shown that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. In Week 2, Gore carried the ball 19 times for 68 yards and a score while catching two passes for 15 yards. Devin Singletary was banged up in this game, which could open the door to Gore becoming the featured back for the 2-0 Bills. Anytime you have a chance to snag a starting running back, you take it without thinking twice. Go grab Gore now while you still can.
RB Darwin Thompson, Kansas City Chiefs- At the time of this writing, it is still unclear how serious the injuries are to both LeSean McCoy and Damien Williams. But if one (or both) are out for an extended period of time, Thompson stands to gain the most playing time. The rookie back flashed some serious playmaking abilities during the preseason, and was one of fantasy's biggest sleeper picks before the Chiefs added McCoy to the mix. With McCoy and/or Williams now facing a potential absence, Thompson could regain the role it looked like was going to have at the end of training camp. The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes and one of the best offenses in the NFL. Adding that offense's starting back, or even a back playing a decent number of snaps, is well-worth the add.
WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins- McLaurin burst onto the fantasy scene in Week 1 with five receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown, which made him a big waiver wire add last week. But for those of you worried is was just a one-week outlier, the rookie put those concerns to rest against the Cowboys on Sunday with another five-catch performance, this time for 62 yards and a score. The rookie led Washington with nine targets and appears to be the number one pass-catching option in the Redskins' offense. If Washington were to turn to Dwayne Haskins sooner rather than later, McLaurin's role would likely only increase as the two already have a great connection from their days playing together at Ohio State. McLaurin could be this year's fantasy darling, so pick him up if he's still available.
WR Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs- Sammy Watkins had the game of his life in Week 1. It helped that Tyreek Hill left with an injury, but it appeared as if Watkins was on his way to fantasy stardom (at least while Hill remained out). But in Week 2, Watkins took a back seat to Demarcus Robinson in the Chiefs' offense. Unlike in Week 1, Robinson was targeted six times and caught all six passes for a whopping 172 yards and two touchdowns. While Hill is out, it may be a case of a new receiver putting up a dominant performance each week in Kansas City, especially since Travis Kelce is still there as well. However, I will take my chances on Robinson while Hill is out, as it appears as if the fourth-year veteran has a pretty high floor while he's part of the starting lineup.
WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers- I mentioned Samuel in this column before the start of the season, and it only took until Week 2 for the rookie to make me look smart. In only his second NFL game, the rookie receiver reeled in 5-of-7 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's big win over the Bengals. Samuel's seven targets were three more than any other player on the 49ers (Mostert), which is a very encouraging sign for a young receiver. Shanahan recognizes that Samuel is one of the team's best playmakers, as the receiver also handled two carries in Week 2, gaining seven yards on those two rushes. Samuel looks like he could be on his way towards a breakout campaign, and with Jimmy G rolling, I'm even more in on Samuel than I was before the season.
TE Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks- I don't love this one, but if you're desperate for a tight end, Dissly could be a solid pickup. After a dud of a performance in Week 1, Dissly caught all five passes thrown in his direction on Sunday for 50 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, both touchdown catches came inside the red zone. If Dissly becomes Russell Wilson's new go-to target near the end zone, than the second-year tight end could be primed for a big season.
Matt Citak is a contributing writer for CBS Local. Follow him on Twitter here for all things fantasy football, New York Giants and more.