Week 3 of the NFL season is upon us in just two days. Maybe your fantasy football team is enjoying an undefeated start like the Niners, Cowboys, Dolphins and Raiders. Or, perhaps you're hanging around at 1-1 like the Chiefs, Bills, Vikings, and Packers.
Or, maybe you're in the very unfortunate position of being 0-2 much like the Chargers, Broncos, and Bengals. Perhaps, if you're in that state, you're already thinking of throwing in the towel for the year and setting aside the stress of managing a fantasy team. No judgement, I've been there.
Don't fret! Two weeks gives plenty of time to make up ground so long as you can make some savvy additions to the fringes of your roster. While quality midseason adjustments can rarely completely repair a bad fantasy draft, making smart adjustments to the margins of your roster week-in and week-out can be the difference in those close fantasy matchups, keeping you in the race for the playoffs.
If you're looking to beef up your receiving options, these players are worth considering. Most are available in a majority of leagues (percent availability listed in the article as of Tuesday afternoon in ESPN fantasy leagues). Roughly, they're ordered based on a mix of how impactful these players might be in addition to how available they are. As always, it's your team, so apply your own judgement and have fun!
Dontayvion Wicks
Rostered in 0.1% of leagues.
Dontayvion Wicks is a worthy add if Christian Watson's injury continues to keep him out. Wicks got a start in his place in Week 2 and caught two balls for 40 yards, scoring a touchdown in the afternoon against a Falcons defense that has so far held offense in the air to a minimum.
In a very small sample size, Wicks has the league's best yards after catch above expected. That could indicate he's a possible player to take a ball to the house even facing strong coverage.
Rashid Shaheed
Rostered in 25% of leagues.
In Week 1, Derek Carr told Rashid Shaheed to go, and go he went. Shaheed, through two games, has already tallied about a third of the receptions he grabbed in his rookie season. While his volume has increased, his yards per reception has maintained at just a shade under 17.
Through the first two games he's averaging 76.0 yards per game, proof of the big jump in the game-planning he's seen this year (he clocked at 40.7 yards per game last year).
Shaheed projects to be one of the Saints touchdown scorers this year after scoring just two last season.
I have him ranked early here because he's rostered in a bit more leagues than the rest of the players, so if you're in a larger pool, your chances of picking him up may be slim. But if he happens to be available in your league, picking him up could make you look like a genius.
Marvin Mims Jr.
Rostered in 7.2% of leagues.
Marvin Mims leads the league in yards per reception with 30.5. With just four targets so far, it's hard to see that holding for the whole season, but he has been a go-to target for Russell Wilson in crucial situations, earning three first downs and a touchdown on his four receptions.
Situationally, Mims might be the highest upside player available, but circumstances could see him on the bench more often than not in any given week. That's the rub with players oft-used in lineups.
Tutu Atwell
Rostered in 31.7% of leagues
Tutu Atwell hasn't scored a touchdown yet, but he's been good for 13 receptions on 17 targets, tallying up 197 yards as the Rams look to keep themselves afloat amidst Cooper Kupp's injury absence. He won't be as electric an addition as Puka Nacua, but it's a decent add if he's available in your league.
Jayden Reed
Rostered in 13.9% of leagues.
Jayden Reed is another one of Jordan Love's darlings that could be a worthy add for Week 3. Like Wicks, his ceiling may decline if Watson is back in the lineup, but there's a lot to like about what he did against the Falcons in Week 2.
Reed had a two-touchdown afternoon against a Falcons defense that has held offenses to a second-best yards per attempt rate across its first two weeks.
Elijah Moore
Rostered in 54.3% of leagues.
With Nick Chubb appearing to be out for the forseeable future, everyone on the Cleveland Browns offense is going to be asked to do more. Elijah Moore is one to consider for Week 3 with the Browns getting the Titans as their opponent draw.
Tennessee allows a third-worst yards per attempt. Moore could have a field day.
Josh Reynolds
Rostered in 4.8% of leagues.
Possibly the highest-ceiling player that figures to be available in most leagues is Josh Reynolds. One remarkable stat about his start: He has four receptions of 20 yards or more, coming in just below Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb for sixth-most so far in the NFL.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown potentially out with a toe injury, Reynolds has the potential to get more thrown his way in Week 3, but I also believe he could be a player worth keeping on your roster for the full season.
The only caveat -- and the reason Reynolds doesn't find himself closer to the top of this list -- is the Lions have the Falcons this week. It's make or break for a Falcons defense who has boasted good numbers, but only faced young QBs thus far in Bryce Young and Jordan Love.
We'll find out more about how for-real the Falcons defense is this week and next, with the Lions and Jaguars up next.
Justin Watson
Rostered in 0.2% of leagues
While the narrative around the Chiefs' offense the first two weeks has swirled about Travis Kelce's injury availability and the struggles of Kadarius Toney, one player has quietly created 21.4 yards per reception: Justin Watson.
Watson has been a go-to for first downs, with four of his five receptions advancing the chains. The bad mark on his record is a low propensity to score touchdowns. He had two last year but only has four total in 59 games played in his career.
Kansas City takes on the Bears who allow 9.1 yards per reception, this week. The decision to pick up Watson or not might come down to whether you think the Chiefs will try to get their mainstay receivers like Toney and Skyy Moore going with a so-so secondary matchup.
Brandon Johnson
Rostered in 0.1% of leagues
Brandon Johnson is one I'm bullish on this week. He has two receiving touchdowns already and the second-best yards after completion per reception above expected on the Broncos. Furthermore, he boasts the fifth-best cushion in the league.
Russell Wilson will need a good route runner to get himself going with the Broncos 0-2. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy will draw more intense matchups from the Broncos, which could create the opportunity Johnson needs to keep himself ready for Wilson's second or third look, which may wind up being his best.
Chase Claypool
Rostered in 12.1% of leagues
Chase Claypool is probably a player who has been available or, if not, became recently available in your league after reports last week that he might get benched.
Claypool has every reason to keep proving himself after scoring a touchdown in Week 2 for the Bears. Furthermore, his quarterback, Justin Fields, now has plenty to prove as well after a miserable loss to the Buccaneers.
Claypool has an average cushion of nearly 10 yards which, shockingly, leads the NFL so far this season. He's one of the only players that was considered to have fringe Pro Bowl potential within the last several years still available in most leagues. It's a high-upside play that's worth making if you're in need of some options at WR.
