Week 2 brought a slew of injuries across the NFL, opening the door for several players to take on larger roles heading into Week 3. The waiver wire is where leagues can be won, but waiting until Tuesday morning means competing with everyone else for the same breakout names. Beat the Waiver Wire is designed to help you get one step ahead by identifying players worth adding or stashing before Monday Night Football kicks off.
Some of these players can provide immediate help, especially for managers dealing with injuries. Others are bets on talent, opportunity, or a role that could continue growing. Not every addition needs to become an instant starter. Sometimes, the best move is securing a player before the rest of your league realizes why he matters.
Quarterback
Tyler Shough (QB, NO)
Kellen Moore has New Orleans operating at the fastest pace in the NFL based on seconds per play. That pace creates consistent passing volume and allows the Saints to remain aggressive regardless of the score. Through two weeks, Shough is averaging 23.5 fantasy points per game and has shown that he can provide more than just low-end streaming production.
The Saints face the Raiders in Week 3. New Orleans enters the matchup as the favorite, but this offense should continue creating enough opportunities for Shough to deliver another fantasy-relevant performance. He is a strong streaming option with the upside to become a weekly starter if this production continues.
Bryce Young (QB, CAR)
Bryce Young should be one of the top quarterback additions of the week, especially with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels both dealing with potentially significant injuries.
Young opened the season with 32.44 fantasy points against Chicago and followed that performance with 24.08 points in Carolina’s blowout win over Atlanta. He has thrown three touchdowns in each of his first two games and could finish as a top-five fantasy quarterback in back-to-back weeks.
This no longer looks like a one-week spike. Young is playing with confidence, creating explosive plays, and finally producing like the quarterback Carolina expected when it selected him first overall. He can help managers looking for an injury replacement, but his value may extend well beyond a short-term streaming window.
Dynasty Waiver-Wire Pickups
Marcus Mariota (QB, WAS)
Marcus Mariota is likely already rostered in most competitive Superflex leagues, but he needs to be added anywhere he remains available following Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury.
Mariota completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown after replacing Daniels against Dallas. He nearly connected with Dyami Brown for a 29-yard score before the play was overturned, then found Stefon Diggs for a 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Daniels appears likely to miss extended time, which should put Mariota under center against Seattle in Week 3. His rushing ability gives him a usable fantasy floor, but he should still be viewed as a mid-to-low-end QB2 rather than a player you want carrying your lineup.
There is also a dynasty opportunity here. If you already roster Mariota and do not need the quarterback help, this may be your last chance to move him for legitimate value. Starting quarterbacks become extremely valuable in Superflex leagues, even when they are only temporary solutions.
Tyson Bagent (QB, CHI)
Tyson Bagent is another quarterback worth adding in deeper Superflex leagues following Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury.
Bagent completed five of nine passes for 54 yards after replacing Williams against Minnesota. The weather did him no favors, with rain and wind making it difficult for either offense to generate much through the air.
Chicago has an extra day to prepare for its Monday night matchup against Philadelphia, and Bagent has a legitimate chance to start if Williams cannot go. Unlike Mariota, this appears to be a short-term value play because Williams is not expected to miss extended time.
Bagent is not someone I would aggressively chase, but any quarterback who could start an NFL game belongs on a Superflex roster. Add him if you have the space, then be willing to move him quickly if another manager needs an emergency starter.
Running Back
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