Week two brought a lot of injuries to key players that were anticipated on having great fantasy numbers this season. Saquon Barkley is out for the rest of the year due to a torn ACL. Christian McCaffrey is out four to six weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain. Courtland Sutton will miss the rest of his season with an ACL tear as well. Although their potential replacements aren’t on this list, keep an eye out on who pulls the weight in their absences. Below are five players you must consider using a waiver claim on before your week three matchup. Yahoo Fantasy Leagues provided percent owned statistics.
Dalton Schultz (TE) – Dallas Cowboys (2%)
Analysis: Blake Jarwin suffered a season-ending injury in week one. Schultz came in and made his first career start for the Dallas Cowboys, and it was a good one. He caught nine passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. A Cowboy tight end hadn’t performed that well since 2017 when Jason Witten had 10 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. Yes, it is just one game, but the loss of Jarwin to a torn ACL should open up plenty of opportunities for the third-year-pro tight end. If you are seeking immediate tight end help, a waiver claim for Schultz shouldn’t hurt.
Prediction: The Cowboys travel to Seattle to face an exciting Seahawks team next week. Through two weeks, tight ends have had a hard time producing against this Seattle secondary (combined 5 catches for 57 yards), but a ton of passing yards have been thrown against the team. Both Cam Newton (397) and Matt Ryan (450) have thrown for over 390 passing yards against this team. Expect the pass-savvy Dak Prescott to target Schultz a great amount in week three. Schultz should see at least six targets as he could have another big week against Seattle.
Keelan Cole (WR) – Jacksonville Jaguars (4%)
Analysis: Cole has quietly put together a productive 2020 season so far. He’s scored over 15 PPR Fantasy Points, respectively, in his first two games this year. The Jacksonville Jaguar has caught 11 of his 12 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns while playing in 68 percent of his team’s snaps this week. This is certainly a jump from last season during week two where he only played in 14 percent of his team’s total snaps. The fourth-year-pro can certainly serve as a good plug-in flex receiver that will more than likely be a WR4/WR5 on most fantasy teams. Cole would also be a great injury replacement, and that alone is worth a waiver wire claim…especially this year.
Prediction: Through two games, Cole has been targeted 12 times. Expect around five or six targets in week three as he will line up across the Miami Dolphins’ secondary on Thursday night. In week two, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills torched Miami’s secondary. Buffalo had four different receivers with over 45 receiving yards: Diggs (153), Brown (82), Beasley (70), McKenzie (47). Expect Minshew Mania and the Jaguars to have their way on Thursday night. This means Cole should have no issue producing at least 15 PPR Fantasy Points once again. If you’re looking to make a splash for your fantasy team, a waiver claim for Cole could really make a difference.
Russell Gage (WR) – Atlanta Falcons (22%)
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Analysis: Gage made the list last week as he came off a monster week one performance against Seattle (nine receptions for 114 yards). Through two weeks, Matt Ryan has targeted Gage 21 times while completing 15 of those passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. Here’s a crazy stat for you: Gage has been targeted at least eight times in every game since week 12 of the 2019 season (eight games in a row). With Matt Ryan slinging the ball as much as he does, Gage could keep that streak alive for a while. He’s worth using a waiver claim on if you lack depth at the receiver position.
Prediction: It’s safe to say that Gage will receive plenty of targets from here on out, but Chicago isn’t a great matchup this week. The Bears have only only allowed one receiving touchdown so far this season, and it was to a tight end. They also haven’t allowed a receiver to top 85 receiving yards yet. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons do love to throw the ball more than the Giants and Lions do, but it’s hard to imagine Gage putting up more than 12 PPR Fantasy Points. On the other hand, he is worth the waiver wire claim as he will see plenty of opportunities throughout the rest of the season.
Jerick McKinnon – San Francisco 49ers (24%)
Analysis: After missing most of the last two seasons, McKinnon is finally showing why he was worth the four-year, $30 million deal he signed a couple of years ago with the Niners. Through two games, the 28-year-old has produced 27.1 PPR Fantasy Points. On only nine offensive touches, McKinnon has produced 121 offensive yards and two touchdowns. His touches had been limited because he had been playing behind both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman. Now, both Mostert (MCL Sprain) and Coleman (knee sprain) will miss time. This allows McKinnon to be the lead back for San Francisco until his teammates return to the field. Expect the waiver claims for McKinnon to submit like crazy.
Prediction: By next week, McKinnon will be owned in more than half of fantasy leagues. With San Francisco’s starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, nursing an injury of his own, expect the 49ers to rely on McKinnon a ton this Sunday. His opponent this week, the New York Giants, haven’t had success defending opposing team’s running backs this season. David Montgomery had a ton of success this past week (127 offensive yards and a touchdown), and Benny Snell Jr. ran all over their defense the week before (19 carries for 113 yards). Not only is McKinnon a ‘must pickup’ from waivers, but he might even become a ‘must start’ against New York.
Joshua Kelley (RB) – Los Angeles Chargers (39%)
Analysis: Like Russell Gage, Kelley made this list last week after a promising week one performance (12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown). To counter, the rookie back produced 64 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards on 25 touches this week. Through two weeks, he has produced 25.3 PPR Fantasy Points while serving as Austin Ekeler’s backup. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Kelley outproducing Ekeler before the end of the season. For now, Kelley will serve as Los Angeles’ No. 2 running back, but he is worth the waiver claim. The rookie is a perfect plug-in back if you need running back help or an injury replacement.
Prediction: Kelley has touched the ball 37 times so far in two games. Expect about 15-20 touches per game from here on out. Him and his Chargers will face off against the Carolina Panthers in week three. Carolina is coming off a loss to the Buccaneers where they surrendered 121 yards and three touchdowns to running backs in week two. Expect a decent amount of carries for Kelley against a weak Carolina defense in week three. The rookie will especially be utilized in goal-line situations.
