Week 2 knocked out starters all over the league. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, J.K. Dobbins, Jadarian Price and David Njoku all left games, and Saquon Barkley spent most of Sunday on the sideline with a stinger. That makes this one of the busier waiver weeks of the early season. Free Agent Triage reads the week’s waiver columns from FantasyPros, RotoBaller, Yahoo, SI, Fantasy Life and a handful of others, logs every name they recommend, then checks each one against snap share, target share, the injury report and the next three matchups. Some of the consensus names hold up. A couple don’t.

Rankings are built for half-PPR, with PPR and standard notes where the format changes the call. Rostered percentages are Yahoo numbers. FAAB bids assume a $100 budget, and every player listed is rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.

1. Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos

Rostered: 26% | FAAB: 25% | Next three: vs. LAR, at SF, at LAC

The case: Denver entered Week 2 without RJ Harvey (hamstring), then lost Dobbins to his own hamstring injury in the third quarter against Jacksonville. Coleman took over, finishing with 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown plus three catches for 19 yards. He played 25 snaps, nine more than Tyler Badie, and Sean Payton gave him the carries late with the game on the line. Payton called Dobbins’ injury a “little hamstring” after the game, but Denver hasn’t announced a timetable for either back.

Consensus check: Near-unanimous. Every source we read had Coleman at or near the top, and FantasyPros expects heavy bidding.

Prognosis: Rest-of-season hold. If both veterans sit, Coleman could see close to 20 touches against the Rams on Sunday night. Badie handles most of the passing-down work, so Coleman is slightly more valuable in half-PPR and standard than in full PPR.

2. Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns

Rostered: 31% | FAAB: 15% | Next three: vs. CAR, vs. PIT, at NYJ

The case: The rookie has a 40-plus-yard touchdown in both games. In Week 2’s upset at Tampa Bay he caught five of a team-high seven targets for 95 yards, including a 55-yard catch-and-run score where he spun off tacklers. RotoBaller charted him with a 23% target share and a 58% share of Cleveland’s air yards. Through two games he has seven catches for 154 yards on 11 targets, and KC Concepcion has been quiet on the other side.

Consensus check: Near-unanimous. FantasyPros, SI, Pro Football Network, The Big Lead and DraftKings Network all have him as a top WR add.

Prognosis: Rest-of-season hold with a WR3 floor for now. The risk is Deshaun Watson, and the Browns have played from behind in both games, which keeps the targets coming. His big-play profile travels fine to standard leagues.

3. Tank Bigsby, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Rostered: 29% | FAAB: 10% (20% if you roster Barkley) | Next three: at CHI, vs. LAR, at JAX

The case: Barkley left on the Eagles’ first offensive play with a stinger, missed the rest of the first half and managed four carries after halftime. He’s getting an MRI, and NFL Network reported the Eagles are hoping it’s minor. With Barkley out, Bigsby out-touched Will Shipley 15 to 9, finishing with 13 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown plus two catches.

Consensus check: Widely backed as a handcuff, with the bid depending on Barkley’s MRI. Shipley did out-snap Bigsby 23 to 19 in the first half, so this isn’t a clean handoff of the job.

Prognosis: Handcuff with one-week upside. The Eagles play Monday night in Week 3, which gives Barkley an extra day. If he’s ruled out, Bigsby is a start against a Bears defense with problems in its pass rush and secondary.

4. Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets

Rostered: 16% | FAAB: 6% | Next three: at DET, at CHI, vs. CLE

The case: With rookie Omar Cooper on injured reserve, Mitchell is the clear No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He led the Jets with 12 targets against Green Bay, catching six for 63 yards, and drew a long pass interference flag that doesn’t show up in the box score. Fantasy Life has him earning targets on 23% of his routes, and his 18.9 expected fantasy points ranked eighth among receivers for the week.

Consensus check: Split. FantasyPros values him at only $3 of $100. Fantasy Life and Last Word on Sports list him as a must-add. We side with the volume.

Prognosis: Two-week flex play with more upside than his price. Detroit is playing without safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph and has allowed 658 passing yards and six touchdown passes in two games. Chicago is next. Bump him up a spot in full PPR.

5. Emanuel Wilson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Rostered: 1% | FAAB: 6% | Next three: at WSH, vs. LAC, vs. SF

The case: Rookie Jadarian Price left Sunday with a chest injury. His X-rays were negative, but he could miss time, and Zach Charbonnet is still recovering from a knee injury. Wilson took over and carried 21 times for 92 yards in the 31-7 win over Arizona.

Consensus check: Widely backed. FantasyPros, SI, RotoBaller and The Big Lead all list him.

Prognosis: Short-term starter. George Holani handles passing downs, so Wilson’s value comes from carries and touchdowns. That makes him better in standard than PPR. Seattle should control the game at Washington, where Marcus Mariota takes over for Daniels.

6. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints

Rostered: 48% | FAAB: 5% | Next three: vs. LV, vs. ATL, vs. MIN

The case: Shough is averaging 23.5 fantasy points per game. He threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit in Week 1, then went 27 of 34 for 252 yards and a touchdown in the upset in Baltimore, adding a rushing score. Kellen Moore runs the fastest offense in the league by seconds per play, which means more snaps for his quarterback.

Consensus check: Widely backed. He’s already gone in many leagues, so check before you bid.

Prognosis: Rest-of-season QB2 with streaming appeal as a QB1. He’s home for the next three weeks, and the Raiders and Falcons are both playable matchups.

7. Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

Rostered: 6% | FAAB: 4% | Next three: at BUF, at SEA, vs. DEN

The case: Njoku was carted off with a knee injury Sunday, which shrinks a three-man tight end rotation to two. Charlie Kolar is mostly a blocker, so the receiving snaps should go to Gadsden. He was the fantasy TE1 over a four-week stretch in 2025, catching 24 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns in that span.

Consensus check: Backed by FantasyPros, RotoBaller and DraftKings Network.

Prognosis: Rest-of-season hold until we know Njoku’s timeline. Buffalo is a good first test, since the Bills have allowed 300 passing yards per game through two weeks.

8. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers

Rostered: 32% | FAAB: 3% (15% in superflex) | Next three: at CLE, vs. DET, bye

The case: Young has thrown for 648 yards, six touchdowns and one interception through two games, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt. Only Josh Allen is averaging more fantasy points per game.

Consensus check: Widely backed. FantasyPros, Yahoo, Fantasy Life and FantasySP all list him.

Prognosis: Week 4 stream you add a week early. Cleveland is a tough spot this week, but Detroit’s banged-up secondary comes to Charlotte in Week 4. Carolina has its bye in Week 5, so plan for that.

9. Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Rostered: 28% | FAAB: 3% | Next three: at CHI, vs. LAR, at JAX

The case: Wicks has topped 70 receiving yards in both games. In Week 1 he played 90% of the snaps with an 82% route share and 2.7 yards per route run. Dallas Goedert left Week 2 with a knee injury, which could open up a few more targets.

Consensus check: FantasyPros listed him in both of its waiver columns.

Prognosis: One-week flex. His snap share fell to 70% in Week 2 as rookie Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper took more work, so his bench value past this week is unclear.

10. Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rostered: 13% | FAAB: 1% | Next three: vs. CIN, at CLE, vs. IND

The case: Cincinnati gave up the most catches, yards and touchdowns to tight ends in 2025 with the same defensive coordinator, and Dalton Schultz caught 12 passes for 140 yards against them on Sunday. Freiermuth has seen five targets in each game, and his route share rose from 72% to 82% in Week 2.

Consensus check: FantasyPros calls him the top streaming tight end of the week.

Prognosis: One-week stream. If you need a tight end for Sunday only, he’s the pick.

Just Missed the Cut

Marcus Mariota, QB, Commanders (3%): Daniels dislocated his elbow, so Mariota starts indefinitely. He averaged 17.8 fantasy points in his first seven starts last season. Seattle is a bad Week 3 matchup, but he’s a priority add in superflex leagues.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens (17%): He caught seven of nine targets for 88 yards and a touchdown with Zay Flowers out, and Baltimore’s game against Dallas in Brazil has the highest projected total of the week. Flowers was back at practice on a limited basis late last week, though. Add Bateman only if Flowers is ruled out.

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Packers (4%): Green Bay split backfield snaps three ways in Week 2 while Josh Jacobs remains on the exempt list, and Johnson led the team with 30 rushing yards on eight carries. He’s a stash, not a Week 3 start.

Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs: The top handcuff to Kenneth Walker III, who has been one of the most frequent names on the injury report since 2022. Stash him if you roster Walker.

Where the Doctor Disagrees

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills: Some columns are chasing his six catches for 63 yards. That game came against a Detroit secondary missing both starting safeties, and DJ Moore’s shoulder injury isn’t considered serious. Moore is day-to-day with a chance to play this week. Pass unless your league is 14 teams or deeper.

Tre Tucker, WR, Raiders: His 119 yards and a touchdown came on 59% of the snaps in a six-man receiver rotation, and Brock Bowers could return from his knee injury this week. Pass.

Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints: He saw a carry or target on 75% of his snaps but averaged 1.6 yards per touch. Kamara is a desperation PPR play only.

Safe to Drop

Jayden Reed, WR, Packers: He was carted off with a head and neck injury on Green Bay’s first play and is expected to miss significant time. Move him to IR if your league has a slot. Otherwise, let him go.

Michael Mayer, TE, Raiders: Nine catches for 55 yards in two games while filling in, with Bowers close to returning.

Rico Dowdle, RB, Steelers: Jaylen Warren out-snapped him 50 to 18 and ran 25 routes to Dowdle’s six in Week 2.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Titans: One target on Cam Ward’s 20 pass attempts in Week 2. A receiver who averages 9.2 yards per catch can’t survive on that volume.

Don’t drop yet: Bears pass catchers. Ben Johnson called Williams “week to week,” and early reports point to a Grade 1 strain. Bench Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland while Tyson Bagent starts, but hold them.

Week 3 Waiver Wire Priority Board

Rank	Player	Pos/Team	Rostered	FAAB	Consensus	Prognosis
1	Jonah Coleman	RB, DEN	26%	25%	Near-unanimous	Rest of season
2	Denzel Boston	WR, CLE	31%	15%	Near-unanimous	Rest of season
3	Tank Bigsby	RB, PHI	29%	10%	Widely backed	Handcuff, Week 3 upside
4	Adonai Mitchell	WR, NYJ	16%	6%	Split	Two-week flex
5	Emanuel Wilson	RB, SEA	1%	6%	Widely backed	Short-term starter
6	Tyler Shough	QB, NO	48%	5%	Widely backed	Rest of season
7	Oronde Gadsden II	TE, LAC	6%	4%	Backed	Rest of season
8	Bryce Young	QB, CAR	32%	3%	Widely backed	Week 4 stream
9	Dontayvion Wicks	WR, PHI	28%	3%	Backed	One-week flex
10	Pat Freiermuth	TE, PIT	13%	1%	Backed	One-week stream

Quick Answers

Who is the best Week 3 waiver wire pickup? Jonah Coleman. With Dobbins and Harvey both nursing hamstring injuries, he’s in line to lead Denver’s backfield against the Rams.

How much FAAB should I spend on Jonah Coleman? About 25% of a $100 budget. Go higher if you’re thin at running back.

Which tight end should I stream in Week 3? Pat Freiermuth against Cincinnati for one week, or Oronde Gadsden II if you want a longer-term add.

About Free Agent Triage

Free Agent Triage publishes every Tuesday evening during the season, before most leagues run waivers. Check the Injury Reports page for status updates through the week, and Defensive Diagnosis for the five defenses to target.