Last-minute fantasy football pickups for Week 3
September 24, 2022
*Note: %Rostered is based on the percentage a player is rostered across all of ESPN’s fantasy football leagues. It may vary depending on the platform used.*
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (%Rostered: 15.4)
Doubs, a deep-ball playmaker out of Nevada, has been fairly quiet to start this season. Registering just 64 yards on six receptions over his first two games as a professional, the rookie has been nothing more than a bench receiver in fantasy football. This Sunday, that may change. With Sammy Watkins ruled out and Randall Cobb and Christian Watson questionable, Doubs could become the de facto WR1 in Green Bay for Sunday. Doubs’ potential makes him very appealing this week as a possible FLEX option in the event that Watson and/or Cobb do not play.
Breshad Perriman, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (%Rostered: 4.2)
Eight targets, 45 yards and a touchdown last week made Perriman’s name heard across the league. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will not suit up for Tampa Bay this weekend, Julio Jones is a game-time decision and Russell Gage is questionable (ESPN.com). Considering that Perriman, also questionable with an ankle injury, will most likely still play in a true chance to display his talents, he may be a solid fantasy option this week. Tom Brady attempted a decent bit of passes to Perriman last week and it looks like his target share will only improve due to his peers’ injuries. Do not expect too much from Perriman, but I still value him as a low floor WR2 (in larger leagues) or FLEX for Week 3.
Darrel Williams, RB, Arizona Cardinals (%Rostered: 7.9)
A former Kansas City Chief, Williams has stepped up when needed a plethora of times, most notably a 2021 Conference Championship matchup against the Buffalo Bills in which Williams tallied over 50 yards and had a touchdown as the team’s third running back (Pro-Football-Reference). With his new squad looking to play spoiler to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, look for Williams, who took on a lot of the workload in the wake of James Conner’s injury last week, to step up to the plate. Third-stringer Eno Benjamin makes me slightly more hesitant to go all in on Williams if Conner does not play this week (which looks very likely). Regardless, Williams may be a solid FLEX play if needed, but the Cardinals’ reliance on their passing attack makes it harder to expect a lot—despite my belief in him—from Williams.
Joe Flacco, QB, New York Jets (%Rostered: 4.6)
It is astonishing that in 2022—14 years after he was drafted by Baltimore out of the University of Delaware, Joe Flacco may be a fantasy football asset. He registered 14.36 fantasy points against his former team in Week 1 and then threw four touchdowns and tallied 26.88 fantasy points in Week 2. Flacco’s play has been nothing short of incredible for his older age and seemingly-declining play over the past few seasons. A tougher matchup with the Bengals looms this weekend, but playing a struggling Steelers defense in Week 4 makes Flacco worth the pickup. In the event that Flacco continues to succeed, which is extremely possible even against Cincinnati, he will not be available for long, making now the best time to scoop him up off of waivers and possibly start in Week 4.