Fantasy Football Week 3 Quarterback and Tight End FAAB Bids: Daniel Jones, Juwan Johnson, and More

The worst fantasy outcomes early in the season aren't losses in terms of points but instead losses of major players for long stretches. Joe Burrow is one of the biggest names to drop so far, suffering a turf toe injury that will require surgery.

For Burrow's fantasy owners, that means two poor fantasy showings so far and now out until at least the final month of the season. Things are looking bleak; very bleak. Luckily, quarterback is the easiest position at which to stream players and find fantasy production, so there is still hope, and it might exist on the waiver wire.

Let's look at some of the quarterbacks and tight ends who are hot on waivers and what reasonable FAAB bids might look like. This is just a baseline; you'll have to adjust it to your specific situation and team needs. All bids are based on a $100 budget.

Some insight on the terms used below:

• Conservative bids are for players you would expect to be bench guys who maybe factor in here or there.
• Need bids are for those you would consider most weeks and play at least half the time.
• Desperation bids are for the guys you would plug into your lineup and expect to be near-weekly fixtures.

Check out the FantasySP waiver wire tool to keep up with the players being added most ahead of each week.

Quarterback

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

With news that Burrow is out for probably around three months, it thrusts his backup, Browning, into the spotlight. Most backups aren't great fantasy options; he'd be starting somewhere if he were that good. Browning is stepping into a decent situation, though, so it's worth taking notice.

Browning still has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to throw to and an offense that helped Burrow flourish last year. Browning played eight games when Burrow was out in 2023. In those eight weeks, Browning was fantasy QB5, averaging 242 passing yards and 16 rushing yards per game with 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and three rushing touchdowns.

He averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game during that stretch, a number that would rank 15th among QBs right now. That's how I view Browning: kind of in the middle. He's a fine streamer to consider in the right matchups, but he doesn't have the upside of Burrow, and he doesn't run the ball enough to expect a huge impact there.

I want to see Browning excel consistently before I believe it. He also has tougher matchups over the next month, going away to Minnesota, Denver, and Green Bay while playing Detroit at home.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

I was skeptical when Jones played well against the Dolphins, thinking Miami was just that bad. I said that if Jones did it again against the Broncos, then I would believe in him. Well, Jones had 316 yards on a fantastic 9.3 yards per attempt with a touchdown and no interceptions, adding a rushing touchdown for good measure. He was QB7 for the week.

I had Denver pegged as the best defense in football, so we have to take notice of this performance. Jones has now been very good two weeks in a row, the second time against a tough test. Any fantasy owners with quarterback woes or those who lost Burrow should consider picking up Jones.

The Colts have another potentially tougher test in Week 3 against the Titans, but Matthew Stafford just had his way with Tennessee, so Jones could continue his hot streak. It's sensible to still doubt Jones; I'm not a true believer yet. He has shown enough in two games, though, to deserve a bump in fantasy ownership, especially with Burrow going down.

Conservative Bid: $1-3

Need Bid: $4-6

Desperation Bid: $8-11

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

Jones is only a short-term option, so even if you're intrigued, it immediately deflates his value. With Brock Purdy expected back in a few weeks, Jones will likely get the nod in Week 3, but his status is up in the air after that.

In Week 2, Jones had a decent day, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns. It took 39 attempts to get there (a very average 7.2 yards per attempt), and he fumbled twice, losing one, so it wasn't all great, but Jones didn't throw any interceptions and led his team to victory. That performance has him near QB10 for the week.

The matchups against the Cardinals in Week 3 and Jaguars in Week 4 are middling, so I'm not excited about using Jones as a streamer. He won't run the ball much and is likely to top out in the middle; there will be better options out there.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Tight End

Davis Allen, Los Angeles Rams

I want to quickly just use Allen as an example. Touchdowns are very random from week to week, and players who aren't heavily involved in the offense but score TDs are unlikely to continue that path. Allen caught one pass in each Week 1 and Week 2, first for a 13-yard touchdown and then an 8-yard touchdown.

Allen isn't a fantasy-relevant player, even with a current top-10 standard spot. Don't chase touchdowns as much as volume and yardage; those things portend better future production than random scores.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $0

Desperation Bid: $1

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns

It was easy to not believe after Week 1. Fannin had seven receptions and 63 yards against Cincinnati in the first game, but it was only one game, and Fannin was still behind David Njoku on the depth chart. Leading the team with nine targets was a fluke.

Then in Week 2, Fannin saw the same five targets that Njoku did, caught all five of them, and gained 48 yards. His five receptions tied for the team lead, and he was only three yards short of the top spot. It's now a two-week sample of Fannin being a major part of the Cleveland offense.

Fannin doesn't have much in front of him in terms of pass catchers, with Njoku and Jerry Jeudy the only accomplished receivers. Cedric Tillman has a little potential, but Fannin otherwise is above everyone else in the pass-catching hierarchy. That means he will keep being part of the offense and stay on the fantasy radar.

It's dangerous to expect big things from the rookie, but his involvement gives him fantasy value. Fannin might be approaching weekly starter status, particularly in PPR leagues.

Conservative Bid: $2-3

Need Bid: $4-6

Desperation Bid: $7-11

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

Like Fannin, Johnson saw a big spike in ownership after Week 1, but there are still enough non-believers that he has availability in at least half of leagues. I was down on him just a little in Week 2, thinking he could still get volume but might struggle in a tougher matchup against San Francisco.

Well, Johnson got nine targets (behind just Chris Olave's 10), caught five passes for 49 yards, and scored a touchdown. It's his second straight week with over 15 PPR points and has him second at the position in PPR and third in standard before Monday's games.

I've talked often during the first few weeks about Johnson dominating his position in New Orleans because Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau both started the year on IR. The Saints also don't have many other pass catchers who command a large share, with Olave the only real consistent threat.

Johnson looks like a favorite of young quarterback Spencer Rattler and could be involved on a weekly basis, especially until others return at his position. Johnson is a good mid-level player right now who has started hot.

Conservative Bid: $2-3

Need Bid: $4-6

Desperation Bid: $7-11