Week 3 Wide Receiver Waivers: Which Big Performers Can Keep Up Their Pace?

I'm a proponent of almost always drafting running backs early in fantasy drafts rather than the top receivers because WRs are much easier to find on the free agent market than their counterparts in the backfield. In today's game, many teams could realistically be described as having three starting receivers, and almost no team can say they have even two starting RBs.

That doesn't mean it's simple, though, as you have to put in the time to find the players with the most chances and discern that from those who had just a big game or two early in the season who aren't set up for further success; it's a season-long process.

Let's look at four wide receivers who are hot names on the waiver wire heading into Week 3. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

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Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens

Despite playing the most snaps of any Baltimore receiver in Week 1, Bateman received just one target and didn't make a catch. With Zay Flowers out in Week 2 after suffering a hamstring injury in the opener, Bateman again led the way in terms of snaps, but this time, he caught seven of nine targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. It's unclear when Flowers will return, but hamstring issues can linger, giving Bateman a chance to maybe be top dog again in Week 3.

Flowers will hog targets and receptions when he is healthy and on the field, but there is still room for Bateman to be involved. He's unlikely to be a top performer, but he should be on the field, and that's half the battle sometimes. While Bateman is likely to top out as a WR3/4/flex guy, that's a player who might be worth a spot on your roster, especially if you're short at receiver.

Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns

Boston has now caught a touchdown in both his professional games, taking one 55 yards to the house on Sunday after scoring from 46 yards in Week 1. Outside of those two long TDs, he has caught five passes for 53 yards, and while it's not fair to take away his biggest plays then point toward the lack of production, we expected the Browns' offense to struggle this season, and there will probably be slower games; he's not going to score from 40-plus every week.

All that said, Boston should be on a roster in close to every league once the waiver period ends this week. We was seen as a possible first-round pick before falling to number 39, and he has the look of a top receiver at 6'4 and 215 pounds. Big pedigree with big early production means big intrigue, and Boston is a guy worth grabbing if you can get him.

Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills

D.J. Moore suffered a shoulder injury during the first half Thursday night against the Lions, and his status for Week 3 is uncertain. Coleman was the biggest beneficiary of that unfortunate event, jumping from 29 snaps in the first game to 55 in Week 2. His production rose in kind, going from just a single one-yard catch in the opener to six receptions and 63 yards on Thursday.

Coleman was the 33rd overall pick in 2024. Like Boston, he was seen as a possible first-round selection but fell to the early second, still a range where plenty of guys have broken out as stars. It was a tumultuous first few years, including plenty of talk last season about who may and may not have wanted to actually draft Coleman, but he stuck around rather than getting traded for peanuts, and he's with a quarterback who can air it out with the best of them.

Given his pedestrian career numbers, I'm not expecting Coleman to really break out, but a young player entering his third season isn't the worst bet to see an increase in his production. Moore's status has a direct impact on Coleman's upside, so having some more clarity there would help, but there's nothing wrong with grabbing the younger receiver with the hope that he will have an expanded role for a while and maybe work his way into more snaps. Just don't expect a big ceiling.

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

Tucker had some intrigue heading into the season because he was essentially the WR1 in Las Vegas with a team of inexperienced and ineffective pass catchers. Brock Bowers is actually WR1, but there's still room for someone to step up on the outside, and Bowers missed the first two weeks after cleanup surgery on his meniscus. Tucker took advantage this week with five catches, 119 yards, and a touchdown (after a pedestrian two receptions and 27 yards in Week 1).

That's probably the best way to expect Tucker to progress moving forward; he will have some big games and some quiet ones. That makes things tough on fantasy owners and makes Tucker a guy who is best deployed depending on the matchup, another player in that large WR3/4/flex range. Bowers could return in Week 3, but it could take him a few games to ramp up, so Tucker might continue getting a few extra looks even when the star tight end is back on the field.

I like the idea of grabbing Tucker with the expectation that he can be part of the solution on the right weeks, even if he's never a fantasy star. Fellow Vegas receiver Cody White might also draw looks from fantasy owners after he caught two touchdowns on Sunday, but White only had one touchdown in 31 career games since 2021 before that performance, and those are also his only two receptions on the season, so it's likely that White just had a lucky week and will go back to being anonymous.