This article is part of our NFL Waiver Wire series.
This column is geared toward "standard" 12-team leagues and based upon a $100 free-agent budget. Please, please adjust for your league based upon both the number of teams (I'm in a 24-team league, for example) and budget. This column is posted every Tuesday to, hopefully, accommodate the various waiver schedule. I'll update it in the comments section during the week; please keep in mind a lot can change from Tuesday to Sunday.
A lot of players discussed in this column the last few weeks not only had a successful Week 3, they were among the biggest fantasy contributors. Knile Davis and Donald Brown had successful weeks while tight ends Travis Kelce, Larry Donnell and Niles Paul have steadily produced. Miles Austin has become a red-zone target in Cleveland, and Mohammed Sanu's owners have gotten some bonus points from his passing ability. This week will feature a few more quarterbacks than usual because of injuries and bye weeks.
QUARTERBACK
Primary Targets
Blake Bortles, JAC - After vowing to keep Bortles off the field this season, coach Gus Bradley switched to the rookie after Chad Henne was terrible for a third straight game. Bortles had an impressive line - 14-of-24 for 223 yards (9.3 YPA), two touchdowns - but also threw two picks. The two interceptions shouldn't be a surprise given he's a rookie, and there likely will be more bumps in the road. His rushing ability (30 yards against the Colts) and his set of young, upside wide receivers makes him an interesting option.
FAAB: $5-10 in standard leagues; $25-40 in two-QB leagues
Teddy Bridgewater, MIN - The foot injury to Matt Cassel has accelerated the timetable for Bridgewater to take over as starter. Bridgewater's numbers in relief were nothing spectacular (12-of-20, 150 yards), but the six rushes for 27 yards is the eye-catching stat here. While he lost Kyle Rudolph (groin) for the next six weeks, Bridgewater has some weapons at his disposal in Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson. A week of practice with the starters will help, and he has a decent Week 4 matchup at home against the Falcons. FAAB: $5-10 in standard leagues; $25-40 in two-QB leagues
Mike Glennon, TB - It's not really clear why Glennon and not Josh McCown was under center to start the season outside of the $10 million the Buccaneers gave McCown. Glennon has more upside given his arm and age and will give Tampa Bay a better chance to win. Glennon has a good grip on the offense and has one of the biggest sets of wide receivers in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. The Tampa Bay Times reported McCown is out and has no timetable to return. This week, Glennon gets the Steelers, who suffered a few key defensive injuries Sunday night and wasn't an elite defense to begin with.
FAAB: $4-8 in standard leagues; $15-30 in two-QB leagues
Hail Mary
Zach Mettenberger, TEN - Mettenberger lands in the "Hail Mary" section for a few reasons. Jake Locker has an ailing right wrist and hasn't been ruled out of the Titans next game. Technically, Charlie Whitehurst is ahead of Mettenberger, who was a healthy inactive last Sunday, on the depth chart. However, Mettenberger has more upside than Whitehurst, and it's possible he leapfrogs Whitehurst if Locker is ruled out. At the very least, watch for reports out of Tennessee this week on the status of the quarterback position. FAAB: $1 or FCFS
RUNNING BACK
Primary Targets
Lorenzo Taliaferro, BAL - Was Bernard Pierce and last season's 2.9 yards per carry average really keeping Taliaferro on the bench the first two weeks? The injury to Pierce gave a chance to Taliaferro, who literally ran with it, totaling 91 rushing yards on 18 attempts. It appears he's the perfect compliment to Justin Forsett as a bruising back who can run between the tackles. The pride of Coastal Carolina, Taliaferro ran a respectable 4.58 40 at the Combine, an impressive mark considering he's 230 pounds. The only reason to tap the brakes is Pierce should be back soon, and it's unclear who will get the bulk of the carries. FAAB: $10-15
Alfred Blue, HOU - Blue comes in at just less than my threshold of being 50 percent owned and was impressive against the Giants on Sunday. Playing from behind most of the game, the Texans didn't run the ball as much as they wanted. Blue still managed 78 yards on only 13 carries and converted a fake punt with a 10-yard catch. It appears Foster will be back sooner than later, but it's likely this isn't the only game he'll miss this season. Blue has clearly established himself as the backup to Foster and would be a good low-end RB2/flex option if Foster misses more games. FAAB: $8-12
Secondary Targets
Denard Robinson, JAC - Coach Gus Bradley acknowledged that Robinson has earned more touches after the former Michigan QB ran for 33 yards against the Colts. Robinson is a good change-of-pace back from the bruising Toby Gerhart and should catch a few balls in the passing game as well. Remember that Robinson can throw, and the Jaguars probably have a few trick plays drawn up for him. FAAB: $2-4
Hail Mary
Branden Oliver, SD - The season-ending injury to Danny Woodhead opens the door for Oliver, a rookie out of the University of Buffalo. For now, Oliver will only see a few touches spelling Donald Brown but is securely second on the depth chart with the injuries and Marion Grice signing with the Cardinals. Oliver doesn't have the upside of other rookie running backs, but he is only a Donald Brown injury away from having a starting running back job. FAAB: $1 or FCFS
WIDE RECEIVER
Primary Targets
Jordan Matthews, PHI - It looks as if Matthews has moved himself into the second receiving option for the Eagles, a great fantasy place to be under Chip Kelly's offense and Nick Foles under center. Foles hit Matthews for two touchdowns and the seam route Matthews runs should yield more scores as the season progresses. Riley Cooper has struggled to start the season, and it looks like Foles trusts Matthews more at this point. FAAB: $8-12
Cecil Shorts, JAC - Shorts is finally healthy after dealing with a hamstring injury over the last few weeks. He caught a garbage-time touchdown from Blake Bortles against the Colts and could be a big garbage-time player as the Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the league. Shorts sits atop a depth chart of young receivers and will see plenty targets every week. FAAB: $8-12
Secondary Targets
Allen Robinson, JAC - Robinson has seen his role in the Jacksonville offense grow and for the second straight week he had at least 75 receiving yards. Teammate Marquis Lee sat Sunday, paving the way for Robinson to get 10 targets. Lee is expected to miss this week's game against the Chargers leaving Robinson the opportunity to have another solid game. FAAB: $4-8
Jeremy Kerley, NYJ - Last week's mention of Geno Smith in this space drew criticism in the comments section, but Smith went out and threw for 316 yards, with 81 -- and a touchdown -- going to Kerley (11 targets). Eric Decker aggravated his hamstring injury, and it looks like he could miss time if the Jets wait until he's 100 percent healthy. Kerley will be the top receiving option until Decker returns. FAAB: $4-8
John Brown, ARI - Brown got some preseason buzz as a sleeper and certainly looked worthy of it with two touchdown grabs Sunday. He also scored Week 1, but with Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd ahead of him in the pecking order, it's hard to imagine a 1,000-yard season. Brown does have good rapport with first-year signal-caller Drew Stanton, and they've likely practiced a lot together as backups. FAAB: $3-6
TIGHT END
Primary Targets
Owen Daniels, BAL - It sounds like Dennis Pitta suffered a pretty gruesome hip injury ,and it was announced Monday afternoon he'll miss the rest of the season. Enter Daniels, who knows the Gary Kubiak offense from their time together in Houston and had two touchdowns Week 2. Joe Flacco has leaned heavily on his tight ends, and Torrey Smith and Steve Smith Sr. should stretch the field, leaving Daniels plenty of room to work over the middle. FAAB: $8-12
DEFENSE
San Diego Chargers - It seems a little odd to talk about the Jaguars offensive players and then recommend the San Diego defense. As mentioned, Blake Bortles threw two picks and has to go on the road for his first start. The Chargers have a stout defense that has just gotten healthier with the return of Brandon Flowers and Corey Liuget. FAAB: $2-4
