Fantasy Football: 3 Plug-and-Play Pickups for Week 3

It's late in the week, and you're in a pinch with your fantasy football team. You want to find an injury replacement or bye-week fill-in who you feel good about, right? Well, sometimes the answer to your problem is sitting out there on the waiver wire.

If you need to make a plug-and-play pickup late in the week or are playing some large-field NFL DFS tournaments on FanDuel and need to unearth an overlooked gem, this article can help you out.

Here are some readily available players who can give you some production this week.

We'll reference our fantasy football projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook, and lines may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football: Plug-and-Play Pickups for Week 3

Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 13% | FanDuel Salary: $5,300

There isn't an abundance of available running backs we can count on this week, but I can certainly get behind Justice Hill as a plug-and-play option if you're in a pinch.

Hill was the RB32 with 8.5 half-PPR fantasy points in Week 1, but he dipped to 4.2 points last week. Still, his snap rate actually increased to 54% despite the downtick in production, and he saw 3 more rush attempts than he did in Week 1.

The lack of fantasy points last week was due to him seeing just 2 targets. But that came with Baltimore largely controlling the game before blowing a late lead. In Week 1, when the Baltimore Ravens were going back-and-forth with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill saw a 20% target share and tied for second on the team with 6 receptions.

That's the kind of game script we're banking on for Hill this week against the Dallas Cowboys. This game has a 47.5-point over/under, and the visiting Ravens are 1.5-point favorites. But considering Baltimore is just 25th in adjusted defense, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cowboys go blow-for-blow with the Ravens.

That would play into Hill being Baltimore's primary back, potentially resulting in more passing game work against a Dallas defense that's allowed the ninth-highest running back target rate (22.6%) according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

For Sunday's game, Hill's receiving yards prop is set at 11.5. He had 52 in Week 1 and 10 last week despite only seeing 2 targets.

While there may not be much apparent touchdown upside with Derrick Henry around, Hill and Henry saw the same number of red zone rush attempts in Week 1. That hints at potentially more upside than receiving work alone.

Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 24% | FanDuel Salary: $5,100

We've seen Adam Thielen thrive with Andy Dalton before, and that's enough to consider Thielen if you're lacking at receiver in Week 3.

In one game with the Red Rocket under center last season, Thielen exploded for 11 receptions (on 14 targets), 145 yards, and a touchdown. That netted him a clean 26 fantasy points.

Now, it would be foolish to expect that kind of output against the Las Vegas Raiders with both vets a year older this time around, but a big game is clearly in Thielen's range of outcomes if the Carolina Panthers turn Dalton loose.

It's not like Thielen hasn't been out there, either. Entering Week 3, he leads Carolina receivers in snap rate (80.2%) and route rate (75%). The 12.7% target share with Bryce Young as quarterback left a lot to be desired, but Thielen still leads the Panthers in receiving yards in spite of the lack of targets.

Vegas is 15th in adjusted pass defense, so this is a relatively neutral matchup. But they have allowed the eighth-highest target rate (21.4%) to the position, so Thielen could be busy if the Panthers fall behind early. As of Friday afternoon, the Raiders are 6.5-point underdogs. That hints at a negative game script, further aiding Thielen's case as a spot-starter in fantasy.

Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yahoo! Roster Percentage: 3%

Tight end has been the ultimate dart throw early on, and it's been difficult to rely on even who we thought were the top-tier options in draft season.

Still, I can't help but be impressed with how Brenton Strange filled in for Evan Engram last week. For the first time in his career, the 2022 second-round pick played more than 60% of snaps. He turned a 61% route rate into the team's second-highest target share (22.2%), recording 3 receptions for 65 yards. He also saw one of Jacksonville's two end zone targets, and that's an area the 6-foot-3 sophomore should (in theory) thrive considering his 82nd percentile vertical.

With Engram up in the air for Monday Night Football, I'm certainly more inclined to take a chance on Strange than a dusty veteran like Zach Ertz or Jordan Akins.

Last week's utilization was encouraging, and he could play a similar role against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has allowed the fourth highest tight end target rate (23.9%) through two games, and the Jacksonville Jaguars could find themselves going to the air in a negative game script. Entering the weekend, the Jags are 4.5-point underdogs, but we just saw Buffalo dismantle the team Jacksonville lost to in Week 1.

And given Ertz' low roster rate, you can still pivot off Strange if Engram winds up being active.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.