If you've been a bit underwhelmed by the options available to you on the waiver wire so far this season, you aren't alone. But that could change in a big way in Week 4, because Khalil Herbert might be the FAB-busting add we've been waiting for.
That will depend, of course, on how serious David Montgomery's injury ends up being. Montgomery left Sunday's game early with a knee/ankle injury and was ruled doubtful fairly quickly, a sign that we could be dealing with something serious. Even if Montgomery is just out for a couple of weeks, Herbert figures to be a must-add and potential must-start Fantasy running back.
Herbert was excellent Sunday against the Texans, rushing for 157 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns. He added two catches for 12 yards, and most importantly, dominated work. Tristan Ebner mostly replaced Herbert's role, ending up with seven carries as a change-of-pace option. When Montgomery was healthy, he was getting two-to-three drives for every one for Herbert, and it looks like that was a similar pattern with Montgomery down.
And that's what I expect to see from this Bears offense if Montgomery misses time. This offense hasn't been great, or even particularly good, but they've run the ball pretty well. And, perhaps more importantly, they've run the ball enthusiastically. This team has decided to follow the 2021 Eagles blueprint, trying to win every game with as few pass attempts as possible. That limits the upside of the offense as a whole, but for a team that likes to consolidate running back snaps and touches like this, you'll take it from their lead back.
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And it looks like Herbert has a chance to be the lead back here. Say what you want about Justin Fields' passing ability – "It remains suspect," is the nicest way I can put it right now – but his athleticism is going to open up rushing lanes for whichever back is there. Montgomery had 122 yards on 15 carries in Week 2, as well. Herbert is available in 44% of CBS Fantasy leagues, and he needs to be added in every single one where he is available this week.
Hopefully, for Montgomery's sake, the injury isn't as serious as it initially seemed. If it is, Herbert's got a pretty soft Giants defense on the way in Week 4, so he might be ranked as a consensus top-12 RB. That's the kind of player you blow your FAB on – and he's worth upwards of 50% if available. If Montgomery's absence ends up being measured in months rather than weeks, well, Herbert could be that league-winning kind of add.
Here's who else we'll be chasing on the waiver wire for Week 3.
There haven't been a ton of obvious options at the QB position on waivers this season, but Lawrence has the look of a guy who might have made the leap to top-12 consideration. He picked the Chargers apart Sunday, with three touchdowns to no interceptions, and perhaps most impressively, no sacks against a very good pass rush. Lawrence has looked much improved in Doug Pederson's offense, and the Jaguars' much-maligned offseason spending spree on the likes of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram is paying off. He has six touchdowns to one pick through three games while being sacked twice, and while Week 4 against the Eagles presents a tough matchup, the schedule lightens up considerably from that point on – he might just be a top-12 guy for Week 5 against the Texans.
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Olave isn't widely available, but he's too under-rostered for how good he looks right now. A week after he was targeted for 334 air yards, one of the highest numbers ever tracked, he turned that into massive production Sunday against the Panthers. Olave was Jameis Winston's top option, turning 13 targets into nine catches for 147 yards – each number led the team. Through three games, Olave has 29 targets, 17 catches for 268 yards, and the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft might just have already established himself as a go-to WR, and his downfield-oriented approach seems to have meshed very well with Winston's aggressive play style. This is looking like a pretty special rookie WR class, and Olave just might be the best of the bunch.
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Doubs isn't in Olave's class as either a real-life or Fantasy prospect, but there's plenty to be excited about here. Oh sure, the curmudgeonly among you might scoff at his production and say, "Of course he did that when the Packers were missing multiple wide receivers." But ... of course, this is what he's supposed to do when the Packers are missing guys like Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson. What is noteworthy here is that Allen Lazard wasn't nearly as productive as Doubs in the same environment. The whole appeal of the Packers WR corps for Fantasy was that you got to take some cheap shots at potentially finding Aaron Rodgers No. 1 option. It may not be Doubs, but he proved he can be relied on when needed, and that's the first step. Why not add him and see where it goes?
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I was surprised to see Williams is still available in about 30% of CBS Fantasy leagues, and based on what we've seen this season, that is simply far too low. Sure, Williams is the complementary back to D'Andre Swift in theory, but he continues to get a significant workload as Swift struggles to stay healthy. Swift left Sunday's game briefly, seemingly with a recurrence of the ankle injury that has been bothering him all season, and Williams took advantage with a huge game. Williams continues to be prioritized near the goal line, and this Lions offense is continuing to produce those opportunities. Swift's big-play ability makes him the best Lions back for Fantasy, and that isn't likely to change. However, this team clearly values and trusts Williams near the goal line, and Swift's injury issues are seemingly pushing Williams into starting-caliber territory, with 47 touches in three games.
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What has gotten into Mack Hollins? A week after going for five catches for 66 yards, he put together the best game of his career – by far – Sunday. He took advantage of both Hunter Renfrow's absence as well as the defensive attention Davante Adams and Darren Waller are drawing, but I don't want to take anything away from him – Hollins just played really well in this one. He was matched up one-on-one on the touchdown and just went over the defender to bring it in. Can he keep this up? It seems unlikely once Renfrow is healthy, but in deeper leagues, you can't ignore this kind of game.
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Neither can you ignore the performance Parker put up Sunday. The Patriots brought him in because they needed someone who could make big plays down the field, and that's exactly what he did against the Ravens. Now, the Ravens have been especially susceptible to big plays over the past two seasons, so this could have been a matchups thing, but if you're looking for WR help, Parker is probably a better option than Hollins.
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It might be strange to suggest a Ravens running back to add the same week J.K. Dobbins returned from his injury, but Hill looked better than any other Ravens back this season on Sunday. It was only six carries, but they're desperate for production from the running back spot, with Lamar Jackson being forced to take on a pretty massive load on the ground, even by his loft standards. The Ravens love to use multiple backs, and if Hill can keep making plays, he should get opportunities. In deeper leagues, he's worth a bench stash.
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Through three games, Conklin now has 24 targets, and if he can sustain anything like that pace, he's going to be a top-12 tight end. The Jets' passing rate so far – 52 attempts per game – isn't sustainable, but this does look like a team that is probably going to end up throwing more than they did last season, at least. When so few tight ends are getting volume, Conklin stands out. He's not a must-start player, but he's worth streaming to see if this is real.
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