Fantasy Football: Playing the waiver wire for Week 3

Week 2 of the NFL schedule will end with a Monday night doubleheader (Saints-Panthers, Browns-Steelers). So we now move toward Week 3, in search of potential reinforcements for fantasy football rosters.

Here's our Week 3 edition of "Playing The Waiver Wire."

QB Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

For a second straight week, Howell started slowly on his way to a notable fantasy day against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 (299 passing yards, two touchdowns; 13 rushing yards). He has accounted for multiple touchdowns and topped 16 fantasy points in both games this season.

It's not a great matchup for Howell in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, but a negative game script appears likely. Then in Week 4 Howell will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who have allowed over 300 passing yards in both their games so far this season as Mac Jones and Kirk Cousins were forced into...you guessed it, negative game scripts in the second half. Week 5-8 (Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, the Eagles again) look pretty good for the Commanders' signal caller too.

You don't have to be a great quarterback to be a really good fantasy quarterback. Howell has enough going for him, with a nice array of skill talent around him and running ability, to be a viable streamer in one-quarterback leagues and a nice QB2 in two-quarterback formats.

ESPN Ownership: 9.5%
Yahoo! Ownership: 20%

QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford threw two interceptions in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers, and he has just one touchdown pass through two games. But he topped 300 passing yards for the second straight game, and he has double-digit rushing yards in both games.

At a glance, Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals would be a tough matchup for Stafford. But, albeit with rushing production from Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson in mind, the Bengals are set to enter Week 3 in the bottom-five of the league in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.

After that, Stafford gets favorable matchups against the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from Week 4-Week 6. And Cooper Kupp may return after Week 4.

It's hard to recall the last time Stafford would have been on a fantasy waiver wire article. But here were are, and he's got a favorable stretch coming to keep building on a productive start to the season.

ESPN Ownership: 29.6%
Yahoo! Ownership: 35%